(まるあ)

まるあげ
noun
whole deep-frying; deep-fried whole
food
1. whole deep-frying; deep-fried whole
A cooking method where an ingredient — typically a small fish, shrimp, or vegetable — is deep-fried whole without cutting or filleting. Also refers to the resulting dish.
()アジ丸揚(まるあ)(つく)った
I made whole deep-fried small horse mackerel.
Since the bones of this fish are edible, it's delicious deep-fried whole.
When I ordered whole deep-fried shrimp at the izakaya, they were fried crispy from head to tail.

Composed of (まる) (whole, entire) and ()げ (frying). The (まる) prefix emphasizes that the ingredient is cooked whole rather than cut into pieces. Common with small fish, shrimp, and certain vegetables that can be eaten entirely after frying.

The key appeal of 丸揚(まるあ)げ is that the high oil temperature cooks the entire item — including bones, shells, or tough parts — until they become crispy and edible. This makes it a popular way to prepare small fish in Japanese home cooking and izakaya menus.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 素揚(すあ): plain deep-frying — frying without batter, but the ingredient may be cut or filleted
  • 唐揚(からあ): Japanese-style fried chicken — typically uses cut pieces coated in flour or starch
  • (てん)ぷら: tempura — batter-coated deep-frying, usually with cut ingredients
  • 丸焼(まるや): whole roasting — the roasting equivalent, cooking something whole over heat