牡丹肉(ぼたんにく)

ぼたんにく
noun
wild boar meat
foodculture
1. wild boar meat; boar served as food
Meat from wild boar, especially as served in restaurants. 牡丹(ぼたん) (peony) refers to the flower-like way the slices are arranged on the plate.
牡丹肉(ぼたんにく)を食(た)べた。
I ate wild boar meat.
冬(ふゆ)は牡丹肉(ぼたんにく)の鍋(なべ)がおいしい。
Wild boar hot pot is delicious in winter.
山(やま)あいの宿(やど)で、地元(じもと)で獲(と)れた牡丹肉(ぼたんにく)を味(あじ)わった。
At an inn in the mountains, we tasted locally caught wild boar meat.

A traditional euphemism for boar meat. Eating four-legged animals was long discouraged in Japan, so game meats acquired flower and plant names that avoided naming the animal.

Common collocations

Related game-meat names

  • もみじ: venison — literally 'maple leaves'
  • さくら: horse meat — literally 'cherry blossom'
  • かしわ: chicken — an older regional term