About foods - Part 2

Continuing from the previous post, it will still be about food and eating.

One Piece, Toriko, and Dragon Ball collaboration

I got to know the manga and anime, Toriko, from One Piece, as they had a few collaboration episodes.  Toriko’s story take place in the Gourmet Era, where almost everything is about food.  Toriko is a well-known Gourmet Hunter or 美食屋 (bishoku-ya), whose job is to find and acquire high-level ingredients.  Toriko is a known Glutton as well, and he can always be seen eating in the show.

The glutton, Toriko enjoying Galala crocodile meat

From the word 美食屋,  美食 or びしょく(bishoku) means gourmet or delicious food.  Probably everyone knows that before eating, Japanese people will say 頂きます or いただきます (itadakimasu), which means I will eat or let’s eat.  It is polite to say 頂きます (itadakimasu) before eating.

There’s many ways to express that the food tastes good.  美味しい or おいしい (oishii) is the most commonly heard and used, which means delicious or tasty.  旨い or うまい (umai) is always used with the same meaning.  結構 or けっこう(kekkou), when used as an adjective can also be used to describe the food as splendid, wonderful or delicious.  

Other words that can also be used are like 素晴らしい, 凄い, and 素敵.  These three are actually synonyms.  素晴らしい or すばらしい (subarashii) means wonderful, magnificent, or splendid.  凄い or すごい (sugoi) means amazing and fantastic.  素敵 or すてき (suteki), also have similar meaning of lovely or wonderful.  These three can also be used to describe many other things, not only food.

After finish eating, say ご馳走様でした.  ご馳走様でした or  ごちそうさまでした (go-chisou-sama deshita), which could mean “it was a great feast, it was a wonderful meal, or it was delicious.”  It is a Japanese etiquette to say this phrase after eating.

Before eating

頂きます                                            いただきます (itadakimasu)        

I will eat, let’s eat

Tasty, delicious

美味しい                                            おいしい (oishii)

旨い                                                     うまい (umai)

結構                                                     けっこう(kekkou)

Wonderful, amazing, lovely

素晴らしい                                       すばらしい (subarashii)

凄い                                                    すごい (sugoi)

素敵                                                    すてき (suteki)

After finish eating

ご馳走様でした                             ごちそうさまでした (go-chisou-sama deshita) 

It was a great feast, it was a wonderful meal, or it was delicious

Enjoy your food!