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Read the Signs - Local Specialties / Nagoya Meshi
2020.02.28
看板を読もう「 名古屋名物・名古屋めし」
Want to pick up some famous local sweets or try some of Nagoya's unique dishes, but don't know what to look for? Try looking for shops and restaurants with these expressions for starters.
Nagoya specialty
↑ At a restaurant entrance
↑ Sign outside restaurant
↑ On a Japanese sweet store
Key expression:
名古屋 Nagoya (Nagoya)
名物 meibutsu (specialty [food, dish], famous product)
* The kanji 名 (also found in 名前 / namae / name) is read as na in some words, but mei in others. It is also used as shorthand for Nagoya. For example 名古屋駅 / Nagoya eki (Nagoya Station) is often shortened to 名駅 / Mei eki, which is also used to refer to the area east of Nagoya Station.
Nagoya cuisine
↑ At a restaurant entrance
Key expression:
めし meshi (cuisine [informal]; meal; food)
名古屋めし Nagoya meshi (Nagoya nosh)
Some expressions to look for to help you find tasty local fare at restaurants.
Misokatsu
Key expressions:
みそ・味噌 miso (miso)
かつ・カツ katsu ([pork] cutlet, crumbed and fried)
定食 teishoku (meal, i.e. main dish with a bowl of rice, miso soup, pickles, etc.)
(Miso) Nikomi udon
Key expressions:
煮込み nikomi (boiled / simmered in [miso] broth)
うどん udon (udon noodles)
Miso kushikatsu
Key expression:
みそ串かつ miso kushikatsu (deep-fried skewered meat with miso sauce)
Doteni
Key expression:
どて煮・土手煮 doteni (beef sinew stewed in miso)
More tasty local fare to look out for.
Tebasaki
Key expressions:
元祖 ganso (the original)
手羽先(唐揚) tebasaki (kara'age) (spicy fried chicken wings)
塩 shio (salt [flavored])
タレ tare (sauce [flavored])
Unagi / Hitsumabushi
Key expressions:
うなぎ unagi (eel)
ひつまぶし hitsumabushi (broiled eel on rice)
Taiwan Ramen
Key expression:
台湾ラーメン Taiwan ramen (ramen in spicy soy sauce-based soup with leeks and ground pork)
Ankake Spaghetti
Key expression:
あんかけスパゲティ ankake supageti (spaghetti in thick, tomato-flavored sauce with black pepper and other spices)
