Languages / Japanese / Level 1 · Unit 3

海産物と肉 — Seafood and Meat

Lesson 13 of 170 · Level 1 of 6All lessons
In this lesson

You are learning seafood and meat: you will read the scene it happens in, learn 10 words and phrases, take apart the pattern behind them (taste/texture vocabulary + asking about food), hear them in a conversation, rehearse them, and finish by saying one thing out loud to be graded.

The scene

Tsukiji Outer Market or Ameyoko market in Ueno — the open-air market under the train tracks. Seafood, meats, dried goods, and the best takoyaki outside of Osaka.

築地のマグロ · Tsukiji Tuna

The outer market at Tsukiji has a dozen tuna vendors, each with their own specialty: one focuses on bluefin from Oma in Aomori — the highest grade. Another deals in yellowfin from the Pacific, faster to harvest, slightly different in flavor. The difference between them is enormous. The price difference is also enormous.

The stranger looks at the display case. The vendor watches. 「どれが一番おすすめですか?」 — Dore ga ichiban osusume desu ka? Which one do you recommend most?

The vendor points at a dark red piece without hesitation: 「これです。脂がのっていて、うまみがあります。」 — This one. It's well-marbled and has umami.

「どうやって食べますか?」 — How do you eat it? The vendor makes a gesture: raw, with soy sauce, wasabi on the side. 「わかりました。では、お任せします。」