Translation guide
The plant, bulb, or flavoring used in cooking. In Japanese, the most common word is にんにく, but there are also specific terms for wild garlic, garlic chives, and related alliums.
garlic (general)
Referring to the common garlic used in cooking, as a plant, bulb, or ingredient.
The standard word for garlic in all contexts: the plant, the bulb, and the ingredient. Used in cooking, health, and everyday conversation.
This dish has a lot of garlic in it.
I'm concerned about the smell of garlic.
Loanword from English, often used in compound words or menu items, such as ガーリックトースト (garlic toast) or ガーリックライス (garlic rice). Not used for the raw bulb itself.
I'll have the garlic toast, please.
Referring to a wild plant with garlic-like leaves, often foraged in spring.
Allium victorialis, a wild garlic native to mountainous regions of Japan. The leaves are eaten as a spring vegetable. Also called アイヌネギ in Hokkaido.
In spring, we go to pick wild garlic.
Allium macrostemon, a wild garlic species with small bulbs and chive-like leaves. Often foraged and used in tempura or as a condiment.
Referring to the flat-leaved chive with a mild garlic flavor, used in Asian cooking.
Allium tuberosum, commonly used in gyoza, stir-fries, and soups. Not the same as regular garlic, but often translated as 'garlic chives' in English.
Garlic chives are essential for gyoza.
Referring to dried, powdered, or otherwise processed garlic.
にんにく is the bulb garlic, while ニラ is the leafy garlic chive. They are different plants and not interchangeable in recipes.
With garlic you eat the bulb, with garlic chives you eat the leaves.
ノビルを天ぷらにして食べました。
I ate wild garlic as tempura.