noun
dried young sardines; chirimen jako
Small dried sardine fry, a common Japanese food. Often used as a topping for rice, in salads, or as a snack. Related to しらすぼし (shirasuboshi), which are partially dried and softer.
See also: 白子干し (しらすぼし)
朝ごはんに、ご飯の上にちりめんじゃこをかけて食べた。
For breakfast, I put chirimen jako on top of my rice and ate it.
このちりめんじゃこは、カルシウムが豊富で健康に良い。
These dried young sardines are rich in calcium and good for your health.
しらすぼし are partially dried young sardines, softer and with higher moisture content than ちりめんじゃこ, which are fully dried and firmer.
The word ちりめんじゃこ combines 縮緬 (chirimen, 'crepe fabric') with 雑魚 (jako, 'small fish'), referring to the wrinkled appearance of the dried fish resembling crepe fabric. The reading じゃこ is a voiced variant of ざこ.