noun
minor taro root; taro cormlet/cormel
Refers to the small side corms that grow around the main taro corm; includes both 子芋 (smaller) and 孫芋 (even smaller). Used in cooking and agriculture.
芋の子を煮物に使うと、ほくほくしておいしい。
When you use minor taro roots in a simmered dish, they become fluffy and delicious.
親芋の周りにたくさんの芋の子がついている。
Many small taro cormlets are attached around the parent corm.
noun
jam-packed with people
Used in the set phrase 芋の子を洗うよう, describing a crowd so dense that people jostle like taro cormlets being washed in a basket. Colloquial and vivid.
See also: 芋の子を洗うよう
夏の海水浴場は芋の子を洗うような混雑だ。
The beach in summer is so crowded it's like washing taro cormlets.