車くるま海老えび

also: くるまエビ

く

る

ま

え

び

Meanings

noun

kuruma prawn; Japanese tiger prawn; Marsupenaeus japonicus

A species of prawn highly valued in Japanese cuisine, known for its distinctive striped pattern. Often used in sushi and tempura.

車くるま海老えびは高こう級きゅうな寿す司しネタとして人にん気きがある。
Kuruma prawn is popular as a high-class sushi topping.
活いきのいい車くるま海老えびを塩しお焼やきにした。
I grilled some fresh kuruma prawns with salt.

Kanji

車car
海sea, ocean
老old man, old age, grow old
蝦shrimp, prawn, lobster

Don't confuse with

海老えびN1
海老 is the umbrella word for the whole crustacean group, whereas 車海老 refers specifically to the kuruma prawn often served at sushi counters.

Built from

車くるま+海老えび

Written forms

車くるま海老えびUsage49%
Standard kanji spelling for this prawn species.
車くるまえびUsage16%
Mixed kanji-kana spelling, common in menus and casual contexts.
クルマエビUsage14%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling, common in biological and culinary contexts.
くるまえびUsage12%
車くるまエビUsage9%
Mixed kanji-katakana spelling, often seen in food contexts.
車くるま蝦えび
Alternate kanji using 蝦; less common than 海老.
くるまエビ

Etymology

Named for the curved, wheel-like (車) pattern on its shell when bent, resembling the spokes of a wheel. The derivation is straightforward from the kanji components.