とろろ昆こん布ぶ

also: とろろこぶ

と

ろ

こ

ん

ぶ

Meanings

1

noun

shredded kombu

Thinly shaved or shredded kelp, often used as a topping for rice, noodles, or in soups. A common processed food product.

うどんにとろろ昆こん布ぶをのせて食たべる。
I put shredded kombu on my udon and eat it.
とろろ昆こん布ぶはおにぎりの具ぐにも使つかわれる。
Shredded kombu is also used as a filling for rice balls.

2

noun

Kjellmaniella gyrata (species of kelp)

Scientific name for the kelp species from which shredded kombu is typically made. Rarely used outside of biological or culinary contexts.

とろろ昆こん布ぶの原げん料りょうは、Kjellmaniella gyrata という昆こん布ぶの一いっ種しゅです。
The raw material for shredded kombu is a type of kelp called Kjellmaniella gyrata.

Written forms

とろろ昆布
- とろろこんぶ
  Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling; the most common written form.
- とろろこぶ
薯蕷昆布
- とろろこんぶ
  Ateji spelling using 薯蕷 for とろろ; rarely used and may not be recognized by all readers.
- とろろこぶ
トロロコンブ
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling; often used in product packaging or menus.
とろろこぶ
Alternate reading with こぶ instead of こんぶ; less common but recognized.
トロロコブ
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling of the alternate reading; rare.

Kanji

昆descendants, elder brother, insect
布linen, cloth, spread
薯potato
蕷

Similar words

昆こん布ぶ
昆布 is the general term for kombu kelp, while とろろ昆布 specifically refers to the shredded form.
おぼろ昆こん布ぶ
おぼろ昆布 is another type of processed kelp, but it is scraped into a fluffy, cotton-like texture, whereas とろろ昆布 is cut into thin, noodle-like strips.

Etymology

とろろ (tororo) originally refers to grated yam, and by extension to anything with a similar slimy or shredded texture. 昆布 (konbu) is kombu kelp. The name describes the shredded, somewhat slimy texture of the product.

yam