カルメラ

also: カルメル

カ

ル

メ

ラ

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

honeycomb toffee; sponge toffee

A Japanese foam candy made by heating brown sugar with baking soda, creating a light, crunchy texture. The name comes from Portuguese 'caramelo'.

from Portuguese caramelo

縁えん日にちでカルメラを買かった。
I bought honeycomb toffee at the festival.
カルメラはサクサクしていて甘あまい。
Honeycomb toffee is crispy and sweet.

Usage patterns

カルメラを作つくるto make honeycomb toffee
重じゅう曹そうと砂さ糖とうでカルメラを作つくった。
I made honeycomb toffee using baking soda and sugar.
カルメラが膨ふくらむthe toffee puffs up (as it cooks)
重じゅう曹そうを入いれると、カルメラがぐんぐん膨ふくらんだ。
When I added the baking soda, the toffee puffed up quickly.

Related words

カルメ焼やき
カルメ焼き is another common name for the same homemade sponge candy as カルメラ, used more often when describing the process of making it.

Don't confuse with

カラメル
カラメル is caramel (a smooth, melted-sugar sauce used in desserts), while カルメラ is a light, aerated brown-sugar candy with a crunchy honeycomb texture; the two words sound alike but refer to very different things.

Counted with

個こN5
counter for small objects; counter for pieces · counter for military units · individual; one person · counter for years of age difference; counter for school years

Written forms

カルメラUsage32%
Most common katakana spelling for this Portuguese-derived confection.
カルメルUsage68%
Less common variant spelling; learners are more likely to encounter カルメラ.

Etymology

From Portuguese 'caramelo' (caramel). The Japanese confection is a distinct foam candy made with brown sugar and baking soda.