mekabu; thick wakame leaves from near the stem
Refers to the thick, ruffled part of wakame seaweed near the base, often eaten as a slimy, nutritious food in Japan.
Eating mekabu for breakfast is said to be good for your health.
I bought a pack of mekabu at the supermarket.
Wakame is the whole seaweed; mekabu specifically refers to the thick, ruffled part near the stem.
Katakana spelling is common for this food term; usually written in kana.
Hiragana spelling is also used.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; less common than kana.
Kanji spelling; rarely used.
Rarely used kanji form.
The origin is uncertain; the word is likely a compound of 芽 (me, 'bud') and 株 (kabu, 'stump' or 'base'), referring to the sprout-like part at the base of the wakame plant.