かまぼこ

か

ま

ぼ

こ

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun

kamaboko; steamed fish paste loaf

usually written using kana alonefood / cooking

A traditional Japanese food made from pureed white fish, shaped into a semi-cylinder on a wooden board, steamed, and sliced for soups, noodles, or as a side dish.

うどんに、かまぼこをのせて食たべるのが好すきです。
I like eating udon with kamaboko on top.
お正しょう月がつのおせち料りょう理りには、かまぼこが欠かかせません。
Kamaboko is indispensable in New Year's osechi cuisine.

See all 19 example sentences ›

Kanji

蒲bullrush, flag, cattail
鉾halberd, arms, festival float

Related words

ちくわ
Chikuwa is also a steamed fish paste product, but it is tubular and grilled, not shaped on a wooden board like kamaboko.
はんぺん
Hanpen is a softer, fluffy fish paste cake, often white and square, while kamaboko is firmer and has a characteristic pink outer layer.

Word family

筋すじ蒲かま鉾ぼこ
gristly fish paste; kamaboko with sinew

Written forms

かまぼこUsage60%
Standard kana spelling; usually written in kana.
カマボコUsage24%
search-only kana form
Katakana form is search-only; not a common practical spelling.
蒲かま鉾ぼこUsage16%
Kanji form is rarely used; the word is almost always written in kana.

Etymology

Originally 蒲鉾 “cattail halberd,” named for an early form in which fish paste was molded around a skewer and resembled the cylindrical flower spike of a cattail.