かいわれ菜な

か

い

わ

れ

な

Meanings

daikon sprouts; white radish sprouts

Refers specifically to the young sprouts of daikon radish, often used in salads, sashimi garnishes, and as a crunchy topping. The name comes from the split-shell appearance of the seed leaves.

See also: かいわれ大根 · 貝割れ大根 (かいわりな)

サラダに貝かい割われ菜なをのせると、彩いろどりがよくなる。
Adding daikon sprouts to a salad makes it more colorful.
かいわれ菜なは、さしみのつまにもよく使つかわれる。
Daikon sprouts are also often used as a garnish for sashimi.

Kanji

貝shellfish
割proportion, comparatively, divide
菜vegetable, side dish, greens
穎heads of grain, cleverness

Related words

もやし
Bean sprouts, typically from mung beans or soybeans; thicker and milder than the peppery daikon sprouts.
スプラウト
Generic loanword for sprouts; may include broccoli sprouts, alfalfa, etc., while かいわれ菜 is specifically daikon radish sprouts.

Built from

貝かい+割われる+菜な

Written forms

かいわれ菜なUsage9%
Mixed kana-kanji spelling; very common in everyday writing and on packaging.
貝かい割われ菜なUsage78%
Standard kanji spelling; 貝割れ means 'split shell', referring to the shape of the cotyledons.
貝かい割われ菜なUsage13%
Variant without okurigana; less common but still seen.
穎割菜かいわれな
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form using 穎 (glume/husk); it is rarely used.

Etymology

From 貝割れ (split shell) + 菜 (vegetable/greens), referring to the shape of the cotyledons resembling a split shell. The alternative kanji 穎割菜 uses 穎 (glume/husk) but is rarely used.