hail (small, under 5 mm); graupel
Refers to small hail or graupel, typically under 5 mm. Contrast with 雹 (ひょう), which is larger hail.
See also: 雹
Last night, small hail fell and the garden turned white.
dicing; small cubes
Used in cooking to describe ingredients cut into small cubes, resembling hailstones.
にんじんをあられに切ってスープに入れた。
I diced the carrot and put it in the soup.
roasted mochi pieces (usu. flavored with soy sauce)
Abbreviation of 霰餅 (あられもち). Small, bite-sized roasted mochi often seasoned with soy sauce or other flavors.
See also: あられ餅
お茶請けにあられを出した。
I served roasted mochi pieces with the tea.
Hail suddenly started falling outside.
I diced the daikon into small cubes and added it to the salad.
霰 refers to small hail or graupel under 5 mm, while 雹 denotes larger hailstones over 5 mm, so the two are easily confused as simply meaning 'hail'.
grain; bead; drop · counter for small round objects
aragonite
Usually written in kana; the kanji 霰 is rare and may not be recognized by many readers.
Kanji form is uncommon; learners should prefer the kana spelling.
The origin is uncertain. The word may be related to the verb あらる (to be rough) or the noun あら (roughness), but this is speculative.