ジャガイモ / the potato
In this article:
■ いも - tubers in general
■ じゃがいも - the potato
■ Potato varieties
■ Potato dishes
いも【芋】
All words in left column are
"Entries" - i.e. in the main index
いも is the generic term for a swollen tuber. In English "potato" is also used in a generic sense, to include "sweet potato" for example, but いも is even wider, including things like Jerusalem artichokes. By default, いも alone usually refers to さつまいも but in some compounds it is understood to mean じゃがいも.
[** Either add the 'other' sorts of imo here, or leave for separate entry **]
じゃがいも【ジャガ芋】
じゃが
The potato, staple of northern Europe and America. Also known as ジャガタラいも, where ジャガタラ is supposedly from Dutch Jacatra, an old name for Jakarta. (Supposedly, because it's unclear how a Dutch pronunciation of 'ja' could lead to ジャ.)
Like many food items, this term is written in different ways. A search at goo.ne.jp found the following:
| じゃが芋 | 1230 hits |
| ジャガ芋 | 396 hits |
Example
[Heading] 新じゃがと豚バラの炒め煮（テーマ素材 新じゃが）
[Beginning of recipe] １）じゃが芋は皮をむいて水洗いし、大きいものは切って、170度の油でゆっくり揚げておく。
(Web, 2000)
新じゃが
The above recipe involves 新じゃが or new potatoes (from the new crop, small, with skin that just rubs off)
だんしゃくいも 【男爵芋】
The association with Hokkaido is still strong, as in phrases such as 男爵の産地、北海道 (Web, 1999).
メークイン
メークイン ("May Queen") Japan's number two variety: very firm flesh.
肉じゃが
いもフライ
いもフライ (Seems to be a Sano speciality) Pieces of potato - quarters of a small to medium size tuber - skewered and deep-fried in breadcrumbs.
Photo: Brian Chandler, June 2000
Partly eaten skewer of いもフライ, appropriately doused in brown sauce (ソース).
Notice that ソース isn't an Entry, even though it's in
the text, because this doesn't explain it.
じゃがバター
バターじゃが
じゃがバター or バターじゃが Either a simple foil-baked potato, or a potato cut lengthwise into four quarters and grilled, in either case served with a knob of butter. You may even find these two expressions on the same menu referring to two different dishes.
[** More photographs to follow? **]