Food words and allergies on an izakaya menu
Izakaya menus name a dish by its ingredient and cooking method (刺身 raw fish, 焼き grilled, 揚げ fried, 煮 simmered, 鍋 hot pot), but a name cannot tell you everything that is in a dish, so if you have an allergy, tell the staff in Japanese and ask before you order.
How are dishes named?
Most names combine an ingredient and a cooking word, for example 鶏の唐揚げ (fried chicken) or 焼き鳥 (grilled chicken skewers).
| Cooking word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 刺身 | sashimi | Raw fish, sliced |
| 焼き | yaki | Grilled or pan-fried |
| 揚げ / 唐揚げ | age / karaage | Deep-fried |
| 煮 / 煮物 | ni / nimono | Simmered |
| 蒸し | mushi | Steamed |
| 鍋 | nabe | Hot pot |
| 和え / 漬け | ae / tsuke | Dressed / pickled or marinated |
| Ingredient | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 魚 / 鮮魚 | sakana / sengyo | Fish / fresh fish |
| 鶏 | tori | Chicken |
| 豚 | buta | Pork |
| 牛 | gyū | Beef |
| 海老 / えび | ebi | Shrimp |
| 蟹 / かに | kani | Crab |
| 貝 | kai | Shellfish |
| 卵 / 玉子 | tamago | Egg |
| 豆腐 | tōfu | Tofu |
| 野菜 | yasai | Vegetables |
For the match between dishes and drinks, see matching sake with food.
What is hidden in a dish?
Many Japanese dishes carry ingredients that the name does not mention:
- Dashi (出汁), the basic stock, is usually made from fish (bonito) and is in soups, simmered dishes and many sauces. Dishes that look vegetarian often contain it.
- Soy sauce (醤油) contains wheat and soy.
- Miso (味噌) contains soy.
- Mirin and sake (みりん, 酒) are used in many sauces, so a dish can contain a little alcohol.
What do I say if I have an allergy?
Say it in Japanese and ask about the dish: 「〇〇のアレルギーがあります。この料理に入っていますか？」 ([allergen] no arerugī ga arimasu. Kono ryōri ni haitte imasu ka?), “I am allergic to [allergen]. Is it in this dish?”
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 卵 | tamago | Egg |
| 乳・乳製品 | nyū / nyūseihin | Milk and dairy |
| 小麦 | komugi | Wheat |
| そば | soba | Buckwheat |
| 落花生（ピーナッツ） | rakkasei | Peanut |
| えび | ebi | Shrimp |
| かに | kani | Crab |
| くるみ | kurumi | Walnut |
| 魚 | sakana | Fish |
| 大豆 | daizu | Soy |
| ごま | goma | Sesame |
In Japan, packaged food must label eight allergens (egg, milk, wheat, buckwheat, peanut, shrimp, crab and walnut). Restaurants that serve dishes made to order are not required to print them, so many menus show nothing. Always ask, and ask again if the dish is changed.
How does KIKI’s menu scan handle food?
When you photograph the food pages, KIKI translates each dish and shows its name in Japanese and English, a short description, the price and two kinds of flag:
- Contains for what the dish name itself says, for example 卵 in 卵焼き.
- Likely contains for what the usual recipe adds, for example wheat in a fried dish.
The flags are a guess from the name. They only dim dishes when you choose to avoid something; they never say that a dish is safe or free of an ingredient, and the app always shows the note that allergens cannot be guaranteed. Use them to get started and confirm with the staff. How the menu scan works.