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Allez cuisine: What Chairman Kaga is saying as he begins the competition; roughly translated, it means "To the kitchen!"
Ancho Chiles: A dried poblano chile with a sweet, almost fruity flavor.
Awabi: The Japanese word for abalone, a mollusk whose edible part is the large muscle that the gastropod uses like a foot to cling to rocks; fresh abalone is expensive and, like squid or octopus, must be cooked either very briefly or very long to tenderize the flesh.
Bonito: A small, high-fat fish that's a relative of tuna and mackerel; the distinctively flavored flesh is dried and flaked for use in Japanese cooking.
Daikon: A large, crisp, and moist-fleshed Japanese radish; often served raw and shredded as a garnish.
Dashi: A broth that's ubiquitous in Japanese cooking, made of water, dried bonito flakes, and konbu.
Fugu: A highly toxic blowfish that's considered a delicacy in Japanese cuisine. Fugu must be prepared with extreme caution to make it edible, and only highly trained chefs are allowed to serve it.
Fukui-san: What announcer Ota Shinichiro is actually saying to catch the attention of the commentator, Fukui Kenji. He's saying, "Fukui-san" (essentially, "Mr. Fukui"), but with Ota's rushed style of speaking, it sounds a lot like "Squee-SAHN."
Huitlacoche: A delicacy in Southwestern cooking, WHEAT-la-co-chee is a swelling fungus cultivated on growing ears of corn. It has a earthy, smoky flavor something like a wild mushroom.
Konbu: Sundried kelp sold in large folded sheets; it's a necessary element in dashi, and adds a delicate, distinctive flavor.
Konnyaku: A sticky cake made from devil's tongue, a starchy tuber; the cakes have a gelatinous texture that absorbs the flavor of the dish it's cooked in. When shredded, konnyaku forms noodle-like "shirataki."
Kyoo no tema wa kore desu...: The phrase Chairman Kaga uses to introduce the theme ingredient, roughly translating to "Today's theme is..."
Longan: A small and delicately flavored fruit from Southeast Asia; with a pearly white, juicy flesh surrounding a large black seed.
Lotus Root: The root of an Asian water lily; the flesh is crisp and mild-flavored, and when sliced, the lacy shape adds a decorative element to a dish.
Matcha: Bright green powdered tea, very bitter in flavor; used in formal tea ceremonies in Japan.
Matsutake: A fragrant wild mushroom, dark in color with a nutty flavor.
Mirin: A golden-colored rice wine with a mild sweet flavor, used in many Japanese dishes.
Mizuna: A leafy salad green with a hint of bitterness. The feathery leaves are often found in gourmet salad mixes.
Mochi: A short-grained, sticky, sweet rice used in many Japanese confections.
Natto: Soybeans that have been fermented and mashed, resulting in a pungent flavor and fragrance. Natto is often used as a condiment in Japan.
Nori: Thin dark sheets of seaweed used for wrapping sushi or as a garnish. Sheets of nori are usually toasted before use.
Rambutan: A fruit related to the lychee with a hairy exterior and a sweet flavor with a hint of pineapple.
Sake: Japanese rice wine.
Sea Cucumber: Not a vegetable but a small cucumber-shaped marine animal with a gelatinous texture once prepared; often found dried in Asian markets.
Soba: Narrow, flat buckwheat noodles.
Spiny Lobster: A cousin of the large American lobster, the spiny lobster has no claws, and firm, slightly stringy meat.
Squeeh-SAHN: See Fukui-san.
Tako: Octopus
Tomalley: The green, somewhat mealy-textured liver of a lobster.
Tomatillos: Like a small green tomato in a papery husk, the tomatillo is used raw and cooked in many Mexican and Southwestern dishes to add a bright tartness.
Tripe: The lining of the cow's stomach, tripe must be long-stewed to make it tender.
Umeboshi: A Japanese pickled plum used as a condiment; despite the fruity pink color, it's very salty and sour.
Uni: Sea urchin
Wasabi: A pungent Japanese root, similar to ginger, that can be occasionally bought fresh in Asian markets; Americans are more accustomed to seeing it in its bright green paste form.
Watakushi no kioku ga tashika naraba...: The phrase memorably uttered by Chairman Kaga at the beginning of each show, it translates to: "If memory serves me right..."
White Truffle: Originating in Italy, the white truffle has a milder perfume than the black, and is usually thinly sliced over pasta or other dishes.
Yomigaru Iron Chef: Chairman Kaga says this as he summons the Iron Chef at the beginning of each match; roughly translated, it means "Arise, Iron Chef!"
Back to Iron Chef.
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