Dialogue

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Lesson Transcript

Hello, and welcome back to JapanesePod101.com.
I’m Eric.
In this lesson we will talk about the ​"Top 5 popular menu items in an Izakaya".
The first topic is a mug of draft beer, which is called (J: nama) or (J: nama-biru).

In Japanese, (J: nama) means “untreated” or “raw”.
Most Japanese people would walk into an Izakaya and say (J:Toriaezu nama) which means “Beer to start with”. This is because they want their beers served quickly so that they can make a toast (J:kan pai) and get the party started.
The next topic on the list is young soybeans, called (J: eda-mame). 
The word Edamame is used also in English, and here in Japan, the beans are known as beer’s best friend.

Edamame beans are usually boiled with salt while still in their pods. To eat them, squeeze the beans out of the pods with your fingers.


Sometimes, edamame is served with a small bowl called (J: kara ire). You can use this bowl for your empty pods.


The next topic is grilled chicken skewers, called (J: yaki-tori).

This dish is made of several bite-sized pieces of chicken meat threaded on a skewer and grilled over charcoal. 

You can grab and eat the whole skewer of chicken if there are enough skewers for each person. 
But if anyone pulls chicken pieces off the skewer for sharing, then you should use chopsticks to take some pieces and put them onto your own plate (J: tori zara).


The next topic is crunchy and chewy fried chicken cartilage known as (J: Nankotsu Karaage).
For Izakayas, chicken cartilage refers to either bite-sized pieces of deep-fried knee cartilage or breast cartilage which is thin and long. They both taste better with a squeeze of lemon.

If you are curious about which kind of cartilage the Izakaya uses for their menu, check the photo on the menu before ordering.
Last but not least, is a dish made by pouring hot tea over cooked rice, called (J: Ocha-zuke).
This extremely simple dish is one of the popular options to end a drinking gathering along with other carbohydrates like rice balls or noodles. 

Some Izakayas offer rice served in soup stock or hot water as their (J: ochazuke). There are various kinds of toppings as well, such as pickled plum (J: ume-boshi), salmon, or chicken.
That’s all we have for this lesson.
Izakayas are seen everywhere in Japan and they do have interesting and exciting menus worth trying.
Are there any Izakaya dishes you are keen to try?
Leave us a comment and let us know!
Thanks for listening and we’ll see you next time. Until then, bye!

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