Let's Say "Oishisō"! (It Looks Delicious!)

Hello, I'm SASYA. I've lived in Osaka for 35 years. Today, let's talk about delicious-looking food.

The photos show these dishes:

- かぷれーぜ (kapurēze) = tomato Caprese

- ぱすた (pasuta) = pasta

- ぽてとさらだ (poteto sarada) = potato salad

- いくら (ikura) = salmon roe

- しらす (shirasu) = baby sardines

「いくら」 is the eggs of salmon. In Japan, it is often served on top of rice. But some restaurants also put it on pasta or salad.

「しらす」 belongs to the family of small fish. They are boiled until white and soft, and then eaten on rice or pasta.

Pasta made with Japanese ingredients is called 「わふうぱすた」 (wafū pasta). 「わふう」 means "Japanese style." The pasta in the photo is topped with ikura and shirasu.

**Useful Expressions**

「いくらとしらすがのっています。」

→ Salmon roe and baby sardines are on top.

「おいしそうですね。」

→ It looks delicious, doesn't it?

**Small Point 1: 「〜そう」**

「〜そう」 is used to say how something looks.

- おいしい → おいしそう (looks delicious)

- あまい → あまそう (looks sweet)

- つめたい → つめたそう (looks cold)

You can use it when you see the food, even before you taste it.

**Small Point 2: 「のっています」 and 「と」**

「のっています」 describes the state of being on top of something.

- いくらがぱすたのうえにのっています。 = Salmon roe is on top of the pasta.

When you name two things, use 「と」 (and).

- いくらとしらすがのっています。 = Salmon roe and baby sardines are on top.

**Small Point 3: Katakana**

Words that came from other countries are usually written in katakana:

- パスタ (pasta)

- ポテトサラダ (potato salad)

- カプレーゼ (Caprese)

But 「いくら」 and 「しらす」 are Japanese words, so they can be written in hiragana.

Before you eat, say 「いただきます」. When you finish, say 「ごちそうさまでした」.

If you can say 「おいしそうですね」, mealtimes with friends become even more fun. In my Cafetalk lessons, we can practice Japanese you can use in restaurants and at meals together. Please come and join me!