Sukiyaki
/ˌsuːkiˈjɑːki/noun
A Japanese dish of thinly sliced beef, vegetables, tofu, and noodles cooked in a sweet-savory broth at the table.
Did you know?The first element likely comes from Japanese *suki* (鋤), meaning a plow or spade, because meat was once cooked on a metal farming implement, while *yaki* (焼き) means roasted or grilled.
Etymological Timeline
Japanese (pre-Modern)
Japanese
suki
“A plow or spade; also associated with a farming implement used in the dish's folk-etymological explanation.”
Japanese (pre-Modern)
Japanese
yaku
“To grill, roast, or burn.”
19th Century
Japanese
sukiyaki
“A dish name formed from Japanese elements, originally associated with cooking on a spade or plow.”
Modern English
English
sukiyaki
“The borrowed English name for the Japanese beef-and-vegetable hot pot.”