Japanese with Manga

Letting daikon syrup sit in the fridge with 寝かせる

Vocabulary Explanation: Collocations for cooking

Hinata smiles and raises a finger as she explains. Above her, drawings show a bag of honey and dice-sized cubes of daikon dropping into a jar labeled with sound effects.
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Moka has a sore throat. Hinata scolds her so harshly that Moka cries, then makes up for it with a jar of daikon syrup. Moka tastes it and is surprised that it’s sweet and nothing like daikon.

日向(ひなた):
「大根(だいこん)あめはしっかり締(し)められる入(い)れ物(もの)に切(き)った大根(だいこん)とハチミツいれて」
“For daikon syrup, you put cut daikon and honey in a container that seals tight...”
「冷蔵庫(れいぞうこ)で数時間(すうじかん)寝(ね)かせっと出来(でき)んだ」
“...and once you let it sit in the fridge for a few hours, it's ready.”

Key Points

1Letting food rest with 寝(ね)かせる
  • 寝(ね)かせる means “to put to bed”. In cooking it means to leave food alone so time can do the work: dough rests, curry sits overnight, and here daikon steeps in honey.
  • The object is often left out. Hinata means the jar of daikon and honey from her first line.
2Once it happens with 〜と
  • 寝(ね)かせると出来(でき)る is “if you let it sit, it’s ready”. The と links a step to the result that always follows it, the way recipes and instructions do.
3Hinata’s country speech
  • 寝(ね)かせっと is 寝(ね)かせると. Before と, the る shrinks to a small っ.
  • 出来(でき)んだ is 出来(でき)るんだ. The る turns into ん before だ. The んだ explains how the thing works.
  • いれて drops the particle を after ハチミツ. Hinata lists the ingredients and moves straight on to the next step.
4A container that seals with 締(し)められる
  • 締(し)められる is the potential form of 締(し)める, “to close tight”. しっかり締(し)められる入(い)れ物(もの) is “a container you can seal tight”.

Vocabulary

(Daikon radish)

大根(だいこん) is a long white radish, eaten simmered, pickled, or grated. 大根役者(だいこんやくしゃ) is a ham actor.

(Candy)

あめ is hard candy, or a sweet syrup such as starch syrup. In 大根(だいこん)あめ, it is a syrup made by steeping daikon in honey. It is also written 飴(あめ).

(Firmly)

しっかり describes doing something properly and with care, or holding something firmly. It also describes a person who is reliable and sensible.

(To tighten)

締(し)める is to tighten or fasten something, such as a lid, a belt, or a necktie. It also means to tighten up on spending or discipline.

(Container)

入(い)れ物(もの) is a container, anything you put things in, such as a jar, box, or case.

(To cut)

切(き)る is to cut something. It also means to end a phone call or turn something off.

(Honey)

ハチミツ is honey, the sweet syrup bees make from flower nectar. It is also written はちみつ or 蜂蜜(はちみつ).

(To put in)

いれる is to put something inside something else. It also means to make tea or coffee. It is the kana spelling of 入(い)れる.

(Refrigerator)

冷蔵庫(れいぞうこ) is the kitchen appliance that keeps food and drink cold. Its freezer section is the 冷凍庫(れいとうこ).

(Several hours)

数時間(すうじかん) is a few hours, an amount of time somewhat longer than an hour or two.

(To let rest)

寝(ね)かせる is to put someone to bed or lay something down. In cooking, it means leaving food alone for a while so it can rest, ferment, or age, as with dough or curry.

(To be able to)

出来(でき)る means to be able to do something. It can also mean that something is made, completed, or comes into existence.

See Also

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