Say the Food is ‘Delicious’ in Japanese in a Well-Mannered Fashion

Knowing a few phrases to appreciate Japanese food would be of help if you are dining with a Japanese friend or living briefly in Japan. Just for example, how to convey to your friend that the sushi tasted so well that it was ‘delicious’ in Japanese language? Or the sashimi and tempura ‘tasted wonderfully’ or the sake was simply ‘the best’? Of course you can easily communicate it in English since English is an international language. Anyone living in the modern world will come to terms with at least a few English words or phrases every now and then.

But when you dine in Japan or when you are invited for a Japanese dinner by a friend, it is an advantage to have familiarized with a few Japanese phrases beforehand. It is quiet like a Frenchman’s ‘Bon Appétit’ or a German’s ‘Mahlzeit’ before or during a meal to wish good dinner time.  It helps you to adhere to good etiquettes or to express your appreciation for the good food and to ease the atmosphere.

This article attempts to list out a few phrases which you can use to express your appreciation for Japanese food. Also a few dining etiquettes to follow at a Japanese dinner table are included.

'Oishii' and Similar Phrases That Mean ‘Delicious’ in Japanese

‘Oishii’ is the simplest and the most common word to say that the food is ‘delicious’ in Japanese. It is universally known to a certain extent that your Japanese host might anticipate that you would say ‘oishii’. Some other phrases which mean the same thing include ‘Umai’. ‘Umai’ also means ‘delicious’ in Japanese but it’s more casual and is particularly used between a group of young boys.

The more traditional way to praise the food is to say ‘Hoppe ga ochiru’. Curiously, it means that ‘the food is so nice that your cheeks are falling off’ which is a symbolic way to express the delicacy of the food. But the more formal way to appreciate good food is to say ‘Aji’ meaning ‘Taste’ in Japanese. ‘Bimi’ is a word that is more meaningful and powerful if you are showing your appreciation in writing.

It is often heard among Japanese to say ‘Saiko’ mostly after a drink. ‘Saiko’ means ‘this is the best’ and it is used to appreciate a drink rather than food. There is no surprise if your Japanese friend says ‘saiko’ instead of ‘oishii’ just after having a sip from a glass containing the famous Hakutsuru sake. Similarly, you might hear Japanese girls appreciating sweets and candies like Mochis by uttering ‘Siawase’. The same term might be used to praise food and other dishes as well since ‘happiness’ is the true meaning of ‘Siawase’.

How to say Thank You in Japanese at a Dinner Table

Now let’s see how to express your gratitude at a Japanese dinner table. The Japanese phrases for showing your gratefulness surprisingly mean more than mere ‘thanks’. The two phrases are ‘itadakimasu’ and ‘gochisou sama deshita’. The rule of thumb is, say ‘Itadakimasu’ before a Japanese meal and ‘Gochisou sama deshita’ at the end of the meal.

‘Itadakimasu’ is what you say if you haven’t started the dinner yet. The translation of the word ‘itadakimasu’ is ‘I receive it humbly’, but the implied meaning is far beyond that. For Japanese, ‘itadakimasu’ is a way to remember gratefully the persons who acted as a medium between you and the food. It includes the farmers, the merchants, the cook, the parents etc. Buy saying ‘itadakimasu’, the diner also salutes the sacrifice of animals and vegetables in becoming the food.

The second phrase is ‘Gochisou sama deshita’ which you say at the end of a Japanese meal. The literal meaning of ‘Gochisou sama deshita’ is ‘it was a feast’ or ‘it was a delicious meal’, but the alluded meaning is ‘thank you for the meal’.

Table Manners and Dinner Table Customs in Japan

It may be impossible for someone from Europe or from any other cultures to understand the Japanese dinner table customs well and practice them. But it is comparatively easier to follow a few common dinner etiquettes and table manners.  

The main seat of a Japanese dinner table is reserved for the most important person in the group. Known by the name ‘kamiza’, this seat is usually placed at the farthest side of the dinner table from the entrance of the dining hall.

Some of the main etiquettes at a Japanese dinner table are related to the use of chopsticks. In Japan no one talks each other while holding chopsticks in hand. Place your chopsticks calmly on the designated stands if you want to have a quick chat with fellow diner. Similarly, you are not allowed to place the chopsticks upright in a bowl as this would be a custom reminding the death.

You can neither use the chopsticks as a skewer nor as a knife. This means you wouldn’t be stabbing on the food with your chopsticks or you wouldn’t be cutting the food with the chopsticks either. Moreover, be sure that you are not using your chopsticks as a drumstick and you are not licking on them.

Also, amidst a Japanese group you should take special care to not transfer food between chopsticks. You can transfer food using chopsticks from a main plate to your bowl but definitely not exchange with someone else’s chopsticks.

Another common custom is that, while having a bowl of miso soup or a bowl of ramen, you shouldn’t stoop your head and eat. The correct way is lifting the ramen bowl upto your mouth in such a way that you can conveniently transfer the soup or ramen to your mouth with a soup spoon or chopsticks.

Is Slurping in Japan Appreciated or Disliked?

To much of your surprise, slurping in Japan or chewing noisily while eating a Japanese noodle is a good etiquette and is appreciated.

The Japanese is very polite and well-mannered and slurping is a way to praise the cook who prepared the noodle dish. Slurping shows enjoyment and appreciation of the food. By slurping, it means the hot noodle dish was so delicious that they were not able to wait until it becomes cooler.

As mentioned before, it is not very practical to understand and follow all dinner customs of a culture you are recently acquainted to. But learning all these practices would help you to be tolerant to some practices which are frowned upon at your place.