ざくばりしゃり – Grainy and Crumbly words for food
There are several grainy and crumbly words for food in Japanese. This is a continuation of the previous post, “Several ways to say crunchy in Japanese.” If you have not read it yet you can read it by clicking on the hyperlink. The words in this post refer to crunchy foods but they have additional meaning to it that makes it not translate perfectly as crunch.
INDEX
ザクザク
“ザクザク” represents small, thin crunchy foods like corn-flakes, potato chips, and other snack foods. This word can be translated as crunchy but it has a grainy feeling to it also. So when eating snow-cones and other hard grainy foods you can say ザクザク.
https://japaneseuniverse.com/2024/02/18/pac-man-in-japaneseconcepts-behind-development-to-global-icon/バリバリ
“バリバリ” is used more to explain how someone eats something than the actual texture of the food. You can imagine someone grabbing handfuls of potato chips, crackers, and snacks and stuffing their face. It can also be used for other foods though like cabbage and lettuce. This word also has the meaning of tearing something up, so when used for food the word has a crumbly nuance to it.
ガリガリ
“ガリガリ” means crunchy but also translates into the sound of scratching. So often ガリガリ is used for chewing on bones and other hard foods.
しゃりしゃり
“しゃりしゃり” is used for crisp and juicy foods or ice candy. Some examples are apples, pears, snow-cones, or sorbet.
ジャリジャリ
“ジャリジャリ” is another word that can be used for food. It has the nuance of sand to it though and usually does not sound too appetizing.
