How do you say “crispy” in Japanese? さくさく. Chewy is もちもち, and melty is とろとろ.
Japanese has a word for how food feels in your mouth, 食感, and it often describes that feeling with a sound word. You will see these three on menus, in food ads and on bakery signs all over Japan. Each one comes with Yumi’s audio and an example sentence.
もちもち
Soft, springy and chewy: a texture that bounces back when you bite it. Think fresh bread, 餅, tapioca pearls or udon. It is a very happy, satisfying word, which is why food ads love it.
この店のパンはもちもちしていて、とてもおいしいです。
This shop’s bread is soft and chewy, and really delicious.
Words
- この: this
- 店の: this shop’s
- パンは: as for the bread
- もちもちしていて: is soft and chewy, and…
- とても: very
- おいしいです: is delicious
さくさく
A light, dry crispness with a pleasant little crunch: freshly fried food, cookies, a flaky pie crust. Unlike a heavy crunch, さくさく suggests something delicate that breaks apart easily.
揚げたてのコロッケは、さくさくしていておいしかったです。
The freshly fried croquette was crispy and delicious.
Words
- 揚げたての: freshly fried (揚げる, to deep-fry, + たて, just done)
- コロッケは: as for the croquette
- さくさくしていて: being crispy, and…
- おいしかったです: was delicious
とろとろ
Thick and smoothly flowing, or so soft it almost melts: melted cheese, a soft-cooked egg, vegetables simmered for a long time. It sounds rich, warm and a little luxurious.
弱火で30分煮ると、玉ねぎがとろとろになります。
If you simmer them on low heat for 30 minutes, the onions turn soft and melty.
Words
- 弱火で: on low heat
- 30分: 30 minutes
- 煮ると: when you simmer (it)
- 玉ねぎが: the onions
- とろとろになります: become soft and melty
Your turn: which word fits?
- 焼きたてのクッキーは＿＿＿しています。
- このお餅は＿＿＿していて、おいしい。
- チーズが＿＿＿に溶けました。
Answers
1. さくさく: freshly baked cookies are light and crispy. 2. もちもち: this mochi is soft and chewy, and delicious. 3. とろとろ: the cheese melted until it was gooey.
From Makoto #104, out today
These three words come from the onomatopoeia pages of Makoto #104, the October 2026 issue of our Japanese magazine. Also inside:
- お邪魔します and the demon hiding in its kanji, plus four more phrases from N5 to N1
- The drum and the gong hiding in どんちゃん騒ぎ
- A persimmon haiku, and the dog it startles
- Tottori, Japan’s least populous prefecture, which had no Starbucks until 2015
- Grammar: 〜ながら (N4) and 〜かねない (N2)
- Three stories: 鹿と梨の木 for beginners, our comedy series フランクとおばあさん, and part 3 of The Red Candles and the Mermaid
108 pages, with audio for every section.
Makoto+ Samurai members ($5 a month or $50 a year) download and keep each new issue, PDF, ePub and audio, and read it in the Makoto+ app too. Prefer just this one issue? Get Makoto #104 on its own at TheJapanShop.com. New to Makoto+? The free membership is at MakotoPlus.com/free.
