Glossary

The Japanese words you will meet at a tonkatsu shop, with how each is written on the menu.

Cuts

rosuロース: The loin: the cut from along the back, with a strip of fat on one edge. The standard order at most tonkatsu shops. More →
hireヒレ: The fillet (tenderloin): a lean, tender muscle from inside the loin, with almost no fat. More →
hereヘレ: Another spelling of hire (fillet), seen on menus in the Kansai region around Osaka. More →
kata-rosu肩ロース: The shoulder end of the loin. It carries more fat, running through the meat as well as around it. More →
ribu-rosuリブロース: A shop's name for the fattier end of the loin, nearer the shoulder. It is not one of the cuts in Japan's official trading standard, so where it begins and ends depends on the shop. More →
shatoburianシャトーブリアン: A term borrowed from beef for the thick centre of the fillet. A shop's own name, with no official definition for pork. More →

kurobuta黒豚: "Black pig". In Japan the name may be used only for pork from purebred Berkshire pigs. More →
sangenton三元豚: A three-way cross: the standard way commercial pigs are bred in Japan. It describes a breeding method, not a brand. More →
SPFSPF豚: Specific Pathogen Free: pork from farms certified free of five named pig diseases. A farm health standard, not a breed and not a grade of flavour. More →
meigara-buta銘柄豚: Brand pork: pork sold under a producer's or region's name. Each brand sets its own rules, so the label alone does not tell you the breed or the feed. More →
jukusei熟成: Aged. The meat has been rested at low temperature after slaughter. It describes handling, not a breed or a brand. More →

tonkatsuとんかつ: A thick cut of pork, breaded with panko and deep-fried. The word joins ton (pork) and katsu, short for katsuretsu (cutlet). More →
katsuカツ: Short for katsuretsu, the Japanese form of the English word cutlet. On its own it can mean any breaded, fried cutlet. More →
katsuretsuカツレツ: The older Japanese word for a cutlet, borrowed from English. Tonkatsu grew out of it. More →
jo上: "Upper". On a tonkatsu menu it marks the shop's own higher tier, usually a thicker or fattier cut. It is not an official grade. More →
tokujo特上: "Special upper". The shop's own top tier, above jo. It is not an official grade. More →
tokusen特選: "Specially selected". Another shop-defined tier name, with no official meaning. More →

teishoku定食: A set meal. At a tonkatsu shop this is the cutlet with rice, shredded cabbage, soup and pickles, served together on one tray.
pankoパン粉: Japanese breadcrumbs, coarser and flakier than the fine crumbs used in European cooking.
nama-panko生パン粉: Fresh panko: soft breadcrumbs made from undried bread, as opposed to dried panko.
kyabetsuキャベツ: Cabbage. With tonkatsu it comes raw and finely shredded, in a pile beside the cutlet.
karashiからし: Japanese mustard: a hot yellow mustard, usually a small dab on the side of the plate.

okawariおかわり: A refill or second helping. Whether refills of rice and cabbage are free depends on the shop, so check before asking.