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For Life
2007.02.19(Review of 2004.10.15 edition)

Greetings! Valentine's Day may be past us, but our festival of sweets and desserts from the West continues! Let's begin with some background information for today's edition:

In Britain, “pudding” means “dessert” - any sweet dish eaten at the end of a meal. In the U.S. , “pudding” is a particular kind of dessert - thick and creamy, eaten with a spoon, and flavored with, for example, fruit or chocolate. (We rarely see this kind of pudding in Japan.) In Japan, of course, “pudding” （プリン） is yet another kind of dessert. Let's find out what that dessert is called in the United States, shall we?

Today's LessonCATEGORY: ジャパニーズイングリッシュ
(CARAMEL) CUSTARD   プリン

Explanation

  • In the United States, custard is a steamed or baked dessert made from milk, eggs, and sugar.

    When eaten with a sweet brown sauce, as is common in Japan, it is called caramel custard.

    Be Careful! We do NOT use the word “pudding” like the Japanese プリン to mean custard.
  • 牛乳と卵と砂糖を蒸したり焼いたりして作るデザート、つまり、プリンのことをアメリカでは custard と呼びます。

    日本で一般的な、甘い茶褐色のソース（キャラメルソース）をかけたプリンのことは、caramel custard と言います。

    注意：アメリカ英語では、pudding は、日本語の「プリン」の意味で使われることはありません。

examples

  1. (a waiter to a customer)
    Would you like cake or custard for dessert?
  2. When we were in Kyoto, we had some wonderful “matcha” custard.
  3. I often pick up a caramel custard at the convenience store to eat as a snack in the afternoon.
  4. I'm making all of my daughter's favorite dishes for her birthday: hamburgers, fresh corn on the cob, and caramel custard.

英会話レッスンWe never get tired of looking at words and their meanings. The closer you look, the more interesting the subject becomes, don't you think?