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Loosely grouped into three rows, from left to right those are: Eventually, with the help of a little online research, we were able to get everything in place, and it looked like this. And with sotobara translating directly as “outer belly,” we figured that would be somewhere closer to the bottom of the cow. Nakabara, for example, literally means “inner belly,” so it makes sense that it goes at the very center. Some of the cuts’ names, though, are hints in and of themselves. ▼ We know this should be filled with meat.
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So while we had the outer cow put together quickly, we were pretty lost on what to do next. The bigger problem than the small pieces is that unlike with, say, a jigsaw puzzle, the Ishigaki Beef Puzzle’s packaging doesn’t have picture of the completed puzzle. maru, uchimomo / マル, ウチモモ: round, top roundĪs we started to put the pieces together, we quickly learned that this puzzle is incredibly difficult, and not just because the pieces are tiny. karubi / カルビ: boneless short rib (situated lower nakabara)ġ3. sankakubara / サンカクバラ: chuck short ribsġ1. ranpu, ichibo / ランプ, イチボ: upper rump, lower rumpġ0. nakabara ナカバラ: boneless short rib (also sometimes called jokarubu / 上カルビ)Ĩ. So today, we’re brushing up on our yakiniku vocabulary with the help of this cute and quirky 3-D puzzle we picked up on Ishigakijima Island in Okinawa.Ĭalled the Ishigaki Beef Puzzle, it set us back 1,980 yen (US$17.20), but we figured that’s a worthwhile investment if it leads to more delicious yakiniku meals in our future.Įach meat piece has its name written on it in phonetic katakana Japanese text, so let’s start off by listing them and their English equivalents.įrom left to right, starting with the top row and then moving down, those are:ħ. Instead, you order specific cuts of beef, so in order to get what you want you need to know what part of the cow each cut comes from, and also what they’re called in Japanese. Sure, but it’s not like the restaurant just gives you a random assortment of beef slices. It’s all just strips of beef, which you cook yourself on the in-table grill, right? Yakiniku seems like it should be the easiest thing in the world to order. Can’t tell your sotomomo from your sankakubara? This puzzle is here to help!