kombu

Where does the word "kombu" come from? It comes from Ainu kompu, passing through Japanese before entering English (late 1900s).

Kombu’s story begins in Ainu: kompu meant “edible kelp.” The indigenous Ainu name for the edible kelp harvested off Hokkaido. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Japanese as konbu. Trade ships carried kombu from Hokkaido to Osaka along the 'kombu road'. It reached English by late 1900s as kombu. Kikunae Ikeda discovered the savoury taste umami in kombu broth in 1908. Today, kombu means an edible kelp, dried and used to make the savory Japanese stock called dashi.

1. Stage 1 · Ainu · ancient kompu "edible kelp", the indigenous Ainu name for the edible kelp harvested off Hokkaido.
2. Stage 2 · Japanese · medieval konbu "dried kelp used for stock", trade ships carried kombu from Hokkaido to Osaka along the 'kombu road'.
3. Stage 3 · English · late 1900s kombu "dried edible kelp used to make Japanese broth", Kikunae Ikeda discovered the savoury taste umami in kombu broth in 1908.