アク

Japanese

For pronunciation and definitions of アク – see the following entry.

【あく】 [noun] [from early 900s] lye, originally the clear alkaline liquid left after leaching wood ash in water [noun] scum, the coagulated proteins and fats that gather on the surface of a pot of boiling food [noun] [from 1700] components contained in vegetables that impart an acrid, astringent, or harsh flavor [noun] [from 1909] アク: (by extension from the "flavor" sense) harshness as a characteristic of one's personality Alternative spelling 灰汁

(This term, アク (aku), is the katakana spelling of the above term.)