カステラ

Japanese

Alternative forms

• カステーラ (kasutēra)

Etymology

First attested in a work from 1625, as かすていら.

From Portuguese Castela (“Castile”), an ellipsis of Bolo de Castela (literally “cake of Castile”); Compare Italian pan di Spagna (“sponge cake”, literally “bread of Spain”). Compare Tagalog Pan de Kastila (“Spanish bread”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) カステラ [kàsútérá] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ka̠sɨte̞ɾa̠]

• (Kyoto) カステラ [kásútérá] (Kōki – [0])

Noun

カステラ: two slices of castella cake and a beverage

カステラ • (kasutera) 

1. castella, a type of sponge cake
2. (slang, criminal) grilled tofu

References

• “カステラ”, in 日本大百科全書：ニッポニカ (Nippon Dai Hyakka Zensho: Nipponica, “Encyclopedia Nipponica”)‎^[2] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 1984