Eating People
Genghis Khan: Man or Mutton BBQ?
Yes, that Genghis Khan. Or Чингис Хаан, or Chinggis Khaan, Činggis Qaɣan, or just plain Temüjin to his mom. If you’re confused, I’ll explain. It recently came to my attention (again) that the vast majority of my high school students hear this name and think of a dish associated with Hokkaido. It’s basically grilled chunks of mutton, though some dictionaries call it mutton barbecue. You see, if you’re talking about the person, you don’t say ジンギスカン (Jingisukan), you say チンギス・ハーン (Chingisu Haan).
Here are the definitions given by my ancient Canon G50 Wordtank.
ジンギスカン
[人名] Genghis Khan ((アジアの大部分とヨーロッパ東部を征服したモンゴル帝国の始祖；１１６２？－１１２７))
[料理] ジンギスカン鍋 (a) mutton barbecueGenghis Khan
チンギスハーン, ジンギスカン (成吉思汗) (c. 1162-1227) ((モンゴル帝国の祖(在位1206-27)))ジンギス-カン
ジンギスカン料理
羊肉の焼肉料理.薄切りの羊肉を,ニンニク,ショウガなどを加えた醤油（しょうゆ）のたれにつけ,独特のなべにのせて焼く.(現)
★蒙古料理を連想させる名だが,現地にはない.北京料理の烤羊肉（カオヤンロウ）の変形.
Now, the same definitions fully in English (romanized to show the differences).
Jingisukan
[Person's Name] Genghis Khan ((The founder of the Mongolian Empire that conquered most of Asia and Eastern Europe; 1162? - 1127))
[Food] Jingisukan Nabe: (a) mutton barbecueGenghis Khan
Chingisuhaan, Jingisukan (成吉思汗) (c. 1162-1127) ((Founder of the Mongolian Empire (reign 1206-27)))Jingis-Kan
Jingiskan Cuisine
Grilled meat dish made with mutton. The mutton is cut into thin strips, dipped into a marinade with a soy sauce base and garlic, ginger, etc. added. Then it is grilled on top of a special type of pan. (Modern)
★The name of this dish associates it with Mongolia, but it does not actually exist there. It is simply a variation of the Beijing dish called 烤羊肉 or kaoyanrou.
Note: 成吉思汗 is apparently how the name Genghis Khan is written in old Chinese characters. You can see the original Mongolian script (pulled from Wikipedia) here too, though. In Japanese, these kanji don’t retain the readings necessary to pull the same sounds out. I asked if the were effectively ateji (当て字) or phonetic equivalents, but the answer was that they are not Japanese ateji. But I imagine that somewhere back along the line that they were just phonetic representations of the Mongolian name made with Chinese characters. (Unless his name was “to become, good fortune, thinking, sweat,” that is.)
So, like I was saying, my kids know nothing of the Mongolian Empire or its founder. Instead, this legendary man’s name has become the word that they use to describe a touristy mutton dish fed to people on their class trips to Hokkaido. Awesome. It reminds me of a similar word re-appropriation. This time, a whole group of people. The word is “Viking.” If you’ve been in Japan for any length of time, you’ve probably had a “viking” lunch. (Check the bottom of the disambiguation page for the reference under “Other Uses.”) You see, “viking” means “all you can eat buffet” here. Not the Norsemen with funny helmets who ransacked European port cities and whatnot. No, really. Those guys are ヴァイキング (Vuaikingu). Here are the definitions. I like the extraneous ones entries, sometimes.
Viking: Norse Pillager or Buffet Lunch?
Viking
-n
1 ヴァイキング, ヴィーキング ((8-11 世紀に欧州の北部および西部を略奪した北欧人));[v-]海賊;((口))スカンディナヴィア人
2 ヴァイキング((米国の無人火星探査機；１９７５年に２機打ち上げ))バイキング
1 [西洋史] a Viking
2 (バイキング料理) (a) smorgasbord; バイキングの店 a buffet-style restaurant offering as much as one can eat for a fixed priceバイキング
1 スカンジナビアに住んでいたノルマン人の異称. ８－１１世紀、船に乗ってヨーロッパ名国を侵略.
2 バイキング料理
バイキング計画 [Project Viking]
NASAの火星無人探査計画.１号は１９７６年７月に、２号は同年９月に打ち上げ、７７年７月軟着陸に成功.火星の極冠が二酸化炭素の氷の他,水氷にも覆われていることなどを発見した.(現)
バイキング料理
食べ放題料理.一定の料金であらかじめ用意された１０－２０種類の料理をセルフサービスで好きなだけ食べられる.(現)北欧のスモーガスボード[smörgåsbord(スカンジナビア式の前菜)]を日本向きに改称,昭和３３年（１９５８）帝国ホテルが始めたのがおこり.
And again, for a romanized half-translation of the above definitions.
Viking
-n
1 vuaikingu, viiking ((Norsemen who pillaged northern and western Europe in the 8-11 centuries)); [v-] pirates; ((slang)) a person from Scandinavia
2 Vaikingu ((American unmanned Martian probe; 2 launched in 1975))Vaikingu
1 [Western History] a Viking
2 (Viking cuisine) (a) smorgasbord; Viking shop: a buffet-style restaurant offering as much as one can eat for a fixed priceVaikingu
1 A term used for Normans who lived in Scandinavia. In the 8-11 centuries, {they} rode boats and invaded Europe.
2 Vaikingu Cuisine
Vaikingu Program [Project Viking]
NASA’S unmanned Martian probe program. #1 was launched in July of 1976, and #2 was launched in September of the same year; in July of 1977 they succeeded in making soft landings. They discovered that the Martian polar caps were covered by frozen carbon dioxide, ice, and water, among other things. (Modern)
Vaikingu Cuisine
All you can eat cuisine. For a set price, one can help themselves to anything they like from a selection of 10-12 dishes prepared beforehand. (Modern) Northern Europe’s smorgasbord [smörgåsbord (Scandinavian style hors d'ouevres)], renamed to suit Japan. The Imperial Hotel started the trend in Showa 33 (1958).
Fascinating what you learn when you look stuff up. Anyhoo - if you know of any other interesting changes, leave them in the comments. (But remember - Japan has no monopoly on turning people and people groups into foods, so feel free to include any country’s additions.)
on July 15th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Genghis Khan & Vikings: Delicious & Nutritious!…
We can all agree that Soylent Green is people. But in Japan, Genghis Khan and Vikings aren’t; they’re foods. Check out a romp through the dictionary with translations (and links to full articles on Wikipedia in both Japanese and English to flesh out …
on July 15th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Nothing better than a sushi and steak viking equipped with a drink viking! Pillagers of the world, this refill of C-C lemon is for you!
Jordans last blog post was: Nagoya basho day 3 action
on July 15th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
How about “Mont Blanc?” A brand of pen in the US, a chestnut-flavored dessert in Japan; is actually a mountain on the border of France and Italy.
on July 15th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Jordan - dude…you drink C-C Lemon at 飲み放題s? Head check! It’s 生ビル time when you’re at a “drink viking!” Ha ha. You pay through the nose either way - might as well enjoy it.
Aaron - nice one. I’ve never used one of the pens, I don’t really like Japanese “Mont Blanc” paste, and I’ve not seen the mountain either… You’ve just given me 2 things to-do and one thing to continue to avoid.
on July 15th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Actually, the Sushi and Steak Viking is a real place and unfortunately doesn’t serve beer otherwise I would have abused the hell out of it!
Don’t get me wrong though, when I used to hit up Y’s Bar and Hana no Mai (conveniently located in Carrefour) as a gakusei at Kanda Gaigo in Makuhari, Chiba, I’d be hitting the nama’s hard. Too many black outs after doing the nomihoudais around that place. 2500 yen a pop isn’t a bad price for missing the train and falling asleep under a bush. (It was a one time thing, I swear!)
Jordans last blog post was: Nagoya basho day 3 action
on July 15th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
And imagine my surprise when I found out that Marco Polo was actually some guy and not just something you shouted out at the pool.
lost in ubes last blog post was: Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest Sort of Liveblog!
on July 16th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Jordan - ooooh. I didn’t realize that was a place’s name. But it’s good to know that you also appreciate the true purpose of the classic 飲み放題: to wake up in the shrubs outside of the restaurant you attempted to leave. Ha ha.
Lost in Ube - ha ha ha. Marco! Polo!
on July 18th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Have you heard the song?!?!?
I’m sure in English we have a song about Genghis Khan….and I’ve recently heard a Japanese cover of it - same tune - but they sing “Jingisu Kan”……is it a play on words?! Are they actually singing about mutton?
on July 18th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Aileen - I have heard the song! Isn’t it from a Hello! Project group? Maybe Morning Musume? Ha ha. I actually didn’t know that it was an English song first. I gotta look it up now.
on July 18th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Is the original version of that song not in German? I’ve never actually heard it in English. Every time it’s come up in karaoke it’s been in German, and seems to be pronounced similar to Japanese, like “Jenghis Kan”.
Toms last blog post was: Reading time - The Lawless Roads
on October 5th, 2008 at 3:57 am
Hmm, I think Wellington referred to a man and a place before it became boots and beef. There are alcoholic beverages named for various famous people, not least Mary I. The hamburger and frankfurter are both named for cities…
Jonadab the Unsightly Ones last blog post was: Bad Analogies 101
on October 5th, 2008 at 4:00 am
Oh, and there’s caesar salad…
on October 5th, 2008 at 4:13 am
Tea, Earl Grey, hot. Kaiser rolls. General Tso’s. And isn’t there a food item named after Dolly Madison?
There are also a *lot* of foods named for people involved somehow with their creation, e.g., fruit cultivars named after growers. But that’s not quite the same as appropriating the name of an uninvolved third-party who is famous for something else. Rumor would have it that the sandwich also falls into this category.
Jonadab the Unsightly Ones last blog post was: Bad Analogies 101
on October 7th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Jonadab - following on the German theme, I could add JFK’s infamous Berliner. Mmmm. Caesar salad wasn’t named for the Caesar. It was named for the chef who is credited with first creating it - one Cesare Cardini. (Yes, despite the spelling.) Good call on the Earl Grey tea. General Tso’s, though…it really changes names too frequently for me to feel like it’s a legitimate reference to a person. Ha ha. (Tso’s, Tsao’s, Cho’s, etc.) No clue about Dolly Madison. Anyway, thanks for the comment. Ha ha.