【Reading】やま

【English Name】Yama

'Yama' is a piece of jargon used at sushi restaurants and other eateries, meaning that a topping or menu item is sold out.

It is one of the industry terms used among chefs in order to avoid saying 'sold out' directly in front of customers. For example, saying 'the tuna is yama' indicates that the tuna has run out.

As for the etymology, the theory that it derives from the fact that mountains have no bounty of the sea is widely known. The state of there being 'none' of things from the sea is likened to a mountain.

At the sushi counter, there is a need to share sold-out information without the customer noticing. For this reason, jargon such as 'yama' developed. Similar industry terms include 'agari' meaning tea and 'oaiso' referring to the bill.

Incidentally, the word 'yama' has various meanings outside the food-service industry as well; it is used as a slang term for a mine, and it can also refer to the lord of the dead in Hindu mythology (the origin of the Buddhist Enma).