noun
ghee; ultimate Buddhist truth; nirvana
Originally a Buddhist term for ghee, considered the finest flavor; figuratively used for the highest truth or nirvana. In modern Japanese, it is most often encountered in the set phrase 醍醐味 (だいごみ) meaning 'the real pleasure' or 'the true charm' of something.
See also: 五味
仏教では、醍醐は五味の中で最も優れた味とされる。
In Buddhism, ghee is considered the greatest of the five flavors.
この作品の醍醐味は、緻密な心理描写にある。
The real pleasure of this work lies in its detailed psychological portrayal.
A common compound meaning 'the real pleasure' or 'the true charm' of something, derived from 醍醐. While 醍醐 alone is rare and mostly Buddhist, 醍醐味 is widely used in everyday language.
From Middle Chinese 醍醐 (dej gu), itself a transliteration of a Sanskrit or Prakrit word for ghee. The figurative Buddhist meaning developed from the idea of ghee as the supreme flavor.