What does “gekiuma” (激うま) mean in Japanese?

激 means “fierce” or “intense,” and glued in front of an adjective it cranks the meaning to the maximum. 激うま is “insanely delicious,” 激辛 is “blisteringly spicy,” 激安 is “dirt cheap.” These words are casual, the language of ads, menus, and friends recommending a place.

うま is the clipped form of うまい, the casual cousin of おいしい. In this clip, a Kumamoto local recommends a nearby roadside station’s 激うま野菜料理バイキング, a vegetable buffet, and adds 超おすすめ. That 超 is a second, even more everyday intensifier you can stack the same way. Keep 激うま for casual talk, since it would sound odd in a formal review.