旬

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 旬(しゅん) means the time when a food ingredient is in season.
• Basic usage: It describes seasonal ingredients at their best, as in 旬の野菜, vegetables in season.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A different reading in dates
  • 上旬(じょうじゅん) means the first ten days of a month. In this compound expressing a part of a month, 旬 is read じゅん.