English grammar question "are a"?

I think it is "Rice cakes are an traditional Japanese food" because rice cakes is plural. If it was somthing singular for example "Cricket is a english sport" it would be "A"...

Hope it helps

Yes the rice cakes are plural which is why "are" follows it.

Traditional Japanese food is singular which is why it says "A traditional japanese food"

The "a" doesn't go with the rice cakes, it goes with the "traditional japanes food

if that makes sense..... :)

Think of it this way: (Rice cakes <they> are) (a traditonal japanese food)

Split it into two sentences. The A goes with the food.

This issue exists both in Spanish, English and Polish, three languages I am fluent in.

The reason it's singluar because the word food is singular

Hope this helps