A dekagram is a metric unit of mass equal to 10 grams. It is part of the metric system, which is widely used around the world for scientific and everyday measurements. The symbol for dekagram is "dag." This unit is often used in cooking and nutrition to measure ingredients or food portions. In the context of the metric system, a dekagram is larger than a gram but smaller than a hectogram, which is equal to 100 grams. Understanding these units can help in converting measurements, especially in recipes or when calculating nutritional values in food products.