Chinese word

爆炒

Pronunciation

Pinyinbào chǎo

Meaning

  • verbstir-fry

Example

先把蔬菜用大火爆炒一下。xiān bǎ shū cài yòng dà huǒ bào chǎo yí xià

First, quickly stir-fry the vegetables over high heat.

Illustration for 爆炒 (stir-fry)

More examples

下锅前先用热油把蒜片爆炒出香味。xià guō qián xiān yòng rè yóu bǎ suàn piàn bào chǎo chū xiāng wèi

Before putting the ingredients in the pan, first quickly stir-fry the sliced garlic in hot oil over high heat to bring out its aroma.

Core concept

A brief rush of wok heat that gives food a lightly browned surface without drying its center.

Common phrases

  • 用热油大火爆炒yòng rè yóu dà huǒ bào chǎo

    quickly stir-fry in hot oil over high heat

  • 大火爆炒蔬菜dà huǒ bào chǎo shū cài

    quickly stir-fry vegetables over high heat

  • 把食材用大火爆炒几下bǎ shí cái yòng dà huǒ bào chǎo jǐ xià

    quickly stir-fry ingredients over high heat a few times

Similar words

炒chǎo: Cook food in hot oil in a pan, turning it as needed to cook it through.
炸zhà: Cook food by immersing it completely in plenty of hot oil.
煎jiān: Cook food in a little oil until its surface is browned on one or both sides.

Definition in Chinese

用大火把食材在锅中迅速翻炒，使表面受热略焦而内部保持嫩滑。yòng dà huó bǎ shí cái zài guō zhōng xùn sù fān chǎo shǐ biǎo miàn shòu rè lüè jiāo ér nèi bù bǎo chí nèn huá

Word origin

The compound 爆 (bào, "burst") + 炒 (chǎo, "stir-fry") links explosive heat with quick pan-frying, which explains the technique's speed and result.

Usage tips

  • English stir-fry is a broad term, while 爆炒 (bàochǎo, "high-heat stir-fry") signals especially fierce heat and a short cooking time.

Opposites

Word lists with this word