Chinese word

红烧

Pronunciation

Pinyinhóng shāo

Meaning

  • verbbraise in soy sauce

Example

他会红烧这条鱼。tā huì hóng shāo zhè tiáo yú

He can braise this fish in soy sauce.

Illustration for 红烧 (braise in soy sauce)

More examples

妈妈昨天把鸡翅红烧得很入味。mā mā zuó tiān bǎ jī chì hóng shāo de hěn rù wèi

Yesterday, Mom braised the chicken wings in soy sauce, and they were very flavorful.

Core concept

Seasoned food is gently cooked until its flavor soaks in and its outside takes on a red-brown color.

Common phrases

  • 红烧鸡翅hóng shāo jī chì

    chicken wings braised in soy sauce

  • 红烧排骨hóng shāo pái gǔ

    ribs braised in soy sauce

  • 红烧茄子hóng shāo qié zi

    eggplant braised in soy sauce

Similar words

煮zhǔ: Boil food in liquid until it softens and takes in the flavor.
蒸zhēng: Heat food with steam until it cooks through and stays moist.
炖dùn: Slowly cook food over low heat until it becomes soft and tender.
炒chǎo: Stir-fry food quickly in hot oil to bring out a fragrant flavor.

Definition in Chinese

用酱油等调味料用中小火煮至入味并呈红褐色的烹饪方法或动作yòng jiàng yóu děng tiáo wèi liào yòng zhōng xiáo huǒ zhǔ zhì rù wèi bìng chéng hóng hè sè de pēng rèn fāng fǎ huò dòng zuò

Word origin

红 (hóng, "red") + 烧 (shāo, "cook with heat") combines the visible result with the cooking action, naming a method that produces a dark reddish-brown, well-seasoned dish.

Usage tips

  • The color in this cooking term describes the finished appearance rather than a requirement for red food coloring, since the tone normally comes from seasonings such as soy sauce and sugar.

Other meanings

  • braised dishnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 红烧肉hóng shāo ròupork braised in soy saucenoun

Word lists with this word