cau3 ceng1臭青
Jyutpingcau3 ceng1
Yalechau chēng
Definition
The strong, unpleasant smell of raw vegetation, grass, or unripe fruit.
colloquialfooddescriptions
How it's used
This term specifically describes the pungent, raw scent associated with uncooked or undercooked green vegetables. It is often used to critique cooking that leaves leafy greens tasting too much like raw grass or earth. While it can be used for other plants, it is most frequently applied to kitchen scenarios involving vegetables like spinach or bok choy.
Examples
This dish of vegetables isn't stir-fried enough, it still has a raw, grassy smell.
Did you wash the vegetables properly? Why is there still that raw, grassy smell?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 臭, which is a general term for a foul or rotten odor. 臭青 is specific to the raw, vegetal smell of plants and does not imply that the food is spoiled or rotten.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- NegationHow to say no, not, didn't, and don't in Cantonese. The four main negation words and when to use each one.
- Numbers and moneyCounting, talking about money, and asking how much things cost. Includes the two words for two and the everyday words for dollars and cents.
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
