daa2 hin3打芡
Jyutpingdaa2 hin3
Yaledá hin
Definition
To thicken sauce with a starch-water mixture while cooking.
colloquialfooddaily actions
How it's used
Professional chefs often distinguish between different types of thickening, such as thin starch for a light glaze or heavy starch for a glossy coating. The process is essential for trapping flavor onto the surface of ingredients, especially in stir-fry dishes. It is rarely used for soups or broths where a clear, watery consistency is preferred.
Examples
This sauce is too thin, hurry up and thicken it with starch.
Did you remember to thicken the sauce? It tastes better when it's thicker.
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Learners often confuse the act of thickening with simply adding more sauce. Remember that the goal is to change the texture of the existing liquid using a starch mixture, not to increase the volume of the liquid itself.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
