daai6 jau2大油
Jyutpingdaai6 jau2
Yaledaaih yáu
Definition
Lard or pork fat.
colloquialfood
How it's used
Refers specifically to rendered pork fat used for cooking, which was a staple in traditional Cantonese kitchens before vegetable oils became ubiquitous. It is often associated with nostalgic flavors in classic dishes like claypot rice or simple stir-fried vegetables. While modern health consciousness has reduced its daily usage, it remains highly prized by chefs for the rich aroma and texture it adds to certain recipes.
Examples
People in the past really liked using lard to stir-fry dishes.
Do you know where they sell lard?
Related words
Common phrases
pork lard cracklings
rice mixed with lard and soy sauce
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the adjective 大油, which describes something as being very greasy or oily. Context usually makes the distinction clear, as the noun refers to the ingredient itself while the adjective describes the state of a dish.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
