fei1 seoi2飛水飞水

Jyutpingfei1 seoi2

Yalefēi séui

動詞

Definition

To blanch; to boil an ingredient briefly in water and then remove it for further preparation.

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How it's used

This term is essential in Cantonese cooking, specifically referring to the process of briefly boiling raw meat or bones to remove blood, impurities, and the strong gamey odor. It is almost exclusively used in the context of preparing ingredients before a longer cooking method like stewing, braising, or soup-making. You will rarely hear it used for vegetables, as other terms like 灼 or 焯 are preferred for greens.

Examples

nei5你gei3記dak1得jiu3要fei1飛zo2咗seoi2水sin1先hou2好lok6落wok6鑊caau2炒aa4呀。

Remember to blanch it before you put it in the wok to stir-fry.

ni1呢di1啲paai4排gwat1骨jiu3要fei1飛seoi2水sin1先ho2可ji5以bou1煲tong1湯㗎。

These pork ribs need to be blanched before you can make soup with them.

Related words

see alsocoek3灼cheuksee alsocoek3焯cheuk

Common phrases

fei1飛seoi2水heoi3去seng1腥

blanch to remove the gamey smell

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with general boiling. Remember that it specifically implies a short, preparatory boil that is followed by discarding the water or rinsing the ingredient, rather than cooking the item until it is ready to eat.