him3芡

Jyutpinghim3

Yalehim

Definition

Starch-and-water mixture used to thicken sauces or soups.

colloquialfood

How it's used

Refers specifically to the starch slurry added at the end of cooking to give a glossy, thick texture to sauces. It is almost exclusively used in the context of Cantonese stir-fries and braised dishes. The act of adding this mixture is commonly referred to as 打芡, which is a fundamental technique in local kitchens.

Examples

zyu2煮ni1呢go3個sung3餸gei3記dak1得jiu3要daa2打hin3芡aa4呀。

Remember to thicken the sauce when cooking this dish.

go3個hin3芡daa2打dak1得taai2太hei1稀，m4唔gau3夠gwaa3掛zap1汁。

The starch mixture is too thin, it doesn't coat the food well.

Related words

see alsosaang1 fan2生粉sāng fánsynonymmaai4 hin3埋芡màih hin

Common phrases

daa2打hin3芡

to thicken a sauce

maai4埋hin3芡

to finish a dish by adding starch

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with the ingredient itself, which is usually called 生粉. While the mixture is the芡, the powder used to make it is not referred to as 芡.