mat6 zou2蜜棗蜜枣

Jyutpingmat6 zou2

Yalemaht jóu

名詞

Definition

Sweetened and dried jujube or Chinese dates, often used in making soup or cooking.

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How it's used

Commonly used as a base ingredient in Cantonese soups to add a natural, mellow sweetness that balances out savory or bitter medicinal herbs. Unlike fresh fruit, these are almost exclusively found in the pantry for cooking purposes rather than eaten as a snack on their own. They are essential for achieving the characteristic depth of flavor in home-style slow-cooked soups.

Measure word

nap1粒nāp

Examples

bou1煲tong1湯gei3記dak1得lok6落gei2幾nap1粒mat6蜜zou2棗aa4呀。

Remember to put a few dried dates in when making soup.

nei5你maai5買zo2咗mat6蜜zou2棗mei6未aa4呀？

Have you bought the dried dates yet?

Common phrases

bou1煲tong1湯mat6蜜zou2棗

dried dates for soup

Common mistake

Do not confuse these with red dates, which are known as 紅棗. While both are used in soups, they have different flavor profiles and medicinal properties in traditional Chinese dietary therapy.