saan1 zan1 hoi2 mei6山珍海味

Jyutpingsaan1 zan1 hoi2 mei6

Yalesāan jān hói meih

Definition

Exotic delicacies; luxurious and precious food.

neutralfood

How it's used

This idiom carries a strong sense of luxury and excess, often implying that the food is expensive and rare. It is frequently used to contrast high-end dining with humble, everyday meals like 粗茶淡飯. While it refers to literal food, it is also used metaphorically to describe someone who has been spoiled by a lavish lifestyle.

Examples

keoi5佢dei6哋git3結fan1婚go2嗰zan6陣，baai2擺zau2酒sik6食zeon6盡saan1山zan1珍hoi2海mei2味。

They served all sorts of exotic delicacies at their wedding banquet.

nei5你ping4平si4時sik6食gwaan3慣saan1山zan1珍hoi2海mei2味，zung6仲sik6食dak1得lok6落ni1呢di1啲cou1粗caa4茶daam6淡faan6飯me1咩？

You're used to eating exotic delicacies, can you still stomach this simple home cooking?

Related words

antonymcou1 caa4 daam6 faan6粗茶淡飯chōu chàh damh fanhsynonymzan1 sau1 baak3 mei6珍饈百味jān sāu bak meih

Common phrases

sik6食zeon6盡saan1山zan1珍hoi2海mei2味

to eat all kinds of exotic delicacies

saan1山zan1珍hoi2海mei2味baai2擺mun5滿toi4枱

the table is full of exotic delicacies

Common mistake

Do not use this to describe a regular fancy meal at a standard restaurant. It specifically refers to rare, high-status ingredients from land and sea, so using it for common dishes like steak or sushi sounds hyperbolic or incorrect.