zaa3 zi2 gai1炸子雞炸子鸡
Jyutpingzaa3 zi2 gai1
Yaleja jí gāi
Definition
Crispy fried chicken, a traditional Cantonese dish of seasoned, air-dried chicken basted with hot oil.
colloquialfooddim sum
How it's used
This dish is a staple at traditional Cantonese wedding banquets and celebratory dinners. The preparation process is labor intensive, involving air drying and repeated basting with hot oil to achieve the signature glass-like, crispy skin. It is almost always served with a small dish of seasoned salt, known as 淮鹽, for dipping.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
Let's order a crispy fried chicken at the restaurant tonight.
The crispy fried chicken here has crispy skin and tender meat, it's great.
Related words
Common phrases
dip in seasoned salt
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with standard fried chicken or fast food chicken, as the texture and preparation are distinctively different. It is specifically a Cantonese banquet dish rather than a casual snack.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- NegationHow to say no, not, didn't, and don't in Cantonese. The four main negation words and when to use each one.
- Numbers and moneyCounting, talking about money, and asking how much things cost. Includes the two words for two and the everyday words for dollars and cents.
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
