zing1蒸
Jyutpingzing1
Yalejīng
Definition
To steam; to cook food using steam heat without direct contact with water or oil.
colloquialfooddaily actions
How it's used
Steaming is considered a hallmark of healthy Cantonese home cooking because it avoids the heavy use of oil found in stir-frying. It is frequently used for fresh ingredients like fish, eggs, or dim sum, where the goal is to preserve the natural texture and sweetness of the food. When steaming fish, it is common to add ginger and scallion to remove any fishy smell.
Examples
Remember to steam the rice before you head out.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse steaming with boiling. Remember that 蒸 requires the food to be placed on a rack or in a container above the water level, whereas 烚 involves submerging the food directly into boiling water.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
