炒杂碎
chǎo zá suì
Chop suey is the Cantonese dish referred to in Chinese as 炒杂碎 (chǎo zá suì).
While 炒杂碎 is a common term in Westernized Chinese cuisine, in mainland China, the term refers more generally to a dish of mixed stir-fried ingredients rather than a specific standardized recipe.
Meaning: Cantonese dish (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 炒 (stir-fry), 杂 (miscellaneous/mixed) and 碎 (bits/fragments/broken pieces).
How do you pronounce it?
chǎo zá suì
Did you know?
- The term 炒杂碎 is often linked to the early Chinese diaspora in the Americas, where chefs created a dish using scraps to feed workers who spoke limited English.
- The character 碎 in 炒杂碎 is also used in the word for 'shattered' when describing a broken heart or a broken mirror.
- There is a historical legend that chop suey was invented by a chef who accidentally spilled ingredients into a pan and quickly stir-fried them to hide the mistake.
Example conversation
Wei and Yuting are looking at a menu in a restaurant.
- 伟 Wei雨婷，你想点什么？Yǔtíng, nǐ xiǎng diǎn shénme?Yuting, what do you want to order?
- 雨婷 Yuting我想试试这个炒杂碎。Wǒ xiǎng shìshì zhège chǎo zá suì.I want to try this chop suey.
- 伟 Wei我也点一份一样的。Wǒ yě diǎn yī fèn yīyàng de.I will order one of the same.
- 雨婷 Yuting太好了，那我们一起分。Tài hǎo le, nà wǒmen yīqǐ fēn.Great, then we will share it together.
