咕嚕雞
gūlōujāi
The phrase for sweet and sour chicken in Cantonese is 咕嚕雞 (gūlōujāi).
This phrase refers to a Chinese dish consisting of fried chicken pieces coated in a tangy sauce made of sugar and vinegar.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 咕嚕 (gū lōu) is an onomatopoeic transliteration of a sound, and 雞 (gāi) means chicken.
How do you pronounce it?
gūlōujāi
Did you know?
- The word 咕嚕 (gū lōu) imitates the bubbling sound of the sauce as it thickens in the wok. It is not a descriptor of the flavor, but a description of the cooking process.
- The 'ancestor' of this chicken dish is actually the pork version, known as 咕嚕肉 (gū lōu yuk). The chicken version is a relatively modern adaptation of this classic Cantonese blueprint.
- While the flavor profile is 'sweet and sour', Cantonese often uses 咕嚕 specifically for dishes that are deep-fried and tossed in a thick glaze, distinguishing them from steamed sweet and sour dishes.
Examples in context
- 我想食咕嚕雞。ngo5 soeng2 sik6 gu1 lou1 gai1.I want to eat sweet and sour chicken.
- 呢道咕嚕雞好酸甜。ni1 dou6 gu1 lou1 gai1 hou2 syun1 tim4.This sweet and sour chicken is very tangy and sweet.
- 你鍾唔鍾意食咕嚕雞？nei5 zung1 m4 zung1 ji3 sik6 gu1 lou1 gai1?Do you like eating sweet and sour chicken?
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Xiaotong are deciding what to order at a Chinese restaurant.
- 志強 Chi Keung曉彤，你想食咩？hiu2 tung4, nei5 soeng2 sik1 me1?Xiaotong, what do you want to eat?
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung我想試下呢間舖頭嘅咕嚕雞。ngo5 soeng2 si3 haa5 ni1 gaan1 pou3 tau4 ge3 gu1 lou2 gai1.I want to try the sweet and sour chicken from this shop.
- 志強 Chi Keung好啊，我都想食咕嚕雞。hou2 aa3, ngo5 dou1 soeng2 sik1 gu1 lou2 gai1.Okay, I want to eat sweet and sour chicken too.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung噉就叫碟啦。gam2 zau6 giu3 dip3 laa1.Then let's order a plate.
