In this episode, we’ve talked about cooking, the recipe for scallion pancakes, and one of the uses of “hōo” in Taiwanese.
(These show notes use tables and rich formatting. Please visit the episode webpage for an optimal viewing experience.)
| TAIWANESE | ENGLISH |
| iā-tshī-á | night market |
| tshài-tshī-á | traditional market |
| si̍t-phóo | recipe |
| tshang-á-piánn | scallion pancakes |
| tsâi-liāu | ingredients |
| kin | a Taiwanese catty, about 600grams or 1 ⅓ pounds |
| tsi̍t kin mī-hún | one catty of wheat flour |
| kong-kin | kilogram |
| kong-khik | grams |
| sì hun tsi sann | ¾ |
| sann hun tsi it | ⅓ |
| tsi̍t pé tshang-á | a bunch of scallions |
| nn̄g pah sì-tsa̍p cc ê sio-tsuí | 240cc of hot water |
| cc | cubic centimeters (= milliliters, mL)
Pronunciation note: pronounced as “sí1-si1” |
| puànn pue líng-tsuí | half a cup of cold water |
| khok-á | round or square containers, like a cup without a handle or a box without a lid, often used to ladle out or measure something, or to contain something temporarily; “khok” can also be used as a measure word like a “cup” of or a “ladle” of |
| liōng-kî-iok-á | approximate, as appropriate, according to taste |
| iû liōng-kî-iok-á | cooking oil as appropriate |
| iâm liōng-kî-iok-á | salt according to taste |
| kóo-tsá-bī | traditional taste; old-school |
| ti-iû | lard |
| mī-tshè | (wheat flour) dough |
| kiáu | to mix in or stir in an ingredient |
| tsiâu-ûn | even; continuously, regularly, evenly |
| khiū | chewy, rubbery |
| nuá | to knead |
| khàm | to cover |
| gíng | to grind with a mortar and pestle; to roll flat with a rolling pin |
| so | to rub on or to smear on; to roll the dough by using the palms of your hands |
| tshiat | to cut |
| suah | to sprinkle seasonings |
| iā | to sprinkle (general) |
| kauh | to roll up or wrap something with a filling; a wrap |
| lūn-piánn / lūn-piánn-kauh | fresh spring rolls |
| kńg | to roll up onto itself or to roll up with something inside |
| tsian | to pan-fry |
| ke-kńg | “chicken roll”, a dish made of pork or fishpaste rolled in beancurd skin and deep-fried. |
| tshiah-tshiah | (pan-fried food) to be golden brown |
*Syllables that have been greyed out require a tone change
RECIPE: SCALLION PANCAKES
Tsò tshang-á-piánn, lán tio̍h ài:
To make scallion pancakes, we need:
| Tsâi-liāu
Ingredients |
|
| 1 kin mī-hún | 1 catty of flour |
| 1 pé tshang-á | 1 bunch of scallions |
| sio tsuí 240 (nn̄g pah sì-tsa̍p) cc | 240cc of hot water, (240cc = 1 cup) |
| líng tsuí 120 (tsi̍t pah jī-tsa̍p) cc | 120cc of cold water (120cc = 1/2 cup) |
| iû, liōng-kî-iok-á | cooking oil, as appropriate |
| iâm, liōng-kî-iok-á | salt, according to taste |
Tsò-huat:
How to make it:
1. Sing kā mī-hún khǹg tiàm uánn-á-lāi. Kā sio-tsuí tò--ji̍p-khì.
First, put the flour into a bowl. Pour in hot water.
2. Koh lâi, īng tī kiáu-kiáu hōo (i) tsiâu-ûn.
Next, use chopsticks to mix it in until you have an even mixture.
3. Koh lâi, ta̍uh-ta̍uh-á kā líng-tsuí ka--ji̍p-khì. Kiáu kah tsuí uân-tsuân khì hōo mī-hún soh--khì.
Then, gradually add cold water. Stir in water until absorbed.
4. Suà--lo̍h-lâi, kā mī-tshè nuá tsò tsi̍t uân. Tsha-put-to ài sì-gōo-hun.
Next, knead the dough into a ball. About 4-5 minutes.
5. Bué-á, kā (i) khàm--khí-lâi, hōo (i) khǹg puànn tiám-tsing kàu tsi̍t-tiám-tsing.
Finally, cover and let rest for half-an-hour to an hour.
6. Kā tshang-á tshiat tsò tshang-á-tsu.
Chop up the scallions.
7. Kā hit uân mī-tshè so tsò tsi̍t tiâu, tshiat tsò peh tè. Ta̍k tè lóng kā (i) gíng hōo pênn.
Roll the dough ball into a strip. Cut into 8 pieces. Roll out each piece until flat.
7. Ta̍k tè lóng kā so iû. Suah tsi̍t-tiám-á iâm.
Spread oil onto each piece. Sprinkle on some salt.
9. Iā tsi̍t-kuá tshang-á-tsu.
Sprinkle on some scallions.
10. Kā (i) kauh--khí-lâi, pìnn-tsò tsi̍t tiâu. Koh kā (i) kńg--khí-lâi, tsiah-koh gíng hōo pênn.
Roll up each piece into a strip. Then roll the strip up onto itself. Roll it out flat.
11. Tsian hōo nn̄g pîng sió-khuá tshiah-tshiah.
Pan-fry in oil until both sides are golden brown.
Enjoy your tshang-á-piánn!
The sentence patterns with “kā”, “hōo”, and “verb + tsò” pop up quite a lot in our cooking directions. For more about the grammar, be sure to check out our workbook. It also gives you some additional vocabulary, culture and pronunciation notes, and great exercises to reinforce what you’ve learned in this episode.
ONE BITE CHALLENGE: IT’S NOT THE SAME!
Our One Bite Challenge this week is a Taiwanese saying:
“Kāng-khuán, bô kāng sai-hū!”
Let’s break down the sentence:
| TAIWANESE | ENGLISH |
| kāng-khuán | same, the same (literally: same-sort/look) |
| bô kāng | different, not the same |
| sai-hū | master, craftsman, artisan |
Literally, it means: “It’s the same but (made by) different masters or craftsmen.” But the meaning is that two things may look or seem the same at first glance, but if you look more closely you’ll see that they’re different.
This saying is often used when someone says “kāng-khuán”, but another person thinks it’s actually not the same at all.
Some people suggest that “kāng-khuán” sounds similar to “kāng kuán”, which gives rise to the second part about “masters”. “Kuán” is a building for specific purposes like tê-kuán (teahouse), i-sing-kuán (traditional name for clinics or hospitals) or kûn-thâu-kuán (martial art house, which often offers chiropractic and folk medicine). Even “in the same institute”, or “kāng kuán”, there are different masters and craftsmen and their skill levels may differ. Supposedly that’s how the second part “bô kāng sai-hū” came about.