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B1 · Lesson 10

Discussing Food & Cuisine

飲食文化
What you will learn

Dive deep into Hong Kong food culture. Go beyond ordering to discuss cooking methods, flavour profiles, regional cuisines, and food recommendations. Share your foodie opinions like a local.

Dialogue

Conversation

A
你覺得香港邊類菜式最好食？
Which type of cuisine do you think is the best in Hong Kong?
B
一定係粵菜啦，尤其是煲仔飯同老火湯，真係冇得頂。
Definitely Cantonese cuisine, especially claypot rice and slow-cooked soup, truly unbeatable.
A
我都好鍾意老火湯，煲幾個鐘先夠味。你識唔識煲？
I love slow-cooked soup too, it needs hours of simmering to get the full flavour. Do you know how to make it?
B
識少少啦。我媽媽教我煲蓮藕豬骨湯，用慢火煲三個鐘，甜到暈。
A little. My mum taught me lotus root pork bone soup, slow cook for three hours, incredibly sweet.
A
嘩好犀利！我就比較鍾意街頭小食，好似雞蛋仔同魚蛋。
Wow impressive! I prefer street food, like egg waffles and fish balls.
B
雞蛋仔外脆內軟，新鮮出爐嗰陣最正。
Egg waffles are crispy outside and soft inside, freshest out of the oven is the best.
A
你試過臭豆腐未？好多外國人唔敢食。
Have you tried stinky tofu? Many foreigners dare not eat it.
B
食過呀，聞落臭但係食落好香，又脆又惹味。你要試吓先知㗎！
Yes, smells bad but tastes amazing, crispy and flavourful. You have to try it to know!
Vocabulary

Key Words & Phrases

粵菜
Cantonese cuisine
煲仔飯
claypot rice
老火湯
slow-cooked soup
雞蛋仔
egg waffle
魚蛋
fish balls
臭豆腐
stinky tofu
街頭小食
street food
慢火
low heat / slow cook
夠味
full of flavour
惹味
appetising / flavourful
外脆內軟
crispy outside soft inside
冇得頂
unbeatable / the best
Grammar

Language Patterns

adj + 到暈 / 到癲 (extremely adj — vivid intensifiers)

到暈 (dou3 wan4, "until dizzy") and 到癲 (dou3 din1, "until crazy") are slangy intensifiers. 甜到暈 means "so sweet it is dizzying". Adds vivid imagery.
辣到暈！
laat6 dou3 wan4!
Incredibly spicy!
平到癲。
peng4 dou3 din1.
Insanely cheap.

verb + 落 (when you verb it / upon verbing)

落 (lok6) after a perception verb means "when you [verb] it". 聞落 means "when you smell it", 食落 means "when you eat it". Creates a contrast between expectation and reality.
睇落唔錯，食落更加好。
tai2 lok6 m4 co3, sik6 lok6 gang3 gaa1 hou2.
Looks not bad, tastes even better.
聽落好複雜，做落其實唔難。
teng1 lok6 hou2 fuk1 zaap6, zou6 lok6 kei4 sat6 m4 naan4.
Sounds complicated, but actually not hard to do.

又 A 又 B (both A and B)

又 (jau6)...又 (jau6) links two adjectives or verbs to mean "both A and B". Great for food descriptions: 又脆又香 means "both crispy and fragrant".
又平又好食。
jau6 peng4 jau6 hou2 sik6.
Both cheap and delicious.
又大又靚。
jau6 daai6 jau6 leng3.
Both big and beautiful.

你要試吓先知 (you have to try it to know)

試吓先知 (si3 haa5 sin1 zi1) means "try it first, then you will know". 先知 (sin1 zi1) = "only then know". Encourages someone to experience something before judging.
你要去過先知幾靚。
nei5 jiu3 heoi3 gwo3 sin1 zi1 gei2 leng3.
You have to visit to know how beautiful it is.
做過先知難唔難。
zou6 gwo3 sin1 zi1 naan4 m4 naan4.
You only know if it is hard after trying.
Practice

Test Your Knowledge

Fill_blank · Question 1
老火湯煲幾個鐘先 ___。 (enough flavour)
  • 夠味
  • 惹味
  • 好味
  • 冇味
Answer
夠味
Translate · Question 2
Egg waffles are crispy outside and soft inside.
Answer
雞蛋仔外脆內軟。
Choice · Question 3
What does 冇得頂 mean?
  • unbeatable / the best
  • not bad
  • terrible
  • average
Answer
unbeatable / the best
Fill_blank · Question 4
聞 ___ 臭但係食 ___ 好香。 (upon smelling / upon eating)
  • 落
  • 到
  • 完
  • 過
Answer
落
Translate · Question 5
You have to try stinky tofu to know how good it is!
Answer
你要試吓臭豆腐先知幾好食！

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