醤 (jiàng) - Sauce, paste, jam — refers to thick condiments

醤Tone 4

jiàng ｜ 17 strokes ｜ radical:

健傑

醤 · jiàng

Sauce, paste, jam — refers to thick condiments made from fermented beans, fruits, or other ingredients, similar to miso or jam.

Sauce, paste, jam — refers to thick condiments

Usage highlights

Soybean pasteFruit jamFermented bean pasteMisoSauce jarSauce factory

Synonyms

  • 酱— Simplified form of 醤
  • paste— General term for thick condiments
  • jam— For fruit-based preparations

Antonyms

  • 干— Dry (opposite of saucy/moist)
  • 淡— Bland, lightly seasoned (opposite of strongly flavored sauce)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Soybean paste is essential in Chinese cooking (豆瓣酱).
  • I spread some fruit jam on my toast (果酱).
  • This dish uses fermented bean paste (豆酱).
  • Miso soup is a Japanese staple (味噌酱).

Collocations

  • Soybean paste(豆瓣酱)
  • Fruit jam(果酱)
  • Fermented bean paste(豆酱)
  • Miso(味噌酱)
  • Sauce jar(酱缸)
  • Sauce factory(酱园)

Idioms

  • Oil, salt, sauce, vinegar(油盐酱醋)
  • Pickled in soy sauce(酱缸文化)
  • Sauce garden scenery(酱园风景)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • 酱 has been a fundamental condiment in East Asian cuisines for millennia, with evidence of fermented bean paste dating back to ancient China.
  • The character reflects the importance of fermentation preservation techniques in traditional food culture.
  • In Japan, 醤 evolved into specific characters like 醤油 (soy sauce) and 味噌 (miso), showing cultural adaptation.

FAQ