酥 sū butter
butter; flaky; flaky pastry; limp
How to remember 酥: 酉 whisky bottle + 禾 grain = butter. The baker has no rolling pin, so he grabs an empty whisky bottle from behind the grain sacks to roll out the dough with the butter.
Component breakdown
酥 = 酉 whisky bottle + 禾 grain
- 酉 whisky bottle
- 禾 grain
The baker has no rolling pin, so he grabs an empty whisky bottle from behind the grain sacks to roll out the dough with the butter.
How it is used
- Two everyday jobs: the flaky/crisp texture of pastry - 酥脆 (sūcuì) crisp, 桃酥 (táosū) crumbly walnut cookie - and a limp, melting weakness, 酥软 (sūruǎn) as in 吓得腿都酥了 (xià de tuǐ dōu sū le) so scared my legs went weak.
- On a menu 酥 promises the shatter-in-your-mouth crumbly texture, the opposite of chewy 韧 - 面条很有韧性 (miàntiáo hěn yǒu rènxìng) the noodles are very chewy.
- Also the base for 酥油 (sūyóu) the yak butter of Tibetan tea.