Chinese Character: 椒
1. Character Basics
Radical: 木/mù radical (wood radical)
Stroke Count: 12
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: jiāo (first tone)
3. Meaning
pepper, spice
4. Common Words
- 辣椒 (là jiāo) - chili pepper
- 胡椒 (hú jiāo) - pepper
- 花椒 (huā jiāo) - Sichuan pepper
- 椒盐 (jiāo yán) - salt and pepper
- 辣椒粉 (là jiāo fěn) - chili powder
- 辣椒油 (là jiāo yóu) - chili oil
5. Grammar & Usage
"椒" is primarily used as a noun to refer to various types of peppers and spices.
It is usually combined with other characters to specify the type of pepper, such as "辣椒" (chili pepper) or "胡椒" (pepper).
Common structures include "椒+种类" (辣椒, 胡椒, 花椒) and "椒+制品" (椒盐, 辣椒粉).
In culinary contexts, it is often used as an ingredient in recipes or to describe flavor profiles.
6. Cultural Background
Peppers play a crucial role in Chinese cuisine, especially in regional cuisines like Sichuan and Hunan.
Chili peppers were introduced to China from the Americas in the 16th century and quickly became an integral part of Chinese cooking.
Sichuan pepper (花椒) is a unique spice in Chinese cuisine, known for its numbing sensation and distinctive flavor.
The use of peppers reflects the diversity and adaptability of Chinese culinary traditions, as well as the importance of flavor balance in Chinese cooking.
7. Example Sentence
Chinese: 四川菜以辣椒和花椒闻名。
Pinyin: Sìchuān cài yǐ làjiāo hé huājiāo wénmíng.
Translation: Sichuan cuisine is famous for chili peppers and Sichuan pepper.
8. Memory Tips
The character "椒" consists of two parts: the radical "木" (wood) on the left and "叔" (shū) on the right.
The "木" radical indicates that this character is related to plants or trees.
To remember this character, think of a spicy plant (pepper) that grows on a woody stem, combining the wood radical with the phonetic component "叔" to form the character for various types of peppers.