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| {{for|the song "Buddha's Delight"|Music and Lyrics: Music from the Motion Picture}} | {{for|the song "Buddha's Delight"|Music and Lyrics: Music from the Motion Picture}} | ||
| {{Chinese|pic=|piccap=|t= |
{{Chinese|pic=|piccap=|t=羅漢齋|s=罗汉斋|p=luó hàn zhāi|j=lo4 hon3 jaai1|poj=lo han chai|my=lo4 han3 jaai1|l=] vegetarian food|pic=Boeddha's Delight.jpg}} | ||
| '''Buddha's delight''', often ] as '''''Luóhàn zhāi''''', '''''lo han jai''''', or '''''lo hon jai''''', is a ] dish well known in ]. It is sometimes also called '''''Luóhàn cài''''' ({{zh-st|s= |
'''Buddha's delight''', often ] as '''''Luóhàn zhāi''''', '''''lo han jai''''', or '''''lo hon jai''''', is a ] dish well known in ]. It is sometimes also called '''''Luóhàn cài''''' ({{zh-st|s=罗汉菜|t=羅漢菜}}). The dish is traditionally enjoyed by ] monks who are vegetarians, but it has also grown in popularity throughout the world as a common dish available as a vegetarian option in Chinese restaurants. | ||
| The dish consists of various vegetables and other vegetarian ingredients (as well as sometimes also seafoods and eggs), which are cooked in ]-based liquid with other seasonings until tender. The specific ingredients used vary greatly both inside and outside Asia. | The dish consists of various vegetables and other vegetarian ingredients (as well as sometimes also seafoods and eggs), which are cooked in ]-based liquid with other seasonings until tender. The specific ingredients used vary greatly both inside and outside Asia. | ||
| ==Etymology== | ==Etymology== | ||
| In the name '''''luóhàn zhāi''''', '' |
In the name '''''luóhàn zhāi''''', ''luó hàn'' – short for ''ā luó hàn'' ({{zh-tsp|s=阿罗汉|t=阿羅漢|p=ā luó hàn}}) – is the Chinese transliteration of the ] '']'', meaning an enlightened, ascetic individual or the ] himself. ''Zhāi'' ({{zh-tsp|s=斋|t=齋|p=zhāi}}) means "vegetarian food" or "vegetarian diet." | ||
| The dish is usually made with at least 10 ingredients, although more elaborate versions may comprise 18 or even 35 ingredients. If 18 ingredients are used, the dish is called '''''Luóhàn quánzhāi''''' (simplified: |
The dish is usually made with at least 10 ingredients, although more elaborate versions may comprise 18 or even 35 ingredients. If 18 ingredients are used, the dish is called '''''Luóhàn quánzhāi''''' (simplified: 罗汉全斋; traditional: 羅漢全齋). | ||
| In ], ] and ], when served exclusively using only the most flavor-packed vegetarian ingredients |
In ], ] and ], when served exclusively using only the most flavor-packed vegetarian ingredients, such as red sour tofu or sweet bean curds, it is known as ''tián suān zhāi'' ({{zh-tsp|t=甜酸齋|s=甜酸斋|p=tian2 suan1 zhai1}}; literally "sweet and sour vegetarian dish"). | ||
| ==Tradition== | ==Tradition== | ||
| As suggested by its name, it is a dish traditionally enjoyed by ]s who are vegetarians, but it has also grown in popularity throughout the world as a common dish available in Chinese restaurants (though often not including all of the ingredients) as a vegetarian option. It is traditionally served in Chinese households on the first day of the ], stemming from the old Buddhist practice that one should maintain a vegetarian diet in the first five days of the new year, as a form of ]. Some of the rarer ingredients, such as ] and ], are generally only eaten at this time of year. | As suggested by its name, it is a dish traditionally enjoyed by ]s who are vegetarians, but it has also grown in popularity throughout the world as a common dish available in Chinese restaurants (though often not including all of the ingredients) as a vegetarian option. It is traditionally served in Chinese households on the first day of the ], stemming from the old Buddhist practice that one should maintain a vegetarian diet in the first five days of the new year, as a form of ]. Some of the rarer ingredients, such as ] and ], are generally only eaten at this time of year. | ||
| ==Ingredients== | |||
| The following is a list of ingredients often used in Buddha's delight, each of which, according to Chinese tradition, is ascribed a particular auspicious significance. As the dish varies from chef to chef and family to family, not every ingredient is always used in every version of the dish. | |||
| ===Main ingredients=== | |||
| ====Commonly used main ingredients==== | |||
| #] (]]; pinyin: cí gū) | |||
| #] (竹笙, pinyin: zhúshēng or 竹荪; pinyin: zhúsūn) | |||
| #]s (simplified: 笋; traditional; 筍; pinyin: sǔn) | |||
| #] (腐竹; pinyin: fǔ zhú; also called "tofu bamboo") | |||
| #] (冬菇; pinyin: dōnggū) | |||
| #] (traditional: 胡蘿蔔; simplified: 胡萝卜, pinyin: hú luóbo; or traditional: 紅蘿蔔; simplified: 红萝卜, pinyin: hóng luóbo) | |||
| #] (粉絲; pinyin: fěn sī; also called "bean threads") | |||
| #] (金针; pinyin: jīnzhēn; also called "golden needles") | |||
| #] (traditional: 髮菜; simplified: 发菜; pinyin: fàcài; a black hair-like ]) | |||
| #] nuts (traditional: 銀杏; simplified: 银杏, pinyin: yín xìng; or 白果, pinyin: bái guǒ) | |||
| #]s (蓮子; pinyin: lián zĭ) | |||
| #] (大白菜; pinyin: dà báicài) | |||
| #]s (花生; pinyin: huāshēng) | |||
| #]s (traditional: 荷蘭豆; simplified: 荷兰豆; pinyin: hélándòu) | |||
| #Fried ] (炸豆腐; pinyin: zhá dòufǔ) | |||
| #]s (traditional: 荸薺; simplified: 荸荠; pinyin: bíqí) | |||
| #Fried ] (traditional: 麵筋, simplified: 面筋; pinyin: miàn jīn) | |||
| #] (木耳; pinyin: mù ěr; also called black fungus) | |||
| ====Less commonly used main ingredients==== | |||
| #] (豆芽, pinyin: dòu yá; 芽菜, pinyin: yá cài; or 银芽, pinyin: yín yá)<!--Mung bean sprouts, or are soybean sprouts also used?--> | |||
| #] ] (蕨菜; pinyin: jué cài) | |||
| #] (白菜; pinyin: báicài) | |||
| #] (菜花; pinyin: cài huā) | |||
| #] (芹菜; pinyin: qín cài) | |||
| #Other types of fungus, including ] (traditional: 雲耳; simplified: 云耳; pinyin: yún ěr), ] (榆耳; pinyin: yú ěr), ] (桂花耳; pinyin: guíhuā ěr), ] (银耳; pinyin: yín ěr), and ] (黃耳; pinyin: huáng ěr; literally "yellow ear") | |||
| #Red ]s (traditional: 紅棗; simplified: 红枣; pinyin: hóng zǎo) | |||
| #] (藕; pinyin: ǒu) | |||
| #Other types of ]s, including ]s (草菇, pinyin: cǎo gū), ]s (平菇, pinyin: píng gū), and '']'' mushrooms (口蘑, pinyin: kǒu mó) | |||
| #Dried ]s (蠔豉; pinyin: háo shì) | |||
| #] (]; pinyin: mălíng shǔ) | |||
| #] ]s (]]]; pinyin: ān chún dàn) | |||
| #] (traditional: 蝦; simplified: 虾; pinyin: xiā) | |||
| ===Seasonings=== | |||
| *] (黃酒; pinyin: huáng jiǔ) | |||
| *] (大蒜; pinyin: dà suàn) | |||
| *] (simplified: ]; traditional: ]; pinyin: jiāng) | |||
| *] (味精; pinyin: wèijīng) | |||
| *] (usually ], 花生油; and/or ], 芝麻油) | |||
| *] (simplified: 蚝油; traditional: 蠔油; pinyin: háo yóu) | |||
| *] (豆腐乳; pinyin: dòufu rǔ; both red and white) | |||
| *] (traditional: 鹽; simplified: 盐; pinyin: yán) | |||
| *] (老抽; pinyin: lǎochōu) | |||
| *] (淀粉; pinyin: diànfěn) | |||
| *] (糖; pinyin: táng) | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| *, chinesefood.about.com | |||
| * | |||
| *, by Chelsie Vandaveer | |||
| * from '']'' | |||
| * | |||
| * (Chinese) | |||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Revision as of 05:02, 24 April 2009
For the song "Buddha's Delight", see Music and Lyrics: Music from the Motion Picture.| Buddha's delight | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 羅漢齋 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 罗汉斋 | ||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Luohan vegetarian food | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Burmese name | |||||||||||||||
| Burmese | lo4 han3 jaai1 | ||||||||||||||
Buddha's delight, often transliterated as Luóhàn zhāi, lo han jai, or lo hon jai, is a vegetarian dish well known in Chinese cuisine. It is sometimes also called Luóhàn cài (simplified Chinese: 罗汉菜; traditional Chinese: 羅漢菜). The dish is traditionally enjoyed by Buddhist monks who are vegetarians, but it has also grown in popularity throughout the world as a common dish available as a vegetarian option in Chinese restaurants.
The dish consists of various vegetables and other vegetarian ingredients (as well as sometimes also seafoods and eggs), which are cooked in soy sauce-based liquid with other seasonings until tender. The specific ingredients used vary greatly both inside and outside Asia.
Etymology
In the name luóhàn zhāi, luó hàn – short for ā luó hàn (simplified Chinese: 阿罗汉; traditional Chinese: 阿羅漢; pinyin: ā luó hàn) – is the Chinese transliteration of the Sanskrit arhat, meaning an enlightened, ascetic individual or the Buddha himself. Zhāi (simplified Chinese: 斋; traditional Chinese: 齋; pinyin: zhāi) means "vegetarian food" or "vegetarian diet."
The dish is usually made with at least 10 ingredients, although more elaborate versions may comprise 18 or even 35 ingredients. If 18 ingredients are used, the dish is called Luóhàn quánzhāi (simplified: 罗汉全斋; traditional: 羅漢全齋).
In China, Hong Kong and Toronto, when served exclusively using only the most flavor-packed vegetarian ingredients, such as red sour tofu or sweet bean curds, it is known as tián suān zhāi (simplified Chinese: 甜酸斋; traditional Chinese: 甜酸齋; pinyin: tian2 suan1 zhai1; literally "sweet and sour vegetarian dish").
Tradition
As suggested by its name, it is a dish traditionally enjoyed by Buddhists who are vegetarians, but it has also grown in popularity throughout the world as a common dish available in Chinese restaurants (though often not including all of the ingredients) as a vegetarian option. It is traditionally served in Chinese households on the first day of the Chinese New Year, stemming from the old Buddhist practice that one should maintain a vegetarian diet in the first five days of the new year, as a form of self-purification. Some of the rarer ingredients, such as fat choy and arrowhead, are generally only eaten at this time of year.