千qiān滾gǔn豆dòufu腐wàn萬gǔn滾yú魚

What does 千滾豆腐萬滾魚 (qiān gǔn dòufu wàn gǔn yú) mean?

千滾豆腐萬滾魚 (qiān gǔn dòufu wàn gǔn yú) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語). Word for word it reads "Tofu needs a thousand rolls of boiling; fish needs ten thousand." In use it means: Tofu improves with prolonged simmering as it absorbs the flavors of the broth, and fish soup develops its richest taste through extended cooking. Both require patience and sustained heat. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dog.

Literally: "Tofu needs a thousand rolls of boiling; fish needs ten thousand.."

The reading

The pot knows something the clock does not: some things have no shortcut. Tofu begins bland and becomes extraordinary only when given enough time to absorb what surrounds it. Fish releases its deepest flavor not at the start but after it has given everything it has to the broth. The cook who watches the clock instead of the pot will never taste what patience produces. What is worth eating is almost always worth waiting for.

What kind of proverb it is

• Typesúyǔ 俗語
• FocusPresent-minded
• Element水 Water
• Zodiac tie狗 Year of the Dog

Source Chinese kitchen proverb, particularly associated with Jiangnan regional cooking

Sits beside

Keep reading

Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Perseverance & the Long Road, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.