About
A phono-semantic compound, 熘 uses the fire radical 火 on the left to link it to heat and cooking, while the right component 留 indicates its pronunciation. The character refers to a specific Chinese cooking technique: ingredients are quickly sautéed, then coated with a stovetop sauce thickened with starch. Its meaning is confined to this culinary method and the dishes made this way, with no extended metaphorical use.