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"The other reason you couldn't say "char sui tsa sui" is that "char sui" (correctly, "char siu") is from Cantonese, but "tsa sui" is from Mandarin, so you can't
by benj111 7y ago
"The other reason you couldn't say "char sui tsa sui" is that "char sui" (correctly, "char siu") is from Cantonese, but "tsa sui" is from Mandarin, so you can't really use them together"
People do that all the time. My favourite example is Lake Windermere. Where Windermere is lake in 2 other languages. And half the rivers in the UK seem to be named river in another language.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_river_name_etymologies https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_river_name_etymologi...
- sdrothrock 7y agoI think that's different because it's a name. Here, you have two different names that you're trying to use to order a food that doesn't exist, so it's a bit different than something with a shared etymology and history. It would be like walking into a pub (again) and asking for "tako and chips," where "tako" is Japanese for "octopus." There's no guarantee that the dish exists or that the person you're talking to even knows what "tako" is. Mandarin and Cantonese are essentially completely different languages, so you're just mixing phrases that the other person probably doesn't know.
- benj111 7y agoI would guess octopus is an imported word, so what you're describing has in a sense happened. The scenario reminds me of the (probably inaccurate) origin story for chicken tikka masala, where someone asked for some gravy to go with their dry chicken tikka. So maybe I could try ordering a char sui tsa sui, then I can regale my grandkids with stories about how I invented the world famous dish :) I suppose food is literally a melting pot, of cuisines and culture. Ps, I think octopus would go better with French fries.