牛鞭, photo 1 of 2

牛鞭, photo 2 of 2

牛鞭

niúbiān

noun

Measure Word

一条牛鞭 tiáo

Meanings

1 bull's penis (served as food)
2 pizzle

About the ingredient

A bull's penis, sold frozen or dried. It is mostly simmered in soup; thin slices are also grilled on skewers.

Characters

whip; (euphemism) penis

Examples

HSK 7-9

这家餐厅的招牌菜是红烧牛鞭。

Zhè jiā cāntīng de zhāopáicài shì hóngshāo niúbiān.

This restaurant's signature dish is braised bull pizzle.

HSK 7-9

传统中医认为牛鞭可以补肾。

Chuántǒng zhōngyī rènwéi niúbiān kěyǐ bǔshèn.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes bull pizzle can tonify the kidneys.

Tips

register

Strictly a culinary / TCM term. Comes up on exotic menus and in 'kidney-tonifying' (补肾) folk medicine, almost never in everyday conversation. Foreigners are sometimes served it as a test.

culture

Animal genitalia (牛鞭, 鹿鞭, 狗鞭) are valued in Chinese folk medicine for supposed yang-tonifying effects. The character 鞭 ('whip') is a euphemism for the shape.

Stroke Order

牛 niú

鞭 biān