虾米 (xiāmǐ) · small dried shrimp

Meanings

1 small dried shrimp
2 (Taiwanese slang) what? (from Hokkien 啥物)

About the ingredient

水产 Fish and seafood

Small shrimp, shelled and sun-dried to the size of a thumbnail, hard and orange, with a sweet, savoury taste. Soaked briefly, then added to soups, braises, fillings and zongzi.

Contains shellfish

Also called 海米、开洋、金钩

Used in 5 dishes

Characters

Examples

HSK 4

汤里加了一些虾米提鲜。

Tāng lǐ jiā le yìxiē xiāmǐ tíxiān.

Some dried shrimp were added to the soup for extra flavor.

HSK 6

你说虾米？我没听清。

Nǐ shuō xiāmǐ? Wǒ méi tīngqīng.

You said what? I didn't hear clearly.

Tips

culture

In Taiwanese Mandarin internet slang, 虾米 is a playful way to say 'what?' - it comes from the Hokkien/Taiwanese pronunciation of 啥物 (siánn-mih), which sounds like 'shrimp.' Think of it like a bilingual pun.

usage

As a food ingredient, 虾米 refers specifically to tiny dried, peeled shrimp used in Chinese cooking for umami flavor, distinct from 虾仁 (xiārén, peeled fresh shrimp) and 虾干 (xiāgān, larger dried shrimp).