酥油 (sūyóu) · Tibetan yak butter; ghee

Meanings

1 Tibetan yak butter; ghee
2 shortening

About the ingredient

Butter from yak or cow's milk, a staple of Tibetan food: it is churned with tea and salt into butter tea, which is kneaded with tsampa. On ingredient lists of baked goods, 酥油 can also mean shortening.

Contains milk

Characters

酥

sū

crisp; flaky; shortening

油

yóu

oil; fat

Examples

HSK 5

藏族人喜欢喝酥油茶。

Zàngzú rén xǐhuan hē sūyóuchá.

Tibetans like to drink butter tea.

HSK 7-9

她在面包上涂了一层酥油。

Tā zài miànbāo shàng tú le yì céng sūyóu.

She spread a layer of ghee on the bread.

Tips

culture

酥油 usually refers to Tibetan yak-milk butter, a staple of Tibetan cuisine used in 酥油茶 (butter tea) and temple offerings. In baking recipes it usually means shortening.