麻花 (máhuā) · fried dough twist

Measure Word

一根麻花 gēn

Meanings

1 fried dough twist
2 (of fabric) worn smooth or worn out

Made with

About the dish

Ropes of wheat dough twisted together and deep-fried. Packaged ones are hard, crunchy and sweet, sometimes with sesame; breakfast stalls sell a softer, bready kind. Tianjin is known for big, filled ones.

Usually contains wheat and sesame

Characters

麻

má

hemp; sesame; numb; pockmarked

花

huā

flower; pattern; to spend

Examples

HSK 5

他买了一根麻花作为路上的零食。

Tā mǎi le yì gēn máhuā zuòwéi lùshàng de língshí.

He bought a fried dough twist as a snack for the road.

HSK 7-9

天津麻花是中国著名的传统小吃。

Tiānjīn máhuā shì Zhōngguó zhùmíng de chuántǒng xiǎochī.

Tianjin fried dough twists are a famous traditional Chinese snack.

Tips

culture

麻花 from Tianjin (天津麻花) is especially famous, with 桂发祥 being the most celebrated brand. The snack gets its name from the twisted braid shape that resembles plaited hemp (麻).

memory

麻 means hemp/sesame and 花 means flower/pattern - the twisted shape of the snack resembles a braided hemp rope or a flowering twist.