Sweet and Sour Pork: Classic Chinese Dish Explained

Meaning 1：Chinese pork dish with sweet-sour sauce (Sweet and Sour Pork)

Sweet and Sour Pork 🔊

/swiːt ænd saʊər pɔːrk/

n. phr.

A famous Chinese dish made of deep-fried pork pieces coated in a sweet and tangy sauce made from sugar, vinegar, and often ketchup.

Sweet and Sour Pork crispy fried pieces with orange sauce

Chinese pork dish with sweet-sour sauce 🔊

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/ˈtʃaɪniːz pɔːrk dɪʃ wɪθ swiːt ˈsaʊər sɔːs/

n. phr.

A classic Chinese dish where deep-fried pieces of pork are coated in a glossy, tangy-sweet sauce made from sugar, vinegar, and often ketchup, sometimes served with pineapple and bell peppers.

📁 Category：Diet & Health 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Sweet (Old English swēte), Sour (Old English sūr), Pork (Latin porcus).

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine sugary sauce and sour vinegar coating crunchy pork—sweet and sour!

📖 Example

When we go to the Chinese restaurant, I always order Sweet and Sour Pork because it's my favorite. 🔊 When we go to the Chinese restaurant, I always order sweet and sour pork because it is my favorite.

🔗 Collocations

sweet and sour pork recipe – A set of instructions for cooking sweet and sour pork

order sweet and sour pork – To request sweet and sour pork from a restaurant menu

crispy sweet and sour pork – A version of the dish with a particularly crunchy coating

🔄 Synonyms

Cantonese sweet and sour pork (n. phr.) – A regional variant from Guangdong province, the original version.

Gulaorou (n.) – The Chinese name for this dish, literally meaning 'ancient meat'.

Tangy pork nuggets (n. phr.) – A descriptive term for the bite-sized pork pieces in sweet-sour sauce.

🚫 Antonyms

Mapo Tofu (n. phr.) – A spicy Sichuan dish with numbing pepper, contrasting the sweet-sour flavor.

Plain steamed pork (n. phr.) – Unseasoned steamed pork, opposite in flavor profile.

📖 Cultural Story

Originating from Cantonese cuisine, this dish became a staple in American Chinese restaurants in the 20th century, symbolizing cultural adaptation and globalization.