How to Write 焯 (chāo) — Meaning “to blanch”

Imagine a chef using fire (火) to blanch vegetables, making them stand out (卓 means outstanding) because they turn bright green. The 卓 part looks like a chef's tall hat above the fire.

The left radical 火 should be narrow, with its last stroke (right-falling) not crossing into the right part. The right part 卓 has eight strokes; common mistakes include making the top 卜 too wide and forgetting the bottom 十 has a horizontal stroke that extends slightly left.

焯 (chāo) uses 卓 and means to blanch in hot water, while 烊 (yáng) uses 羊 and means to melt or close a shop, and 烕 (miè) uses 戌 and means to extinguish. Visually, the right parts are completely different: 卓 has a 卜 on top of 十, 羊 looks like a sheep, and 戌 is a weapon shape.

焯 is used in cooking to describe quickly boiling vegetables or meat in water, a technique called 焯水 (chāo shuǐ). This step removes bitterness or raw taste and helps keep the food's color, and it is common before stir-frying or making cold dishes.

Common words containing 焯 include: 焯水 (chāo shuǐ) — to blanch in water; 焯菜 (chāo cài) — to blanch vegetables; 焯熟 (chāo shú) — to blanch until cooked.