นึ่ง
steam (food)
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- 1 steam (food)
A common cooking verb for heating food with steam rather than placing it directly in boiling water.
steam (food)
To cook food by exposing it to steam from boiling water.
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ตอนเด็กๆฉันต้องตื่นมานึ่งข้าวเหนียวทุกวัน tɔɔn dèk dèk chǎn tɔ̂ŋ tʉ̀ʉn maa nʉ̂ŋ khâaw nǐaw thúk wan When I was a child, I had to get up and steam sticky rice every day. ตอนเด็กๆฉันต้องตื่นมานึ่งข้าวเหนียวทุกวัน details
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ปลานึ่งมะนาว plaa nʉ̂ŋ mánaaw steamed fish with lime ปลานึ่งมะนาว details
Learning notes
Explanation
นึ่ง is a neutral, everyday cooking verb meaning to cook food with steam. When describing the action, it commonly follows the pattern นึ่ง + food: นึ่งปลา means “steam fish,” and นึ่งข้าวเหนียว means “steam sticky rice.” In dish names or descriptions of prepared food, it often comes after the food: ปลานึ่ง means “steamed fish,” and ข้าวเหนียวนึ่ง means “steamed sticky rice.”
Usage
It is commonly used in home cooking, recipe instructions, and the names of dishes at restaurants or food stalls. It applies to steaming foods such as fish, sticky rice, eggs, and desserts.
Caution
Do not confuse นึ่ง with หนึ่ง, the word for “one.” Also distinguish นึ่ง, which uses steam, from ต้ม, which involves cooking food in water or another liquid.
Differences from similar words
1 steam (food) synonyms
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ต้ม means to boil or simmer food in water or another liquid. In contrast, นึ่ง cooks food with steam without immersing it in the liquid.