https://www.proz.com/kudoz/english-to-chinese/cooking-culinary/2350481-princess-prawns-from-empire-szechwan.html
This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. English to Chinese
  3. Cooking / Culinary

Princess Prawns from Empire Szechwan

Chinese translation: empire szechwan 中國餐廳的四川明(大)蝦

11:08 Jan 13, 2008
English to Chinese translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Cooking / Culinary
English term or phrase: Princess Prawns from Empire Szechwan
I know he is holding his head up, sniffing to see if the air is redolent of tarragon and thyme, a reduction of butter and white wine, the tang of lemon zest. Or, once again, of Princess Prawns from Empire Szechwan.
Shirley Fan
Local time: 15:11
Chinese translation:empire szechwan 中國餐廳的四川明(大)蝦
Explanation:
Just for your reference

This sounds like a passage from a restaurant review. "Empire Szhechwan" could be the name of a Chinese restaurant -- at least there is a Chinese restaurant called "Empire Szechuan" in New York City. As for princess prawns, I guess it is referred to the prawns of some certain size. There are also "king prawns," which mean super big prawns.

So I guess "princess" means a smaller size of prawn, and maybe it implies that the texture is tender and more delicate. In addition, "princess praws" may also mean a certain way to cook the prawns -- deep-fried prawns in a spicy and sweet sauce.

Since this dish is probably spicy, I chose to add "四川" in the name of the dish and leave out the "princess" part -- because it doesn't really matter to talk about what size of prawns in the Chinese translation... they might all be 明(大)蝦 anyway.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2008-01-13 15:36:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I don't know about the situation in other countries, but the following link might give you a sense of how "princess prawns" are usually cooked in the Chinese restaurants in the US.
http://www.restauranteur.com/tommyswok/menu.htm#Dinner

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2008-01-13 15:47:52 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I am getting hungry...
A future guess...this coould be just 乾燒(干燒)明蝦(或大蝦). If I understand correctly, 乾燒(干燒) is a cooking technique in Szechuan food. In addition, most of the times the English name of the dishe doesn't necessarily reflect its Chinese counterpart.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 hrs (2008-01-14 05:11:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Yes, I agree Angus' 招牌大蝦 could be a good answer, and thanks for pointing out that I didn't put the name in upper case. However, in my experience, Szechwan or Szechuan are still pretty common in US, at least when it comes of restaurant names or famous dishes. We can't really expect them to be as up-to-date as those in China. For example, we still see Peking Duck or Kung Pao Chicken on the menu, and it probably won't be changed to Beijing Duck or Gong Bao Chicken.
Selected response from:

ttyang
United States
Local time: 03:11
Grading comment
Thank you
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +2empire szechwan 中國餐廳的四川明(大)蝦
ttyang
4Empire Szechwan 的招牌大蝦
Angus Woo
3see explanation
rchan


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
princess prawns from empire szechwan
see explanation


Explanation:
Sounds like a poor translation of a dish from a Chinese restaurant. Can't think of what the Chinese might have been, though.

rchan
Local time: 08:11
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
princess prawns from empire szechwan
Empire Szechwan 的招牌大蝦


Explanation:
Empire Szechwan is a name, note the capital letter. It's not Sichuan province unless it's a typo. Also Szechwan is somewhat obsolete now nowadays, it's Sichuan.

Angus Woo
Local time: 15:11
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
princess prawns from empire szechwan
empire szechwan 中國餐廳的四川明(大)蝦


Explanation:
Just for your reference

This sounds like a passage from a restaurant review. "Empire Szhechwan" could be the name of a Chinese restaurant -- at least there is a Chinese restaurant called "Empire Szechuan" in New York City. As for princess prawns, I guess it is referred to the prawns of some certain size. There are also "king prawns," which mean super big prawns.

So I guess "princess" means a smaller size of prawn, and maybe it implies that the texture is tender and more delicate. In addition, "princess praws" may also mean a certain way to cook the prawns -- deep-fried prawns in a spicy and sweet sauce.

Since this dish is probably spicy, I chose to add "四川" in the name of the dish and leave out the "princess" part -- because it doesn't really matter to talk about what size of prawns in the Chinese translation... they might all be 明(大)蝦 anyway.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2008-01-13 15:36:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I don't know about the situation in other countries, but the following link might give you a sense of how "princess prawns" are usually cooked in the Chinese restaurants in the US.
http://www.restauranteur.com/tommyswok/menu.htm#Dinner

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2008-01-13 15:47:52 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I am getting hungry...
A future guess...this coould be just 乾燒(干燒)明蝦(或大蝦). If I understand correctly, 乾燒(干燒) is a cooking technique in Szechuan food. In addition, most of the times the English name of the dishe doesn't necessarily reflect its Chinese counterpart.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 hrs (2008-01-14 05:11:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Yes, I agree Angus' 招牌大蝦 could be a good answer, and thanks for pointing out that I didn't put the name in upper case. However, in my experience, Szechwan or Szechuan are still pretty common in US, at least when it comes of restaurant names or famous dishes. We can't really expect them to be as up-to-date as those in China. For example, we still see Peking Duck or Kung Pao Chicken on the menu, and it probably won't be changed to Beijing Duck or Gong Bao Chicken.

ttyang
United States
Local time: 03:11
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Shirley Lao: Could be. I found a dish called "干亨蝦" (Princess prawns) in a US restaurant http://www.222.to/fullkings/menu5.asp
1 hr
  -> Thanks! Yes, I was also debating on 干亨(干烹), but I also checked and found that 干燒 is more likely to be a Szechuan dish... I am really starving now. It is noon time in my time zone.
agree  LoyalTrans
14 hrs
  -> Thanks!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations