📖 Meaning
A metaphor for preparing rare and exotic delicacies. It also describes dishes that are extraordinarily lavish and precious, evoking imagery of legendary feasts.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom comes from the Ming dynasty collection "Yushi Mingyan" (Stories to Enlighten the World) by Feng Menglong, in Volume 11. The text includes a "Zhegu Tian" ci poem depicting a grand city tavern: the towers reach into the sky, dragon and phoenix are cooked for rich and fresh flavors, and a nobleman dismounts his horse, intoxicated by the aroma, drinking freely without regard for spending ten thousand coins. The phrase uses the mythical dragon and phoenix to symbolize the most extravagant and fantastical of cuisine.
💡 Example Usage
这家酒楼烹龙煮凤，吸引了无数食客。
This restaurant served the rarest delicacies, attracting countless diners.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 烹龙煮凤
- Pinyin: pēng lóng zhǔ fèng
- Literal Translation: cook dragon, boil phoenix
- Category: Lifestyle
- Characters: 4