Definition

1. Verb:
   • To simmer: To cook food in liquid at a temperature just below boiling, maintaining gentle bubbles. This method is used to make food tender and develop flavor over a long period.
   • To stew: To cook food slowly in a closed pot with a small amount of liquid. This meaning is very close to "simmer" and often implies cooking until the ingredients are very soft and the flavors are blended.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Bà tôi thích ninh xương để lấy nước dùng. (My grandmother likes to simmer bones to make broth.)
  • Món này cần phải ninh trên bếp lửa nhỏ trong hai giờ. (This dish needs to be stewed on low heat for two hours.)
  • Ninh thịt bò với khoai. (To simmer beef with potatoes.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "ninh" specifically refers to a slow, patient cooking technique common in Vietnamese cuisine, often used for soups (phở broth), stews, and dishes with tough cuts of meat. It emphasizes the result of the food becoming very tender and the broth becoming rich and clear.

Variants and Related Words

• Hầm (v): To braise or stew. This is a very close synonym, though might sometimes imply slightly less liquid or a different type of dish (e.g., ) compared to the broth-focused .
• Nấu (v): To cook. This is the general term for cooking.

Synonyms

• Simmer: To cook gently just below the boiling point.
• Stew: To cook slowly in liquid in a closed dish.
• Braise: To fry lightly and then stew slowly in a closed container (related concept).

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Ninh nhừ: To simmer/stew until extremely tender and falling apart. This phrase emphasizes the desired soft texture.
  • Thịt phải ninh nhừ mới ngon. (The meat must be stewed until very tender to be delicious.)

1. Simmer, stew
   • Ninh thịt bò với khoai
     To simmer beef and potato