炙鸡絮酒 — “To commemorate a departed friend or elder with humble offerings”

炙鸡絮酒 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to commemorate a departed friend or elder with humble offerings”. Emphasizing deep sincerity and profound affection over material extravagance.

Frequency

炙鸡絮酒 Pronunciation and Pinyin

炙鸡絮酒 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
炙	zhì	8	roast, popular, or influenced
鸡	jī	7	chicken
絮	xù	12	cotton lint or to nag
酒	jiǔ	10	alcoholic beverage

Example Sentence with 炙鸡絮酒

他虽然身无长物，却以炙鸡絮酒之情，每年清明都会去祭拜恩师。

Despite having little to his name, he would visit his mentor's grave every Qingming Festival, expressing his deep gratitude with the simple yet profound sincerity of 'zhi ji xu jiu'.

Origin and Story of 炙鸡絮酒

During the Han Dynasty, Xu Zhi was recommended for an official post by Grand Commandant Huang Qiong, but later resigned.

When Huang Qiong fell ill and passed away, being buried in his hometown, Xu Zhi decided to pay his respects.

He roasted a chicken at home, then soaked some wine in a small amount of cotton floss, dried it, and used it to wrap the roasted chicken. Carrying some dry provisions, he traveled a long distance to Jiangxia, Huang Qiong's hometown.

At Huang Qiong's tomb, he rehydrated the wine from the cotton floss with water and offered his solemn homage.

After the memorial, he returned home.