‘Giving birth to char siu is better than giving birth to you’: Cantonese insult goes viral after Singapore restaurant promo
- Crystal Jade in Singapore has been at the centre of heated debate over its use of a well-known Cantonese insult to promote its barbecued pork
- Some internet users slammed the promotion as toxic and demeaning, while others saw the funny side of employing an insult used by frustrated parents
The Chinese love for char siu is strong – so strong, in fact, that frustrated parents often resort to hollering, “Giving birth to char siu is better than giving birth to you”.
The not-so-subtle meaning of the phrase is that a slab of barbecued pork would be infinitely better than their disappointing offspring.
It is a Cantonese phrase that the Singapore outpost of the popular Crystal Jade restaurant chain latched onto for a promotion to celebrate Parents’ Day in the Lion City.
The restaurant is offering a free plate of char siu on selected days in June if diners bring their parents and have them recite the phrase – “saang gau caa siu hou gwo saang nei” in Cantonese – in front of staff.
In a promotional video on the restaurant’s social media platforms, a stern mother scolds her daughter for never picking up her phone, and for always leaving the house early and returning late. “Giving birth to char siu is better than giving birth to you,” she says, unhappily. “At least char siu is nice to eat!”
