Jeon
/dสสn/noun
A Korean dish made by pan-frying battered or seasoned ingredients, often as a savory pancake or fritter.
Did you know?Jeon is written with the Sino-Korean character ็ , whose older Chinese meaning referred specifically to frying or cooking ingredients in a pan.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Chinese
็
โTo fry, simmer, or cook by heating in a panโ
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
tsjen
โTo fry or pan-cookโ
Early Korean
Sino-Korean
์
โA food prepared by pan-frying ingredients, often in batterโ
20th Century
Korean
jeon
โA broad category of savory pan-fried dishes and frittersโ
Modern English
English
jeon
โA Korean pan-fried dish, increasingly used as a culinary loanwordโ
Explore more surprising origins