egg foo young

Where does the word "egg foo young" come from? It comes from Cantonese fu4 jung4 daan2, and was adopted directly into English (late 1800s-early 1900s).

Egg foo young’s story begins in Cantonese: fu4 jung4 daan2 meant “an egg omelet dish.” Literally 'hibiscus egg', naming an omelet dish named for its flower-like appearance. It reached English by late 1800s-early 1900s as egg foo young. Adapted with reversed word order into Chinese-American restaurant menus. Today, egg foo young means a Chinese-American omelet dish made with vegetables and meat, typically served with gravy.

1. Stage 1 · Cantonese · 19th century fu4 jung4 daan2 "an egg omelet dish", literally 'hibiscus egg', naming an omelet dish named for its flower-like appearance.
2. Stage 2 · English · late 1800s-early 1900s egg foo young "a Chinese-American omelet dish with vegetables and meat, served in gravy", adapted with reversed word order into Chinese-American restaurant menus.