‘鸡汁’ literally means ‘chicken juice’ — a condensed, flavorful liquid extracted from simmered chicken, used to add rich umami taste to dishes. The character 鸡 (jī) means ‘chicken’, and 汁 (zhī) means ‘juice’ or ‘broth’. Together, they refer specifically to the savory essence derived from chicken, not plain water or generic stock. It’s commonly sold as a commercial seasoning paste or liquid concentrate in Chinese supermarkets and is widely used in home cooking and restaurant kitchens.

While traditionally made by slow-simmering chicken bones and meat, most modern ‘鸡汁’ products are industrially produced with added salt, flavor enhancers, and sometimes MSG. It functions similarly to bouillon or chicken base in Western cooking but carries distinct Chinese culinary associations — often paired with vegetables, noodles, or soups. It’s also frequently labeled on packaging as ‘chicken essence’ or ‘chicken broth concentrate’ in English.