"Delicacy" in Chinese?

[tooironic]

Although you often see "delicacy" translated as 美食 or 美味 in the dictionary, I've always felt those terms were a bit different to the English meaning of delicacy, which implies a dish from a certain region or culture that it is special and/or rare (not just delicious).

 

In light of this, could there be a real equivalent for delicacy in Chinese? All I can think of is 珍馐, which 國語辭典 defines as 珍奇美味的菜餚. Am I on the right track? Any other suggestions? Thanks.

[Divato]

特产 is maybe what you are looking for.

It's usually used to describe food but it could be any specialty product in certain region.

[Divato]

I looked it up in Cambridge Dictionary. It means something especially rare or expensive that is good to eat. So, 珍馐 would be the exact word.

[abcdefg]

A Kunming delicacy that I found at the market last week. 

 

Wasp larvae (to be served crispy friend.) The best ones, like these, have a few live, already-hatched wasps crawling on the outside of the comb to attest to freshness.

 

[zyx199199]

珍馐 is a good word for it though it is not a word that you would normally see in our everyday lives. Another metaphorical alternative is 凤髓龙肝, which is also rarely used and a little "old-fashioned". If my grandfather says this word, it is fine. If my friends say it, it will be a little weird.

[imron]

珍馐 is a good word for it though it is not a word that you would normally see in our everyday lives

I think this is what makes it not a good word for it.  If I think about how I would use the term 'delicacy' in English, it would be to say something like '...such and such is a local delicacy', or like what abcdefg has said above in 'A Kunming delicacy that I found at the market last week'.

 

In both of these cases I think 特产 is probably the word that would be used in Chinese.

[MPhillips]

Another word for "delicacy" -- 佳肴（佳餚 -- jia1yao2). While it is an HSK level 6 word I don't think people say it all that much.

[anonymoose]

like what abcdefg has said above in 'A Kunming delicacy that I found at the market last week'

 

The way I read it, it seemed abcdefg was using the term "delicacy" ironically, in that wasps nest wouldn't be considered by most people to be delicious and exquisite, and therefore 珍馐 may well be a suitable translation preserving the irony in this context.

[abcdefg]

I actually wasn't being ironic. These wasp larvae are a prized item here.

[tooironic]

My understanding was a 特产 has to be a product (产品), but most delicacies are either dishes or snacks, they're not usually things you buy in a supermarket.