satay

American  

[sah-tey] / sɑˈteɪ /

Or saté,

noun

1. a Southeast Asian, especially Indonesian and Malaysian, dish of marinated, bite-size pieces of meat, skewered, barbecued, and usually served with a peanut-flavored dipping sauce.

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satay British  

/ ˈsæteɪ /

noun

1. barbecued spiced meat cooked on skewers usually made from the stems of coconut leaves

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Etymology

Origin of satay

First recorded in 1930–35, satay is from the Malay word satay, sate

Explanation

Satay is a Southeast Asian skewered meat dish. If you order satay in a restaurant, it usually comes with a peanut dipping sauce. Satay comes from Indonesia, but it's also very common in countries including Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Pieces of seasoned chicken, goat, other meats, or tofu are skewered and grilled over a fire and served with a sauce. Satay is a popular street food all over Southeast Asia. The word satay is from the Malay or Javanese satai and a Tamil root word meaning "flesh or meat."

Example Sentences

He often adapts an everyday item like chicken satay differently than one might encounter in Bangkok.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 23, 2023

For the satay beef variation: Marinade the flank steak with baking soda, chicken powder, white pepper, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, potato starch, 4 tablespoons of water, and oil.

From Salon • Aug. 27, 2022

This recipe, for sate daging, or soy and ginger satay, was a signature dish of her father who was jokingly known as “the barbecue king.”

From Washington Post • Sep. 9, 2021

Many of the world’s great skewered dishes call for a pungent marinade, like lemongrass-laced Thai satay or oniony Russian shashlik.

From New York Times • Jul. 23, 2021

There is Beijing Mongolian hot pot with lamb, Chongqing hot pot with chili and Sichuan peppercorn, and Taiwanese hot pot with a dipping sauce of satay and raw egg.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2021