A Pillar of Chinese Cuisine: Saltiness is not just a flavor in China; it's a foundational culinary principle. Historically, salt was a crucial preservative, leading to a rich tradition of cured and pickled foods like 咸肉 (xiánròu - cured pork/bacon) and 咸菜 (xiáncài - pickled mustard greens). Unlike in some Western cooking where salt is often added at the table, in Chinese cooking, the salty element (from salt, soy sauce, fermented bean paste, etc.) is deeply integrated into the dish during cooking to balance other flavors like sweet, sour, and spicy.
From Salty to Sleazy - The Cantonese Connection: The slang meaning of 咸 comes from Cantonese, a major dialect from Southern China. The term 咸湿 (xián shī), literally “salty and wet,” became slang for things that are obscene, lewd, or pervy. This usage spread throughout the Mandarin-speaking world, particularly through Hong Kong media. Today, the most common iteration is 咸猪手 (xián zhū shǒu), or “salty pig hand,” which refers to the act of groping or a person who does it. This is a powerful example of how regional dialects enrich and evolve the Mandarin language.
Comparison to “Salty” in English: This is a major “false friend.” In English slang, being “salty” means you are bitter, angry, or resentful (e.g., “He's salty because he lost the game”). 咸 (xián) in Chinese has no connection to this meaning. Using it to describe an angry person will only cause confusion.