木須

From the flower of the plant 木樨 (mùxī, “sweet osmanthus”), due to a similar appearance.

Qing-dynasty official and writer Liang Gongchen recorded the following in his Scribbled Notes on the Gardens of the North and East, 3:

北方店中以雞子炒肉，名木樨肉，蓋取其有碎黃色也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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北方店中以鸡子炒肉，名木樨肉，盖取其有碎黄色也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

Běifāng diàn zhōng yǐ jīzǐ chǎo ròu, míng mùxī ròu, gài qǔ qí yǒu suì huáng sè yě. [Pinyin]

In shops of northern China, people stir-fry meat with eggs and call the dish “muxi pork”, because of its mottled yellow appearance.

The pronunciation is due to assimilation of vowel roundness.

木須

1. scrambled eggs, as cooked in dishes such as moo shu pork or egg drop soup

• 木樨 (mùxī)

• → English: moo shu