Xu Collection, Lower Volume Radical: Food (shí) Kangxi stroke count: 19 Page 1424, Entry 05 Tang Rhymes (Tangyun), Collection Rhymes (Jiyun), Rhyme Meetings (Yunhui), and Correct Rhymes (Zhengyun) state the pronunciation is liu (falling tone). Jade Chapters (Yupian): To steam rice with vapor. Extended Rhymes (Guangyun): Steamed rice. Approaching Elegance (Erya), Explanation of Words: Fen and liu mean cooked. Commentary: When fen is cooked, it is called liu. Sub-commentary: Sun Yan says: To steam it is called fen; to distribute it is called liu. Guo says: Nowadays people call rice fen, and when the fen is cooked, it is called liu. Analytical Dictionary of Characters (Shuowen) states: Fen is to steam rice once. Liu is the vapor of the rice flowing. Therefore, steaming rice is called fen; fen must be steamed (liu) to be cooked, hence it is called liu. The original character was written as the variant form. Also, according to Extended Rhymes (Guangyun) and Collection Rhymes (Jiyun), the pronunciation is liu (rising tone). The meaning is the same. Verification: In Approaching Elegance (Erya), Explanation of Words, it says: Fen and liu mean cooked. Sub-commentary says: Sun Yan says to steam it is called fen; to distribute it is called liu. Guo says: Nowadays people call rice fen, and when the fen is cooked, it is called liu. Note: According to the original text, fen has been corrected from the variant character kui.