Xu Collection, Lower Volume Radical: Food (shí) Kangxi Strokes: 14 Page 1418, Entry 07 Ancient script. Pronounced yi (rising tone). Jade Chapters (Yupian): A soft malt sugar candy. Six Books Explained (Liushu gu): Rice sprouts boiled with glutinous millet to create candy. Explanation of Names (Shiming): Malt sugar candy that is softer than hard taffy, having a pleasing appearance. Materia Medica (Bencao): Dry malt sugar is called hard taffy. Book of Odes (Shijing), Greater Odes (Daya): The bitter violet and sow thistle taste as sweet as malt sugar. Also, in Rites of Zhou (Zhouli), Offices of Heaven (Tianguan), Salt Official: The king's delicacies are provided with malt salt. Commentary: Malt salt is a sweet variety of salt; it is found in present-day nomadic salt. Sub-commentary: This refers to rock salt. Also commonly written as the variant form. Book of Jin (Jinshu), Biography of Shi Chong: Wang Kai used a large cauldron. Pronounced si (falling tone). Originally written as the character for feed. Book of Jin (Jinshu), Biography of Wang Hui: Used private rice to make thick gruel to feed the starving. Sound Dictionary (Jiyun): Also written as the variant form. The seal script form is written as shown.