爨

specifically referring to stoking or tending a fire for cooking.

A compound character built from multiple elements:

灬 (fire radical) — indicates burning.

舛 (opposite / disorder) + 林 (forest) + other components combine to form a very dense, multi-part structure.

Because of its high stroke count and rarity, it often appears in lists of “most complicated traditional characters still in use.”

Literary and historical Chinese for cooking over fire.

Rarely seen in modern writing except in place names or archaic texts.

Example compound: 爨下 (찬하) — literally “under the stove,” metaphorically meaning “kitchen.”

爨 belongs to the class of high-stroke, archaic characters that fascinate calligraphers and learners alike. It is still occasionally taught in Taiwan as a curiosity for its complexity.

In Chinese culture, fire and cooking are central metaphors for sustenance and family life — thus, this character connects to the traditional image of the hearth as the heart of the household.