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Chinese cooking words

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The cooking method in a dish’s name

MethodDishIn English
Stir-fry炒 chǎo炒饭 fried rice
Fry炸 zhá炸酱面 noodles with soybean paste
Steam清蒸 qīngzhēng清蒸鱼 steamed fish
Boil水煮 shuǐzhǔ水煮鱼 Sichuan boiled fish
Red-braise红烧 hóngshāo红烧肉 red-braised pork belly
Roast烤 kǎo烤鸭 roast duck
Smash拍 pāi拍黄瓜 smashed cucumber salad
Braise in soy卤 lǔ卤蛋 soy-braised egg
Dip-boil涮 shuàn涮羊肉 lamb hotpot
Cook twice回锅 huíguō回锅肉 twice-cooked pork

Cooking methods

  1. chǎo炒

    to stir-fry; to sauté

  2. bào爆chǎo炒

    to stir-fry quickly over high heat

  3. yóu油zhá炸

    to deep-fry

  4. zhēng蒸

    to steam

  5. qīng清zhēng蒸

    to steam (food) without soy sauce; steamed

  6. zhǔ煮

    to boil; to cook

  7. shuǐ水zhǔ煮

    to boil; poached (Sichuan style)

  8. dùn炖

    to stew; to simmer

  9. mèn焖

    to braise; to simmer (in a covered pot)

  10. hóng红shāo烧

    braised in soy sauce; red-cooked

  11. shāo烧

    to cook; to roast

  12. kǎo烤

    to roast; to bake

  13. jiān煎

    to pan-fry

  14. liáng凉bàn拌

    cold dressed (dish); to dress (salad)

  15. lǔ卤

    to stew in soy sauce and spices

  16. xūn熏

    to smoke (food); to fumigate

  17. shuàn涮

    to dip-boil (thin slices in hot pot)

  18. chāo焯

    to blanch; to parboil (vegetables)

  19. gān干biān煸

    dry-fried (cooking method)

  20. yān腌

    to salt; to pickle

  21. gōu勾qiàn芡

    to thicken (a sauce) with starch

Cutting

  1. qiē切

    to cut; to slice

  2. qiē切piàn片

    slice; section

  3. qiē切sī丝

    to shred; to julienne

  4. duò剁

    to chop; to mince

  5. dīng丁

    cube; small cube of meat or vegetables

  6. piàn片

    thin piece; slice

  7. sī丝

    shredded (food)

  8. kuài块

    lump; chunk

  9. ròu肉mò末

    ground meat; minced meat

  10. suàn蒜mò末

    minced garlic

  11. jiāng姜sī丝

    shredded ginger

Spices and aromatics

  1. jiāng姜

    ginger

  2. cōng葱

    scallion; green onion

  3. dà大suàn蒜

    garlic

  4. là辣jiāo椒

    chili pepper; hot pepper

  5. huā花jiāo椒

    Sichuan pepper

  6. bā八jiǎo角

    star anise

  7. guì桂pí皮

    cassia bark; Chinese cinnamon

  8. dīng丁xiāng香

    clove (spice)

  9. xiǎo小huí茴xiāng香

    fennel

  10. wǔ五xiāng香fěn粉

    five-spice powder

  11. hú胡jiāo椒

    pepper; black pepper

  12. bái白hú胡jiāo椒

    white pepper

  13. xiāng香cài菜

    cilantro; coriander

  14. cōng葱huā花

    chopped scallion

Sauces and seasonings

  1. tiáo调liào料

    seasoning; condiment

  2. jiàng酱yóu油

    soy sauce

  3. shēng生chōu抽

    light soy sauce

  4. lǎo老chōu抽

    dark soy sauce

  5. háo蚝yóu油

    oyster sauce

  6. cù醋

    vinegar

  7. xiāng香cù醋

    aromatic vinegar

  8. dòu豆bàn瓣jiàng酱

    broad bean paste; doubanjiang

  9. hǎi海xiān鲜jiàng酱

    hoisin sauce

  10. zhī芝ma麻yóu油

    sesame oil

  11. liào料jiǔ酒

    cooking wine

  12. hóng红yóu油

    chili oil

  13. dòu豆chǐ豉

    fermented black beans

  14. wèi味jīng精

    monosodium glutamate (MSG)

  15. jī鸡jīng精

    chicken bouillon powder

  16. diàn淀fěn粉

    starch

  17. táng糖

    sugar

  18. yán盐

    salt

Flavours

  1. suān酸

    sour

  2. tián甜

    sweet

  3. kǔ苦

    bitter

  4. là辣

    hot; spicy

  5. xián咸

    salty

  6. má麻

    numb; tingling

  7. xiān鲜

    delicious; tasty

  8. má麻là辣

    hot and numbing (Sichuan flavor)

  9. suān酸là辣

    hot and sour

  10. xiāng香là辣

    hot and spicy

  11. táng糖cù醋

    sweet and sour

  12. yú鱼xiāng香

    fish-fragrant (Sichuan seasoning of garlic, chili and vinegar)

  13. jiāo椒yán盐

    Sichuan pepper salt; salt and pepper (seasoning)

In the kitchen

  1. chú厨fáng房

    kitchen

  2. chú厨shī师

    cook; chef

  3. zuò做fàn饭

    to cook; to prepare a meal

  4. xià下chú厨

    to cook; to go into the kitchen

  5. cài菜pǔ谱

    recipe; cookbook

  6. guō锅

    pot; pan

  7. chǎo炒guō锅

    wok; frying pan

  8. zhēng蒸lóng笼

    steamer basket

  9. cài菜dāo刀

    kitchen knife; cleaver

  10. zhēn砧bǎn板

    chopping board

  11. guō锅chǎn铲

    spatula

  12. lòu漏sháo勺

    slotted spoon; skimmer

  13. gǎn擀miàn面zhàng杖

    rolling pin

  14. huǒ火hou候

    heat and cooking time

What spices are used in Chinese cooking?

Most dishes start with ginger 姜 (jiāng), scallion 葱 (cōng) and garlic 蒜 (suàn). Sichuan food adds chili 辣椒 (làjiāo) and Sichuan pepper 花椒 (huājiāo); braises add star anise 八角 (bājiǎo) and cassia 桂皮 (guìpí), Chinese cinnamon. 五香粉 (wǔxiāngfěn) is five-spice powder.

What is in Chinese five-spice powder?

五香粉 (wǔxiāngfěn) is most often star anise 八角, cloves 丁香 (dīngxiāng), Chinese cinnamon 桂皮, Sichuan pepper 花椒 and fennel seeds 小茴香 (xiǎohuíxiāng). Recipes vary, and some add ginger or white pepper.

What is the difference between 生抽 and 老抽?

生抽 (shēngchōu), light soy sauce, is thin and salty, and seasons a dish. 老抽 (lǎochōu), dark soy sauce, is thicker and less salty, and gives the brown-red colour of 红烧 (hóngshāo) dishes. 酱油 (jiàngyóu) is soy sauce in general.

What are the main Chinese cooking methods?

炒 (chǎo) stir-frying, 蒸 (zhēng) steaming, 煮 (zhǔ) boiling, 炖 (dùn) stewing, 炸 (zhá) deep-frying, 煎 (jiān) pan-frying, 烤 (kǎo) roasting and 红烧 (hóngshāo) braising in soy sauce. A dish’s name often starts with its method: 红烧肉 is red-braised pork, 清蒸鱼 steamed fish.

How do you read a Chinese menu?

Most dish names are a method or flavour, then the main ingredient, then how it is cut: 鱼香肉丝 (yúxiāng ròusī) is fish-fragrant shredded pork, 土豆丝 (tǔdòusī) shredded potato, and 鸡丁 (jīdīng) diced chicken. Learn 丁 cubes, 片 slices, 丝 shreds and 块 chunks and half the menu opens up.

What does 麻辣 mean?

Numbing and spicy, the taste of Sichuan food: 麻 (má) is the tingling numbness of Sichuan pepper, 辣 (là) the heat of chili. 麻婆豆腐 (mápó dòufu), mapo tofu, is the best known 麻辣 dish.

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More for Chinese food

Words, pinyin and meanings from our own dictionary; five-spice recipes vary by cook and region.