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Chinese food names
Famous dishes
北京烤鸭
Peking duck
麻婆豆腐
mapo tofu (spicy Sichuan tofu dish)
鱼香肉丝
fish-flavored shredded pork (Sichuan dish)
红烧肉
red-braised pork belly
回锅肉
twice-cooked pork (Sichuan dish)
水煮鱼
Sichuan boiled fish (in chili oil)
酸菜鱼
fish with pickled mustard greens
京酱肉丝
shredded pork in sweet bean sauce (Beijing dish)
东坡肉
Dongpo pork (braised pork belly)
白切鸡
white-cut chicken (poached chicken, Cantonese dish)
叉烧
char siu; Cantonese barbecued pork
锅包肉
guobaorou (northeastern sweet and sour fried pork)
狮子头
lion's head (large pork meatball)
佛跳墙
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall (Fujian soup)
辣子鸡
spicy diced chicken with dried chilies
夫妻肺片
sliced beef and offal in chili sauce (Sichuan dish)
酸辣汤
hot and sour soup
火锅
hot pot
小龙虾
crayfish
Dumplings and buns
饺子
dumpling (boiled, crescent-shaped)
包子
steamed bun (with filling)
小笼包
xiaolongbao (steamed soup dumpling)
锅贴
potsticker; pan-fried dumpling
馄饨
wonton; dumpling soup
烧卖
shumai (steamed dumpling)
春卷
spring roll
叉烧包
barbecued pork bun
馒头
steamed bun
花卷
steamed twisted roll
Noodles
面条
noodles
拉面
hand-pulled noodles; ramen
牛肉面
beef noodles; beef noodle soup
担担面
dandan noodles
炸酱面
noodles with soybean paste (zhajiangmian)
刀削面
knife-shaved noodles
热干面
hot dry noodles (Wuhan specialty)
重庆小面
Chongqing noodles (spicy noodle dish)
凉面
cold noodles
阳春面
plain noodle soup
炒面
fried noodles; chow mein
米线
rice noodles
过桥米线
crossing-the-bridge rice noodles (Yunnan dish)
米粉
rice noodles
河粉
flat rice noodles; ho fun
螺蛳粉
river snail rice noodles (Liuzhou specialty)
粉丝
glass noodles; bean vermicelli
粉条
starch noodles; glass noodles
方便面
instant noodles
Rice
米饭
cooked rice
炒饭
fried rice
蛋炒饭
egg fried rice
粥
congee; rice porridge
Dim sum
肠粉
rice noodle roll (Cantonese dim sum)
凤爪
chicken feet (as food)
蛋挞
egg tart
皮蛋瘦肉粥
congee with preserved egg and lean pork
Street food and breakfast
煎饼
thin pancake; jianbing (savory crepe)
肉夹馍
roujiamo (Shaanxi flatbread stuffed with stewed meat)
凉皮
liangpi (cold wide noodles)
臭豆腐
stinky tofu
麻辣烫
malatang (spicy numbing hot pot snack)
羊肉串
lamb skewer; lamb kebab
豆浆
soy milk
油条
deep-fried dough stick
烧饼
baked sesame flatbread
葱油饼
scallion pancake
糖葫芦
candied fruit on a stick (esp. haws)
Festival foods
月饼
mooncake
汤圆
glutinous rice ball (sweet dumpling in soup)
粽子
zongzi (sticky rice dumpling wrapped in leaves)
年糕
New Year rice cake
Desserts and sweets
甜品
dessert; sweets
双皮奶
double-skin milk pudding
豆花
tofu pudding; douhua
芋圆
taro balls (dessert)
西米露
sago dessert soup
红豆汤
red bean soup
糖水
sweet soup (Cantonese dessert)
龟苓膏
turtle jelly (herbal jelly)
八宝饭
eight-treasure rice pudding
驴打滚
donkey roll (glutinous rice roll with bean paste, Beijing snack)
绿豆糕
mung bean cake
麻团
sesame ball (fried glutinous rice ball)
糍粑
glutinous rice cake
青团
qingtuan (green glutinous rice ball eaten at Qingming)
萨其马
sachima (Manchu fried pastry)
菠萝包
pineapple bun
鸡蛋仔
egg waffle (Hong Kong snack)
杏仁豆腐
almond tofu (dessert)
Snacks
瓜子
melon seeds; sunflower seeds (as a snack)
花生
peanut
辣条
spicy gluten strip (snack)
牛肉干
beef jerky
鸭脖
duck neck (spicy braised snack)
话梅
preserved plum
果脯
candied fruit; preserved fruit
蛋卷
egg roll (crisp rolled biscuit)
Drinks
酸梅汤
sour plum drink
凉茶
herbal tea (Cantonese cooling tea)
豆奶
soy milk
椰汁
coconut milk; coconut water
酸奶
yogurt
汽水
soda; soft drink
啤酒
beer
白酒
baijiu (Chinese white liquor)
茅台
Moutai (Chinese liquor)
二锅头
erguotou (strong Beijing liquor)
黄酒
yellow wine (Chinese rice wine)
绍兴酒
Shaoxing rice wine
米酒
rice wine
Teas
绿茶
green tea
红茶
black tea
乌龙茶
oolong tea
普洱茶
Pu'er tea
龙井茶
Longjing tea (Dragon Well green tea)
铁观音
Tieguanyin (variety of oolong tea)
碧螺春
Biluochun (green tea from Suzhou)
大红袍
Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe oolong tea)
白茶
white tea
茉莉花茶
jasmine tea
菊花茶
chrysanthemum tea
奶茶
milk tea; bubble tea
珍珠奶茶
bubble tea; pearl milk tea
The great cuisines
川菜
Sichuan cuisine
粤菜
Cantonese cuisine
湘菜
Hunan cuisine
鲁菜
Shandong cuisine
What are the most famous Chinese dishes?
北京烤鸭 (běijīngkǎoyā, Peking duck), 麻婆豆腐 (mápódòufu, mapo tofu), 小笼包 (xiǎolóngbāo, xiaolongbao) and 火锅 (huǒguō, hot pot) are four that most visitors to China want to try.
How do you say dumplings in Chinese?
饺子 (jiǎozi, dumpling) are boiled, crescent-shaped dumplings; 包子 (bāozi, steamed bun) are filled steamed buns; 锅贴 (guōtiē, potsticker) are pan-fried; and 馄饨 (húntun, wonton) come in soup.
What is bubble tea in Chinese?
珍珠奶茶 (zhēnzhūnǎichá, bubble tea): 珍珠 (zhēnzhū) means pearl, for the tapioca balls, and 奶茶 (nǎichá) is milk tea.
What are the types of Chinese noodles?
Wheat noodles are 面 (miàn): 拉面 (lāmiàn, hand-pulled noodles), pulled by hand, 刀削面 (dāoxiāomiàn, knife-shaved noodles), shaved off a block of dough, and 担担面 (dàndànmiàn, dandan noodles). Rice noodles are 粉 (fěn) or 米线 (mǐxiàn): 河粉 (héfěn, flat rice noodles), 米线 (mǐxiàn, rice noodles) and 螺蛳粉 (luósīfěn, river snail rice noodles). 粉丝 (fěnsī, glass noodles) are made from bean starch.
What do Chinese people drink?
Tea first, and in summer 酸梅汤 (suānméitāng, sour plum drink) or 凉茶 (liángchá, herbal tea). The famous liquor is 白酒 (báijiǔ, baijiu), strong and clear, of which 茅台 (máotái, Moutai) is the best known; 黄酒 (huángjiǔ, yellow wine) is a milder rice wine, and 啤酒 (píjiǔ, beer) is everywhere. Raise a glass with 干杯 (gānbēi), cheers, literally dry the cup.
What are the great Chinese cuisines?
China’s cooking is grouped by region. Four of the best known are 川菜 (chuāncài, Sichuan cuisine), 粤菜 (yuècài, Cantonese cuisine), 湘菜 (xiāngcài, Hunan cuisine) and 鲁菜 (lǔcài, Shandong cuisine): each is a province’s short name and 菜 (cài, dish).
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More on food
Names, pinyin and what each dish is from our own dictionary.