asian woman handing over a delivery food bag in a restaurant

The Ultimate Chinese Food Vocabulary List

Are you eating the same things all the time at Chinese restaurants?

Are your Chinese friends not impressed anymore when you order Chinese food?

If so, maybe it’s time you left your Chinese food ordering rut.

We’ve compiled the ultimate vocabulary list for Chinese cuisines to help spice up your next plate, from dumplings to braised duck.

Contents

家禽类 (jiā qín lèi) — Poultry

man smelling a roast chicken on white background

ChinesePinyinEnglish
醉鸡zuì jīDrunken Chicken
芋艿清汤鸭yù nǎi qīng tāng yāDuck with Taro Soup
上海酱鸭shàng hǎi jiàng yāShanghai Style Braised Duck in Red Rice Sauce
斋香素烧鹅zhāi xiāng sù shāo éVegetarian Goose with Tofu Stew
艳香烧贵妃鸡yàn xiāng shāo guì fēi jīChicken Wings and Legs with Brown Sauce and Red Wine

猪肉类 (zhū ròu lèi) — Pork

braised pork with veggies Chinese cuisine

ChinesePinyinEnglish
走油蹄髈zǒu yóu tí pangBraised Pig's Knuckle in Brown Sauce
凉拌腰片liáng bàn yāo piànSliced Pork Kidney with Celery
八宝辣酱bā bǎo là jiàngEight Delicacies in Hot Sauce
白切肉bái qiē ròuBoiled Pork Slices
彩色里脊丝cǎi sè lǐ ji sīShredded Pork Fillet with Vegetables
辣酱肉末烧海带là jiàng ròu mò shāo hǎi dàiSeaweed Stew with Minced Pork in Spicy Sauce
多味腰花duō wèi yāo huāThree Flavor Pork Kidney
竹笋烧咸肉zhú sǔn shāo xián ròuBacon Stew with Bamboo Shoots
菜心狮子头cài xīn shī zi tóuMeatball Stew with Choy Sum/Cabbage Heart

鱼类 (yú lèi) — Fish

fish and seafood arrangement on black stone background

ChinesePinyinEnglish
老上海熏鱼lǎo shàng hǎi xūn yúSmoked Fish Shanghai Style
红烧鱼块hóng shāo yú kuàiBraised Fish in Brown Sauce/Soy Based Brown Sauce
锅烧河鳗guō shāo hé mánBraised River Eel
墨鱼大烤mò yú dà kǎoStewed Cuttlefish
豆瓣鳝糊dòu bàn shàn hùEel in Chili Bean Sauce
红烧划水hóng shāo huá shuǐBraised Grass Carp Tail with Brown Sauce
粉皮烧鱼头fěn pí shāo yú tóuBraised Fish Head with Flat Noodles
上海蒸鱼shàng hǎi zhēng yúShanghai Steamed Fish
小黄鱼烩豆腐xiǎo huáng yú huì dòu fuSmall Yellow Croaker Fish Stew with Tofu
蒜苗炒鱿鱼suàn miáo chǎo yóu yúFried Squid with Garlic Sprouts
过桥鲈鱼ɡuò qiáo lú yúSliced Bass in Soup
红烧塘鲤鱼hóng shāo táng lǐ yúBraised Pond Carp in Brown Sauce
干贝鱼冻ɡān bèi yú dòngFish Aspic with Scallops

虾类 (xiā lèi) — Shrimp

cooked srhimp on a bed of lettuce

ChinesePinyinEnglish
油爆河虾yóu bào hé xiāDeep-fried Shrimp
水晶虾仁shuǐ jīng xiā rénSautéed Shelled Shrimp
杞子醉虾qǐ zǐ zuì xiāDrunken Shrimp with Goji Berries

蟹类 (xiè lèi) — Crab

steamed blue crabs on lettuce and lemon

ChinesePinyinEnglish
上海醉蟹shàng hǎi zuì xièShanghai Drunken Crab/Shanghai Liquor-Soaked Crab
清蒸螃蟹qīng zhēng páng xièSteamed Crab

素菜 (sù cài) — Vegetable Dishes

pile of vegetables on a white background

ChinesePinyinEnglish
香菇面筋xiāng gū miàn jīnMushrooms with Soy Puffs
芝麻贡菜zhī ma gòng càiIvy Mosses with Sesame
油焖春笋yóu mèn chūn sǔnBraised Bamboo Shoots in Soy Sauce
尖椒炒茄子jiān jiāo chǎo qié ziStir Fried Eggplant with Jalapeño
荸荠炒冬菇bí qi chǎo dōng gūStir Fried Water Chestnuts with Mushrooms
雪菜冬笋xuě cài dōng sǔnStir Fried Pickled Cabbage and Winter Bamboo Shoots
干煸扁豆ɡān biān biǎn dòuDry-Fried French Beans

汤、煲、羹、粥 (tāng, bāo, gēng, zhōu) — Soups, Pots, Congee

yellow and orange soup in a bowl

ChinesePinyinEnglish
核桃羹hé tao gēngSweet Walnut Soup
海鲜豆腐煲hǎi xiān dòu fu bāoStewed Seafood with Tofu en Casserole
江南老鸭汤jiāng nán lǎo yā tāngSouthern Yangtze Duck Soup
桂花糖粥guì huā táng zhōuSweet Osmanthus Congee
风味鸡粥fēng wèi jī zhōuSpecial Flavor Chicken Porridge
桂花莲子羹guì huā lián zǐ gēngLotus Seed Congee with Osmanthus
竹笋咸腿老鸭砂锅zhú sǔn xián tuǐ lǎo yā shā guōDuck Stew with Bacon and Bamboo Shoots
芋艿排骨煲yù nǎi pái gǔ bāoPork Rib Stew with Taro
咖喱牛肉汤gā lí niú ròu tāngCurry Beef Soup

面食 (miàn shí) — Wheat Dishes

flour and wheat in a spoon on a table

ChinesePinyinEnglish
荠菜肉馄饨jì cài ròu hún tunPork and Shepherd's Purse Wontons
干贝冬瓜球ɡān bèi dōng guā qiúWinter Gourd Balls Stew with Scallops
香蕉海鲜卷xiāng jiāo hǎi xiān juǎnFried Banana Roll Stuffed with Seafood
鲜肉汤团xiān ròu tāng tuánPork Glutinous Rice Balls
翡翠烧麦fěi cuì shāo màiSteamed Open Dumplings/Sumai with Chinese Cabbage
芝麻球zhī ma qiúSesame Balls
排骨年糕pái gǔ nián gāoPork Chop with Rice Cake
蟹粉小笼包xiè fěn xiǎo lóng bāoSteamed Buns with Crab Meat and Pork
叉烧chā shāoChar Siu(Barbecued Roast Pork)

点心 (diǎn xīn) — Dimsum

steamed pork buns chinese dim sum

ChinesePinyinEnglish
饺子jiăo ziDumplings
包子bāo ziBuns
烧卖shāo màiSiomai
虾饺xiā jiăoHargaw
锅贴guō tiēPotsticker
烧包shāo bāoSiopao
馒头mán touPlain steamed buns
肠粉cháng fĕnRice rolls
粽子zòng ziSticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf
凤爪fèng zhǎoChicken feet
排骨pái gŭSpareribs
萝卜糕luó bo gāoRadish cake
芋角yù jiăoTaro puff
蛋挞dàn tàEgg tart

 

And there you have it—an in-depth list of Chinese food vocabulary. Some you probably see at every Chinese restaurant in America, while others you might have to venture to China to taste.

I hope these dishes can expand your Chinese food palette!

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