The Chinese food and kitchen are very varied: there are in fact so many uncountable dishes that it would take a lifetime for you to try them all out! Learn the many ways of cooking and spicing up your Chinese meal you need to know about in this Chinese food course on Ninchanese.

As you progress in your exploration of Chinese cooking, you’ll certainly want to tempt your stomach with new Chinese dishes and tastes. What better way to learn more about this topic than in Chinese, the language you’re learning? Chinese Food is a perfect topic to explore deeper in Chinese: the knowledge you’re learning will prove directly useful to you. (We’re not responsible for the extra pounds you may put on scarfing down new Chinese dishes:)

Read on to learn more about Chinese cooking, from its 8 key styles to the spices you definitely want to stock your pantry with! Once you’re done reading, guess what? You can learn all this yummy new lingo, little by little, in our new course on Ninchanese: Chinese Food. It’s right here!

When you can’t go out and have to cook at home, it’s always fun to add some exotic dishes. And let’s imagine you want to do some tasty Chinese home-cooking? What if you wish to experiment with a variety of Chinese ingredients and want to talk about them? And what happens if you need to buy spices, herbs, or other things to spice up your meal but don’t know how to express yourself? That’s what this article is about.

Or imagine another situation. You are standing in a Chinese supermarket (or just a market) and want to buy some specific ingredients. Wouldn’t it be quite a struggle when you don’t know the right words to describe these ingredients in Chinese? It could be anything from just not being a fan of a specific ingredient to being allergic to a spice.

The 4 Tastes and 8 big Kitchens

Let’s first start with a quick overview of the common big 8 Chinese culinary traditions in Chinese. If you’ve started exploring Chinese food and cooking, and by this, we mean real Chinese cuisine, not the stuff they try to pass on as Chinese food in Chinese “buffets”, you’ll quickly notice that there are different types of cooking in China.

Chinese cooking is divided into 8 big Kitchens, or schools, which were each named after the region they were developed in (e.g. 山东菜 – Shāndōng cài – Shandong cuisine). These styles were defined by the provinces in China and what each area could provide in terms of food. These schools also relate to each region’s history and economics. All these factors came together over time and refined the taste of the people and what they prefer for Chinese food. Of course, it doesn’t mean that you cannot get other food or only get this specific taste.

If you are into Chinese food, you may think the best are the Chinese street food, right? So in this article, we’ve made, we ranked the best Chinese street food.

Chinese cooking is also all about the Four Tastes: Salty, Sour, Sweet, and Spicy. As you’ll see, the 8 big Kitchens of cooking in China all revolve around these Four tastes. Also, Chinese dishes tend to be named very indescriptive, so sometimes, it‘s not quite clear what the ingredients are (e.g. 蚂蚁上树 – mǎyǐshàngshù – Ants climbing a tree ). Like so:

Area	Taste	Province	Specialty
北方 North	Salty	山东Shandong	Seafood, harmonic but also complex flavors (e.g. Vinegar-Prawns – 醋烹大虾 – Cù pēng dà xiā）
东方 East	Sour	江苏 Jiangsu	Fresh taste, not too salty or sweet, influence from northern Seafood (e.g. Lionhead-Meatballs – 清汤狮子头 – Qīngtāng shīzi tóu)
		安徽 Anhui	Local ingredients from nearby mountains, very strict control of heat and cooking time (e.g. Chop Suey – 李鸿章杂碎 – Lǐhóngzhāng zásuì)
		浙江 Zhejiang	Very fresh and smooth Chinese food with mild aromas, the origin of rice wine (e.g. DongPo Porkbelly – 东坡肉 – Dōng pō ròu)
南方 South	Sweet	福建 Fujian	Ingredients from the Mountains and Seafood (e.g. Fuzhou Lychee Meatballs – 福州荔枝肉 – Fúzhōu lìzhī ròu)
南方 South	Sweet	广东 Guangdong	Dim Sum, mild and fresh Chinese food (e.g. Sweet Pork shoulder – 蜜汁叉烧 – Mì zhī chāshāo)
西方 West	Spicy	湖南 Hunan	Even spicier than Sichuan food with more variety in ingredients (e.g. Chilli Fishhead – 剁椒鱼头 – Duò jiāo yú tóu)
西方 West	Spicy	四川 Sichuan	spicy Chinese food based on chili and garlic, also known for the numbing Sichuan pepper (e.g. Mapo Tofu – 麻婆豆腐 – Má pó dòufu)

Map of the 8 Chinese kitchen

This actually is the most common definition of the kitchens (and I would say more traditional). Of course, these 8 styles don’t cover all of China, so you may also find different maps which cover the whole of China and do a more detailed subdivision, possibly putting what I’m pointing out as the Southern kitchen, somewhere else. All that matters is that your stomach knows there are 8 different cooking styles in China to look forward to, and understands the differences between them!

The manifold ways of preparing Chinese food

The Chinese have a lot of different ways of preparing Chinese food and it’s good to know these techniques. True, when talking about preparing Chinese food, the most common thing to say it, whether in Chinese or in English, to make food rather than cook food ( 作饭 – ). So, why would you want to learn the words for them? The answer is simple, and it’ll make your tummy happy: a lot of Chinese dish names indicate the way the dish was prepared. So by learning how to say some of the most common cooking techniques, you’ll know a little more about what to expect when ordering Chinese food. Perfect for when you’re in the mood for a nice steamed bun (包子), or some 烤鸭 (kǎo yā – roast duck)!

As we saw, these are 8 major Cooking Styles (Kitchens) in China. So, depending on the region you’re in, you might see specific techniques all around you and others only quite rarely. Out of experience, I can say that I see 红烧 (Braised in Soy sauce), 炒 (Chǎo – stir fry), and 炸 (Zhà) very frequently. It could also be that I’m not quite yet used to recognizing the other cooking-techniques immediately.

Bonus-tip: Look for the fire component under ( 灬 ) or left ( 火 ) of a character to understand that it may is related to a cooking-technique. If you are not yet familiar with radicals and components, it’s an excellent opportunity to start with the Radical Component World in the Ninchanese App.

Translation	Hanzi	Pinyin	Description	Examples (not necessarily typical Chinese food dishes)
Bake/Roast/ toast/broil	烤	Kǎo	Baking something with high heat	烤鸭 – Kǎoyā – roasted duck 烤鱼 – kǎo yú – baked fish 烤薯條 – Kǎo shǔ tiáo – Baked French fries
Wrap / pack	包	Bāo	Wrap in something (dough, leaves, rice paper…)	包饺子 – Bāo Jiǎozi – make/wrap Dumplings 包粽子 – Bāo zòngzi – make zongzi (Glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves)
Steam	蒸	Zhēng	Regular steaming	粉蒸牛肉 – Fěn zhēng niúròu – Steamed Beef (covered in flour/whitewashed)
Stir-fry / saute	炒	Chǎo	Shortly cooked in a pan	西红柿炒鸡蛋 – Xīhóngshì chǎo jīdàn – Tomato scrambled eggs 炒茄子 – chǎo qiézi – fried eggplant 炒酸菜 – chǎo suāncài – fried sour vegetables
Fry	炸	Zhà Zhá	Just frying in oil	炸酱 – Zhá jiàng – deep-fried soy paste 炸糕 – Zhà gāo – fried rice dough cake 炸鱼 – Zhà yú – fried fish
Red braised	红烧	Hóng shāo	Braised in Soy sauce / simmer-fried	红烧茄子 – Hóngshāo qiézi – braised eggplant 红烧牛肉 – Hóngshāo niúròu – braised beef 红烧豆腐 – Hóngshāo dòufu – braised tofu 红烧排骨 – Hóngshāo páigǔ – braised ribs
Slow Cooking/ simmer	煨	Wēi	Cook over a slow fire	番茄煨蛋 – Fānqié wēi dàn – Tomato simmered eggs 蔥開煨麵 – cōng kāi wēi miàn – Scallion noodles
Bake or steam	焗	Jù	Steam/bake food in a sealed container/cooking salt or sand inside a sealed pot	焗咸鱼 Jú xián yú – Baked salted fish 盐焗鸡 Yán jú jī – Salt baked chicken
Blanch/quick-boil	汆	Cuān	Boil for a short time	汆丸子 Cuān wánzi – quick-boiled Chinese food balls 汆羊肉 cuān yángròu – quick-boiled mutton
Braise/cook	烩	Huì	Cook in soy and vinegar	–
Broil/burn	灼	Zhuó	Scalded in boiling water	–
Cook	煲	Bāo	Cook slowly over a low flame (also means pot, but still resembles the way of preparation)	鮮蚵白玉煲 – Xiān hé báiyù bāo – Fresh oyster tofu “pot”
Honey juice/sauce	蜜汁	Mì zhī	Covered in honey	蜜汁雞翅 – Mì zhī jīchì – Honey sauce chicken wings 蜜汁雞腿肉包 – Mì zhī jītuǐ ròu bāo – Honey sauce chicken thigh meat bun
Jelly / Aspic	冻	Dòng	Put food in aspic or jelly	鱼冻 – Yú dòng – fish jelly 肉冻 – ròu dòng – (meat) aspic
Lightly fry	煎炒	Jiān chǎo	Just frying for a short time	煎炒豆腐 – Jiān chǎo dòufu – Fried tofu
Marinade	腌泡醃泡	Yān pào	Marinate the Chinese food	醃泡酸姜 – Yān pào suān jiāng – marinated sour ginger
Mix	拌	Bàn	Mix something in	花椒拌麵 – Huājiāo bàn miàn – Peppercorn (mixed with) noodles 木耳拌豆皮 – Mù’ěr bàn dòu pí – Muer mushrooms (mixed with) tofu skin
Preserve	腌	Yān	Preservation in salt/sugar/vinegar etc.	腌肉 – yān ròu – preserved meat 腌腊 – yān là – treat fish/meat with salt and air or smoke-dried 腌造 – yān zào – dip or process fish/vegetable/fruit with salt/sauce 腌菜 – yān cài- pickled vegetables
Roll Cutting	滚刀	Gǔn dāo	Cutting vegetable diagonally and rotating it after every cut	–
Smoking	熏	Xūn	Treat Chinese food with smoke	塔香熏鸡 – Tǎ xiāng xūn jī – “Taxiang” smoked chicken 熏香面 – Xūn xiāng miàn – smoked noodles
Soak	浸渍	Jìn zì	Soak in a liquid (brew, soup, juice, etc.)	–
Stew / Double Steaming	隔水炖	Gé shuǐ dùn	Steaming in a water-sealed container	–
Stew	不隔水炖	Bù gé shuǐ dùn	Steaming in an open/non-wate- sealed container	营养炖蛋花 – Yíng yǎng dùn dàn huā – nutritional egg stew
Turn in oil	走油	Zǒu yóu	Put in oil and turned regularly	上海走油肉 – Shànghǎi zǒu yóu ròu – Shanghai “oily meat”

You see, it can be quite helpful when looking at a Chinese menu (it’s common that they don’t include pictures) to know these cooking techniques and to use them to decrypt dishes’ names!

Spice up your meal

Alright, so let’s continue with the essentials of a meal: spices, herbs, oils, and sauces. Without these, a meal can be pretty bland, and personally, I prefer a good combination of spices and intense flavors but it can still be a struggle to name something else than just salt and pepper (maybe chili) without taking a look in the dictionary first.

The average joe just recognizes something because of experience, so in a supermarket, it mostly went like this. “I know this because I used it before or because I know it from my hometown, but I don’t know how to call it in Chinese.” And the version for the more adventurous people: That looks interesting; I’ll just buy and try it, without knowing what it exactly is or how it’s called. (Assumed not looking in the dictionary first).

Spices 香 辛 料 (Xiāngxīnliào)

English	Character	Pinyin
Salt	盐	yán
Pepper powder	胡椒粉	hújiāofěn
Sichuan Pepper powder	花椒粉	huājiāofěn
Black Pepper(corn)	黑胡椒	hēihújiāo
White Pepper(corn)	白胡椒	báihújiāo
Sichuan Pepper(corn)	花椒	huājiāo
Red Sichuan Pepper(corn)	红花椒	hóng huājiāo
Green Sichuan Pepper(corn)	青花椒	qīng huājiāo
Cardamom	小荳蔻	xiǎodòukòu
Black Cardamom	黑豆蔻	hēi dòukòu
Cassia (Chinese Cinnamon)	桂皮 / 肉桂	guì pí / ròuguì
Chili	辣椒	làjiāo
Chili powder	辣椒粉	làjiāofěn
Chinese Licorice Root	甘草	gān cao
Cloves	丁香	dīngxiāng
Cumin	孜然	zī rán
Curry powder	咖喱粉	Galifen
Dried fruit/tangerine peels	果皮 /陳皮	guǒpí / chénpí
Fennel	小茴香	xiǎohuíxiāng
Fennel Seeds	茴香籽	huí xiāng zǐ
Five spice powder	五香粉	wǔxiāngfěn
Garlic	大蒜	dàsuàn
Ginger	姜	jiāng
Ginger powder	姜粉	jiāng fěn
Nutmeg	肉荳蔻	ròudòukòu
Sesame Seeds	芝麻	zhī ma
Star Anise	八角	bājiǎo

Herbs 香草 (Xiāngcǎo)

Basil	罗勒	luólè
Bay leaves	香叶 / 月桂叶	xiāng yè / Yuèguì yè
Chives	韭菜	jiǔcài
Cilantro	香菜	xiāngcài
Dill	莳萝	shíluó
Green Onions, Scallions	葱	cōng
Marjoram	墨角兰	mòjiǎolán
Mint	薄荷	bòhe
Oregano	牛至	niúzhì
Parsley	欧芹	ōuqín
Rosemary	迷迭香	mídiéxiāng
Thyme	百里香	bǎilǐxiāng

Sauces & Oils 调料和油 (Tiáoliào hé yóu)

Chili Sauce / Paste	辣椒酱	làjiāojiàng
Hoisin Sauce	海鲜酱	hǎixiānjiàng
Oyster Sauce	蚝油	háoyóu
Rice Vinegar	米醋	mǐcù
Rice wine	料酒	liàojiŭ
Sesame oil	芝麻油	zhīmayóu
Soy Sauce	酱油	jiàngyóu
Soybean Paste	豆瓣酱	dòubànjiàng

The attentive reader would have figured out some basic structures here: If it’s a powder, just add a 粉 (fěn), for an oil a 油 (yóu) or if it’s a thick (soybean) sauce a 酱 (jiàng). Also, the word to add for grains is 粒 ( lì ) (and it’s also the classifier for those tiny grain/pill/pea-sized things). Still, in the case of the peppers, it’s not necessary to mention it, since that is the base form of them and don’t confuse it with seeds. These are called 籽 ( zǐ ).

It’s quite a big list, but no worries, just learn the things you want to know and use in your daily life. In my kitchen, I usually have the basic Soy Sauce, Rice vinegar, and 5-6 different spices from the list above, which is quite enough to make things more interesting. Adding a bit of this and that can even raise instant noodles to a king’s meal in case you are down for a quick snack and too lazy to heat up the kitchen. As you can see in this picture below 🙂

My personal experience

I once wanted to buy some ingredients to bake bread, but I neither learned the words in my regular Chinese classes nor learned them before somewhere else. What I wanted to buy was the pretty basic bread-ingredients: flour (面粉 – Miànfěn ), yeast (酵母 – jiàomǔ) and some olive-oil (橄榄油 – gǎnlǎn yóu). So I went to an employee in the supermarket and asked where I can find the oil since I couldn’t find it in the oil-section of the supermarket. The reaction was very typical: Confused look (due to perhaps, wrong pronunciation), then leading me to the shelf with the imported foreign noodle-sauces. After involving 2 more employees in that whole situation, they finally figured out what I wanted after I showed it to them in the dictionary. They eventually lead me the way to the shelf with the olive-oil (which is not that common and therefore quite pricey). Finding the yeast and flour was thank god not very complicated, only getting the right type of flour was. But that’s a topic for a future article about Chinese food. Stay tuned for that.

Final Words

There are loads more topics to cover in the Chinese food corner, especially about other regional cuisines in China, but you know have the basics covered and I’ve shared with you what you need to get around and know what to expect when you are going out for a meal or traveling China for a culinary adventure.

As a home-cook, what we’ve seen today should already enhance your ability to have a bit more knowledge when it comes to speaking about making Chinese food. Especially about improving the taste and not getting lost in the wide variety of ingredients. Of course, there are a lot more spices and herbs you can learn, but the focus in this article is more on the basics and what you actually can buy in a common (super-)market in China. If you really love Chinese food and want to make your own, then I can’t stress enough to our Chinese Food course on Ninchanese.

Image-Sources:

Spices: Pixabay Monicore, all other pictures and tables were taken or created by myself (Product images in tables: Baidu, background images in 做饭的办法-banner: Baidu)

Chinese food: Learn to Cook and Spice your Chinese meal with complete vocabulary lists!