Practical dining guides
How to Read Chinese Menus: A Traveler’s Guide
A Chinese menu becomes easier to navigate when you separate cooking methods, ingredients and the name of the dish. You do not need to translate every character to start asking useful questions.
1. Look for the cooking method
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 炒 | chǎo | Stir-fried |
| 蒸 | zhēng | Steamed |
| 炸 | zhá | Deep-fried |
| 烤 | kǎo | Roasted or grilled |
These words describe preparation, not the complete recipe. 炒饭 (chǎofàn) is fried rice; the other characters in the name may describe what is added.
2. Recognize a few ingredients
鸡 (jī) means chicken, 牛肉 (niú ròu) means beef, 猪肉 (zhū ròu) means pork, 鱼 (yú) means fish, and 豆腐 (dòufu) means tofu. 饭 (fàn) refers to rice or a meal; 面 (miàn) often refers to noodles in a dish name.
A familiar ingredient does not reveal everything in a dish. Tofu and vegetable dishes may contain meat, stock or sauces.
3. Treat colorful names as clues
鱼香茄子 (yúxiāng qiézi), often translated as fish-fragrant eggplant, names a seasoning style. Some versions include minced pork. A literal translation is a starting point, not a complete ingredient list.
4. Ask before ordering
Show the restaurant: 这里面有什么？ (Zhè lǐmiàn yǒu shénme?) — “What is in this?” Point to the exact dish so the question is clear.
For more questions, see our Chinese food ordering phrases.
Keep a menu guide with you
Eat China with Confidence brings together 250+ dishes, ingredients and ordering phrases in English, Simplified Chinese and pinyin. Choose a paperback for a physical reference at the table, or Kindle for reading on your device.
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