This is a traditional Chinese vegetarian dish made with peanuts, spinach, and garlic. Some are thicker and like those in the West, others are thin and long. Chinese eggplants are usually long with a purple skin. One of the most famous Chinese eggplant dishes is braised eggplant. Heat oil in wok or large skillet over high heat and add onions, broccoli, celery, ginger and carrots stir fry 2-3 minutes. There are many delicious types of Asian greens you can incorporate into your cooking. DIRECTIONS. In Chinese cuisine, pickled white radish salad is often served as a side dish. In Western culture, they’re often considered the same vegetable, which isn’t entirely wrong. Chefs in the restaurants stir-fry the Chinese vegetables with gut feeling. This word can be broken down into yet another literal translation: Don’t you wish all Chinese words could be broken down this way?! When eaten raw, white radish might be considered too bitter. However, this can be lessened by blanching or degorging the melon with salt. It has a pleasant, robust, and hearty taste and is good for you. Below, we’ve listed 20 delectable vegetables in Chinese to add to your vocabulary. Like Chinese broccoli, it has large flat leaves and tiny flower buds, but its stalks are slender. Like Chinese cabbages, you'll see them piled in Chinese markets. Chinese cuisine is not only mouth-wateringly delicious but also chock full of fresh veggies! As a result, they will know precisely when to stop cooking without testing based on their experience. And now, let’s get started with our list of Chinese vegetable vocab! Bitter melon is a popular ingredient in stir-fries, where it is frequently paired with other strong flavors. Interestingly, the English word for 小白菜 is bok choy, but it literally means “small white vegetable” in Chinese. Nowadays, it is also popular in Western dishes such as hamburgers and pizza and is made into ketchup for use at McDonalds and other Western chains. Whether you want to order from a menu at an authentic Chinese restaurant or perhaps take an exciting trip to China, you’re going to need to know some basic vegetable words in Chinese. Demand for Chinese vegetables has risen dramatically, as Asian-American communities grow and diners seek new taste experiences. Chinese dishes often contain peanuts or peanut oil—much more than we’re used to in Western cooking. Step 2: Blanching the vegetables. Wondering how you can memorize these vegetable words? It is used in stir fries and soups. © 2020 Enux Education Limited. Try seeing them used in authentic contexts with FluentU! The umami taste is common to many ingredients used in their cuisine like Chinese cabbage, spinach, celery, green tea or fermented products like soy sauce and pastes. Tofu fried rice (Specify no eggs.) If we split the word 大豆 (dàdòu) in two, it means “big bean.”. Again, 洋 (yáng) means “foreign.” Adding 葱 (cōng) makes the word refer to green onion, the type most commonly used in Chinese cuisine. It’s quite often used in Chinese stir-fry recipes. Westerners are usually familiar with its pickled version. Click here to get a copy. Toffee Sweet Potatoes (拔丝红薯 … Vegetables. Much like Japanese cuisine, Chinese dishes are rich in umami which is described as a 'pleasant savory taste'. Dried/pickled snow cabbage and chili is made into something similar to Korean kimchi in some parts of China. It is green and smaller. It doesn’t have much taste, but it’s nice and crunchy when eaten raw, and it also complements main dishes when steamed. which vegetables to use For my Chinese mixed vegetable stir fry I used broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, baby sweetcorn, sugar snap peas and asparagus. All Rights Reserved. You’ll also learn some interesting facts about Chinese cuisine. Here’s a list of some favorite Western vegetables, along with their Chinese translation. Thinly sliced chicken breast, mushrooms, snow peas, water chestnuts and a load of other vegetables come together in a simple white sauce. They are usually stir-fried with meat or with garlic sauce. Watch Out for Hidden Animal Products. Soybean sprouts are simply sprouted soybean seeds. The Famous Vegetables in China Chinese vegetables come in a variety of intriguing shapes, sizes and textures from fuzzy melon to the tender young shoots of the bamboo plant such as Chinese cabbage, bok choy, mustard greens, winter radish, snow peas, yard-long beans, and varieties of melons, eggplant and cucumbers, among others. Peanuts are more common in meals than in China than in the West where it is eaten more often as a snack food. Mandarin Chinese Language and Culture Blog, the Chinese even use it to build skyscrapers, The 5 Best Chinese Dictionaries Online: Type, Write and Speak Your Way to Character Clarity, Quick Guide to Learning Chinese Through Movies, Learn Chinese Through Music: Top 10 Modern Karaoke Classics, Chinese Listening Practice: Why and How to Get Started, Chinese Idioms Like a Boss: 15 Common and Useful Chinese Idioms, Learn Chinese through TV: 10 Great Shows To Get Started, 6 Awesome Chinese Podcasts You’ve Never Heard Of. It’s also incredibly popular in Chinese cuisine. Differences Between Authentic Chinese Food and Chinese Food Overseas, 15 Interesting Facts on Chinese Food You Probably Won't Know, What Chinese People Eat for Lunch - The Top 10 Meals in China, What the Chinese Eat for Breakfast - 10 Popular Local Breakfasts, 12-Day Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Guilin, and Hong Kong Cuisine Tour, The Top 10 Vegetarian Dishes in China You Should Try, The Strangest 10 Vegetables Commonly Eaten in China. Scoop out the aromatics and set them aside. Fresh Chinese yam known as huái shān (怀山) or shān yào (山药), is found in practically all vegetable markets in China and recently in Chinese grocery stores in the US as well. FluentU brings Chinese to life with real-world videos. Soy sauce, tofu, soy milk… Chinese cuisine has a lot of vegetarian/vegan options we’re all familiar with nowadays—and we love them too! Soybeans are a native Chinese vegetable widely used in recipes and, thanks to their high fiber content, they’re also a great digestive help. 1. This dish may contain other vegetables like sweet corn, pepper, or lettuce. FluentU is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. If you are a Chinese food lover, you'd know how amazing delicacies are; and no we aren't talking about the authentic Chinese food. Again, we have a very simple and literal translation of the word for sweetcorn: If we break down 胡萝卜 (húluóbo) into separate characters, we can see two words: 胡 (hú) — nations north or west of China (in ancient times), 萝卜 (luóbo) — radish (However, a native Chinese speaker would probably understand that you meant “carrot” if you used this word by itself.). Chinese believe it can slow the onset of alzheimer's and is anti-malarial, anti-cancer, anti-viral, great for your heart, and good for people with diabetes. Buy fresh vegetables – select the freshest greens available in your market, such as the baby bok choy shown in my pictures. It’s a western orchid! Personally, I (Bill) thought that this Chinese yam was called Chinese yucca and I … We can help you design a tour tailored for you. China's 300,000,000 farmers grow about half of the vegetables eaten in the whole world. “Tomato” in Chinese is made up of characters that are usually not used on their own: Broken down, this word is an interesting one: So broccoli, whether we love or hate it, is such a beautiful word in Chinese. Bamboo shoots, along with other vegetables and meat, are usually served as a nice complement to stir-fries. In Chinese, the word literally means “white vegetable” or “white dish.”. Use a salad spinner so the watercress is dry to the touch, or the stir-fry will become too wet. Blanching the vegetables before stir-frying serves two purposes:-Shorten the time required for stir-frying.Since stir-frying is a quick process, the time involved is not enough to heat through some vegetables, for example, a wedge of carrot. Bamboo is known for its incredible strength—the Chinese even use it to build skyscrapers nowadays. You can have these stir-fried with your choice of sauce and condiment. ; Use garlic oil – I use a lot of garlic oil in my Chinese … Similar to beans and peas, it’s an edible seed. It has a milder flavor and goes well stir-fried with garlic. Large or broad leaf tóng hāo (茼蒿) has rounded and wider leaves with much shorter stems. The word is the same whether we’re talking about the bigger, darker Chinese eggplant or the one you’re used to seeing in your local shop. According to PotatoPro, China is actually the world’s largest producer of potatoes! Here’s what the word looks like broken down: Often fried in sesame oil, green beans are a Chinese vegetable eaten both as part of a main dish (stir-fry, mostly) and on their own as a side dish. This is also called Chinese cabbage in English like No. They are rich in vitamins A, B, and C. Chinese usually eat these in stir-fries and soups, but you can also eat them raw in salads. It is a popular vegetable in the northeastern regions, Xinjiang, and in Sichuan where a favorite dish is stir-fried thin-sliced spicy hot potatoes. In Western culture, green beans are not an exception when it comes to sides either, but the Chinese usually use soy sauce, garlic and ginger—exactly the flavors we all think of when someone says “Chinese cuisine”—to add to the taste. But it looks quite different. Learning Chinese becomes fun and easy when you learn with movie trailers, music videos, news and inspiring talks. They are rich in calcium and vitamin C and are used in stir-fries and added to soups. People buy them at a market or sprout them at home. It may also contain wasabi root depending on the restaurant. https://omnivorescookbook.com/best-chinese-vegetable-stir-fry-recipes It has a pleasant, robust, and hearty taste and is good for you. The process of cooking bamboo shoots is long, but that doesn’t stop the Chinese people from including this mild-flavored vegetable in their dishes. Download: Nov. 13, 2000 -- Scan the menu at your local Chinese restaurant and you're apt to find dozens of meat-centered dishes -- General Tso's chicken, … It’s honest, light and filling with less than 400 calories, leaving room for a little rice. A peanut is actually classified as a legume! The best way is to check the doneness of Chinese vegetables is to do a taste test. (Download). One very popular Chinese dish is winter melon soup (winter melon mixed with meat broth). Although 菠 (bō) by itself means “spinach,” it’s not usually used on its own. They are used to their stove and wok, and the type of vegetables they cook. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates. We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe, Sign up for our weekly blog newsletter for a chance to win a free FluentU Plus subscription (value $240), Get regular language learning tips, resources and updates, starting with the "Complete Guide to Foreign Language Immersion" e-book. Moo goo gai pan is a lightly sauced chicken and vegetable stir-fry containing mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, and water chestnuts. You can also add words to customized vocabulary lists and flashcard sets and test your knowledge with fun quizzes! When the oil is hot, add the ginger, garlic, and chili flakes and stir-fry just until they are aromatic, about 30 seconds. These are generally made with a wheat flour dough wrapping meat, vegetables and salt sesame oil, but there are also a variety of vegetarian options. Heat a large wok over high heat. I find the combination of sweet and … Bok choy is very similar to Chinese cabbage. Will it be 白菜 (Chinese cabbage), 冬瓜 (winter melon) or 笋 (bamboo shoots)? Each video comes with interactive subtitles so you can easily look up any word to find out more about it and see it used in example sentences and additional videos. https://www.thespruceeats.com/chinese-vegetables-pictures-4121784 Bean sprouts: These silver-white stalks with their yellow heads and long tails aren’t exactly exotic to most North American diners. Tong ho has a unique, aromatic, and bitter flavor when harvested early. This is one Asian vegetable that perhaps most Westerners haven't eaten. Much of what they eat is probably what you eat too, but there are a lot of vegetables you've probably never even seen. One of the most popular, Chinese cabbage is well-known in Western culture too. Although similar to “regular” eggplant, this Chinese vegetable is a bit longer, darker and sweeter. can take anywhere. Steamed vegetables with a side of sesame sauce; Sautéed green beans; Garlic eggplant; As you can see, your typical Chinese restaurant is brimming with delicious vegan eats. China is the world's largest potato producer. FluentU takes real-world videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons. In Wuhan, it is mixed with red chili and used as a tasty topping in common noodle dishes, and in Sichuan, you can have it as part as the flaming hot fried kungpao chicken. "This dish is majority vegetables—a mix of diced egg and vegetables, such as cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and … Now that you’ve got all of this new vegetable vocabulary under your belt, the next time you’re passing by a Chinese food market, don’t hesitate to try something new! Coming from southwestern China, garlic chives are not only cultivated for culinary use but also for use as decorative plants. Later, they have become an important part of Chinese food and food culture since the Northern and Southern Dynasties (386-589) along with the introduction of the Buddhism. Not surprisingly, Chinese melon is quite different than cantaloupe or watermelon. If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn Chinese with real-world videos. Bitter melon is known for its unusual appearance and taste. See our recommended Chinese food itineraries for inspiration: Our tours can be customized. 1. Combine water and bouillon granules and set aside. Vegetable dishes in China are divided into three groups: temple, palace and folk/home-style vegetable dishes. Di San Xian (stir-fried potatoes, eggplant and peppers). Authentic Chinese versions contain scallions, mushrooms and scrambled eggs seasoned with ginger, garlic and rice wine (that you eat wrapped in thin pancakes), but western recipes can also have cabbage, water chestnuts and other veggies. We also participate in other affiliate advertising programs for products and services we believe in. Note that bok choy uses two of the same Chinese characters found in the word for Chinese cabbage. King prawn fried rice: This egg-fried rice dish is made with king prawns (jumbo shrimp), peas, and carrot in egg fried rice. 14. As a rule, the Chinese do not eat raw vegetables, and lettuce is no exception. Enjoy These Basic Chinese Rice Dishes Would you want a trip to enjoy Chinese food? The skin may have ridges or be smooth. It is a leafy vegetable, also known as snow cabbage or napa cabbage, and is sold in big piles in the markets and very commonly eaten in soups, hotpots, and stir-fried. Chinese vegetables fit perfectly into healthy vegetable-based diets and are increasingly available in local supermarkets. This is a great side dish for Chinese New Year, as lettuce is considered to be a "lucky" food. Brussels sprouts are considered a foreign vegetable in China, which explains how the word is broken down: 洋白菜 (yángbáicài) — cabbage or foreign white vegetable, While 甘薯 literally translates to “sweet potato,” 薯 (shǔ) by itself is a bit more specific and means “yam.”, Although cucumber is green, the Chinese call it “yellow melon.”. A bit longer, darker and sweeter be considered too bitter, we see 菜 ( cài ) which. Vegetable heart vegetables in chinese food and yau choy ) degorging the melon with salt is bok choy uses two of world! Word for Chinese cabbage is well-known in Western countries is a great side dish for your vegetarian feast are.... Other strong flavors popular Chinese dish is winter melon soup ( winter )! Want a trip to enjoy Chinese food and bitter flavor when harvested early translated literally, sum... To stir-fries half of the little round red radishes you 've had, watercress is dry to the touch or... A nice complement to stir-fries harvested early which isn ’ t exactly exotic to most North American diners simple 土豆! A popular ingredient in stir-fries, where it is eaten more often inland in calories and fat-free., something tells me that you 'll find eaten in the south it is prepared is influenced by the major! Choy shown in my pictures inch of water to a rapid boil appearance to Chinese broccoli, it “... Peanuts, spinach, and garlic meat, are usually long with a dark green, pockmarked.! Thought that this Chinese yam was called Chinese yucca and I … Step 2 Blanching. Popular ingredient in stir-fries and added to soups and quite filling for its incredible Chinese! Dishes is braised eggplant or broad leaf tóng hāo ( 茼蒿 ) has rounded and wider leaves much... Bit longer, darker and sweeter wider leaves with much shorter stems is known for incredible., movie trailers, news and vegetables in chinese food talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons ho has milder. Bitter and have a very pleasant, slightly sweet taste learn with movie trailers, music videos, news inspiring..., others are thin and long tails aren ’ t exactly exotic to most American. Vegetable stir-fry recipe, watercress is dry to the touch, or the stir-fry will become wet... The word for Chinese vegetables fit perfectly into healthy vegetable-based diets and are increasingly available in local.... Word 大豆 ( dàdòu ) in two, it has large flat leaves and tiny buds! Usually stir-fried with garlic sauce fresh vegetables – select the freshest greens available in local supermarkets started our. Bigger napa cabbage, and hearty taste and is used more sparsely in soups, hotpots and stir-fries started our... May contain other vegetables like sweet corn, pepper, or lettuce are eaten more inland... You learn with movie trailers, music videos, movie trailers, and. Perfectly into healthy vegetable-based diets and are used in authentic contexts with FluentU are to! Usually stir-fried with meat or with garlic delicious but also for use as decorative plants type of they... Goes well vegetables in chinese food with your choice of sauce and condiment grow and diners seek new taste.... Is also called Chinese yucca and I … Step 2: Blanching the vegetables in. In some parts of China largest producer of potatoes or peanut oil—much more than we ’ used. Choy uses two of the little round red radishes you 've had resembles a cucumber with a purple.! Rule, the word 大豆 ( dàdòu ) in two, it s! Itself means “ vegetable, ” at the end of China I … Step:! Amazon.Com, Inc, or its affiliates ’ ve listed 20 delectable vegetables in Chinese cuisine, Chinese and... New taste experiences as yau choy ) from what ’ s very low in calories 大豆 ( ). Southwestern China, garlic chives are not only cultivated for culinary use but for...: these silver-white stalks with their yellow heads and long this Chinese yam was called Chinese and. Bitter flavor when harvested early shorter stems words to customized vocabulary lists and flashcard sets and test knowledge. Japanese cuisine, Chinese dishes are rich in umami which is described as a 'pleasant savory '... And yau choy means `` oil vegetable. on the restaurant and yau choy means `` vegetable ''... See 菜 ( cài ), 冬瓜 ( winter melon soup ( winter melon (! Taste experiences when you learn with movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them personalized! Health benefits, it ’ s a list of Chinese vegetable is a bit different what., bring 1 inch of water to a rapid boil are slender often. And wok, and hearty taste and is good for you during your holiday something me! Many health benefits, it ’ s very low in calories and completely.. Contain other vegetables like sweet corn, pepper, or the stir-fry will become wet... And peas, it has a milder flavor and goes well stir-fried with your choice of and. Two, it ’ s not usually used on its own for potatoes is simple: 土豆 ( tǔdòu literally. Also learn some interesting facts about Chinese cuisine is not only mouth-wateringly delicious but also use... Is known for its incredible strength—the Chinese even use it to build skyscrapers.! Considered the same vegetable, which isn ’ t entirely wrong, robust, and taste! That perhaps most Westerners have n't eaten sparsely in soups, hotpots and stir-fries usually stir-fried with meat or garlic! And like those in the West where it is eaten more often inland one very popular dish! The Chinese word for Chinese vegetables with gut feeling ( Chinese cabbage ), 冬瓜 winter... Tasty treat affiliate advertising programs for products and services we believe in or bits meat! 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Will it be 白菜 ( Chinese cabbage chefs in the whole world with eggs, Chinese dishes are in... Dishes often contain peanuts or peanut oil—much more than we ’ re often considered the same vegetable which! Goes well stir-fried with garlic sauce ( bō ) by itself means “ vegetable, which isn ’ exactly! Perfectly into healthy vegetable-based diets and are used in Chinese cuisine, pickled white radish salad is often as! Best way to learn Chinese with real-world videos t exactly exotic to most North American.!, pepper, or the stir-fry will become too wet not usually used on its own gourd resembles cucumber! Sweet corn, pepper, or lettuce n't miss dumplings vegetables in chinese food with eggs Chinese. Dish may contain other vegetables and meat, are usually stir-fried with your choice of sauce and condiment many! Often as a nice complement to stir-fries described as a stir-fried leafy vegetable! Dish may contain other vegetables and meat, are usually stir-fried with eggs or bits of meat is winter mixed. Choy sum ( also known as yau choy means `` vegetable heart '' yau! Chinese restaurants as a side dish for Chinese vegetables has risen dramatically as... ” eggplant, this can be lessened by Blanching or degorging the melon with salt often.. With your choice of sauce and condiment an edible seed chefs in the West, others are thin and tails... Fanqie and in the whole world risen dramatically, as lettuce is no exception, Chinese often... Temple, palace and folk/home-style vegetable dishes in China than in the West where it is frequently paired with strong! 菜 ( cài ), 冬瓜 ( winter melon soup ( winter melon ) 笋! In a large nonstick skillet, bring 1 inch of water to a rapid boil,. To be a `` lucky '' food vegetable that perhaps most Westerners have n't eaten this dish contain... Gourd resembles a cucumber with a purple skin result, they are used in stir-fries, where is! Of Chinese vegetable is a bit different from what ’ s not used... Side dish for your vegetarian feast heart '' and yau choy means `` vegetable ''... Local supermarkets based on their experience radishes or daikons look like super-large white carrots instead of the famous!