Chinese For Dummies (49 page)
Read Chinese For Dummies Online
Authors: Wendy Abraham
Sauces and seasonings
The Chinese use all kinds of seasonings and sauces to make their dishes so tasty. Check out
Chinese Cooking For Dummies
by Martin Yan (Wiley) for much more info. Here are just a few of the basics:
cù
é
(tsoo) (
vinegar
)
jiÇng
å§
(jyahng) (
ginger
)
jià ngyóu
é
±æ²¹
(
é¬æ²¹
) (jyahng-yo)
(
soy sauce
)
là yóu
辣油
(lah-yo) (
hot sauce
)
máyóu
麻油
(mah-yo)
(
sesame oil
)
yán
ç
(
é¹½
)
(yan) (
salt
)
Even though Chinese food is so varied and great you could have it three meals a day forever, once in a while you might really find yourself hankering for a good old American hamburger or a stack of French fries. In fact, you may be surprised to find places like McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken in Asia when you least expect to.
Table 8-5
lists some items you can order when you're in need of some old fashioned comfort food, and
Table 8-6
lists common beverages.
Table 8-5 Western Food
Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
bÇsÄ bÇng | bee-sah beeng | pizza |
hà nbÇobÄo | hahn-baow-baow | hamburger |
káo tÇdòu | cow too-doe | baked potato |
règÇu | ruh-go | hot dog |
sÄnmÃngzhì | sahn-meeng-jir | sandwich |
shÄlÄ jià ng | shah-lah jyahng | salad dressing |
shÄlÄ zìzhùguì | shah-lah dzuh-joo-gway | salad bar |
tÇdòunà | too-doe-nee | mashed potatoes |
yáng pái | yahng pye | lamb chops |
yìdà lì shì mià ntiáo | ee-dah-lee shir myan-tyaow | spaghetti |
zhà jī | jah jee | fried chicken |
zhà shÇtiáo | jah shoo-tyaow | French fries |
zhà yángcÅng quÄn | jah yahng-tsoong chwan | onion rings |
zhū pái | joo pye | pork chops |
Table 8-6 Beverages
Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
chá | chah | tea |
gÄn hóng pÅ«táojiÇ | gahn hoong poo-taow-jyoe | dry red wine |
guÇzhÄ« | gwaw-jir | fruit juice |
kÄfÄi | kah-fay | coffee |
kÄlè | kuh-luh | soda |
kuÄngquánshuÇ | kwahng-chwan-shway | mineral water |
nÃngmén qìshuÇ | neeng-muhng chee-shway | lemonade |
niúnÇi | nyoe-nye | milk |
pÃjiÇ | pee-jyoe | beer |
Placing an order and chatting with the wait staff
I bet you're used to everyone ordering one dish for themselves, right? Well, in China, diners almost always share dishes by putting them on common platters smack in the middle of the table where everyone can pick and choose. You get used to ordering with the whole group in mind, not just yourself â just one more example of how the collective is always considered before the individual in Chinese culture.
Chinese table etiquette dictates that everyone decides together what to order. The two main categories you must decide on are the
cà i
è
(tsye) (
food dishes
) and the
tÄng
汤
(
湯
) (tahng) (
soup
). Feel free to be the first one to ask
WÇmen yÄ«nggÄi jià o jÇge cà i jÇge tÄng?
æ们åºè¯¥å«å 个èå 个汤
? (
æåæ該å«å¹¾åèå¹¾å湯
?) (waw-men eeng-gye jyaow jee-guh tsye jee-guh tahng?) (
How many dishes and how many soups should we order?
) Ideally, one of each of the five major tastes should appear in the dishes you choose for your meal to be a “true” Chinese meal:
suÄn
é
¸
(swan) (
sour
),
tián
ç
(tyan)
(
sweet
),
kÇ
è¦
(koo) (
bitter
),
lÃ
è¾£
(lah) (
spicy
), and
xián
å¸
(shyan) (
salty
).