Chinese menu terms, explained.

Dim sum

点心 / 點心 · dim2 sam1 (jyutping)

Small shared dishes of dumplings, buns, rolls and cakes, traditionally eaten at brunch with tea and most associated with Cantonese cooking.

Yum cha

饮茶 / 飲茶 · jam2 caa4 (jyutping)

Cantonese for 'drink tea': the tradition of a morning or brunch meal of tea with small dim sum dishes.

Lazy Susan

餐桌转盘 · cānzhuō zhuànpán (pinyin)

A rotating tray in the middle of a table that lets diners share dishes; common in Chinese restaurants, with an unsettled name origin.

Char siu

叉烧 / 叉燒 · caa1 siu1 (jyutping)

Cantonese roast pork, marinated in a sweet and savory mix and glazed with honey or maltose; the name means 'fork roasted'.

Congee

粥 · zhōu (pinyin)

Rice porridge made by boiling rice in plenty of water until soft, served plain or topped with pork, scallion, ginger, century egg or pickles.

Baozi

包子 · bāozi (pinyin)

A yeast-leavened bun with a filling, most often steamed; unfilled steamed buns are called mantou.

Guotie (potstickers)

锅贴 / 鍋貼 · guōtiē (pinyin)

Pan-fried dumplings browned on one side, then steamed with a little water under a lid; 'potsticker' is the English form of guotie.

Lo mein vs. chow mein

捞面 / 炒面 / 撈麵 / 炒麵 · lāo miàn / chǎo miàn (pinyin)

Lo mein noodles are cooked, then tossed with sauce; chow mein means stir-fried noodles. US menus apply the two names differently by region.

Chow fun

炒河粉 · chǎo héfěn (pinyin)

Wide, flat rice noodles stir-fried with meat and vegetables; on US menus the stir-fried dish is usually written chow fun.

Lamian (hand-pulled noodles)

拉面 / 拉麵 · lāmiàn (pinyin)

Wheat noodles made by hand-stretching and folding dough into strands, served in soup or stir-fried; Lanzhou beef noodles are a well-known example.

Knife-cut noodles

刀削面 / 刀削麵 · dāoxiāomiàn (pinyin)

Thick, chewy ribbon noodles shaved off a block of wheat dough straight into boiling water with a knife; associated with Shanxi.

Wok hei

镬气 / 鑊氣 · wok6 hei3 (jyutping)

The smoky, seared quality of food stir-fried fast over very high heat; the Cantonese term means 'breath of the wok'.

Red braising

红烧 · hóngshāo (pinyin)

A slow braise in soy sauce, sugar and rice wine that gives meat a reddish-brown color; red-braised pork belly is the standard example.

Velveting

A prep step in which sliced meat is coated, usually with cornstarch, and briefly pre-cooked in oil or water so it stays soft and moist in a stir-fry.

Mala

麻辣 · málà (pinyin)

A Sichuan flavor pairing the tingling numbness of Sichuan pepper with chili heat; the name means numbing and spicy.

Yuxiang (fish-fragrant flavor)

鱼香 / 魚香 · yúxiāng (pinyin)

A Sichuan flavor of pickled chili, ginger, garlic, scallion, sugar and vinegar; the name means 'fish fragrance' but the dishes usually contain no fish.

Sichuan peppercorn

花椒 · huājiāo (pinyin)

The dried husk of a Zanthoxylum berry that gives Sichuan dishes a citrusy scent and a tingling, numbing buzz; it is not a true pepper.

Doubanjiang

豆瓣酱 · dòubànjiàng (pinyin)

A salty, savory fermented paste of broad beans, usually with chili, that anchors many Sichuan dishes; the Pixian version is the most renowned.

Shaoxing wine

绍兴酒 · Shàoxīng jiǔ (pinyin)

A Chinese rice wine from Shaoxing, Zhejiang, used in marinades, braises and sauces; bottles sold for cooking often contain added salt.

Chinkiang vinegar

镇江香醋 · Zhènjiāng xiāngcù (pinyin)

A dark, mellow black vinegar named for Zhenjiang, made from glutinous rice and used as a dumpling dip and in sauces; also spelled Zhenjiang.

Hoisin sauce

海鲜酱 / 海鮮醬 · hǎixiān jiàng (pinyin)

A thick, sweet-salty dark sauce built on fermented soybean paste; its Chinese name means 'seafood sauce' but it contains no seafood.

Lap cheong

腊肠 / 臘腸 · laap6 coeng2 (jyutping)

A dried, sweetened Cantonese-style pork sausage, sliced into rice, fried rice, noodles and claypot dishes; Chinese sausage on US menus.

Century egg

皮蛋 · pídàn (pinyin)

A preserved duck, chicken or quail egg cured for weeks to months, with a dark translucent white and a creamy dark yolk; also called thousand-year egg.

XO sauce

XO酱 / XO醬 · XO zoeng3 (jyutping)

A chunky Hong Kong condiment of dried scallops, dried shrimp, chili, cured ham and garlic cooked in oil; the name borrows from XO cognac but has none.