HaoChi 好吃Ingredients Glossary
32 essential Chinese cooking terms: ingredients — Chinese-English side by side, with measurements and substitution tips.
| Chinese | English | What it is | Substitute |
|---|---|---|---|
| 玉米淀粉 | Cornstarch (cornflour UK) | Fine starch used to thicken sauces and velvet meat. Creates glossy finish. 1 tbsp ≈ 8 g | — |
| 豆腐 | Tofu | Soybean curd; firm/silken varieties behave differently — use what the recipe says. | — |
| 小葱 / 青葱 | Scallions / green onions | The all-purpose garnish and aromatic base of countless dishes. 1 stalk ≈ 15 g | — |
| 姜 | Fresh ginger | Aromatic root that cuts richness and removes meat 'gamey' notes. | — |
| 大蒜 | Garlic | Universal aromatic base; sliced, minced, or smashed for different intensity. | — |
| 干香菇 | Dried shiitake mushrooms | Rehydrated for deep umami; the soaking liquid is liquid gold for sauces. soak 20-30 min in warm water | — |
| 小白菜 / 青菜 | Baby bok choy | A quick-cooking leafy green, the default vegetable of Chinese home cooking. | Substitute: Swiss chard, spinach, or broccoli florets. |
| 大白菜 | Napa cabbage | Sweet, juicy cabbage used in stir-fries, dumplings, and hot pot. | — |
| 虾仁 | Shrimp | Peeled, deveined prawns. Sweet and quick-cooking; add at the last moment to avoid toughness. | — |
| 叉烧 | Char siu (Chinese BBQ pork) | Sweet-savory roasted pork, cubed for fried rice. Found in the meat section of Asian supermarkets. | Substitute: diced ham, cooked pork shoulder, or chicken thigh. |
| 木耳 | Wood ear mushroom (cloud ear fungus) | A crispy, jelly-like edible fungus dried in sheets. Rehydrates in warm water in 10 minutes. Nearly neutral in flavor — prized for its extraordinary crunch in cold dishes. 15 g dry ≈ 150 g rehydrated | No wood ear? Shredded daikon radish or jicama provide similar crunch (fidelity ~60%). |
| 五花肉 | Pork belly | Layered cut from the belly of the pig — fat and lean alternating. Ideal for braising and twice-cooked dishes. In Asian supermarkets you'll find it pre-boiled (卤五花肉) which saves hours. | Pork shoulder (picnic) is a good substitute — also has fat marbling. |
| 猪里脊 | Pork loin / tenderloin | Lean, tender cut from the back of the pig. The most tender pork cut — perfect for stir-fry strips (肉丝) and velveting. | Pork shoulder works too but is less tender — slice against the grain. |
| 青椒 / 甜椒 | Green bell pepper | Mild, crisp, slightly sweet pepper. The default vegetable partner for shredded pork stir-fries. Not to be confused with hot green chilies. | Red bell pepper for color contrast; poblano for mild heat. |
| 笋丝 / 竹笋 | Bamboo shoots (julienned) | Tender young shoots of the bamboo plant. Canned julienned bamboo shoots are a pantry staple for yu xiang dishes — rinse well to remove the canned metallic taste. 80 g canned ≈ 1/2 cup | Water chestnuts (sliced) for crunch; jicama strips for mild sweetness. |
| 胡萝卜 | Carrot | Sweet root vegetable, julienned for color and crunch in stir-fries. Adds beta-carotene and a touch of sweetness that balances salty sauces. | Blanched daikon strips or bell pepper strips. |
| 蒜苗 / 青蒜 | Garlic sprouts (suan miao / Chinese scallion) | The young green stalks of the garlic plant. More pungent than scallions with a distinct garlic flavor. Essential for twice-cooked pork (回锅肉). Different from scallions — thicker white stem, flat leaves. 1 stalk ≈ 15 g | Thick-stemmed scallions (日本长葱) or leeks (white part only). |
| 干辣椒 | Dried red chilies | Whole or snipped dried chili peppers. Used for heat and toasted aroma in Sichuan and Hunan stir-fries. Toasting in oil releases the fragrance without full capsaicin burn. 1 small chili ≈ 0.3 g | Chili flakes (红辣椒面) work for heat; add at the end to avoid burning. |
| 白芝麻 | White sesame seeds | Pale, nutty seeds used as a finishing garnish. Toast in a dry pan until golden to wake up the aroma before sprinkling. 1 tbsp ≈ 9 g | Black sesame seeds or toasted sesame salt (furikake). |
| 生菜 | Lettuce (romaine / crisphead) | Crisp leafy vegetable. In Cantonese cooking, romaine hearts are blanched whole and dressed with oyster sauce — the standard way to get a restaurant green on the table fast. | Bok choy or choy sum blanch the same way. |
| 茄子 | Eggplant | Spongy vegetable that soaks up sauce and oil. In Chinese cooking it's often pre-fried or steamed to soften before stir-frying with garlic sauce. | Zucchini works for texture but soaks less flavor. |
| 冬瓜 | Winter melon | Large pale-green gourd with mild, watery flesh. Used in soups where it soaks up broth flavor and turns translucent. Peel before use; seeds in the cavity are discarded. | Zucchini (firmer) or Chinese loofah (softer) for soups. |
| 紫菜 | Dried seaweed (nori / laver) | Thin dried sheets of edible algae. In Chinese soups (egg drop), torn laver is added at the end and rehydrates instantly, adding a briny umami note. | Nori sheets torn small, or wakame (soaked). |
| 整鱼 | Whole fish (gutted) | A whole, gutted fish cooked intact — the classic way for sweet-sour fish. Ask the fishmonger to scale and gut it; score both sides so the sauce penetrates and the fish cooks evenly. | Fillets work but change the presentation; reduce cooking time by half. |
| 排骨 | Pork ribs | Cut of pork from the ribcage. Spare ribs are meatier; baby back ribs are leaner. Ideal for braising, sweet-sour, and soups. | Pork neck or shoulder can be used in braises but with less bone flavor. |
| 排骨 | Pork ribs (spare / baby back) | The rib cut of pork. Spare ribs are larger and fattier; baby back ribs are smaller and leaner. Both work for sweet-sour ribs and braises. | Pork shoulder chunks for braises — less bone, similar flavor. |
| 猪里脊 / 小里脊 | Pork tenderloin | The leanest, most tender cut of pork, running along the backbone. Perfect for velveting and quick stir-fries like sweet-sour pork. | Pork loin, sliced thin and velveted, is a fine substitute. |
| 冰糖 | Rock sugar | Large translucent chunks of crystallized sugar. Used in braises (hongshao) for a cleaner, more refined sweetness and better glaze than white sugar. 1 tbsp crushed ≈ 15 g | White sugar works 1:1 by weight in a pinch. |
| 洋葱 | Onion (yellow / sweet) | A pungent allium that caramelizes beautifully when cooked slowly. Yellow or sweet onions are ideal for Chinese home cooking — they turn naturally sweet without added sugar. 1 medium ≈ 150 g | White or red onion works but is sharper. Use less and rinse if too pungent. |
| 秋葵 | Okra (lady's finger) | A tropical vegetable with a distinctive mucilaginous texture and nutty flavor. In Chinese cooking, it is quickly stir-fried to retain crunch while the natural slime adds body to sauces. 200 g ≈ 12-15 pods | Green beans or asparagus tips provide similar crunch (fidelity ~70%). |
| 西葫芦 | Chinese zucchini (summer squash) | A mild, juicy summer squash with thin green skin and soft seeds. Unlike Western courgette, Chinese zucchini is milder and releases more water during cooking — remove seeds for best texture. 1 large ≈ 300 g | Western courgette works but is firmer and less watery. Reduce cooking time slightly. |
| 皮蛋 / 松花蛋 | Preserved egg (century egg / thousand-year egg) | Duck or quail eggs preserved in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime, and rice hulls for several weeks to months. The white becomes amber jelly-like with a strong ammonia scent; the yolk turns dark green-gray and creamy. A staple in cold dishes and congee. 1 large ≈ 60 g | No true substitute — the flavor is unique. For approximation: soft-boiled egg with a pinch of baking soda (fidelity ~40%). |