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Full index of all our food and recipes
Our full list of all foods found in China is not complete by any means, for we have concentrated on weird fruit and veg, telling you what it is and what to do with it. We have added some Mainland Cantonese recipes, and also look at how to cook some western dishes in China with missing ingredients or equipment - like having at best two gas rings only and no ovens, grills or hotplates.
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Related Pages:
• Cooking Chinese Recipes in China
• Cooking Western Recipes in China
• Measurements: Imperial, Metric and Chinese
• Chinese cooking Utensils 		Chinese Regional Cooking Styles
How Chinese Cook Fish
Chinese Condiments
Chinese Cooking - Medical Ingredients
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Chow mein and chop suey are both well-known stir-fry dishes, but while Chow mein is a signature dish of Chinese cuisine, chop sueychop suey was actually created in America.
Boy Cooking
Image: Boys can be inventive in kitchens! - click to enlarge
Image English or Common Name Mainland Cantonese or Hong Kong Name Comments Recipes
A        
Image: Apples - click to enlarge Apples Ping gor Similar to UK and many varieties, but cooking apples rare. Wash well or peel before eating - illeagal spraying with hazardous substances, or watering with grey water can be a problem in China. N/A
         
B        
Image: Ba Choi - click to enlarge Ba Choi Bok Choi, pak choi Chinese white stemmed mustard cabbage leaves, one of the most common Chinese green leaves. Yes
Image: Bananas - click to enlarge Bananas Heurng d'Zhu
Dai d'Zhu
Siu d'Zhu		 China has three different types of banana and each has a different name. 'Heurng d'Zhu' are the sweet curved ones westerner's know, the others being straight and clumpy, short or long. See Batter
Image: Batter - click to enlarge Batter   How to make really good batter. We provide several recipes for different types of batter, including one for making perfect chip shop fish. Yes
Image: Bechamel sauce - click to enlarge Béchamel Sauce   One of the most basic recipes every chef should know instinctively, and it is not difficult if you follow a few simple rules. Yes
Image: Bechamel recipes - click to enlarge Béchamel Recipes   Companion page offering standard and unusual recipes such as: croque monsieur, croque madame, cauliflower and macaroni cheese - as well as British Parmo. Yes
Image: Beef Burgers - click to enlarge Beef Burgers Ham Bo Bao How to make perfect beefburgers. As well as the standard recipe we add instructions for making these in China. Related pages, Porkburgers, and Hamburgers. Yes
Image: Bread - click to enlarge Bread Ham Min Bao How to make a really great home made bread, including tips for making this in China. Yes
Image: Sandwich Bread - click to enlarge Bread Sandwich Ham Min Bao Chinese bread is normally very sweet, even the sandwich bread rendering it useless for making savoury dishes. We tell you how to buy savoury sandwich bread. No
Image: Pitta Bread - click to enlarge Bread - Pitta Bread   How to make a really proper pitta bread, including tips for making this in China. Yes
Image: Broccoli - click to enlarge Broccoli Xi Lan Fa Broccoli is a common vegetable in China. Our page includes recipes such as delicious steamed garlic Broccoli. Yes
Image: Butter - click to enlarge Butter Lie Yao Butter is simple to make, it just takes a long time and much effort.
The Cantonese translates directly as "milk fat."		 Yes
         
C        
Image: Cabbage - click to enlarge Cabbage Bao choi, yeur choi Cabbage is plentiful in China, with standard white cabbage for sale everywhere. A tastier cabbage does exist and has a slightly more open nature, more like a Savoy. Yes
Image: ha ma gwa or cantaloupe melon - click to enlarge Cantaloupe Melon Ha ma gwa Chinese Cantaloupe Melon as sold in China. See Mango
Image: Cauliflower - click to enlarge Cauliflower Choi fa Cauliflower is a common vegetable in China. Our page includes several Chinese recipes you may not be familiar with. Yes
Image: Basket Cheese - click to enlarge Cheese Basket   Basket Cheese is simple and quick to make, but does not keep like hard cheese. Yes
Image: cheddar cheese - click to enlarge Cheese Cheddar   Recipes include hard cheese and cheddar, which is named so because of the cheddaring process. Blue cheese is also included. Yes
Image: chestnuts - click to enlarge Chestnuts Luh zhei Chinese chestnuts are just the same and sold hot on the streets. Yes
Image: cheung choi - click to enlarge Cheung Choi Common Chinese Leaves Chinese green stemmed mustard cabbage leaves. Yes
Image: slow cooked chicken - click to enlarge Chicken - slow cooked Toisan Chicken
(Tai Shan Chicken)		 This is the most totally delicious chicken ever created!
Often called 'Steamed Chicken' because the double- lidded pot is steamed inside a jam kettle containing the water.		 Yes
Image: chicken wings and drumsticks - click to enlarge Chicken Wings and Drumsticks Gai Yeur
Gai Bei		 Chicken wings and drumsticks (Gai Bai) are very common and popular. Here we show you how to make these as a tasty treat. Yes
Image: Chilli and chilli sauces - click to enlarge Chilli Lat zhu zhi
(la'ht d'zhU zhI)		 In Chinese wet markets, the green chilli's are the hot ones, and the red ones are milder! This is because the hot red chilli's all go to make table sauces. We explain Chinese chilli peppers and sauces. 'Ho Lat' means spicy hot. Linked
Image: choi goh - click to enlarge Choi Goh   A big green round root thing that tastes like marrow and grows on top of the soil. Yes
Image: Choi Sum - click to enlarge Choi Sum Common Chinese Leaves Common Chinese cabbage leaved plant of the mustard family. These are specific leaves whereas 'Sum Choi' refers to all similarly leaved plants - like we would say 'Greens'. Yes
Image: choi wat - click to enlarge Choi Wat   A compact and bulbous vegetable half way between a cabbage and a lettuce. Older plants can be a foot or more tall, the leaves simply extending. Yes
Image: dai gor or Citrus Grandis - click to enlarge Citrus Grandis Dai Gor Chinese Grapefruit - A most wonderful fruit that is not as sour as ordinary grapefruit. As sour orange
Image: Chinese condiments for restaurant, kitchen and table - click to enlarge Condiments   Chinese condiments for restaurant, kitchen and table. Salt is not a Chinese condiment, although white pepper is served with a few specific dishes. Chef's in China never use monosodium glutamate. Learn more on this page. N/A
Image: Corned Beef - click to enlarge Corned Beef Salt Beef
and
Bully Beef		 There are 2 types of corned beef: the American version is pickled beef or 'Salt Beef', the British one is Bully Beef. We give you recipes for both and explain the 'corning' process. Yes
Image: Cornish Pasty - click to enlarge Cornish Pasty   The traditional recipe calls for cheap meat (Usually mutton or sometimes beef), chopped potatoes and onion, wrapped together in a short crust pastry and cooked Yes
Image: Courgettes or Zucchini - click to enlarge Courgette's Soi gwa Courgette's are a versatile ingredient and are used in many dishes. We give you recipes you may not know of. Yes
Image: crabmeat and sweetcorn soup - click to enlarge Crabmeat and Sweetcorn Soup   This Cantonese dish is one of the highlights of any Chinese meal. Mainland Cantonese cook it rarely although it is popular in Hong Kong. We give you the ultimate recipe and offer many variations including chicken and vegetarian versions. Yes
Image: Seurng Mor, Crayfish or Crawfish - click to enlarge Crayfish or Crawfish Seurng Mor Chinese do not differentiate between Crayfish and Crawfish. Most are the size of prawns, but very large ones are available. Yes
Image: Chinese curry sauce - click to enlarge Chinese Curry Sauce Chip shop curry sauce How to make your own chip shop curry sauce with a recipe from a highly rated source that tastes just like the real thing. Yes
Image: light and tasty potato and brocolli curry - click to enlarge Curry:
Potatoe and Broccoli		 Vegetarian Curry This curry is mild, light and full of flavour. It is also vegetarian, although we love it just the way it is. The one pictured has standard additions such as capsicums and spring onions. Yes
Image: light and Latin, prawn and courgette curry - click to enlarge Curry:
Prawn and Courgette		 Light Curry This superb and light curry is adapted from Madher Jaffrey who originated the recipe. We respect her great culinary skills whilst putting or own interpretation on this fantastic dish. Yes
         
D        
Image: hai choi or Dandelion leaves - click to enlarge Dandelion Leaves Hai Choi Various types of Dandelion leaves. Yes
Image: Dim Sum - click to enlarge Dim Sum Yeurm Cha
Chinese Tea		 Chinese regularly go for Dim Sum dishes which are usually served at traditional Chinese tea houses. We offer some of our favourite recipes from the hundreds of dishes available. Yes
Image: Surian, lao lin or smelly fruit - click to enlarge Durian Lao Lin or Smelly Fruit Large, prickly fruit that smells awful and taste like bad soap! No
         
E        
Image: eggs - click to enlarge Eggs Dan
 Chinese use many types of eggs in cooking and here we introduce the most common: Hen, bantum, duck, quail and 100 year old eggs "pae dan". We also tell you which are the best ones for frying. Yes
         
F        
Image: fa niem - click to enlarge Fa Niem Weird Chinese pear A sort of pear, or apple, or Peach? No
Image: How to buy and order fish without bones in China - click to enlarge Fish - General Yue
Chinese Fish without bones!		 Chinese fish are usually a bones-nightmare. Most are pond grown carp. Do Bo, Gui Fa Yue and Wong Fa Yue are sea-fish. Excellent! We simply tell you how to order edible fish - if it is available? Info Only
         
G        
Image: gai choi or chicken cabbage - click to enlarge Gai Choi Chicken Cabbage Chicken cabbage, a tall plant like leggy broccoli. Both the peeled stems and leaves are eaten. Yes
Image: Chinese garlic - click to enlarge Garlic s'Shuen tao Chinese Garlic - This stuff is excellent for cooking with as each bulb contains one shallot sized clove = smash and use! N/A
Image: Chinese ginger - click to enlarge Ginger Ge'ing (geurng) Chinese Ginger is the same as the rest of the world. Chinese always use fresh ginger in cooking, and wet ginger is best. N/A
Image: Chinese produce: Grapes or z'Zhee - click to enlarge Grapes z'Zhee China has a great variety of grapes with imported ones costing a lot more. The best are local red grapes that are very large. No
Image: How to make Gravy - click to enlarge Gravy   Gravy is very rare in China so we tell you several ways of making it. Versions include: using the meat fat, cornflour, bouillon and vegetable stock. Yes
         
H        
         
Image: Chinese hot pot - click to enlarge Hot Pot Mongolian and Cantonese hot pot Hot Pot is popular all over China and very different from western dishes. We offer various recipes including Mongolian hot pot. Yes
         
I        
         
J        
Image: small birds collectively known as J'ut Zhi - click to enlarge J'ut Zhi Small Birds Chinese people are often regarded as being able to cook anything! One delicacy of Cantonese cuisine is the cooking of small or unusual birds such as: doves, sparrows, and many others. Yes
         
K        
         
L        
Image: long beans - click to enlarge Long Beans Dao Gok Long beans are like a runner beans or French beans, but longer. Yes
Image: long gnun, tastes like lychee - click to enlarge Long G'nun Dragon Pearls Beautiful small fruit similar to Lychee - sweet, juicy, succulent. Often found in Chinese tonic or medicinal soups. Yes
         
M        
Image: mok gwa or common mango - click to enlarge Mango - Common Mok Gwa Common Mango is eaten fresh, or often used in Chinese soups. We offer several recipes, of which two are crackers! Yes
Image: mayonnaise - click to enlarge Mayonnaise Hellmann's Mayonnaise is one of the easiest things to make and the ingredients are common in most kitchens - even Chinese ones! China only sells sickly sweet versions in all shops. Yes
Image: medicinal ingredients - click to enlarge Medicinal Ingredients Various things This page offers advice on Chinese medicinal ingredients and how to use them in recipes to promote health, or as a tonic. Yes, how to use
Image: mooncakes - click to enlarge Mooncakes Yuet Beurng Mooncakes are eaten at Chinese New Year to celebrate Chang-e or the Lady of the Moon. They can have many fillings including: fruit, meat, nuts; many contain an egg yolk or yellow centre. They are vaguely similar to Bakewell tart. No
Image: common Chinese mushrooms - click to enlarge Mushrooms Guo We list many types of usual and unusual mushrooms and tell you how to prepare and use them. Includes straw, shiitake, enoki and oyster mushrooms plus a fantastic and very different mushroom soup. Linked
Image: Mushroom Soup - click to enlarge Mushroom Soup Guo Tongei One of the most amazing soups I have ever been fortunate enough to taste. It is a tangy soup similar to Borsch with 5 or more types of added mushrooms and wafers of sour orange or grapefruit. Shown are ingredients for a version with tomatoes as well. Yes
         
N        
Image: Chinese noodles - click to enlarge Noodles Mien, fun This page introduces the many types of Chinese noodles, of which rice, wheat and hand-thrown are the most common. Yes
         
O        
Image: chang or sour orange - click to enlarge Orange - Sour Chang Oranges are plentiful in China. This one is a sour orange, and useful for cooking. Yes
         
P        
Image: Chicken liver pate - click to enlarge Pate Chicken Liver Pate Pate is very simple and easy to make, and you will find all the basic ingredients without trouble in China. Our featured recipe by Cheryl York from UK, is for home made chicken liver pate. Yes
Image: Chinese pears - click to enlarge Pears Siuet Lai Chinese pears are usually as pictured and sold fairly firm and sweet. Other types of pears are available but are costly and either imported or available locally in season. N/A
Image: pork burgers - click to enlarge Porkburgers Ham Bo Bao Pork Burgers are quite similar to Beef Burgers, but far easier to make in China where ready minced beef is hard to find. These are Western style burgers made with minced Pork. Yes
Image: pork pie - click to enlarge Pork Pie Melton Mowbray Pork Pies are fairly easy to make, although recipes can vary. Do not expect results to be a rosy pink, as with Butcher's own pork pies, these will probably turn out gray. Yes
Image: Chinese potatoes - click to enlarge Potatoes Shiu Zhi China has several types of potatoes, but the best ones for frying as chips (Siu Tiu) take some finding and these look round and squat. Yes, Linked
Image: wu tao, good head or Chinese potato - click to enlarge Chinese Potato Wu Tao Great vegetable used like a potatoe. Peel using gloves as the skin can sometimes release an irritant if not well cooked. The recipe for Wu Tao and Siu Yuk (Sliced suckling pig) is one the best in the whole wide world! Yes
         
Q        
         
R        
Image: 24 hour rice - click to enlarge Rice - 24 Hour Lang Fan Ever wondered how Chinese people cook left-over rice? We tell you with several recipes on this page. Yes
Image: rice porridge, sik juk or congee - click to enlarge Rice Porridge Sik Juk (Jook in HK) or Congee This excellent dish is common in Canton. It is basically a thick rice that has ingredients such as: pork , fish, 100 year old egg and herbs. We give you the best recipe! Yes
         
S        
Image: Salad Cream - click to enlarge Salad Cream   Our recipe is for salad cream is a very old one and differs slightly in method from Mrs Beeton's. Please note the similar product 'mayonnaise' is a completely different recipe. Yes
Image: Sausages - click to enlarge Sausages Various sausage recipes Hank Shaw, a remarkably adept Sausage Master from USA and we use his guidance for a really good method and tips. Later we add other ingredients and options. Yes
Image: British Butchers Sausages - click to enlarge Sausages - Bangers British Butcher's Bangers This recipe is by David Whittall whose father's Butcher's business has won many awards for their own sausages. Yes
Image: Scotch Eggs - click to enlarge Scotch Eggs   Scotch Eggs are simple to make: boiled eggs shelled and swathed in sausage meat, rolled in breadcrumbs, and deep fried until golden brown. Yes
Image: Chinese produce: Sharon Fruit, Persimmons or Seei - click to enlarge Sharon Fruit or Persimmons Seei
 These fruits are very common in China and are sold everywhere. As in the west there are several types, so see which you like best. No
Image: Shepherds Pie, Cottage Pie, Ocean Pie, and related recipes - click to enlarge Shepherds Pie Cottage Pie
Ocean Pie		 Americans believe shepherd's look after cattle, so they use beef in the recipe. The rest of the world uses lamb, and cottage pie has beef. We explain it all for the uninitiated. Yes
Image: siu mei and char siu or fork-burn roast - click to enlarge Siu Mei Cantonese roast meat, Char Siu Siu Mei is a general term literally meaning 'Fork-Burn/Roast'. Perhaps a better Western analogy would be 'Barbequed. Siu Mei is hung to cook in a hot oven, Char Siu is a notable and common version. Yes
Image: Siu Ying's barbequed spare ribs - click to enlarge Spare Ribs Cantonese roast meat, Pie Gwat, Char Siu Friends come from UK just to enjoy my wife (Siu Ying)'s spare ribs. They are so easy; just marinade in a lot of fresh ginger juice for 1 hour and cook. Job done! Yes
Image: Chinese style spare ribs or Pi Gwat - click to enlarge Spare Ribs - Chinese Style Pie Gwat Chinese spare ribs are 1-inch square and cooked with garlic and ginger. One of our favourites is with a black bean sauce. Yes
Image: Splodge, Italian cooking on a budget - Click for Details Splodge Italian style 'Whatever' 'Splodge' is an Italian inspired anomaly based upon anything leftover in your fridge or freezer, being a very cheap, quick and filling meal. Yes
Image: Squid, Calabrese or Yao Yue - click to enlarge Squid or calamari Yao Yue Buyer's Tip: Purchase squid from the local wetmarket early in the morning to ensure the best quality. Buy live or ice-packed if possible. Most Chinese squid is actually calamari. Yes 3
Image: Chinese produce: Sugar - click to enlarge Sugar Tong China sells a full range of sugar and sugar sticks for cooking, which are molasses. You will find several differing grades of granulated sugar of which the best have a golden tinge. N/A
         
T        
Image: Chinese produce: Tomatoes or Fan Kai - click to enlarge Tomatoes Fan Caer
(Fan Kie in HK)		 Chinese tomatoes are available all year round as standard and cherry versions, plus 'Beefeater' types can be bought in late summer. Standard ones are often pithy and tasteless. Comment
         
U        
         
V        
         
W        
Image: Wax Gourd - click to enlarge Wax Gourd Dong Gwa Very large gourd used mainly in Cantonese soups, where it adds the most delicate of flavours. It keeps for ages until cut, when it should be used within a few days. Yes
Image: ham yue or small fish like whitebait - click to enlarge Whitebait Ham Yue,
Small Fish		 Ham Yue is Cantonese for small fish or more properly 'salty fish', normally a type of Whitebait. Yes
Image: wong pei or scent of yellow - click to enlarge Wong Pei Scent of Yellow A fruit very similar to Long G'nun, but different in many ways except for taste and rarity. Do not confuse the two, for the skin of Wong Pei is smooth. See Long gnun
Image: wong pei tao or scent of yellow head fish - click to enlarge Wong Pei Tao Scent of Yellow Head fish Wong Pei Tao is a small sea fish about 3 or 4 inches long. It is common in wet markets near the South China Sea, where it is often sold freshly caught and chilled. Yes
         
X        
         
Y        
Image: fan shei or sweet yam - click to enlarge Yam - Sweet Fan Shei Chinese Sweet Yam - Typical Chinese sweet yam. Yes
Image: Yorkshire Pudding - click to enlarge Yorkshire Pudding Yorkie, Toad in the Hole As well as telling you how to make fantastic Yorkshire puddings, both large and individual, we include many related recipes. Heat is the key - use gas mark 15! Yes
         
Z        
Image: d'Zit Gwa or Chinese Marrow - click to enlarge Chinese Marrow d'Zhit Gwa Chinese Marrow - Small Marrow or large courgette (Zucchini). Yes
         
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