It’s time to learn some useful Chinese vocabulary for cooking !
Preparation
· peel (剥 – bō)
· cut (切 – qiè)
· slice (切片 – qiē piàn)
· chop (斩 – zhǎn)
· mince (剁碎 – duò suì)
Without Heat
· dressing (拌 – bàn)
· marinating/pickling (腌 – yān)
· jellifying (冻 – dòng)
With Heat
· boil (煮 – zhǔ)
· steam (蒸 – zhēng)
· pan-fry (煎 – jiān)
· stir-fry (炒 – chǎo)
· deep fry (炸 – zhà)
· roast (烤 – kǎo)
· bake (烘 – hōng)
· bake in foil or paper (焗 – jú)
· braise (烧 – shāo)
· smoke (熏 – xūn)
· scalding (烫 – tàng)
Uniquely Chinese Methods
· red-cooking (红烧 – hóng shāo) or (卤 – lǔ): This method involves cooking over prolonged heat with the ingredients completely immersed in a soy sauce based broth. This style of cooking is commonly used for beef and eggs.
· gradual simmering/double boil (炖 – dùn): The ingredients are submerged in water in a ceramic casserole, which is then placed in water in a bigger pot to steam for many hours. Delicacies such as bird’s nest soup are cooked in this fashion.
· high heat stir-fry (爆 – bào): This quick method uses a lot of oil, sauce, or broth to quickly stir-fry the ingredients at very high heat in a wok. It’s meant to deliver a crispy texture without overcooking.
· stewing (焖 – mèn): This is different from the Western style of stewing – ingredients are stir-fried until partially cooked and then transferred to a clay pot to be slow-cooked. Commonly used for meat and fish.
· hui (烩 – huì): This is also referred to as braising, but it’s a bit different as it is thickened with a starchy gravy at the end.
