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.