中国的主食
There are so many kinds of Chinese traditional staple food, which one did you have a taste?
馄饨(hún tun)
wonton
The most common filling is the mix of pork and vegetable. And wontons can be eaten with the soup or without soup.
小馄饨(xiǎo hún tun)
small wonton
Small wontons are smaller and usually shrimp flavored. They are usually eaten with the soup, and the soup tastes mild.
饺子(jiǎo zi)
dumpling
"饺子 (jiǎo zi)" is the general term of this kind of dumpling. Chinese people eat them all year round and especially during New Year.
水饺(shuǐ jiǎo)
boiled dumpling
You boil the dumplings in water, that's why we call it "水饺 (shuǐ jiǎo)".
蒸饺(zhēng jiǎo)
steamed dumpling
Another way to cook them is by steaming.
水晶虾饺(shuǐ jīng xiā jiǎo)
crystal shrimp dumpling
This is the most classic Cantonese dim sum. The wrapper is so thin, that you can even see the shrimp inside, looks just like crystal.
锅贴(guō tiē)
potsticker
If you pan-fry the dumplings, they will become "锅贴 (guō tiē)", it's another popular Chinese food in western countries.
烧卖(shāo mài)
shumai
"烧卖 (shāo mài)" has many styles, so could have different fillings. The one in the picture is Shanghai style, the filling has sticky rice, pork mince and black mushrooms.
馒头(mán tou)
steamed bun
It's a type of cloud-like steamed bun popular in Northern China.
花卷(huā juǎn)
twisted roll
If you like savory steamed bun, then this could be your choice. The taste is usually scallion oil or salt and pepper.
包子(bāo zi)
stuffed bun
The steamed buns with fillings are called "包子 (bāo zi)". Chinese people always grab one or two on their way to work.
肉包子(ròu bāo zi)
meat stuffed bun
The most popular filling is of course meat!
菜包子(cài bāo zi)
vegetable stuffed bun
Choose this if you're a vegetarian! The filling is usually greens, black mushrooms and so on.
叉烧包(chā shāo bāo)
barbecued pork bun
This is a Cantonese barbecue-pork-filled bun. This kind of bun is easily recognized, because the filling looks red and tastes sweet.
豆沙包(dòu shā bāo)
smashed bean bun
The filling is a paste made of red beans. It's so sweet, that you need to check your sugar level after it.
奶黄包(nǎi huáng bāo)
creamy custard bun
This is another Cantonese dim sum. The filling is made of milk and yolk. It tastes very smooth and sweet.
生煎(shēng jiān)
pan-fried bun
"生煎 (shēng jiān)" is a pan-fried bun filled with meat and juices, and it's made in Shanghai!
小笼包(xiǎo lóng bāo)
small steamed bun
This is the super star of Chinese dumplings. The best "Xiaolongbao" come from Shanghai and Wuxi. It is traditionally prepared in "小笼 (xiǎo lóng)", small bamboo steaming baskets, which give them their name.
灌汤包(guàn tāng bāo)
soup dumpling
It's also called "汤包 (t
āng bāo)". As the name implies, this dumpling is famous for the soup inside. The size is bigger than "Xiaolongbao". It has more soup and the soup is sweet. You can even use a straw to suck the tasty soup.
年糕(nián gāo)
New Year cake
It's made from sticky rice. Chinese people eat it all year round, during New Year especially.
椰丝糯米糍(yē sī nuò mǐ cí)
coconut sticky rice ball
This dumpling is a sticky rice ball coated with shredded coconut and various sweet fillings. It's popular with girls because of the cute look.
麻球(má qiú)
sesame ball
This is a fried sticky rice ball with sweet bean paste filling and sprinkled with sesame on the outside. This is also a popular breakfast.
粽子(zòng zi)
pyramid-shaped dumpling
"粽子 (zòng zi)" is a traditional Chinese food made of sticky rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo, reed or other large flat leaves. They are cooked by steaming or boiling. As you may know, it's the holiday food for Dragon Boat Festival.
青团(qīng tuán)
green rice ball
This is another kind of sticky rice ball with red bean paste filling. The green color comes from the juice of mugwort. People usually eat it on Qingming festival (aka. Tomb Sweeping Day).
汤圆(tāng yuán)
sweet soup ball
"汤圆 (tāng yuán)" is a Chinese dessert made from sticky rice, cooked and served in boiling water. The fillings are usually sesame paste, red bean paste and meat. It's the holiday food for Lantern Festival.
酒酿圆子(jiǔ niàng yuán zi)
rice wine sweet ball
"酒酿 (jiǔ niàng)" is a kind of fermented sticky rice wine. "圆子 (yuán zi)" is like the mini-sized "tangyuan" without any fillings. It's often served as an after-meal dessert.
粢饭糕(cī fàn gāo)
fried rice cake
It's a kind of fried rice cake made from sticky rice, rice and salt. The outside is golden and crispy, and the inside is white, soft and sticky.
珍珠丸子(zhēn zhū wán zi)
pearl meatball
This is a sticky rice ball stuffed with meat. It's white and round, so we use "珍珠 (zhēn zhū)", which means "pearl", to name this dumpling
春卷(chūn juǎn)
spring roll
"春卷 (chūn juǎn)" is a fried roll stuffed with red bean paste, cabbage and other vegetables. It can be sweet or savory. It has been a popular snack in Asia for centuries.
南瓜饼(nán guā bǐng)
pumpkin cake
Chinese pumpkin cakes are cooked differently from western countries. It's made from sticky rice, pumpkin, and stuffed with red bean paste filling. It's also a popular dessert in all Chinese restaurants. Try it when you eat out next time!