Chinese Dish Name Dictionary
160 Chinese dish names with pinyin, English equivalents and the translation strategy behind each one.
A Chinese menu rarely translates word for word. 蚂蚁上树 is not on any English menu as "ants climbing a tree", and 宫保鸡丁 survives as Kung Pao chicken because the sound travels better than the meaning. This dictionary lists 160 common dishes with pinyin, an English name and the strategy behind the translation.
| Dish | Pinyin | English | Category | Strategy |
|---|
Four translation strategies
Literal: the name describes the dish and survives translation, as in 清蒸石斑 → Steamed grouper.
Idiomatic: the image does not travel, so the dish is renamed by its story or effect, as in 狮子头 → Lion's head meatball (kept as an image) or 蚂蚁上树 → Ants climbing a tree (kept as a name, explained on the menu).
Phonetic: the sound is kept because the dish is already known abroad, as in 宫保鸡丁 → Kung Pao chicken.
Descriptive: the name is replaced by what the diner needs to know, as in 佛跳墙 → Buddha jumps over the wall (name kept, ingredients explained) or 肉夹馍 → Chinese hamburger.
A good English name answers three questions: what is the main ingredient, how is it cooked, and is it spicy. If a translation answers only one, ask the server before ordering.
Pinyin here is written without tone marks for search convenience. It is not a pronunciation guide for tones.