[Tips] Common Terminology in Chinese Cooking Methods

Got trouble when you want to explain the normal terms used in cooking Chinese cuisine?

Or want to warm up with starting your Chinese cooking?

You might need this video and table~

 

Chinese Cooking Term	Pronunciation in Pin Yin	English Equivalent
煮	Zhu	Cook/boil.
煎	Jian	Pan-fry or shallow fry.
炒	Chao	Stir-fry.
蒸	Zheng	Steam.
炸	Zha	Deep fry.
拌/撈	Ban/Lao, when said in Cantonese	The technique of mixing sauces and oil into cooked noodle as seasoning, for example dry wonton noodle. Noodle is first boiled in boiling water, drained and placed onto a plate where cooked oil and soya sauce are added, then tossed and mixed well into the noodle. Can also mean tossing salad in its dressing, or adding sauce to rice.
灼	Zhuo	A very basic technique especially in Cantonese cooking, where food (such as whole chicken or prawns) is simply cooked in boiling water or soup then drained and served. Works best with fresh meat, not frozen.
烤	Kao	Roast.
焗	Ju	Bake, usually in foil or paper.
烘	Hong	Normal baking or toasting process.
燒	Shao	Braising technique which begins with high heat, then low to cook through, followed by high heat again to reduce the sauce. In another context: Grill.
燉	Dun	Double-boil. Where all the ingredients are placed with water (enough to cover all the ingredients or more) in a covered ceramic casserole, which is then placed over boiling water in another bigger pot to steam for several hours. Usually used for delicacies such as bird's nest soup, herbal chicken soup, etc.
爆	Bao	A quick frying method, using less oil than deep-frying, to get food in crispy texture and not over cooked. For example the 'browning' of meats and crispy onions.
涮	Shua	Fondue, or "steamboat" in some Asian countries, where food is thinly sliced and cooked by dipping it into boiling soup, and to be eaten on the spot.
燜	Men	A stewing or braising process, in which case the ingredients are fried with oil, then transferred into another pot (usually a clay pot) to be cooked on low heat, with the lid on.
煨	Wei	Stew. This technique is very close to the English stewing technique, but without using an oven.
燻	Xun	Smoke, by placing food on a stand in the pot over the stove, with smoking ingredients such as spices or tealeaves underneath the stand.
燴	Hui	Also referred to as "braise", but with starchy gravy.
溜	Liu	Stir-fry with starchy gravy.