Traditional Chinese Food Vocabulary: 140+ Real-Life Words

Food vocabulary is one of the fastest ways to make Mandarin feel useful. Not “useful someday.” Useful right now, like when you are staring at a menu and pretending you absolutely knew what 小菜 was supposed to mean.

For the broader learning path, visit our parent guide.

In Taiwan, food words show up everywhere: night markets, lunch boxes, convenience stores, family meals, cafés, and that very serious moment when someone asks, 你要喝湯嗎？ You will learn the everyday words people actually use, not the dusty textbook stuff that nobody says while ordering fried chicken.

We will keep this in Traditional Chinese, with pinyin and simple English meanings. For a reliable reference on writing and usage, you can also check the 教育部重編國語辭典修訂本 or the Cambridge Dictionary for general word-learning structure. Because sometimes boring sources are exactly the helpful ones.

Table of Contents

Quick Food Starter Pack

If you only learn a few words first, make them these. They unlock a lot of menus, shopping trips, and casual conversation.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	English Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
食物	shíwù	food	這家餐廳的食物很好吃。	Zhè jiā cāntīng de shíwù hěn hǎochī.	The food at this restaurant is very tasty.
菜單	càidān	menu	可以給我菜單嗎？	Kěyǐ gěi wǒ càidān ma?	Can you give me the menu?
點餐	diǎncān	to order food	我先點餐，再找位子。	Wǒ xiān diǎncān, zài zhǎo wèizi.	I’ll order first, then find a seat.
便當	biàndāng	lunch box / boxed meal	我今天中午吃雞腿便當。	Wǒ jīntiān zhōngwǔ chī jītuǐ biàndāng.	Today I’m eating a chicken leg lunch box for lunch.
早餐	zǎocān	breakfast	我通常在早餐店買早餐。	Wǒ tōngcháng zài zǎocāndiàn mǎi zǎocān.	I usually buy breakfast at a breakfast shop.
午餐	wǔcān	lunch	我們一起吃午餐吧。	Wǒmen yìqǐ chī wǔcān ba.	Let’s eat lunch together.
晚餐	wǎncān	dinner	晚餐你想吃什麼？	Wǎncān nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?	What do you want to eat for dinner?
飲料	yǐnliào	drink / beverage	你要什麼飲料？	Nǐ yào shénme yǐnliào?	What drink do you want?

Useful Food Words

This is where the menu panic starts to calm down. These words cover the main things you eat, drink, and see in everyday Taiwan life.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
米飯	mǐfàn	rice	我想多一點米飯。	Wǒ xiǎng duō yīdiǎn mǐfàn.	I want a little more rice.
麵	miàn	noodles	這碗麵很香。	Zhè wǎn miàn hěn xiāng.	This bowl of noodles smells great.
湯	tāng	soup	這個湯有點燙。	Zhège tāng yǒudiǎn tàng.	This soup is a little hot.
水	shuǐ	water	請給我一杯水。	Qǐng gěi wǒ yì bēi shuǐ.	Please give me a glass of water.
茶	chá	tea	我喜歡喝熱茶。	Wǒ xǐhuān hē rè chá.	I like to drink hot tea.
咖啡	kāfēi	coffee	他每天早上都喝咖啡。	Tā měitiān zǎoshang dōu hē kāfēi.	He drinks coffee every morning.
果汁	guǒzhī	juice	小朋友通常喜歡果汁。	Xiǎopéngyǒu tōngcháng xǐhuān guǒzhī.	Kids usually like juice.
牛奶	niúnǎi	milk	我早餐常喝牛奶。	Wǒ zǎocān cháng hē niúnǎi.	I often drink milk for breakfast.
豆漿	dòujiāng	soy milk	我喜歡熱豆漿加蛋餅。	Wǒ xǐhuān rè dòujiāng jiā dànbǐng.	I like hot soy milk with egg pancakes.
滷肉飯	lǔròufàn	braised pork rice	滷肉飯是台灣很經典的食物。	Lǔròufàn shì Táiwān hěn jīngdiǎn de shíwù.	Braised pork rice is a classic Taiwanese food.
炒飯	chǎofàn	fried rice	我今天想吃蛋炒飯。	Wǒ jīntiān xiǎng chī dàn chǎofàn.	I want egg fried rice today.
炒麵	chǎomiàn	fried noodles	這家的炒麵很有名。	Zhè jiā de chǎomiàn hěn yǒumíng.	This place’s fried noodles are famous.
水餃	shuǐjiǎo	dumplings	我要一盤水餃。	Wǒ yào yì pán shuǐjiǎo.	I want one plate of dumplings.
湯圓	tāngyuán	sweet glutinous rice balls in soup	冬天很多人愛吃湯圓。	Dōngtiān hěn duō rén ài chī tāngyuán.	Many people like to eat tangyuan in winter.
餅乾	bǐnggān	cookies / biscuits	我買了一包餅乾。	Wǒ mǎile yì bāo bǐnggān.	I bought a bag of cookies.

Meat, Seafood, And Protein

These are useful when you want to know what is in the dish, or when you are trying to avoid something and do not want a surprise pork situation.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
豬肉	zhūròu	pork	這道菜有豬肉嗎？	Zhè dào cài yǒu zhūròu ma?	Does this dish have pork?
牛肉	niúròu	beef	我很喜歡牛肉麵。	Wǒ hěn xǐhuān niúròu miàn.	I really like beef noodles.
雞肉	jīròu	chicken	我點了雞肉飯。	Wǒ diǎnle jīròu fàn.	I ordered chicken rice.
鴨肉	yāròu	duck	這裡的鴨肉很嫩。	Zhèlǐ de yāròu hěn nèn.	The duck here is very tender.
魚	yú	fish	今天的魚很新鮮。	Jīntiān de yú hěn xīnxiān.	Today’s fish is very fresh.
蝦	xiā	shrimp	我不太吃蝦。	Wǒ bú tài chī xiā.	I do not really eat shrimp.
螃蟹	pángxiè	crab	秋天很適合吃螃蟹。	Qiūtiān hěn shìhé chī pángxiè.	Autumn is great for eating crab.
蛋	dàn	egg	我早餐想吃蛋。	Wǒ zǎocān xiǎng chī dàn.	I want to eat eggs for breakfast.
豆腐	dòufu	tofu	麻婆豆腐很好吃。	Mápó dòufu hěn hǎochī.	Mapo tofu is very tasty.
排骨	páigǔ	pork chop / ribs	這個排骨很香。	Zhège páigǔ hěn xiāng.	This pork chop smells great.
香腸	xiāngcháng	sausage	夜市常常有烤香腸。	Yèshì chángcháng yǒu kǎo xiāngcháng.	Night markets often have grilled sausage.
滷蛋	lǔdàn	braised egg	我想加一顆滷蛋。	Wǒ xiǎng jiā yì kē lǔdàn.	I want to add one braised egg.
雞腿	jītuǐ	chicken leg	雞腿便當很受歡迎。	Jītuǐ biàndāng hěn shòu huānyíng.	Chicken leg lunch boxes are very popular.
鮭魚	guīyú	salmon	這家壽司有鮭魚。	Zhè jiā shòusī yǒu guīyú.	This sushi place has salmon.
海鮮	hǎixiān	seafood	我今天想吃海鮮炒麵。	Wǒ jīntiān xiǎng chī hǎixiān chǎomiàn.	I want seafood fried noodles today.

Vegetables, Fruit, And Sides

Vegetables are not just the stuff adults wave at you and call “healthy.” They are also everywhere in home cooking and lunch shops.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
青菜	qīngcài	leafy greens / vegetables	我想多一份青菜。	Wǒ xiǎng duō yí fèn qīngcài.	I want one more serving of greens.
高麗菜	gāolìcài	cabbage	高麗菜很適合炒肉絲。	Gāolìcài hěn shìhé chǎo ròusī.	Cabbage is great for stir-frying with shredded meat.
空心菜	kōngxīncài	water spinach	我最愛蒜炒空心菜。	Wǒ zuì ài suàn chǎo kōngxīncài.	I love water spinach stir-fried with garlic.
菠菜	bōcài	spinach	菠菜湯很清爽。	Bōcài tāng hěn qīngshuǎng.	Spinach soup is light and refreshing.
胡蘿蔔	húluóbo	carrot	胡蘿蔔切絲比較好熟。	Húluóbo qiēsī bǐjiào hǎo shú.	Carrots cook better when shredded.
馬鈴薯	mǎlíngshǔ	potato	我喜歡馬鈴薯燉肉。	Wǒ xǐhuān mǎlíngshǔ dùn ròu.	I like braised meat with potatoes.
番茄	fānqié	tomato	番茄炒蛋很下飯。	Fānqié chǎodàn hěn xiàfàn.	Tomato and egg is great with rice.
玉米	yùmǐ	corn	夜市常常賣烤玉米。	Yèshì chángcháng mài kǎo yùmǐ.	Night markets often sell grilled corn.
豆芽	dòuyá	bean sprouts	豆芽炒麵很常見。	Dòuyá chǎomiàn hěn chángjiàn.	Bean sprout stir-fried noodles are common.
水果	shuǐguǒ	fruit	我每天都吃水果。	Wǒ měitiān dōu chī shuǐguǒ.	I eat fruit every day.
香蕉	xiāngjiāo	banana	香蕉很方便帶出門。	Xiāngjiāo hěn fāngbiàn dài chūmén.	Bananas are convenient to take out.
蘋果	píngguǒ	apple	我今天買了兩個蘋果。	Wǒ jīntiān mǎile liǎng gè píngguǒ.	I bought two apples today.
芒果	mángguǒ	mango	台灣的芒果很甜。	Táiwān de mángguǒ hěn tián.	Taiwan’s mangoes are very sweet.
西瓜	xīguā	watermelon	夏天吃西瓜最舒服。	Xiàtiān chī xīguā zuì shūfu.	Eating watermelon in summer feels best.
鳳梨	fènglí	pineapple	我喜歡吃鳳梨。	Wǒ xǐhuān chī fènglí.	I like eating pineapple.

Taste, Texture, And Cooking Words

These words help you describe food instead of just saying “good.” Which, yes, is fine, but also not very exciting.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
好吃	hǎochī	tasty	這個很好吃。	Zhège hěn hǎochī.	This is very tasty.
難吃	nánchī	not tasty / bad-tasting	這道菜有點難吃。	Zhè dào cài yǒudiǎn nánchī.	This dish tastes a bit bad.
香	xiāng	fragrant / smells good	這個湯很香。	Zhège tāng hěn xiāng.	This soup smells great.
辣	là	spicy	我不太吃辣。	Wǒ bú tài chī là.	I do not eat very spicy food.
甜	tián	sweet	這杯奶茶很甜。	Zhè bēi nǎichá hěn tián.	This cup of milk tea is very sweet.
鹹	xián	salty	這道菜有點鹹。	Zhè dào cài yǒudiǎn xián.	This dish is a bit salty.
酸	suān	sour	這個檸檬很酸。	Zhège níngméng hěn suān.	This lemon is very sour.
苦	kǔ	bitter	這杯茶有點苦。	Zhè bēi chá yǒudiǎn kǔ.	This cup of tea is a little bitter.
脆	cuì	crispy / crunchy	這個炸雞很脆。	Zhège zhájī hěn cuì.	This fried chicken is crispy.
軟	ruǎn	soft	這個麵包很軟。	Zhège miànbāo hěn ruǎn.	This bread is soft.
嫩	nèn	tender	這塊雞肉很嫩。	Zhè kuài jīròu hěn nèn.	This piece of chicken is tender.
熱	rè	hot	小心，這碗湯很熱。	Xiǎoxīn, zhè wǎn tāng hěn rè.	Be careful, this bowl of soup is very hot.
冷	lěng	cold	我想喝冷飲。	Wǒ xiǎng hē lěngyǐn.	I want a cold drink.
新鮮	xīnxiān	fresh	這裡的海鮮很新鮮。	Zhèlǐ de hǎixiān hěn xīnxiān.	The seafood here is very fresh.
油	yóu	oily	這道菜有點油。	Zhè dào cài yǒudiǎn yóu.	This dish is a bit oily.

Taiwan-Style Eating Words

These are especially handy in Taiwan, where food is basically a national sport and everyone has a strong opinion about breakfast.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
早餐店	zǎocāndiàn	breakfast shop	我每天都去早餐店。	Wǒ měitiān dōu qù zǎocāndiàn.	I go to the breakfast shop every day.
夜市	yèshì	night market	我們晚上去夜市吃東西。	Wǒmen wǎnshang qù yèshì chī dōngxi.	We go to the night market to eat at night.
小吃	xiǎochī	snacks / street food	這條街有很多小吃。	Zhè tiáo jiē yǒu hěn duō xiǎochī.	This street has a lot of snacks.
攤位	tānwèi	stall / booth	那個攤位賣臭豆腐。	Nà ge tānwèi mài chòudòufu.	That stall sells stinky tofu.
排隊	páiduì	to line up	這家店總是很多人排隊。	Zhè jiā diàn zǒngshì hěn duō rén páiduì.	This shop always has a long line.
外帶	wàidài	to take out / takeaway	我要外帶一杯珍奶。	Wǒ yào wàidài yì bēi zhēnnǎi.	I want to take away one bubble tea.
內用	nèiyòng	dine in	這裡可以內用嗎？	Zhèlǐ kěyǐ nèiyòng ma?	Can I eat here?
加辣	jiā là	add spicy sauce / make it spicy	我要加辣。	Wǒ yào jiā là.	I want it spicy.
少冰	shǎo bīng	less ice	我的飲料要少冰。	Wǒ de yǐnliào yào shǎo bīng.	I want less ice in my drink.
微糖	wēitáng	slightly sweet	我喜歡微糖豆漿。	Wǒ xǐhuān wēitáng dòujiāng.	I like slightly sweet soy milk.
半糖	bàntáng	half sugar	請給我半糖奶茶。	Qǐng gěi wǒ bàntáng nǎichá.	Please give me half-sugar milk tea.
全糖	quántáng	full sugar	年輕人有時候會點全糖。	Niánqīngrén yǒushíhòu huì diǎn quántáng.	Young people sometimes order full sugar.
珍珠	zhēnzhū	boba / tapioca pearls	我想加珍珠。	Wǒ xiǎng jiā zhēnzhū.	I want to add boba pearls.
奶茶	nǎichá	milk tea	台灣的奶茶選擇很多。	Táiwān de nǎichá xuǎnzé hěn duō.	Taiwan has many milk tea choices.
便當店	biàndāngdiàn	lunch box shop	這家便當店中午很多人。	Zhè jiā biàndāngdiàn zhōngwǔ hěn duō rén.	This lunch box shop is busy at noon.

Restaurant And Ordering Phrases

These are the lines that save you from awkward pointing and heroic guesswork.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
我想要…	wǒ xiǎng yào…	I want…	我想要一份牛肉麵。	Wǒ xiǎng yào yí fèn niúròu miàn.	I want one serving of beef noodles.
請給我…	qǐng gěi wǒ…	Please give me…	請給我一杯冰水。	Qǐng gěi wǒ yì bēi bīng shuǐ.	Please give me a glass of ice water.
這個多少錢？	zhè ge duōshǎo qián?	How much is this?	這個多少錢？	Zhè ge duōshǎo qián?	How much is this?
可以內用嗎？	kěyǐ nèiyòng ma?	Can I dine in?	這裡可以內用嗎？	Zhèlǐ kěyǐ nèiyòng ma?	Can I dine in here?
我要外帶。	Wǒ yào wàidài.	I want to take away.	不好意思，我要外帶。	Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ yào wàidài.	Excuse me, I want to take away.
不要辣。	Bú yào là.	No spicy sauce.	我的要不要辣。	Wǒ de yào bú yào là.	Mine should not be spicy.
少冰、半糖。	shǎo bīng, bàntáng	less ice, half sugar	我要少冰、半糖。	Wǒ yào shǎo bīng, bàntáng.	I want less ice and half sugar.
加一份…	jiā yí fèn…	add one serving of…	可以加一份青菜嗎？	Kěyǐ jiā yí fèn qīngcài ma?	Can I add one serving of vegetables?
這樣就好。	zhèyàng jiù hǎo	That’s fine.	不用加蛋，這樣就好。	Bú yòng jiā dàn, zhèyàng jiù hǎo.	No egg needed, that’s fine.
可以刷卡嗎？	kěyǐ shuākǎ ma?	Can I pay by card?	這裡可以刷卡嗎？	Zhèlǐ kěyǐ shuākǎ ma?	Can I pay by card here?
請問有素食嗎？	qǐngwèn yǒu sùshí ma?	Do you have vegetarian food?	請問有素食嗎？	Qǐngwèn yǒu sùshí ma?	Do you have vegetarian food?
我要一張外帶袋。	Wǒ yào yì zhāng wàidài dài.	I want a takeout bag.	不好意思，我要一張外帶袋。	Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ yào yì zhāng wàidài dài.	Excuse me, I want a takeout bag.

Common Grammar Bits In Food Talk

Food words do not just sit there. They mix with useful grammar, and suddenly you can say a lot more than “rice good.” Helpful, right?

Pattern	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Pinyin	English
一份 + noun	one serving of	我要一份炒飯。	Wǒ yào yí fèn chǎofàn.	I want one serving of fried rice.
一杯 + drink	one cup/glass of	請給我一杯咖啡。	Qǐng gěi wǒ yì bēi kāfēi.	Please give me a cup of coffee.
一碗 + soup/noodles/rice	one bowl of	我想吃一碗湯麵。	Wǒ xiǎng chī yì wǎn tāngmiàn.	I want to eat one bowl of noodle soup.
一盤 + shared dish	one plate of	我們點一盤水餃吧。	Wǒmen diǎn yì pán shuǐjiǎo ba.	Let’s order one plate of dumplings.
很 + adjective	very…	這個滷蛋很香。	Zhège lǔdàn hěn xiāng.	This braised egg smells great.
有點 + adjective	a little bit…	這個湯有點鹹。	Zhège tāng yǒudiǎn xián.	This soup is a little salty.
太 + adjective + 了	too…	這個飲料太甜了。	Zhège yǐnliào tài tián le.	This drink is too sweet.
…嗎？	yes/no question	這裡有素食嗎？	Zhèlǐ yǒu sùshí ma?	Do you have vegetarian food here?
…吧	suggestion / soft ending	我們吃飯吧。	Wǒmen chīfàn ba.	Let’s eat.
…了	completed action / change	我已經吃飽了。	Wǒ yǐjīng chībǎo le.	I’m already full.

One tiny note: 一 changes tone depending on what comes after it. 一杯 is usually yì bēi, not yī bēi. Mandarin likes to keep learners alert. Very generous of it.

Word Groups That Help You Read Menus

Menus often combine a main food with a style, cooking method, or extra topping. Once you see the pattern, things get much less mysterious.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
牛肉麵	niúròu miàn	beef noodle soup	我每週都吃一次牛肉麵。	Wǒ měi zhōu dōu chī yí cì niúròu miàn.	I eat beef noodle soup once a week.
雞肉飯	jīròu fàn	chicken rice	這裡的雞肉飯很有名。	Zhèlǐ de jīròu fàn hěn yǒumíng.	The chicken rice here is famous.
蛋炒飯	dàn chǎofàn	egg fried rice	我想點蛋炒飯。	Wǒ xiǎng diǎn dàn chǎofàn.	I want to order egg fried rice.
蒸餃	zhēngjiǎo	steamed dumplings	蒸餃比水餃更清淡。	Zhēngjiǎo bǐ shuǐjiǎo gèng qīngdàn.	Steamed dumplings are lighter than boiled dumplings.
炸雞	zhájī	fried chicken	我今天很想吃炸雞。	Wǒ jīntiān hěn xiǎng chī zhájī.	I really want fried chicken today.
滷味	lǔwèi	braised snack food	晚上我買了一些滷味。	Wǎnshang wǒ mǎile yìxiē lǔwèi.	Tonight I bought some braised snacks.
烤肉	kǎoròu	barbecue / grilled meat	中秋節很多人會烤肉。	Zhōngqiū Jié hěn duō rén huì kǎoròu.	Many people barbecue during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
鍋貼	guōtiē	pan-fried dumplings	鍋貼很適合當晚餐。	Guōtiē hěn shìhé dāng wǎncān.	Pan-fried dumplings are great for dinner.
蔥油餅	cōngyóubǐng	scallion pancake	早餐店常賣蔥油餅。	Zǎocāndiàn cháng mài cōngyóubǐng.	Breakfast shops often sell scallion pancakes.
臭豆腐	chòudòufu	stinky tofu	夜市的臭豆腐味道很強。	Yèshì de chòudòufu wèidào hěn qiáng.	The stinky tofu at the night market has a strong smell.
珍珠奶茶	zhēnzhū nǎichá	bubble milk tea	我朋友每天都喝珍珠奶茶。	Wǒ péngyǒu měitiān dōu hē zhēnzhū nǎichá.	My friend drinks bubble milk tea every day.
豆花	dòuhuā	tofu pudding	我喜歡吃熱豆花。	Wǒ xǐhuān chī rè dòuhuā.	I like eating hot tofu pudding.

Common Mistakes And Quick Fixes

Food vocabulary is friendly, but a few words still trip people up. Small error, small embarrassment. We have all been there.

Common Mistake	Why It’s Wrong	Better Version	Example
我想吃飯。 for “I want to eat rice”	吃飯 often means “eat a meal,” not only rice.	我想吃米飯。	我想吃米飯。 / Wǒ xiǎng chī mǐfàn. / I want to eat rice.
我要熱水嗎？	This sounds like you are asking yourself.	我要熱水。 or 可以給我熱水嗎？	可以給我熱水嗎？ / Kěyǐ gěi wǒ rè shuǐ ma? / Can I have hot water?
辣辣	Repeated adjectives are not used this way for ordinary taste words.	很辣 or 有點辣	這個很辣。 / Zhège hěn là. / This is very spicy.
一個水	水 usually takes a drink measure word.	一杯水	請給我一杯水。 / Qǐng gěi wǒ yì bēi shuǐ. / Please give me a glass of water.
很好吃的菜 every time	It is fine, but repeating it too much gets boring.	Use 香, 脆, 嫩, 清爽 too.	這個炸雞很脆。 / Zhège zhájī hěn cuì. / This fried chicken is crispy.

Also, 兩 is usually used before measure words for counted items: 兩杯茶, 兩個蘋果. You will see 二 more in phone numbers, addresses, or formal counting. Language: picky, but not impossible.

Mini Practice

Try these out. Food words become much easier when your brain has to do a tiny bit of work. Very rude, but effective.

Fill in the blank: 請給我一杯＿＿。 (tea / coffee / water)
Translate: 我想要一份牛肉麵。
Say it in Mandarin: “This soup is too salty.”
Choose the right word: 一碗 or 一杯 for 奶茶?
Say a polite order: Can I dine in here?
Translate: 我不太吃辣。
Say it in Mandarin: “I want less ice and half sugar.”
Choose the right word: 滷肉飯 or 牛肉麵 if you want braised pork rice.

Extra Useful Food Words

Here is the bigger pile. Not glamorous, but very practical. The more words you know, the less you need to rely on pointing at a menu like a lost tourist with great shoes.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
早餐	zǎocān	breakfast	我還沒吃早餐。	Wǒ hái méi chī zǎocān.	I have not eaten breakfast yet.
午餐	wǔcān	lunch	午餐吃得很簡單。	Wǔcān chī de hěn jiǎndān.	Lunch is simple.
晚餐	wǎncān	dinner	晚餐我想早點吃。	Wǎncān wǒ xiǎng zǎodiǎn chī.	I want to eat dinner early.
宵夜	xiāoyè	late-night snack	我們去吃宵夜吧。	Wǒmen qù chī xiāoyè ba.	Let’s go get a late-night snack.
甜點	tiándiǎn	dessert	飯後我想吃甜點。	Fànhòu wǒ xiǎng chī tiándiǎn.	I want dessert after the meal.
冰淇淋	bīngqílín	ice cream	我夏天很愛吃冰淇淋。	Wǒ xiàtiān hěn ài chī bīngqílín.	I love eating ice cream in summer.
蛋糕	dàngāo	cake	生日要吃蛋糕。	Shēngrì yào chī dàngāo.	You need cake for a birthday.
麵包	miànbāo	bread	我買了麵包當早餐。	Wǒ mǎile miànbāo dāng zǎocān.	I bought bread for breakfast.
三明治	sānmíngzhì	sandwich	便利商店有三明治。	Biànlì shāngdiàn yǒu sānmíngzhì.	Convenience stores have sandwiches.
火腿	huǒtuǐ	ham	這個三明治有火腿。	Zhège sānmíngzhì yǒu huǒtuǐ.	This sandwich has ham.
起司	qǐsī	cheese	我想加起司。	Wǒ xiǎng jiā qǐsī.	I want to add cheese.
沙拉	shālā	salad	我中午吃沙拉。	Wǒ zhōngwǔ chī shālā.	I eat salad at noon.
炒	chǎo	stir-fry	這道菜是炒青菜。	Zhè dào cài shì chǎo qīngcài.	This dish is stir-fried greens.
煮	zhǔ	boil / cook	媽媽在煮湯。	Māma zài zhǔ tāng.	Mom is cooking soup.
蒸	zhēng	steam	這個包子是蒸的。	Zhège bāozi shì zhēng de.	This bun is steamed.
炸	zhá	deep-fry	這家店專賣炸物。	Zhè jiā diàn zhuānmài zháwù.	This shop specializes in fried food.
烤	kǎo	grill / roast	我喜歡烤雞翅。	Wǒ xǐhuān kǎo jīchì.	I like grilled chicken wings.
煎	jiān	pan-fry	我早餐常吃煎蛋。	Wǒ zǎocān cháng chī jiān dàn.	I often eat fried eggs for breakfast.
拌	bàn	mix / toss	我想吃涼拌小黃瓜。	Wǒ xiǎng chī liángbàn xiǎohuángguā.	I want to eat chilled cucumber salad.
醬油	jiàngyóu	soy sauce	這個便當有醬油味。	Zhège biàndāng yǒu jiàngyóu wèi.	This lunch box has soy sauce flavor.
醬料	jiàngliào	sauce / condiment	請問有什麼醬料？	Qǐngwèn yǒu shénme jiàngliào?	What sauces do you have?
醋	cù	vinegar	我喜歡加醋。	Wǒ xǐhuān jiā cù.	I like to add vinegar.
鹽	yán	salt	這湯不用再加鹽了。	Zhè tāng bú yòng zài jiā yán le.	This soup does not need more salt.
糖	táng	sugar	他不太吃糖。	Tā bú tài chī táng.	He does not eat much sugar.
胡椒	hújiāo	pepper	可以加一點胡椒嗎？	Kěyǐ jiā yìdiǎn hújiāo ma?	Can I add a little pepper?
醬油膏	jiàngyóugāo	thick soy sauce	我喜歡配醬油膏吃水餃。	Wǒ xǐhuān pèi jiàngyóugāo chī shuǐjiǎo.	I like eating dumplings with thick soy sauce.
辣椒	làjiāo	chili pepper	桌上有辣椒醬嗎？	Zhuō shàng yǒu làjiāo jiàng ma?	Is there chili sauce on the table?
香菜	xiāngcài	cilantro / coriander	我不要香菜。	Wǒ bú yào xiāngcài.	I do not want cilantro.
蔥	cōng	scallion / green onion	我喜歡加蔥。	Wǒ xǐhuān jiā cōng.	I like to add scallions.
蒜	suàn	garlic	這道菜很多蒜。	Zhè dào cài hěn duō suàn.	This dish has a lot of garlic.
醃	yān	marinate / pickle	這個肉有先醃過。	Zhège ròu yǒu xiān yān guò.	This meat was marinated first.
泡菜	pàocài	pickled vegetables / kimchi	我喜歡韓式泡菜。	Wǒ xǐhuān Hánshì pàocài.	I like Korean-style kimchi.
小菜	xiǎocài	side dish	這家店的小菜很多。	Zhè jiā diàn de xiǎocài hěn duō.	This shop has many side dishes.
湯匙	tāngchí	spoon	請給我一支湯匙。	Qǐng gěi wǒ yì zhī tāngchí.	Please give me a spoon.
筷子	kuàizi	chopsticks	我會用筷子。	Wǒ huì yòng kuàizi.	I can use chopsticks.
碗	wǎn	bowl	這個碗很乾淨。	Zhège wǎn hěn gānjìng.	This bowl is very clean.
盤子	pánzi	plate	請把盤子收走。	Qǐng bǎ pánzi shōu zǒu.	Please take the plate away.
杯子	bēizi	cup / glass	杯子裡有茶。	Bēizi lǐ yǒu chá.	There is tea in the cup.
餐廳	cāntīng	restaurant	這家餐廳很受歡迎。	Zhè jiā cāntīng hěn shòu huānyíng.	This restaurant is very popular.
料理	liàolǐ	cuisine / cooking	我喜歡日本料理。	Wǒ xǐhuān Rìběn liàolǐ.	I like Japanese cuisine.

For a related lesson, it helps to pair this page with Chinese Food in Trad Chinese and Kitchen Vocab in Trad Chinese. If you are moving around town to find food, Transportation Vocab in Trad Chinese is also handy. Because apparently you do need a way to get to the noodles.

Yak Takeaway

If you learn food vocabulary first, Mandarin becomes instantly more alive. You can order, ask, compare, and survive menu chaos with much more confidence. Start with the basics, then add taste words, cooking words, and Taiwan-style phrases. Before long, you will not just recognize food words — you will actually know what to do with them. Which is, honestly, the whole point.