Foods in Taiwan
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Taiwan menu dictionary

Taiwanese menus are written only in Chinese, but they are built from a small set of words: the meat, how it is cooked, and rice or noodles. Learn to spot a few dozen of them and most menus start to make sense.

Type or paste what you see on the menu into the box. Japanese kanji and Simplified Chinese work too.

How a menu item is built

Most names are a few of the words below put together:

  • 牛肉湯麵=牛肉beef+湯soup, in broth+麵noodles
  • 蝦仁炒飯=蝦仁shelled shrimp+炒stir-fried+飯rice
  • 排骨便當=排骨pork chop or pork ribs+便當bento box
  • 乾麵=乾dry — tossed in sauce, no soup+麵noodles
  • 雞腿飯=雞腿chicken leg+飯rice

Words you will see on menus

Meat, seafood and ingredients

  • 豬肉zhū ròupork
  • 牛肉niú ròubeef
  • 雞肉jī ròuchicken
  • 鴨肉yā ròuduck
  • 羊肉yáng ròulamb, mutton
  • 排骨pái gǔpork chop or pork ribs
  • 雞腿jī tuǐchicken leg
  • 肉絲ròu sīshredded pork
  • 肉燥ròu zàominced pork sauce
  • 大腸dà chángpork intestine
  • 魚yúfish
  • 蝦仁xiā rénshelled shrimp
  • 蚵仔é zǎioysters
  • 花枝huā zhīcuttlefish
  • 魷魚yóu yúsquid
  • 蛤蜊gé líclams
  • 丸wánball — meatball or fish ball
  • 蛋dànegg
  • 豆腐dòu futofu
  • 豆干dòu gānfirm pressed tofu
  • 青菜qīng càileafy greens
  • 高麗菜gāo lì càicabbage
  • 香菜xiāng càicilantro

How it is cooked

  • 炒chǎostir-fried
  • 炸zhàdeep-fried
  • 滷lǔbraised in soy sauce
  • 燉dùnslow-stewed
  • 烤kǎogrilled, roasted
  • 煎jiānpan-fried
  • 蒸zhēngsteamed
  • 燙tàngblanched
  • 乾gāndry — tossed in sauce, no soup
  • 湯tāngsoup, in broth
  • 羹gēngthick soup
  • 拌bàntossed, mixed
  • 涼liángserved cold
  • 酥sūcrispy-fried
  • 麻辣má lànumbing and spicy (Sichuan)

Rice, noodles and dumplings

  • 飯fànrice
  • 麵miànnoodles
  • 米粉mǐ fěnrice vermicelli
  • 冬粉dōng fěnglass noodles
  • 粄條bǎn tiáoflat rice noodles
  • 意麵yì miànfried egg noodles
  • 麵線miàn xiànthin wheat vermicelli
  • 粥zhōurice porridge
  • 水餃shuǐ jiǎoboiled dumplings
  • 餛飩hún tunwontons
  • 便當biàn dāngbento box
  • 包bāosteamed bun

Portions and extras

  • 大碗dà wǎnlarge bowl
  • 小碗xiǎo wǎnsmall bowl
  • 盤pánplate
  • 份fènportion
  • 加蛋jiā dànadd an egg
  • 加麵jiā miànextra noodles
  • 套餐tào cānset meal
  • 單點dān diǎnà la carte
  • 時價shí jiàmarket price — ask first
  • 小菜xiǎo càismall side dishes

Taste and requests

  • 辣làspicy
  • 不辣bú lànot spicy
  • 小辣xiǎo làmildly spicy
  • 不要香菜bú yào xiāng càino cilantro
  • 不要蔥bú yào cōngno spring onion
  • 素食sù shívegetarian
  • 清真qīng zhēnhalal
  • 甜tiánsweet
  • 鹹xiánsalty, savoury

At the drink stand

  • 冰bīngiced
  • 熱rèhot
  • 去冰qù bīngno ice
  • 少冰shǎo bīngless ice
  • 全糖quán tángfull sugar
  • 半糖bàn tánghalf sugar
  • 微糖wēi tánga little sugar
  • 無糖wú tángno sugar
  • 鮮奶xiān nǎifresh milk
  • 奶茶nǎi chámilk tea
  • 珍珠zhēn zhūtapioca pearls

Ordering and paying

  • 內用nèi yòngeat in
  • 外帶wài dàitake away
  • 結帳jié zhàngpay the bill
  • 只收現金zhǐ shōu xiàn jīncash only
  • 售完shòu wánsold out
  • 公休gōng xiūclosed today (regular day off)

Every dish on this site

Tap a name for pictures and details, or the map button to find it near you.

Rice & Braised Dishes

Noodles & Dumplings

Meat & Seafood

Taiwanese Snacks

Hot Pots & Soups

Desserts & Sweets

Drinks

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