What Do Chinese People Eat in Summer?

An overseas visitor once claimed that, "I plan to try all food in China within 10 days." This claim is ambitious, as there are so many different kinds of Chinese food that even Chinese people themselves can never try all foods in China.

In July, we are getting ready for the up-coming Middle of Summer. It is such a hot time of the year that there are special foods especially for this season.

Mung Bean Soup绿豆汤(lǜ dòu tānɡ)

• 绿豆(lǜ dòu) mung bean

• 汤(tānɡ) soup

Mung bean soup is not only cool to quench the thirst, it also has heat-clearing and detoxifying effect. People cook Mung bean in water with some rock sugar in it and add some mint leafs to make it cooler. It’s better to put some ice in the soup before you enjoy it.

Chrysanthemum Tea 菊花茶(jú huā chá)

• 菊花(jú huā)

• 茶(chá)

Dry chrysanthemum is common in every Chinese home. Put some of this delicious flower in boiled water to make the tea. It’s suitable for people of all different ages with its pleasant smell as well as the taste.

Salted Duck Eggs 咸鸭蛋(xián yā dàn)

• 咸 (xián) salty

• 鸭蛋(yā dàn) duck eggs

It’s delicious! Many foreigners are not so impressed by the 1 thousand-year-old egg. Don’t worry, salted duck eggs are far more pleasant. The egg white is salty which matches perfectly with porridge. The egg yolk is beautifully red and deliciously oily. It tastes even better than its look.

The above-mentioned foods are delicious and refreshing. They cool down human body in hot summer and helps maintain the body health. They are also super easy to purchase in supermarkets in China.

茶(chá)TEA is one of the characters which conveys ideas and concept. You will find a vivid story behind it. (艹) is called "grass radical" and the bottom part(木) means "wood". So TEA 茶 looks like a person picking tea leaves in the bush (between grass 艹 and 木). 喝(hē) means "drink" so 喝茶(hē chá) is "drinking tea".

Relevant Vocabulary:

• 绿茶(lǜ chá) green tea
• 红茶(hónɡ chá) black tea
• 茶叶(chá yè) tea leaf
• 奶茶(nǎi chá) milk tea

When Chinese people meet each other in the street, they may ask: 你吃了吗(nǐ chī le mɑ)? It is a typical greeting way in China. We can see the importance of eating in China from it. The first unit is about food and drinks. In this Chinese lesson, you will learn how to say different cuisines. And you will also learn diverse kinds of meat dishes and staple food. At last, you will learn how to use想(xiǎnɡ) in different situations. Enjoy your Chinese class!

Core Vocabulary:

• 重要 zhònɡyào important
• 吃的 chīde food
• 喝的 hēde drinks
• 餐 cān food/meal
• 中餐 zhōnɡcān Chinese food
• 西餐 xīcān Western food
• 菜 cài food/cuisine
• 意大利菜 Yìdàlì cài Italian food
• 四川菜 Sìchuān cài Sichuan food
• 荤菜 hūncài meat dish
• 鸡肉 jīròu chicken meat
• 羊肉 yánɡròu mutton
• 鸭肉 yāròu duck meat
• 虾 xiā shrimp
• 主食 zhǔshí staple food
• 包子 bāozi steamed bun
• 饺子 jiǎozi dumpling
• 想 xiǎnɡ want/miss