Best translations for these Chinese foodstuffs.

[count_zero]

I wonder if anyone has any bright ideas for the best way to translate these Chinese foods into English?

柴鸡. “small chicken” is the best I can think of.

豆腐脑. Jellied bean curd. Sounds a bit old fashioned, but this is the only term I know.

山楂. Haws. Just don’t say it out loud.

韭花. I think this might be “flowering Chinese chives” but I could be wrong.

灵芝. I think I’d call this “Lingzhi fungus” rather than the abstruse Latin term.

Is there a better term than “crisscrossed” that is used for squid and kidneys like this:

http://img2.cache.netease.com/henan/2012/2/15/20120215102823ebbb7.jpg

Is there a better term than “kebab grill” for 烧烤炉子?

http://img.bimg.126.net/photo/vKwhEbaU6KacM0Tr0bA-Qg==/5715349402109919723.jpg

[imron]

豆腐脑. Jellied bean curd. Sounds a bit old fashioned, but this is the only term I know.

I like to call this tofu brains

[Kenny同志]

Another thing which probably doesn't have a good English name: 千張, also known as 豆腐皮 in northern China.

[count_zero]

Kenny, you are not helping.

I've already got enough on my plate!

[Kenny同志]

Haha, I am sorry but my English is limited. I have a good idea for you though: take a picture of each of the above things and when you try to explain them to your friends who don't know Chinese, use their Chinese names and show them the pictures.

[skylee]

I believe 千張 is also called 百葉 (same idea really). I wonder if it can be translated to Chinese mille feuille or soy/bean mille feuille. Probably not.

And deep fried 腐皮 (beancurd sheet) is called 響鈴, a very nice name imho.

[anonymoose]

山楂. Haws. Just don’t say it out loud.

Hawthorn? But if that's what it's called, then that's what it's called. What would you call "haw" in English, if you don't want to call it "haw"?

[count_zero]

> Hawthorn? But if that's what it's called, then that's what it's called. What would you call "haw" in English, if you don't want to call it "haw"?

看不懂。

[Kobo-Daishi]

Count Zero wrote:

柴鸡. “small chicken” is the best I can think of.

豆腐脑. Jellied bean curd. Sounds a bit old fashioned, but this is the only term I know.

山楂. Haws. Just don’t say it out loud.

韭花. I think this might be “flowering Chinese chives” but I could be wrong.

灵芝. I think I’d call this “Lingzhi fungus” rather than the abstruse Latin term.

Is there a better term than “crisscrossed” that is used for squid and kidneys like this:

http://img2.cache.ne...102823ebbb7.jpg

Is there a better term than “kebab grill” for 烧烤炉子?

http://img.bimg.126....02109919723.jpg

Don't know if you just want to describe the dishes to friends or to write as an item on a menu, but, "chicken" should be sufficient. Or else "a small bodied variety of chicken that lays small eggs and has no feathers on its legs?"

For 豆腐脑, try "tofu pudding". Add "savory" to distinguish from the sweet dessert.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douhua

For 山楂, try "Chinese hawthorn berries".

http://www.google.co...awthorn berries

For 韭花, "flowering Chinese chives" is adequate. Coincidentally, I made some with eggs not long ago. I had bought a few dozen during the Easter sale. Though not a Christian, not one to miss a sale.

They come in bunches either with or without the flower buds on top.

For 灵芝, I'd go for "Lingzhi mushrooms" sounds better than "fungus".

For the squid and kidneys, unless you're describing the cooking technique, I don't know why "squid" and "kidney" wouldn't be enough. Otherwise say you "score them in a criss cross pattern before cooking".

Can't see the image for the oven. Is it like a tandoori oven? Or like one of those bbq grills that they use at street markets?

Kobo.

[陳德聰]

I think 韭花 is called "chive blossoms".

[Angelina]

Hawthorn? But if that's what it's called, then that's what it's called. What would you call "haw" in English, if you don't want to call it "haw"?

She/he is afraid haw sounds the same as 'ho' and saying it would be obsene.

[Ruben von Zwack]

Or "horse"

[Demonic_Duck]

In non-rhotic dialects of British English it sounds exactly the same as "whore", I think that's what s/he is getting at.

[大肚男]

Crisscrossed food is sometimes called "scored"

The grill is BBQ grill

[anonymoose]

I know. But the OP asked for best translations, and if "haw" is the best translation, then you can't reject it just because it sounds like another word. I mean, there are also birds called shags, boobies, cocks, tits and bustards, but you can't say these aren't the best translations for their Chinese equivalents just because they sound like other things in English.

[count_zero]

> For 豆腐脑, try "tofu pudding". Add "savory" to distinguish from the sweet dessert.

I don’t like “pudding” for a savoury dish unless it’s a type of sausage.

> For 山楂, try "Chinese hawthorn berries".

I quite like “hawthorn berries”. According to wiki they are actually berry-like pomes. However, technically a raspberry is not a berry either and “hawthorn berry” gets 260,000 hits on Google.

> For 灵芝, I'd go for "Lingzhi mushrooms" sounds better than "fungus".

My dictionary says it’s a fungus but according to Wikipedia it is a mushroom so I don’t see a problem with that.

> crisscrossed food is sometimes called "scored"

Yeah, I had considered that.

> The grill is BBQ grill

If I do a Google image search, “barbecue grill” mostly brings up western-style back-garden barbecue equipment. I think I might have to stick with “charcoal kebab grill”

> I mean, there are also birds called shags, boobies, cocks, tits and bustards, but you can't say these aren't the best translations for their Chinese equivalents just because they sound like other things in English.

Ladies and gentleman, this man is clearly for the birds! You totally CAN say that “cock” isn’t the best translation. And with regard to Chinese foods there are two very obvious examples as precedent.

[Ruben von Zwack]

But if I may suggest this for consideration: "kebab" might to western Europeans evoke the picture of greasy lamb meat in a folded white bread, drowning in heavy garlic sauce. Or if someone here knows a little bit more about cooking, they may think about a certain flavour, the "Kebab" spice mix we can buy here, which always will be Turkish (comparable to Greek flavour).

To my ears, "barbecue" sounds more neutral, and more like it could be just different kinds of grilled meat.

[liuzhou]

My dictionary says it’s a fungus but according to Wikipedia it is a mushroom so I don’t see a problem with that.

Mushrooms are fungi.

As far as 灵芝 are concerned, what's wrong with "ganoderma"? That is what they are called.

[Kenny同志]

What's your translation for my 千張, or 豆腐皮?

[count_zero]

> Mushrooms are fungi

Yes, I know. Which means that to use "mushroom" is more specific.

> what's wrong with "ganoderma"

Because it's abstruse and nobody would know what I was talking about.