香草与香料 · Chinese Vocabulary
Spices & Herbs in Chinese
香草与香料
The numbing tingle of Sichuan peppercorns, the warm sweetness of star anise, the sharp bite of raw scallion — this guide covers the herbs and spices behind those flavors, with the dishes and stories that go with them.
Fresh & leafy
香草类 — Herbs
Fresh herbs and aromatics — the ones that go in raw, at the end of cooking, or right on top.
Cilantro or coriander?
English speakers can’t agree either. In the US, “cilantro” is the leaf and “coriander” is the seed; elsewhere “coriander” covers both. Chinese keeps it simpler: 香菜 xiāngcài is the everyday word for the leaf, while 芫荽 yánsuī is the more formal, botanical name for the whole plant.
韭菜
Garlic Chives
Often confused with scallion, this is what some Western grocery stores label “Chinese chives.” One classic dish made from it has a name that’s more fun than appetizing: 苍蝇头 cāngyíngtóu — literally “flies’ heads,” after the shape of the fermented black beans stir-fried through it. It’s much better than it sounds.
葱
Scallion
One of the most-used aromatics in Chinese cooking — stir-fries, dumpling fillings, and the flaky, savory scallion pancake below all lean on it.
How to make scallion pancakes — 葱油饼 cōngyóubǐng
Dried, ground & whole
香料 — Spices
The dried spices that carry Chinese cooking’s deepest, warmest flavors — several of them travel together in one very famous blend.
花椒
Sichuan Peppercorn
Famous for a numbing, pins-and-needles sensation rather than heat itself — the “má” half of “málà.” Central to MaPo Tofu and Dan Dan Noodles.
干辣椒
Dried Chilies
The “là” (heat) to Sichuan peppercorn’s “má” (numbness) — together they make the “málà” flavor Sichuan cuisine is famous for. Both show up in homemade chili oil and Kung Pao Chicken.
麻辣 málà — the flavor, not one ingredient
麻 má (the tingling numbness of Sichuan peppercorn) plus 辣 là (the heat of chili) equals 麻辣 málà — a combination, not a single spice. It’s the signature profile behind málà hot pot, Dan Dan Noodles, and MaPo Tofu.
八角
Star Anise
Its warm, licorice-like sweetness works into braises, stocks, and sauces, and it’s traditionally credited with cutting the gamey smell out of meat — one reason it turns up in almost every red-braised pork recipe.
五香粉 wǔxiāngfěn — Five Spice Powder
Despite the name, it’s a blend, not a single spice. The classic five:
- 花椒 — Sichuan peppercorn
- 八角 — star anise
- 肉桂 — cinnamon
- 茴香 — fennel
- 丁香 — cloves
陈皮 chénpí — Dried Orange Peel
Used in both cooking and traditional Chinese medicine — it adds a fragrant, faintly bitter note to braises and pastries, and is traditionally believed to aid digestion and ease bloating.
How to make Dong Po Pork — 东坡肉 dōngpōròu
