A while back, the translated English names of Chinese dishes in China may not reflect the intended meanings of the cuisine. Will you eat “Husband and wife’s slung slice”, “Chicken without sex life” or “Slobbering chicken”? These are famous Chinese dishes but the translated names may turn English-speaking diners away.

In order to improve the image of 3-star and above restuarants and for the sake of the coming Beijing Olympics, the Beijing Tourism Board have hired experts to translate more than 2000 Chinese dishes including desserts, tim sum and wine into proper English. For instance, the famous Sichuan dish - “Husband and wife’s slung slice” is actually “Beef and ox tripe in chilli sauce”.

Bao Zi (buns), Jiao Zi (dumplings) and Man Tou which are tightly connected to the Chinese culture are not translated but marked with hanyu pinyin instead.

The translated dish names are compiled into a booklet (with pictures) for easy reference but it is not compulsory for restuarants to implement the correct names.

So Sir what would you like to order now?

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