Bite Chinese Words: Learn Mandarin Through Food Culture

Master daily Mandarin with fun food-related words, phrases, and stories. Learn Chinese culture and pronunciation.

What you'll learn

Master the pronunciation and tones of 236 essential Chinese words with guided pinyin practice.

Understand the cultural background and meaning behind each word through engaging food stories.

Build daily Mandarin habits with bite-sized lessons that fit into any schedule.

Use key Chinese words in real-life sentences and daily conversations with confidence.

Requirements

No prior Chinese knowledge needed—this course is perfect for complete beginners. Just bring your curiosity and a love for culture!

Description

Are you looking for a fun, memorable, and practical way to learn Mandarin Chinese? Bite Chinese Words: Learn Mandarin Through Food Culture is not your average language course — it’s a cultural and linguistic adventure served on a plate.In this course, we take a unique and engaging approach by teaching Chinese vocabulary and phrases through the lens of traditional and modern Chinese cuisine. Each lesson introduces you to high-frequency words inspired by famous dishes, snacks, and food customs, while also offering fascinating insights into Chinese culture, idioms, and social etiquette.You’ll learn how to pronounce key terms clearly, build sentences confidently, and understand their deeper cultural context. The course is designed for beginners and food lovers alike, requiring no prior knowledge of Chinese. With short, digestible lessons (each under 10 minutes), it’s perfect for busy learners looking to use their spare time to pick up a new skill.By the end of the course, you will:Master over 263 essential Mandarin words and phrasesUnderstand how language and food intersect in Chinese cultureGain practical speaking and listening skillsFeel more connected to Chinese people, stories, and traditionsEnroll now and take your first delicious bite of Mandarin Chinese — through food!

Overview

Section 1: Animal-Inspired Dishes & Playful Expressions

Lecture 1 Men Are Reliable? (男人靠得住) – A dish with a punchline

Lecture 2 Lion’s Head Meatballs (狮子头) – Royal flavors, humble roots

Lecture 3 Fish Bites Lamb (鱼咬羊) – Surf meets turf, Chinese style

Lecture 4 Squirrel Fish (松鼠桂鱼) – Crispy beauty in motion

Lecture 5 Ants Climbing a Tree (蚂蚁上树) – A savory metaphor

Lecture 6 Tiger Skin Peppers (虎皮尖椒) – When texture meets fierceness

Lecture 7 Dragon’s Eye (龙眼) – Sweet, round, and full of culture

Lecture 8 Rolling Donkey (驴打滚) – Sticky rice and northern humor

Lecture 9 Peeing Beef Ball (撒尿牛丸) – The viral name that made a splash

Lecture 10 Beggar’s Chicken (叫花鸡) – A dish wrapped in legend

Lecture 11 Cat’s Ears (猫耳朵) – Not what you think!

Section 2: Numbers, Festivals & Traditions on a Plate

Lecture 12 Imperial Hotpot (一品锅) – Fit for an emperor

Lecture 13 Braised Second Winter (烧二冬) – A seasonal mystery

Lecture 14 Three Delicacies Soup (三鲜汤) – Balanced and beloved

Lecture 15 Four-Happiness Meatballs (四喜丸子) – The taste of family

Lecture 16 Five Grains Harvest (五谷丰登) – Blessings in every bite

Lecture 17 Pickled Harmony (六必居酱菜) – A legacy of flavor

Lecture 18 Seven-Veggie Soup for People’s Day (人日 & 七菜羹) – Folklore and festivity

Lecture 19 Eight-Treasure Congee (八宝粥) – Wellness in a bowl

Lecture 20 Nine Imperial Dishes (九大簋) – Royal dining decoded

Lecture 21 Ten Delightful Dishes (十样菜) – Reunion on the table

Lecture 22 Taste Is Subjective (众口难调) – A proverb you can eat

Section 3: Famous Foods, Famous Words

Lecture 23 Eight Great Cuisines (八大菜系) – A culinary map of China

Lecture 24 Peking Duck (北京烤鸭) – Crispy skin, cultural depth

Lecture 25 Hotpot (火锅) – More than just a winter favorite

Lecture 26 Stinky Tofu (臭豆腐) – Smell that divides nations

Lecture 27 Goubuli Buns (狗不理包子) – A steamed storytelling tradition

Lecture 28 Crossing-the-Bridge Noodles (过桥米线) – Love and soup

Lecture 29 Dragon Beard Noodles (龙须面) – Threads of tradition

Lecture 30 Chinese New Year Dinner (年夜饭) – Reunion on a plate

Lecture 31 Pinyin & Tones (拼音声调) – Sound out the spice

Lecture 32 Flowering Water (水性杨花) – A cultural idiom explained

Lecture 33 Hot & Sour Noodles (酸辣粉) – Balance in a bowl

Section 4: Breakfast, Beverages & Sweet Memories

Lecture 34 Full & Hungry (饱 & 饿) – The foundation of appetite

Lecture 35 Tea (茶) – The soul of Chinese hospitality

Lecture 36 Tea Eggs (茶叶蛋) – Breakfast with ancient roots

Lecture 37 Soy Milk (豆浆) – The yin to oil stick’s yang

Lecture 38 Fried Dough Sticks (油条) – Golden, crunchy, beloved

Lecture 39 Vermicelli or Fans? (粉丝) – Slippery and social

Lecture 40 Lychees for the Empress (贵妃荔枝) – Sweet and imperial

Lecture 41 See You Tomorrow / Enoki Mushrooms (明天见 / 金针菇) – Double meanings

Lecture 42 Wife Cakes (老婆饼) – Sweetness with a story

Lecture 43 Street Skewers (撸串) – Friendship on a stick

Lecture 44 Candied Hawthorns (糖葫芦) – A bite of Beijing winter

Section 5: Emotions, Legends & Idioms on the Table

Lecture 45 Sweet, Sour, Bitter, Spicy (酸甜苦辣) – Life’s flavors, literally

Lecture 46 Biangbiang Noodles (Biangbiang面) – The most complex character

Lecture 47 Sticky Rice Dumplings (粽子) – Patriotism wrapped in bamboo

Lecture 48 Longevity Noodles (长寿面) – A birthday must

Lecture 49 Ex-Boyfriend's Tears (前男友的眼泪) – When food meets heartbreak

Lecture 50 Pretty food (漂亮饭) – Visual + verbal aesthetics

Lecture 51 Year After Year Surplus (年年有余) – Fishy blessings

Lecture 52 Snow Over Volcano (火山飘雪) – Hot, cold, and stunning

Lecture 53 Feast at Hongmen (鸿门宴) – Political drama in food

Lecture 54 Eating Things (吃东西) – A verb worth unpacking

Lecture 55 Drinking the Northwest Wind (喝西北风) – A bitter idiom for hunger

Section 6: Food Philosophy & Chinese Aesthetics

Lecture 56 Golden Fried Rice (黄金炒饭) – Wealth in the wok

Lecture 57 Creative Chinese Cuisine (创意中国菜) – Innovation meets tradition

Lecture 58 Waste Not (暴殄天物) – A moral lesson through eating

Lecture 59 Mr. and Mrs. Smith (夫妻肺片) – A spicy love story

Lecture 60 Plain Tea & Simple Meals (粗茶淡饭) – Humble is beautiful

Lecture 61 People Live on Food (民以食为天) – An ancient truth

Lecture 62 Man-Han Banquet (满汉全席) – The most extravagant, legendary banquets in Chinese

Lecture 63 Longevity Peach Buns (寿桃) – Blessings in a bun

Lecture 64 Lotus Pond Moonlight (荷塘月色) – A dish named after poetry

Lecture 65 Color, Aroma, Taste (色香味俱全) – The aesthetic of harmony

Lecture 66 Chinese Food Culture (中国饮食文化) – A delicious civilization

This course is designed for curious beginners who want to learn Mandarin in a fun, engaging way. It's perfect for international students, travelers, language lovers, and anyone interested in Chinese food and culture. Whether you're starting from scratch or just want to add daily vocabulary to your routine, this course will guide you—one bite-sized lesson at a time.