Cam: wo shi Cam. Yajie, yesterday we learned how a waiter or waitress asks us what we want to eat or drink... now it's time to fill our stomachs!
YJ: As you know, there are a variety of wonderful Chinese dishes. And we are going to learn what they are, and how to order them over the next few days on Chinese Studio.
Cam: Perfect!
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Key Words of the Day
Spicy Chicken 辣子鸡(la4zi ji1)；panfried tomato and eggs 西红柿炒鸡蛋 （xi1hong2shi4 chao3 ji1dan4）；Rice, 米饭(mi3fan4)； noodles 面条(mian4tiao2)。All in today's Chinese Studio.
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YJ: So Cam, what do you like to eat?
Cam: Yajie, the question should be what DON'T I like to eat... I'll eat anything.
Especially delicious Chinese food!
YJ: Ok, then as a girl from Sichuan, I strongly recommend you to try辣子鸡(la4zi ji1).
Cam: 辣子鸡(la4zi ji1)?
YJ: Very good. It’s spicy chicken, one typical dish in Sichuan cuisine。 As you know, Sichuan food is characterized by hot, pungent, and salty flavors.
Cam: I see. So…does 辣子(la4zi) mean pepper in Chinese?
YJ: Yes. 辣子(la4zi) is the informal name of pepper. 辣子(la4zi) is a little bit easier to pronounce.
Cam: 辣子(la4zi), pepper. And 鸡(ji1) means chicken. Right?
YJ: Right. 鸡(ji1), ji the first tone. Chicken.
Cam: 辣子鸡(la4zi ji1), spicy chicken.
YJ: Very good!
Conversation 1:
Cam: I'd like to have some vegetables too. Because my muma always told me to eat vegetables. What about panfried tomatoes and eggs?
YJ: It's also one of my favorites. In Chinese it's 西红柿炒鸡蛋 （xi1hong2shi4 chao3 ji1dan4）.
Cam: 西红柿炒鸡蛋 （xi1hong2shi4 chao3 ji1dan4）.
YJ: Yes. 西红柿（xi1hong2shi4） means tomato, we learned this word before.
Cam: 西红柿（xi1hong2shi4）.
YJ: And鸡蛋 (ji1dan4) means egg.
Cam: 鸡蛋 (ji1dan4). I eat 鸡蛋 (ji1dan4) almost every morning.
YJ: Good for you.炒(chao3) means stir-fry or pan fry.
Cam: 炒(chao3), c-h-a-o, the third tone, right?
YJ: Yes. Together it’s 西红柿炒鸡蛋 （xi1hong2shi4 chao3 ji1dan4）.
Cam: 西红柿炒鸡蛋（xi1hong2shi4 chao3 ji1dan4）. Yajie, I see that when someone says “he/she has been炒鱿鱼(chao3 you2yu2)”, they seem to be sad. Does that phrase have some special meaning? (chao youyu).
YJ: Well, literally it means stir-fry squid. But it can also mean “sack someone or fire somebody”.
Cam: I see. I don’t want to be 炒鱿鱼(chao3 you2yu2).
YJ: Nobody wants to be 炒鱿鱼(chao3 you2yu2).
Conversation 2:
Cam: So Yajie, could you please introduce to me some main courses that Chinese people usually eat? I want to give them a try.
YJ: No problem. How about rice or noodles? Rice is 米饭(mi3fan4). 米, m-i, the third tone; and 饭, f-a-n, the fourth tone. Cam: 米饭(mi3fan4).
YJ: And noodles are面条(mian4tiao2) .
Cam: 面条(mian4tiao2).
YJ: 米饭(mi3fan4), rice.
Cam: 米饭(mi3fan4).
YJ: And 面条(mian4tiao2), noodles.
Cam: 面条(mian4tiao2).
Conversation 3:
*****Key Words Reminder:Spicy Chicken 辣子鸡(la4zi ji1)； panfried tomato and eggs 西红柿炒鸡蛋 （xi1hong2shi4 chao3 ji1dan4）；Rice, 米饭(mi3fan4);noodles 面条(mian4tiao2)。
