西兰花炒鸡肉
xīlánhuā chǎo jīròu
西兰花炒鸡肉 (xīlánhuā chǎo jīròu) is the Chinese phrase for chicken and broccoli.
This phrase refers to a dish consisting of chicken and broccoli stir-fried together.
Which one should you use?
While 西兰花炒鸡肉 is the standard way to name the dish, you may encounter 西兰花炒鸡, which is a more concise version often used in restaurants. If you use 西兰花鸡肉, you are simply listing the ingredients (broccoli and chicken meat) rather than describing the actual stir-fry dish, because the verb for stir-frying has been omitted.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The traditional character version 雞肉和西蘭花 is widely used in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
How does it change in a sentence?
In casual speech, the second character of 鸡肉 (jīròu) is often dropped to just 鸡 (jī) for brevity, resulting in the form 西兰花炒鸡.
How do you pronounce it?
xīlánhuā chǎo jīròu
Did you know?
- The word for broccoli, 西兰花 jīlánhuā, literally translates to 'Western orchid' in Chinese. This poetic name treats the vegetable as a floral import from the West.
- While 西兰花炒鸡肉 is a common dish, it is considered a 'Western-style' Chinese dish and is less common in traditional regional cuisines like Cantonese or Sichuan.
- When ordering this dish, adding the word 勾芡 (gōuqian) tells the chef to thicken the sauce with a starch slurry for that classic glossy look.
Examples in context
- 请给我一份鸡肉和西兰花。I'd like chicken and broccoli, please.
- 西兰花炒鸡肉很好吃。Xī lán huā chǎo jī ròu hěn hǎo chī.The chicken and broccoli is delicious.
- 请给我一份西兰花炒鸡肉。Qǐng gěi wǒ yī fèn xī lán huā chǎo jī ròu.Please give me an order of chicken and broccoli.
Example conversation
Wei and Yuting are deciding what to order for dinner.
- 伟 Wei你今天想吃什么？Nǐ jīntiān xiǎng chī shénme?What do you want to eat today?
- 雨婷 Yuting我想吃西兰花炒鸡肉。Wǒ xiǎng chī xī lán huā chǎo jī ròu.I want to eat chicken and broccoli.
- 伟 Wei好啊，我也喜欢这个菜。Hǎo a, wǒ yě xǐhuān zhège cài.Okay, I like this dish too.
- 雨婷 Yuting那我们点这个吧。Nà wǒmen diǎn zhège ba.Then let's order this.
