- cha-chaan-teng茶餐廳cha chaan teng/t͡sʰaː˩.t͡sʰaːn˧˧.tʰɛːŋ˧˥/
- *Tea-meal hall* — Hong Kong casual cafe serving a Western-Cantonese hybrid menu (milk tea, French toast, beef brisket noodles, Singapore Rice Noodles). The space where Singapore Rice Noodles was actually invented in the 1950s — the dish has Hong Kong, not Singaporean, origins.
- char-siu叉燒char siu/t͡sʰaː˥˥ siːw˥˥/
- Cantonese roasted pork — marinated in honey, hoisin, soy, and five-spice, then roasted to a glossy red-brown. Standard topping for hokkien noodles, Singapore Rice Noodles, ramen (adapted as *chashu*), and most Cantonese noodle dishes.
- chinkiang-vinegar鎮江醋Chinkiang cu/tʂɛn.tɕjɑŋ tsʰu/
- Chinese aged black vinegar from Jiangsu province. Smoky-sweet, more complex than rice vinegar. Used in stir-fries and dipping sauces.
- chow-fun河粉chow fun/t͡sʰaːw˧˥.fɐn˧˥/
- Wide flat fresh rice noodle, ~1cm wide. The signature noodle of Cantonese stir-fries like beef chow fun and dry-fry chow fun. Sold fresh and refrigerated at Cantonese markets; the dry equivalent is Thai sen yai.
- dai-pai-dong大排檔dai pai dong/taːj˨ pʰaːj˨ tɔːŋ˥˥/
- Hong Kong open-air street-food stall, typically a folding metal cart with a few small tables. Traditional venue for fast wok dishes — chow fun, fried noodles, congee. Most have closed since the 2000s, but a few survive in older neighborhoods.
- doubanjiang豆瓣醬doubanjiang/tow.ban.tɕjɑŋ/
- Fermented broad bean and chili paste from Sichuan. The umami foundation of mapo tofu and many Sichuan dishes.
- hoisin海鮮醬hoisin/hɔj.sin/
- Cantonese sweet-savory dipping sauce. Soybean + sugar + spices. Used with Peking duck and as table condiment.
- huangjiang黃醬huangjiang/xwɑŋ.tɕjɑŋ/
- Chinese fermented yellow bean paste. The savory base of zhajiangmian. Less sweet than Korean chunjang.
- kangshifu康师傅Kangshifu/kʰɑŋ.ʂɻ̩.fu/
- *Master Kang* — the Mandarin brand name for Tingyi Holdings' instant-noodle line, the #1 instant noodle in mainland China for two decades. Hot & Spicy Beef (香辣牛肉) is the flagship. Marketed in the US under the romanized name *Master Kong*.
- lao-gan-ma老乾媽lao gan ma/laʊ kan ma/
- 'Old Godmother' chili crisp — the cult Chinese chili oil brand with crunchy fried garlic and chili. Spoonable, addictive.
- ma-la麻辣ma la/ma la/
- 'Numbing-spicy' — Sichuan flavor combination of Sichuan peppercorn (má, numbing) + chili (là, spicy). Defines Sichuan cuisine.
- mei-fun米粉mei fun/mɐj˩˧.fɐn˧˥/
- Cantonese name for thin rice vermicelli — the noodle in Singapore Rice Noodles, Xiamen mei fun stir-fries, and many Cantonese soup-noodle bowls. Mandarin pronunciation: *mǐ fěn*.
- shaoxing-wine紹興酒Shaoxing jiu/ʂɑʊ.ɕiŋ tɕjoʊ/
- Chinese rice cooking wine from Zhejiang province. Essential for marinades and stir-fry deglazing.
- sichuan-peppercorn花椒huajiao/xwa.tɕjɑʊ/
- Sichuan peppercorn — provides the 'má' (numbing) sensation in má-là. Not actually peppercorns; a citrus relative.
- wok-hei鑊氣wok hei/wɔk hej/
- 'Breath of the wok' — smoky-charred flavor from very high-heat wok cooking. The signature of great Cantonese stir-fry.
- ya-cai芽菜ya cai/ja tsʰaj/
- Sichuan preserved mustard greens — chopped, sealed in pouches. Essential topping for dan dan noodles.