Restaurant & Food

Asking About Spice and Ingredients in Mandarin

Menus in China rarely spell out what is inside a dish, and 微辣 on the page means very different things in Sichuan, Hunan and Guangdong. The safe habit is to ask before you order, not after the plate lands in front of you.

The phrases below cover heat level plus the ingredients that trip travelers up most often: pork, peanuts, cilantro and MSG.

Useful phrases

• 这个辣吗？ Zhège là ma?
  Is this spicy?

  Ask this the moment you are about to order anything cooked in a wok. Point at the dish while you say it.

• 很辣。 Hěn là.
  It's very spicy.

  You will hear this back a lot. If you cannot take heat, treat 很辣 as a stop sign rather than a challenge.

• 不太辣。 Bù tài là.
  Not very spicy.

  A useful answer to expect. In a tourist restaurant it usually means mild; in Chengdu it can still make your eyes water.

• 微辣。 Wēi là.
  Mildly spicy.

  The lowest heat setting most kitchens will offer. Consider it mildly spicy by local standards, not yours.

• 少辣。 Shǎo là.
  Less spicy, please.

  少 means less. This is the phrase when you want the dish but turned down a notch.

• 不要辣。 Bù yào là.
  No chili at all.

  Clearer and firmer than 微辣 when you genuinely cannot handle heat. Say it twice if the server looks unsure.

• 里面有肉吗？ Lǐmiàn yǒu ròu ma?
  Does it have meat in it?

  Lǐmiàn (inside) plus yǒu (have) is the pattern for checking any ingredient. Learn it once and you can ask about anything.

• 有猪肉吗？ Yǒu zhūròu ma?
  Does it contain pork?

  Pork hides in dumplings, fried rice and soup bases. If you do not eat it, ask rather than assume the vegetables are vegetable-only.

• 有牛肉吗？ Yǒu niúròu ma?
  Does it contain beef?

  牛 is cow and 肉 is meat. Swap in 鸡肉 (chicken) or 羊肉 (lamb) the same way.

• 有花生吗？ Yǒu huāshēng ma?
  Does it contain peanuts?

  If you have a peanut allergy, pair this with the allergy phrases — a question alone may get a casual yes or no without real checking.

• 我吃素。 Wǒ chī sù.
  I'm vegetarian.

  Say it, then check each dish anyway. A plate of greens is often finished with a spoonful of meat stock or lard.

• 不要味精。 Bù yào wèijīng.
  No MSG.

  味精 (wèijīng) is MSG. If it gives you a headache, say it before the kitchen starts cooking, not after.

• 不要葱。 Bù yào cōng.
  No scallions.

  Scallions are the default garnish on almost everything. 不要香菜 (no cilantro) follows exactly the same pattern.

• 这里面有什么？ Zhè lǐmiàn yǒu shénme?
  What's in this?

  Open-ended, and your best friend when the menu photo shows a mystery stew.

Quick cultural tip

14 phrases on this page. Bookmark it before you fly, or screenshot the list to use offline.