<![CDATA[Comments on: That's Not Your Food]]> 2010-04-25 18:00:00 <![CDATA[By: JasonSch]]> When I first came to China, 鱼香肉丝 / yǔxiāngròusī , along with 宫保鸡丁 / gōngbǎojīdīng, was an absolute favorite of mine. It was also the first Chinese dish I tried to cook myself! (It turned out all right...but it just wasn't the same)

]]> When I first came to China, 鱼香肉丝 / yǔxiāngròusī , along with 宫保鸡丁 / gōngbǎojīdīng, was an absolute favorite of mine. It was also the first Chinese dish I tried to cook myself! (It turned out all right...but it just wasn't the same)

]]> <![CDATA[By: catherinem]]> 鱼香肉丝 (yǔxiāngròusī) is still one of my favorite dishes, despite how it's often translated ("fish-flavored pork strips")... I also love 鱼香茄子(yǔxiāngqiézi)... mmmm.

]]> 鱼香肉丝 (yǔxiāngròusī) is still one of my favorite dishes, despite how it's often translated ("fish-flavored pork strips")... I also love 鱼香茄子(yǔxiāngqiézi)... mmmm.

]]> <![CDATA[By: waiguoren]]> ...and 干扁豆交 （gānbiándòujiǎo). Another favourite amongst us foreigners.

]]> ...and 干扁豆交 （gānbiándòujiǎo). Another favourite amongst us foreigners.

]]> <![CDATA[By: John]]> Ah, 干煸豆角 (gānbiān dòujiǎo), right?

In Shanghai we often call it 干煸四季豆 (gānbiān sìjìdòu).

Whatever you call it, it's still delicious!

]]> Ah, 干煸豆角 (gānbiān dòujiǎo), right?

In Shanghai we often call it 干煸四季豆 (gānbiān sìjìdòu).

Whatever you call it, it's still delicious!

]]> <![CDATA[By: waiguoren]]> *Yes, thats what I meant, I couldn't find the ‘火’ in front of the ‘扁’ on my pinyin input system...still can't.

豆角 (dòujiǎo) also known as 云豆 (yúndòu) in some areas...agreed, doesn't matter what you call it, it's 好吃! （hǎochī)

]]> *Yes, thats what I meant, I couldn't find the ‘火’ in front of the ‘扁’ on my pinyin input system...still can't.

豆角 (dòujiǎo) also known as 云豆 (yúndòu) in some areas...agreed, doesn't matter what you call it, it's 好吃! （hǎochī)

]]> <![CDATA[By: bluesky3064]]> 这本书你看完了吗？Can you also say 你看完了这本书吗？Would it have the same meaning, just a different emphasis?

Does the 完了 always go immediately after the verb? i.e. would 你看这本书完了吗？be wrong?

]]> 这本书你看完了吗？Can you also say 你看完了这本书吗？Would it have the same meaning, just a different emphasis?

Does the 完了 always go immediately after the verb? i.e. would 你看这本书完了吗？be wrong?

]]> <![CDATA[By: changye]]> Now I finally know why the dish, which actually doesn't contain fish meat, is called“鱼香肉丝”. Thanks, Chinesepod! I always thought it was one of those“挂羊头卖狗肉” (false advertisement) in China.

]]> Now I finally know why the dish, which actually doesn't contain fish meat, is called“鱼香肉丝”. Thanks, Chinesepod! I always thought it was one of those“挂羊头卖狗肉” (false advertisement) in China.

]]> <![CDATA[By: orangina]]> ”挂羊头卖狗肉“ haha! I love that sentence, thanks!

]]> ”挂羊头卖狗肉“ haha! I love that sentence, thanks!

]]> <![CDATA[By: rebirth]]> 这本书你看完了吗？你看完了这本书吗？both are right

你看这本书完了吗 wrong!

]]> 这本书你看完了吗？你看完了这本书吗？both are right

你看这本书完了吗 wrong!

]]> <![CDATA[By: iwatachief]]> Here in Sichuan, we also call it 干煸四季豆! 真的很好吃！

]]> Here in Sichuan, we also call it 干煸四季豆! 真的很好吃！

]]> <![CDATA[By: lujiaojie]]> You can say: 这本书你看完了吗？ and 你看完这本书了吗？ 完 is complement and always go immediately after the verb， but 了 can be used at the end of the sentence (before 吗）.

]]> You can say: 这本书你看完了吗？ and 你看完这本书了吗？ 完 is complement and always go immediately after the verb， but 了 can be used at the end of the sentence (before 吗）.

]]> <![CDATA[By: helenshen_counselor]]> Finally I can cook 鱼香肉丝 myself! But not as good as we have in restaurants. Do they have any magic ingredients?

]]> Finally I can cook 鱼香肉丝 myself! But not as good as we have in restaurants. Do they have any magic ingredients?

]]> <![CDATA[By: iwatachief]]>

I have an Irish friend here and there are 2 things every waiter/waitress in town (no kidding here!) knows he's gonna order: 土豆泥 （mashed potato）and 糖醋里脊 (sweet and sour pork). As we come in the restaurant, the waiter starts writing down those 2 dishes, way before we even said a word! Hilarious!

]]>

I have an Irish friend here and there are 2 things every waiter/waitress in town (no kidding here!) knows he's gonna order: 土豆泥 （mashed potato）and 糖醋里脊 (sweet and sour pork). As we come in the restaurant, the waiter starts writing down those 2 dishes, way before we even said a word! Hilarious!

]]> <![CDATA[By: alwingate]]> Having to come to the site to bookmark a lesson is required to then get the iTune download. This is less user friendly and I don't see the benefit to the end user. 

]]> Having to come to the site to bookmark a lesson is required to then get the iTune download. This is less user friendly and I don't see the benefit to the end user. 

]]> <![CDATA[By: alwingate]]> Having to come to the site to bookmark a lesson is required to then get the iTune download. This is less user friendly and I don't see the benefit to the end user. 

]]> Having to come to the site to bookmark a lesson is required to then get the iTune download. This is less user friendly and I don't see the benefit to the end user. 

]]> <![CDATA[By: dunderklumpen]]>

Here's a youtube clip on how to prepare 鱼香肉丝.

]]>

Here's a youtube clip on how to prepare 鱼香肉丝.

]]> <![CDATA[By: svik]]> Hi Helen,

I have made 鱼香肉丝 for many years, I think it is OK since my wife (北京人 ) likes to eat it. Other than fresh ingredients, I think the secret is in the final sauce. The recipe I use in the US calls for 酒 (wine), 酱油 （soy sauce) and 黑醋 (dark vinegar), for which I substitute worcestershire sauce (a dark and flavored vinegar)! That's not to rule out magic. In China, I found that 鱼香肉丝 was generally very good in 北京, but not so much in 杭州 (Hangzhou).

]]> Hi Helen,

I have made 鱼香肉丝 for many years, I think it is OK since my wife (北京人 ) likes to eat it. Other than fresh ingredients, I think the secret is in the final sauce. The recipe I use in the US calls for 酒 (wine), 酱油 （soy sauce) and 黑醋 (dark vinegar), for which I substitute worcestershire sauce (a dark and flavored vinegar)! That's not to rule out magic. In China, I found that 鱼香肉丝 was generally very good in 北京, but not so much in 杭州 (Hangzhou).

]]> <![CDATA[By: ellen_counselor]]> I still don't understand why it's called “鱼香”肉丝. There's no fish taste in this dish.

]]> I still don't understand why it's called “鱼香”肉丝. There's no fish taste in this dish.

]]> <![CDATA[By: dominic_au]]> The exercises has "不错" matching up with "not" (unless I'm doing it wrong).

]]> The exercises has "不错" matching up with "not" (unless I'm doing it wrong).

]]> <![CDATA[By: hamshank]]> During the dialogue the male eating says 好吃 hao3 chi1, really fast and almost agressively and to me makes it sound like the 吃 chi1 sound like a 4th tone.

I didn't have a problem understanding but was just wondering if anyone has any advice on how to differentiate these for other words that might crop up in the future or do we just go with the context?

]]> During the dialogue the male eating says 好吃 hao3 chi1, really fast and almost agressively and to me makes it sound like the 吃 chi1 sound like a 4th tone.

I didn't have a problem understanding but was just wondering if anyone has any advice on how to differentiate these for other words that might crop up in the future or do we just go with the context?

]]> <![CDATA[By: sfrrr]]> My face-to-face teacher said context is everything.

]]> My face-to-face teacher said context is everything.

]]> <![CDATA[By: jen_not_jenny]]> When I first came to China I had a terrible time distinguishing between 1st and 4th tones. I knew there was a distinct difference, my ears just had a hard time picking up on it, especially when listening to native speakers converse at a natural speed, or when the speaker is excited. It still gives me grief occasionally. Paying more attention to context definitely helped me!

]]> When I first came to China I had a terrible time distinguishing between 1st and 4th tones. I knew there was a distinct difference, my ears just had a hard time picking up on it, especially when listening to native speakers converse at a natural speed, or when the speaker is excited. It still gives me grief occasionally. Paying more attention to context definitely helped me!

]]> <![CDATA[By: jen_not_jenny]]> Helen...did you add a little MSG? ;) I think that's the magic ingredient many restaurants use, although I certainly don't recommend it!

]]> Helen...did you add a little MSG? ;) I think that's the magic ingredient many restaurants use, although I certainly don't recommend it!

]]> <![CDATA[By: xiao_liang]]> Ellen 需要听这个podcast如果她要这问的答案。。 :-)

]]> Ellen 需要听这个podcast如果她要这问的答案。。 :-)

]]> <![CDATA[By: hamshank]]> Thanks for the advice I will bear that in mind! I'm almost sure that even native speaker don't pronounce every tone perfectly when adding emphasis on certain words or perhaps they do and i'm still struggling.

I think context will always be my key as I was always pretty tone deaf when it came to recognizing music tones too.

]]> Thanks for the advice I will bear that in mind! I'm almost sure that even native speaker don't pronounce every tone perfectly when adding emphasis on certain words or perhaps they do and i'm still struggling.

I think context will always be my key as I was always pretty tone deaf when it came to recognizing music tones too.

]]> <![CDATA[By: wenkuantan]]> 鱼香肉丝很好吃

]]> 鱼香肉丝很好吃

]]> <![CDATA[By: wenkuantan]]> it is just a name！

]]> it is just a name！

]]> <![CDATA[By: jackstone]]> Hi, I'm Mr Penis.

]]> Hi, I'm Mr Penis.

]]> <![CDATA[By: stokazzo1]]> Hello, I am Miss Pussy

]]> Hello, I am Miss Pussy

]]> <![CDATA[By: sydcarten]]> Galore, I presume

]]> Galore, I presume

]]> <![CDATA[By: beishentu]]> Your face said shut up.

]]> Your face said shut up.

]]>