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Bite Chinese Words: Learn Mandarin Through Food Culture

Master daily Mandarin with fun food-related words, phrases, and stories. Learn Chinese culture and pronunciation.

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What you'll learn

  • Master the pronunciation and tones of 236 essential Chinese words with guided pinyin practice.
  • Understand the cultural background and meaning behind each word through engaging food stories.
  • Use key Chinese words in real-life sentences and daily conversations with confidence.
  • Build daily Mandarin habits with bite-sized lessons that fit into any schedule.

Explore related topics

  • Mandarin Chinese Language
  • Chinese Culture
  • HSK
  • Chinese Pronunciation
  • Language Learning

This course includes:

6 sections • 66 lectures • 3h 49m total length

  • 4 hours on-demand video
  • Access on Podcast
  • Full lifetime access
  • Certificate of completion
     

Course Content

  1. Section 1: Animal-Inspired Dishes & Playful Expressions

    11 lessons
    1. Lecture 1: Men Are Reliable? (男人靠得住) – A dish with a punchline
    2. Lecture 2: Lion’s Head Meatballs (狮子头) – Royal flavors, humble roots
    3. Lecture 3: Fish Bites Lamb (鱼咬羊) – Surf meets turf, Chinese style
    4. Lecture 4: Squirrel Fish (松鼠桂鱼) – Crispy beauty in motion
    5. Lecture 5: Ants Climbing a Tree (蚂蚁上树) – A savory metaphor
    6. Lecture 6: Tiger Skin Peppers (虎皮尖椒) – When texture meets fierceness
    7. Lecture 7: Dragon’s Eye (龙眼) – Sweet, round, and full of culture
    8. Lecture 8: Rolling Donkey (驴打滚) – Sticky rice and northern humor
    9. Lecture 9: Peeing Beef Ball (撒尿牛丸) – The viral name that made a splash
    10. Lecture 10: Beggar’s Chicken (叫花鸡) – A dish wrapped in legend
    11. Lecture 11: Cat’s Ears (猫耳朵) – Not what you think!

  2. Section 2: Numbers, Festivals & Traditions on a Plate

    11 lessons
    1. Lecture 12: Imperial Hotpot (一品锅) – Fit for an emperor
    2. Lecture 13: Braised Second Winter (烧二冬) – A seasonal mystery
    3. Lecture 14: Three Delicacies Soup (三鲜汤) – Balanced and beloved
    4. Lecture 15: Four-Happiness Meatballs (四喜丸子) – The taste of family
    5. Lecture 16: Five Grains Harvest (五谷丰登) – Blessings in every bite
    6. Lecture 17: Pickled Harmony (六必居酱菜) – A legacy of flavor
    7. Lecture 18: Seven-Veggie Soup for People’s Day (人日 & 七菜羹) – Folklore and festivity
    8. Lecture 19: Eight-Treasure Congee (八宝粥) – Wellness in a bowl
    9. Lecture 20: Nine Imperial Dishes (九大簋) – Royal dining decoded
    10. Lecture 21: Ten Delightful Dishes (十样菜) – Reunion on the table
    11. Lecture 22: Taste Is Subjective (众口难调) – A proverb you can eat

  3. Section 3: Famous Foods, Famous Words

    11 lessons
    1. Lecture 23: Eight Great Cuisines (八大菜系) – A culinary map of China
    2. Lecture 24: Peking Duck (北京烤鸭) – Crispy skin, cultural depth
    3. Lecture 25: Hotpot (火锅) – More than just a winter favorite
    4. Lecture 26: Stinky Tofu (臭豆腐) – Smell that divides nations
    5. Lecture 27: Goubuli Buns (狗不理包子) – A steamed storytelling tradition
    6. Lecture 28: Crossing-the-Bridge Noodles (过桥米线) – Love and soup
    7. Lecture 29: Dragon Beard Noodles (龙须面) – Threads of tradition
    8. Lecture 30: Chinese New Year Dinner (年夜饭) – Reunion on a plate
    9. Lecture 31: Pinyin & Tones (拼音声调) – Sound out the spice
    10. Lecture 32: Flowering Water (水性杨花) – A cultural idiom explained
    11. Lecture 33: Hot & Sour Noodles (酸辣粉) – Balance in a bowl

  4. Section 4: Breakfast, Beverages & Sweet Memories

    11 lessons
    1. Lecture 34: Full & Hungry (饱 & 饿) – The foundation of appetite
    2. Lecture 35: Tea (茶) – The soul of Chinese hospitality
    3. Lecture 36: Tea Eggs (茶叶蛋) – Breakfast with ancient roots
    4. Lecture 37: Soy Milk (豆浆) – The yin to oil stick’s yang
    5. Lecture 38: Fried Dough Sticks (油条) – Golden, crunchy, beloved
    6. Lecture 39: Vermicelli or Fans? (粉丝) – Slippery and social
    7. Lecture 40: Lychees for the Empress (贵妃荔枝) – Sweet and imperial
    8. Lecture 41: See You Tomorrow / Enoki Mushrooms (明天见 / 金针菇) – Double meanings
    9. Lecture 42: Wife Cakes (老婆饼) – Sweetness with a story
    10. Lecture 43: Street Skewers (撸串) – Friendship on a stick
    11. Lecture 44: Candied Hawthorns (糖葫芦) – A bite of Beijing winter

  5. Section 5: Emotions, Legends & Idioms on the Table

    11 lessons
    1. Lecture 45: Sweet, Sour, Bitter, Spicy (酸甜苦辣) – Life’s flavors, literally
    2. Lecture 46: Biangbiang Noodles (Biangbiang面) – The most complex character
    3. Lecture 47: Sticky Rice Dumplings (粽子) – Patriotism wrapped in bamboo
    4. Lecture 48: Longevity Noodles (长寿面) – A birthday must
    5. Lecture 49: Ex-Boyfriend's Tears (前男友的眼泪) – When food meets heartbreak
    6. Lecture 50: Pretty food (漂亮饭) – Visual + verbal aesthetics
    7. Lecture 51: Year After Year Surplus (年年有余) – Fishy blessings
    8. Lecture 52: Snow Over Volcano (火山飘雪) – Hot, cold, and stunning
    9. Lecture 53: Feast at Hongmen (鸿门宴) – Political drama in food
    10. Lecture 54: Eating Things (吃东西) – A verb worth unpacking
    11. Lecture 55: Drinking the Northwest Wind (喝西北风) – A bitter idiom for hunger

  6. Section 6: Food Philosophy & Chinese Aesthetics

    11 lessons
    1. Lecture 56: Golden Fried Rice (黄金炒饭) – Wealth in the wok
    2. Lecture 57: Creative Chinese Cuisine (创意中国菜) – Innovation meets tradition
    3. Lecture 58: Waste Not (暴殄天物) – A moral lesson through eating
    4. Lecture 59: Mr. and Mrs. Smith (夫妻肺片) – A spicy love story
    5. Lecture 60: Plain Tea & Simple Meals (粗茶淡饭) – Humble is beautiful
    6. Lecture 61: People Live on Food (民以食为天) – An ancient truth
    7. Lecture 62: Man-Han Banquet (满汉全席) – The most extravagant, legendary banquets in Chinese
    8. Lecture 63: Longevity Peach Buns (寿桃) – Blessings in a bun
    9. Lecture 64: Lotus Pond Moonlight (荷塘月色) – A dish named after poetry
    10. Lecture 65: Color, Aroma, Taste (色香味俱全) – The aesthetic of harmony
    11. Lecture 66: Chinese Food Culture (中国饮食文化) – A delicious civilization

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Requirements

  • No prior Chinese knowledge needed—this course is perfect for complete beginners. Just bring your curiosity and a love for culture!

Description

Are you looking for a fun, memorable, and practical way to learn Mandarin Chinese? Bite Chinese Words: Learn Mandarin Through Food Culture is not your average language course — it’s a cultural and linguistic adventure served on a plate.

In this course, we take a unique and engaging approach by teaching Chinese vocabulary and phrases through the lens of traditional and modern Chinese cuisine. Each lesson introduces you to high-frequency words inspired by famous dishes, snacks, and food customs, while also offering fascinating insights into Chinese culture, idioms, and social etiquette.

You’ll learn how to pronounce key terms clearly, build sentences confidently, and understand their deeper cultural context. The course is designed for beginners and food lovers alike, requiring no prior knowledge of Chinese. With short, digestible lessons (each under 10 minutes), it’s perfect for busy learners looking to use their spare time to pick up a new skill.

By the end of the course, you will:

  • Master over 263 essential Mandarin words and phrases
  • Understand how language and food intersect in Chinese culture
  • Gain practical speaking and listening skills
  • Feel more connected to Chinese people, stories, and traditions

Enroll now and take your first delicious bite of Mandarin Chinese — through food!

Who this course is for:

  • This course is designed for curious beginners who want to learn Mandarin in a fun, engaging way. It's perfect for international students, travelers, language lovers, and anyone interested in Chinese food and culture. Whether you're starting from scratch or just want to add daily vocabulary to your routine, this course will guide you—one bite-sized lesson at a time.

Instructor

Garbo Tian

Garbo Tian is a seasoned business strategist and cross-border education entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in entrepreneurship, investment operations, and institutional partnerships across China, the U.S., and Asia-Pacific.

She is the founder of a cross-border education company with RMB 100 million+ in cumulative revenue, where she built and led academic credit transfer collaborations with over 400 universities and colleges around the world. Her work has helped bridge global education systems, develop sustainable academic programs, and promote East–West learning partnerships.

In the business sector, Garbo has advised on entrepreneurship strategy, ESG integration, and post-investment management across sectors ranging from education to finance.

Garbo is a frequent speaker in both English and Chinese, having delivered over 1,000 professional talks to audiences that include executives, university faculty, policymakers, and international entrepreneurs.

Her academic credentials include:

  • Doctor of Education, University of Southern California (USC)
  • Master's in Economics and Management, University of York, UK

Garbo's courses focus on:

  • Strategic analysis of leading Chinese companies, such as Huawei, Haidilao, Pop Mart, and Xiaohongshu
  • Cross-border business models and how Chinese enterprises scale internationally
  • Real-world MBA-level case studies grounded in system thinking, policy frameworks, and institutional dynamics
  • Entrepreneurial ecosystems and innovation in emerging markets
  • Chinese Culture

Her teaching style combines rigorous research with practical insights, helping learners understand not just what works in business, but why it works—especially in the context of China's fast-evolving market environment.

Her courses are designed for:

  • MBA students and business professionals
  • Entrepreneurs seeking global growth strategies
  • Educators and policymakers interested in Asia's innovation models
  • Anyone looking to understand business logic through real cases

Garbo believes that in a complex world, clarity comes from connecting global strategy with local insight—and that great businesses are built by those who understand both.