Here’s a one-page visual guide to some of the most common vegetables you’ll come across in a market in China. With big pics, English – Pinyin & Chinese, you can easily track down your favorites in the market and try some new things.
Bok Choy (bái cài or qīng jiāng cài -青江菜)
Chinese broccoli (jiè lán – 芥兰)
Choy sum (cài xīn – 菜心)
Chinese Water spinach（Kōngxīncài – 空心菜）
Chinese spinach (Xiàncài – 苋菜)
Chinese cabbage (Dà báicài – 大白菜)
Chinese celery (qín cài – 芹菜)
Watercress (xī yáng cài – 西洋菜)
Edible Chrysanthemum (tóng hāo – 茼蒿)
Chinese Eggplant (qié zi – 茄子)
Spring Onion (cōng – 葱)
Large Green Onion (Dàcōng – 大葱)
Brown Onion (Yángcōng – 洋葱)
Garlic (Dàsuàn – 大蒜)
Ginger (Shēngjiāng – 生姜)
Garlic Scapes (suan xin – 蒜芯)
Chinese Garlic Chives (jiǔ cài – 韭菜)
Winter melon (dōng guā – 冬瓜)
Chinese Radish ( luó bo – 萝卜)
Bitter Melon ( kǔ guā – 苦瓜)
Lotus Root (lián’ǒu – 莲藕)
Bamboo Shoots (竹笋)
Kelp seaweed (hǎi dài – 海带)
Chinese long beans (jiāng dòu- 豇豆)
Mung bean sprouts ( lǜ dòu yá – 绿豆芽)
Water Chestnuts (mǎ tí – 馬蹄)
Chinese yam (shān yào – 山药)
Snow Peas (hé lán dòu – 荷兰豆)
Green Beans (máo dòu – 毛豆)
Stem lettuce (wō sǔn – 莴笋)
Chinese black mushroom (dōng gū – 冬菇)
Shiitake mushroom (xiāng gū – 香菇)
Enoki Mushrooms ( jīn zhēn gū – 金针菇)
Tea tree mushrooms ( chá shù gū – 茶树菇)
King Mushrooms (xìngbàogū – 杏鲍菇)
This post was first published Aug 3, 2017 and updated Sep 2018