An unexpected consequence of the 2008 Beijing Olympics that solves my dilemma in translating Chinese (food) menu items to friends. The list is 170 pages long according to the NYT (Update: 2425 items).

This month, the Chinese government has officially released its very long list of suggested translations for Chinese dishes in preparation for a tourist-friendly Olympics. … The master list is incredibly helpful because, as it was built through consensus over many drafts, it conveys the optimal translations to bridge the gap between American and Chinese culinary sensibilities. This list will be useful not just in China, but for Chinese restaurants here in America for years to come.

Having read a few pages, I’d say these translations are pretty accurate and descriptive. Here are a few examples showing why the existence of an official list is such a wonderful thing:

Husband and wife lung slices: Pork Lungs in Chili Sauce (夫妻肺片)
Chicken without a sexual life: Steamed Spring Chicken (清蒸童子鸡)
Ants climb up a tree: Sautéed Vermicelli with Spicy Minced Pork (蚂蚁上树)
Braised lion’s head: Stewed Pork Ball in Brown Sauce (红烧狮子头)
Saliva chicken: Steamed Chicken with Chili Sauce (口水鸡)

Link: Chinese Food Translations: Sweet, Sour and Downright Odd

Related Article: Suggested translations for Chinese dishes