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Chinese Menus Retranslated for Olympics

Government mandates names as squeamish tourists descend

By Sam Biddle,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 25, 2008 11:05 AM CDT

(Newser) – The Chinese government is issuing a list of revised names for some of the country's more obliquely translated dishes in preparation for the wave of tourists the Beijing Olympics will draw this August, the New York Times reports.

  • A disconcerting plate of “husband-and-wife lung slices” will be rechristened as a slightly more appetizing "pork lungs in chili sauce"
  • The bizarre "ants climbing up a tree" will now be a more straightforward “sautéed vermicelli with spicy minced pork”


  • The enigmatic “three fresh things from the ground” will finally be revealed as “sautéed potato, green pepper and eggplant”
  • “Saliva chicken,” which some restaurants used to suggest watering mouths, will be renamed “steamed chicken with chili sauce.”
  • "Pock-marked old lady’s tofu" proved impossible to translate. It'll instead be transliterated as "mapo tofu"

The Chinese government hopes to avoid confused or repulsed tourists by retranslating a number of traditional dishes.
The Chinese government hopes to avoid confused or repulsed tourists by retranslating a number of traditional dishes.   ((c) edseloh)
Chinese dishes will be given new, friendlier names in preparation for the Olympics.
Chinese dishes will be given new, friendlier names in preparation for the Olympics.   ((c) Prince Roy)
The Chinese government hopes that newly named dishes will be more enticing to tourists.
The Chinese government hopes that newly named dishes will be more enticing to tourists.   ((c) Prince Roy)
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