食材 (shícái) — ingredient, foodstuff
HSK 4 | noun | a raw material or component used in cooking
食材 (shícái)
食材 refers to the raw ingredients or foodstuffs used in preparing a meal. It is a common word in everyday cooking contexts.
Meanings
- noun ingredient, foodstuff (raw material used in cooking)
Example Sentences
新鲜的食材是做好菜的关键。 Xīnxiān de shícái shì zuò hǎo cài de guānjiàn. Fresh ingredients are the key to cooking a good dish.
他去市场买了很多食材。 Tā qù shìchǎng mǎile hěn duō shícái. He went to the market and bought many ingredients.
这道菜的食材很简单，但味道很好。 Zhè dào cài de shícái hěn jiǎndān, dàn wèidào hěn hǎo. The ingredients for this dish are simple, but it tastes great.
有机食材越来越受欢迎。 Yǒujī shícái yuè lái yuè shòu huānyíng. Organic ingredients are becoming more and more popular.
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 新鲜食材 (xīnxiān shícái) | fresh ingredients |
| 有机食材 (yǒujī shícái) | organic ingredients |
| 食材准备 (shícái zhǔnbèi) | ingredient preparation |
| 食材搭配 (shícái dāpèi) | ingredient pairing |
Usage Notes
食材 is a neutral, everyday noun used whenever discussing the components that go into a dish. It can refer to a single ingredient or a collection of ingredients, and it appears frequently in recipes, cooking shows, and restaurant menus.
Memory Hook
Think of 食 (shí, eat/food) plus 材 (cái, material) — the "eating materials" you need before cooking.