meat dish
肉菜· rou cai
Taste & Role
Rather than a single ingredient, rou cai is a menu and meal-planning category: meat dishes provide the savory, protein-rich anchor of a Chinese meal, usually served alongside rice, noodles, and lighter vegetable dishes to create balance.
What it is
Rou cai literally translates to "meat dish" and refers to the broad category of Chinese dishes built around meat as the star ingredient, such as braised pork belly, red-braised beef, or stir-fried chicken. In Chinese meal planning, these dishes are contrasted with vegetable dishes (su cai) and are typically the hearty centerpiece of the table. The term covers virtually every cooking method, from steaming and braising to roasting and stir-frying.
Nutrition
per 100 g- Calories
- 265 kcal
- Protein
- 10.8 g
- Total fat
- 9.83 g
- Carbs
- 33.5 g
- Fiber
- 2.4 g
- Sodium
- 615 mg
USDA FoodData Central (closest standard match)
Substitutes
No registered substitutes — this one is usually easy to find.
Recipes using it
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