美食

• Pinyin: měi shí
• Hanzi breakdown: 美 = 羊 (sheep) + 大 (big), meaning beautiful/fine; 食 = a pictograph of a person eating from a vessel, meaning food or to eat

Meaning

Delicious food; gourmet food; cuisine. Refers to food that is exceptionally tasty or expertly prepared.

More elevated than simply 好吃的 (tasty food). 美食 implies food that is noteworthy, worth seeking out, or culturally significant. Widely used in modern Chinese for food culture, restaurants, cooking shows, and travel. 美食家 means a foodie or gourmet. Common in compound phrases: 美食节 (food festival), 美食街 (food street), 美食博主 (food blogger).

Examples

1. 这个城市有很多有名的美食。 This city has lots of famous cuisine.
2. 他是一个爱吃美食的人。 He is someone who loves gourmet food.
3. 旅行的时候，我最喜欢尝各地的美食。 When travelling, I love trying the local cuisine everywhere.

Usage Guide

Context: food, travel, culture

Tone: enthusiastic

Do Say

• 中国的美食世界闻名。(Chinese cuisine is famous worldwide.)
• 这条街上有很多美食。(There is lots of great food on this street.)

Don't Say

• 我今天吃了美食面包。(Don't use 美食 as a direct modifier for ordinary food items like bread — it sounds odd. Say 我今天吃了很好吃的面包 or refer to a cuisine collectively as 美食.)

Origin & History

美 means beautiful or fine; 食 means food or to eat. Together: fine food — food that is both delicious and aesthetically pleasing.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal