From instant convenience to heated debates—discover why China’s prefabricated dishes are stirring up the table.

Ever heard of “Prefabricated Dishes” (预制菜) in China?

They’re semi-finished meals—already cooked or seasoned, thenfrozen or vacuum-packed. All you need is a quick heat-up before eating! Love it or hate it, China’s prefabricated dishes are everywhere!

In this short cultural story, find out:
✨How prefabricated dishes suddenly became a hot trend in China
✨Why some people can’t live without them—while others feel tricked
✨What the food industry is doing to win everyone’s tastebuds back

Perfect for Chinese language learners and food lovers whowant to understand not just the words, but also the culture behind everyday life in China.

(Exercises HERE)

预制菜，就是提前做好、调好味，然后用冷冻或真空包装保存的“半成品菜”。回家后，只要加热或简单加工就能吃。

在中国，预制菜的种类很多，工厂里，一天可以做出很多红烧肉、鸡肉或者鱼，味道和家常菜差不多。

因为方便、省时间，预制菜很受上班族和忙碌家庭的欢迎。餐馆和食堂里也开始越来越多地用预制菜。但是，也有人不喜欢——有的人在宴会上发现很多菜是预制的，觉得被骗了；有的家长担心学校用预制菜会影响孩子健康；还有人担心预制菜里有太多的添加剂。

现在，中国预制菜的市场很大。但是，如果想让更多人喜欢，预制菜就要有统一的标准、保证安全，还要让味道和营养像现做的一样好。这样，人们才会觉得它不仅方便，而且好吃。