<p>This is a newby answer. </p>

<ol>
<li>find a reliable dictionary.</li>
<li>Compare all the different answers because some are context sensitive.</li>
<li>Rule out the answers that relate to specific topics or subjects you are not dealing with and you are very close to the correct answer.</li>
</ol>

<p>I am currently trying <a href="https://www.yellowbridge.com/chinese/dictionary.php" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.yellowbridge.com/chinese/dictionary.php</a> Their answer to your question is:<br>
主菜 =    zhǔcài  main course and<br>
主食 = zhǔshí main food; staple (rice and noodles).</p>

<p>This is slightly different to zyy's answer in that there is no mention of a banquet. I suspect the choice between 主菜 and 主食 is not dependant on the number of people attending the gathering to share a meal or dinner, but maybe the importance of the meal or dinner? Such as the annual gathering of life-long friends to share a favorite delicacy compared to a simple family meal with one main dish at the end of a long hard days work?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-06T20:18:27.427Z
2019-03-07T01:27:57.677Z
2019-03-07T01:27:57.677Z
alexd1759
<p>主菜 is typically the best dish in a banquet, in biological terms, the proteins.</p>

<p>主食 is referring to carbohydrates, namely noodles or rice.</p>

<p>In China, we usually eat 主食 with some dishes, and the dishes are called 菜。The dishes could be meat, vegetables, seafood and so on, but not carbohydrates.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-06T16:29:03.420Z
2019-03-07T16:18:53.907Z
2019-03-07T16:18:53.907Z
zyy
<p>What is the difference between 主菜 and 主食 in terms of food items?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-07T04:50:57.497Z
@user6065 superfluous comments will be flagged and deleted, especially after good answers have been provided. Additionally, answers should not be posted as comments.
julian
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-08T00:21:47.873Z
@user6065 do you really believe that? Your comments are deleted because they are flagged as no longer needed, and are generally not particularly helpful. Please refrain from making superfluous comments.
julian
<word-choice><difference>
What is the difference between 主菜 and 主食?
# What is the difference between 主菜 and 主食?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-03-06)

What is the difference between 主菜 and 主食 in terms of food items?

**Tags:** word-choice, difference
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: @user6065 superfluous comments will be flagged and deleted, especially after good answers have been provided. Additionally, answers should not be posted as comments.  
> **username_1**: @user6065 do you really believe that? Your comments are deleted because they are flagged as no longer needed, and are generally not particularly helpful. Please refrain from making superfluous comments.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-03-06. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

主菜 is typically the best dish in a banquet, in biological terms, the proteins.

主食 is referring to carbohydrates, namely noodles or rice.

In China, we usually eat 主食 with some dishes, and the dishes are called 菜。The dishes could be meat, vegetables, seafood and so on, but not carbohydrates.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-03-06. Score: 3

This is a newby answer.

1. find a reliable dictionary.
2. Compare all the different answers because some are context sensitive.
3. Rule out the answers that relate to specific topics or subjects you are not dealing with and you are very close to the correct answer.

I am currently trying <https://www.yellowbridge.com/chinese/dictionary.php> Their answer to your question is:  
主菜 = zhǔcài main course and  
主食 = zhǔshí main food; staple (rice and noodles).

This is slightly different to zyy's answer in that there is no mention of a banquet. I suspect the choice between 主菜 and 主食 is not dependant on the number of people attending the gathering to share a meal or dinner, but maybe the importance of the meal or dinner? Such as the annual gathering of life-long friends to share a favorite delicacy compared to a simple family meal with one main dish at the end of a long hard days work?


---

