Xiaochi (Chinese: 小吃; pinyin: xiǎochī; lit. 'small eats') are an important category of Chinese and Taiwanese street food, commonly found in ethnically Han Chinese areas around the world. Xiaochi are substantial snacks, which could be eaten together or with more substantial dishes like the Spanish tapas or Middle Eastern Levantine meze, or alone as a light meal or snack like the French goûter. Xiaochi can often form part of the fourth meal of the day, the xiaoye (宵夜; "supper" or "midnight snack"), a small late evening meal.