jau4 mak6 coi3油麥菜油麦菜
Definition
Indian lettuce; a vegetable with short stalks, long pointed leaves, and a slightly glossy surface.
How it's used
This vegetable is a staple in Hong Kong households and is almost exclusively prepared by stir-frying with garlic and fermented bean curd. The name implies a glossy, oily appearance on the leaves, which is why it is often served with a savory sauce to complement its slightly bitter profile. It is distinct from standard lettuce used in salads due to its elongated shape and firmer texture.
Measure word
po1樖pōExamples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Learners often confuse it with standard lettuce or romaine, but it is specifically known for its unique bitter aftertaste and glossy leaves. Ensure you use the correct measure word 樖 or 條 when buying it at a wet market, as using a generic classifier might sound unnatural to vendors.
Grammar color guide
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
