pou4 gwaa1蒲瓜
Jyutpingpou4 gwaa1
Yalepòuh gwā
Definition
Calabash; bottle gourd, also known as long melon or white-flowered gourd.
colloquialfood
How it's used
Often referred to as 葫蘆瓜 in markets, this vegetable is a staple for home-style Cantonese soups. It is prized for its mild, sweet flavor and soft texture when boiled. When shopping, locals look for firm skin without bruises to ensure the inside is not bitter.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
This calabash is very fresh, buy it to make soup.
Do you know how to pick a good calabash to eat?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 節瓜, which is a fuzzy, smaller winter melon often used in similar soups. While they look somewhat similar in a pot, 蒲瓜 has a smoother, lighter green skin and a distinctively softer texture after cooking.
Grammar color guide
Noun
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Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
