saan4 coi3潺菜
Jyutpingsaan4 coi3
Yalesàahn choi
Definition
Malabar spinach; a leafy vegetable that produces a slimy mucilage when cooked.
colloquialfood
How it's used
The name of this vegetable comes from the Cantonese word 潺, which describes a slimy or mucus-like texture. It is a staple in home-cooked soups, especially when paired with salted egg or lean pork. Because of its unique texture, it is often considered an acquired taste for those who prefer crispier greens.
Measure word
zaat3紮jatExamples
Shall we make Malabar spinach soup tonight?
Malabar spinach feels slimy when you eat it.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse the texture description 潺 with the adjective 孱, which refers to someone being physically weak or frail. While they share the same sound, they are written with different radicals and have completely different meanings.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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).
