syun3 sam1蒜心
Jyutpingsyun3 sam1
Yalesyun sām
Definition
Garlic shoot; the flowering stem of a garlic plant used as a vegetable.
colloquialfood
How it's used
Garlic shoots are a staple in Cantonese home cooking, prized for their crisp texture and mild garlicky flavor. They are almost exclusively prepared by stir-frying, often paired with sliced beef or pork belly to balance the richness of the meat. Unlike the bulb, the shoot is considered a vegetable rather than a seasoning.
Measure word
zaat3紮jatExamples
Shall we stir-fry a plate of garlic shoots for dinner tonight?
Related words
Common phrases
stir-fried garlic shoots with beef
crunchy garlic shoots
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 蒜頭, which refers to the garlic bulb itself. Beginners sometimes mistakenly use 蒜心 when they actually mean the cloves used for aromatic frying.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
