waai4 saan1淮山
Jyutpingwaai4 saan1
Yalewàaih sāan
Definition
Chinese yam; a climbing plant with a thick, white, edible underground tuber used in cooking and medicine.
colloquialfoodhealth
How it's used
Commonly used in Cantonese households as a staple ingredient for slow-cooked soups, often paired with 杞子 or 瘦肉. It is frequently sold in two forms: fresh, which has a slippery texture, or dried, which is a standard item in traditional Chinese medicine shops. The fresh variety is known for causing skin irritation when peeled, so many people wear gloves while handling it.
Measure word
gan1斤gānExamples
Adding Chinese yam when making soup makes it very sweet.
Related words
Common phrases
Chinese yam and goji berry soup
fresh Chinese yam
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 山藥, which is the more formal or Mandarin-centric term. While they refer to the same plant, 淮山 is the standard term used in Hong Kong wet markets and kitchens.
Grammar color guide
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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).
