秋葵 (qiūkuí) · okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), lady's fingers

Measure Word

一根秋葵 gēn

Meanings

1 okra (Abelmoschus esculentus)
2 lady's fingers

About the ingredient

蔬菜 Vegetables · In season: summer and autumn

Slim, ridged green pods with a five- or six-sided cross-section, full of small round seeds in a slippery sap. Cutting them small releases more slime, so cooks keep the pieces large and cook them quickly.

Also called 黄秋葵、羊角豆

Characters

mallow; sunflower-family plant

Examples

HSK 7-9

我们晚饭吃凉拌秋葵。

Wǒmen wǎnfàn chī liángbàn qiūkuí.

For dinner we're having cold-dressed okra.

HSK 7-9

秋葵切开会有黏液。

Qiūkuí qiēkāi huì yǒu niányè.

When you cut okra open, it gets slimy.

Tips

memory

秋 (qiū, autumn, when it's harvested in China) + 葵 (kuí, mallow / sunflower-family plant). Botanically, okra is in the mallow family, so 葵 is taxonomically apt, it's the 'autumn mallow'.

culture

Okra is a relative newcomer to Chinese cuisine but has surged in popularity since the 2000s as a 'health food' (健康食品), praised for its mucilage and fibre. Common preparations: blanched and chilled with soy sauce (凉拌秋葵), stir-fried with garlic, or in egg dishes.