豆蔻 (dòukòu) · cardamom (the spice/plant)

Meanings

1 cardamom (the spice/plant)
2 a girl's early teenage years (figurative, 13-14 years old)
3 budding youth

About the ingredient

调料 Seasonings

Pale, round pods of a ginger-family plant, full of small dark brown seeds with a cool, eucalyptus-like scent. A few go into the spice mixes for braised meat; 肉豆蔻, nutmeg, is a different spice.

Also called 白豆蔻

Used in 1 dish

道口烧鸡 Dàokǒu shāojī

Characters

Examples

HSK 6

印度菜常常用到豆蔻。

Yìndù cài chángcháng yòngdào dòukòu.

Indian cuisine often uses cardamom.

HSK 7-9

她正是豆蔻年华。

Tā zhèngshì dòukòu niánhuá.

She is in the bloom of her early teens.

Tips

history

The figurative meaning comes from Tang poet 杜牧 (Du Mu)'s line 娉娉袅袅十三余，豆蔻梢头二月初 - comparing a graceful 13-year-old girl to a cardamom bud in early spring. Hence 豆蔻年华 'cardamom-bud years' = a girl's early teens.