荠菜 (jìcài) · shepherd's purse

Measure Word

一把荠菜 bǎ

Meanings

1 shepherd's purse

About the ingredient

蔬菜 Vegetables · In season: spring

A small wild green that grows as a flat rosette of jagged leaves, with a fresh, slightly sweet taste. Both foraged and farmed; it is chopped into dumpling and wonton fillings, or cooked in soups with tofu.

Also called 荠、地菜

Characters

Examples

HSK 7-9

我最喜欢吃荠菜馅的饺子。

Wǒ zuì xǐhuan chī jìcài xiàn de jiǎozi.

My favourite dumplings are the ones filled with shepherd's purse.

HSK 7-9

早春的荠菜最嫩，过了清明就开花变老了。

Zǎochūn de jìcài zuì nèn, guò le Qīngmíng jiù kāihuā biàn lǎo le.

Shepherd's purse is most tender in early spring; after Qingming it flowers and turns tough.

Tips

mistakes

荠 is jì here. Read qí, the same character is the second half of 荸荠, the water chestnut.

culture

荠菜 is one of the best-loved wild spring greens in eastern China. Dumplings and 馄饨 filled with it are a spring classic in Shanghai and the Jiangnan region.