củ đậu
Definition
- Noun:
- Jicama / Yam bean: A crisp, sweet, edible tuber from a vine (Pachyrhizus erosus), commonly eaten raw, in salads, or cooked in Vietnamese cuisine. It has a brown skin and white, juicy flesh.
- Mexican turnip / Chinese potato: Alternative common names for this root vegetable in other culinary contexts.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Củ đậu ăn sống rất mát và giòn. (Jicama eaten raw is very refreshing and crunchy.)
- Mẹ tôi thường thái củ đậu trộn vào salad. (My mother often slices jicama to mix into salad.)
- Đây là một củ đậu rất to. (This is a very large jicama.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "củ đậu" refers specifically to the tuber. The plant itself is called "cây củ đậu".
- While the tuber is safe and popular, other parts of the jicama plant (leaves, stems, seeds, pods) are toxic and not for consumption.
Variants and Related Words
- Sắn nước: A less common regional name for jicama in some parts of Vietnam.
- Củ sắn: : This can be a confusing term as it more commonly refers to cassava or tapioca root, which is a different plant.
Synonyms
- Jicama: The most common English name, from the Spanish (Nahuatl) word.
- Yam bean: Refers to the fact it is a tuber from a leguminous plant.
- Mexican turnip: A descriptive name used in some English-speaking countries.
- Chinese potato: Another common descriptive name in English.
Related Idioms and Expressions
- Mát như củ đậu: (As cool as a jicama) – An idiom describing something or someone that is very cool, refreshing, or calm.
- Tính anh ấy mát như củ đậu, chẳng bao giờ nóng nảy. (His temperament is as cool as a jicama; he never gets angry.)