椰菜花
je⁴ coi³ faa¹
The Cantonese word for cauliflower is 椰菜花 (je⁴ coi³ faa¹).
The term refers to the vegetable cauliflower. In cooking contexts, you can indicate a stir-fried preparation by adding the verb 炒 before the word, such as in 炒花椰菜 (stir-fried cauliflower).
Meaning: vegetable (noun)
Which one should you use?
The term 椰菜花 is distinguished from 椰菜 (cabbage) by the addition of the character faa¹, meaning flower, which specifies that you are referring to the flowering vegetable rather than the leafy vegetable.
How do you pronounce it?
je⁴ coi³ faa¹
Did you know?
- The word 椰 in 椰菜花 actually means 'coconut', meaning cauliflower is literally called a 'coconut vegetable flower'.
- In traditional Cantonese medicine, cauliflower is often categorized as a 'cooling' food, meaning it is eaten to balance 'heat' in the body.
- If you order 椰菜花 in a Hong Kong tea restaurant, it is frequently served with a thick, savory oyster sauce glaze rather than steamed.
Examples in context
- 你可以教我點煮白花菜嗎？Can you teach me how to cook cauliflower?
- 路邊攤有好靚嘅花菜賣。There's good-looking cauliflower for sale at the street market.
- 我鍾意食椰菜花。ngo5 zung1 ji3 sik6 je4 coi1 faa1.I like to eat cauliflower.
- 超市今日有新鮮椰菜花。ciu1 si5 gam1 jat6 jau5 san1 sin1 je4 coi1 faa1.There is fresh cauliflower at the supermarket today.
- 我想買一棵椰菜花。ngo5 soeng2 maai5 jat1 fo1 je4 coi1 faa1.I want to buy one cauliflower.
Example conversation
A couple is planning what to cook for dinner.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit雅婷，今晚整咩菜好呀？nga5 ting4, gam1 maan5 zing2 me1 coi3 hou2 aa3?Ah Ting, what vegetable should we cook tonight?
- 雅婷 Nga Ting不如整椰菜花炒肉片？bat1 jyu4 zing2 je4 coi1 faa1 caau2 juk6 pin3?How about stir-frying cauliflower with sliced meat?
- 俊傑 Chun Kit好呀，我去買椰菜花。hou2 aa3, ngo5 heoi3 maai5 je4 coi1 faa1.Okay, I will go buy the cauliflower.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting唔該你，俊傑。m4 goi1 nei3, zeon3 git6.Thank you, Chun Kit.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cauliflower” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
