涼瓜

Refers to the "coldness" of the melon according to traditional Chinese medicine. Reportedly arising from taboo of mentioning the 苦 (fu2, “bitter; misery”) in 苦瓜 (fu2 gwaa1, “bitter melon”).

涼瓜

1. (Cantonese) bitter melon

   涼瓜炒牛肉／凉瓜炒牛肉 [Cantonese]  ―  loeng⁴ gwaa¹ caau² ngau⁴ juk⁶   ―  stir-fried beef with bitter melon

   • 1955 April 2, “涼瓜首批上市　販商搶先購入”, in 大公報, page 5:

     緊隨毛瓜上市，涼瓜首批亦運到。昨天由廣州運到的只三、四十斤，販商聞訊即搶先買入。 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
     紧随毛瓜上市，凉瓜首批亦运到。昨天由广州运到的只三、四十斤，贩商闻讯即抢先买入。 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

     gan² ceoi⁴ mou⁴ gwaa¹ soeng⁵ si⁵, loeng⁴ gwaa¹ sau² pai¹ jik⁶ wan⁶ dou³. zok⁶ tin¹ jau⁴ gwong² zau¹ wan⁶ dou³ dik¹ zi² saam¹, sei³ sap⁶ gan¹, faan³ soeng¹ man⁴ seon³ zik¹ coeng² sin¹ maai⁵ jap⁶.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1961 September 2, “凉瓜燒腩”, in 華僑日報, page 11:

     凉瓜炆火腩，本來是一種可口的時令副食，但是，由於凉瓜味帶苦，有很多人不喜歡吃。 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
     凉瓜炆火腩，本来是一种可口的时令副食，但是，由于凉瓜味带苦，有很多人不喜欢吃。 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

     loeng⁴ gwaa¹ man¹ fo² naam⁵, bun² loi⁴ si⁶ jat¹ zung² ho² hau² dik¹ si⁴ ling⁶ fu³ sik⁶, daan⁶ si⁶, jau⁴ jyu¹ loeng⁴ gwaa¹ mei⁶ daai³ fu², jau⁵ han² do¹ jan⁴ bat¹ hei² fun¹ hek³.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)