
Vegetables
Green Beans / Snap Beans
Green Beans / Snap Beans are short, slender, near-cylindrical green pods sold under the HK name 四季豆.
- 繁體中文
- 四季豆
- English
- Green Beans / Snap Beans
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Buncis
- Tagalog
- Baguio beans (四季豆)
What is it?
Green Beans / Snap Beans are short, slender, near-cylindrical green pods sold under the HK name 四季豆. This page follows the authoritative HK-market name and identification scope.
How to identify it
Look for short smooth slender pods with pointed ends; they are far shorter than yardlong beans, but pod appearance does not prove a cultivar.
- short slender pods
- smooth near-cylindrical surface
- small pointed ends
Common confusion
Yardlong beans are dramatically longer and can coil; green beans are much shorter. Bean sprouts have no intact green pod.
Common Hong Kong household uses
Use Green Beans / Snap Beans only where the recipe names it, following the stated amount and cooking method.
Preparation or handling
Wash thoroughly under clean running water immediately before preparation; CFS does not recommend soap or produce wash.
Storage
Follow CFS vegetable-storage guidance and purchase directions; if washed before storage, dry thoroughly first.
Helper tip
Yardlong beans are dramatically longer and can coil; green beans are much shorter. Bean sprouts have no intact green pod.
What Ma’am or Sir may say
買四季豆。The employer is asking you to buy Green Beans / Snap Beans; check the market sign or original package.
Useful market phrase
我想買四季豆。Does the image look correct?
Last reviewed
Sources
- Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department — Public Market Items Multilingual Booklet
- Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department — Public Market Items - Gourds
- Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department — Gourds and other vegetables Cantonese pinyin
- Hong Kong FEHD / Centre for Food Safety — FEHB 247 Appendix I food classifications and examples
- Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety — Safe and Fresh: Practical Tips for Storing Vegetables
- Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety — Pesticide Residues in Food - Frequently Asked Questions