Vegetables

Green Beans / Snap Beans

Green Beans / Snap Beans are short, slender, near-cylindrical green pods sold under the HK name 四季豆.

3 identity clues

short slender pods
smooth near-cylindrical surface
small pointed ends

Reading language:

Names in other languages

繁體中文: 四季豆
English: Green Beans / Snap Beans
Bahasa Indonesia: Buncis
Tagalog: Baguio beans (四季豆)

Name in Cantonese (Jyutping): sei3 gwai3 dau6

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.

Common Hong Kong household uses

Use Green Beans / Snap Beans only where the recipe names it, following the stated amount and cooking method.

Choosing & preparing

Wash under clean running water, trim the ends and tough strings, soak and cook thoroughly; never eat raw or merely blanch for salad. Do not use 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. Green beans contain natural lectins and can cause poisoning if undercooked; washing does not replace thorough cooking.

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。

Meaning: I would like to buy Green Beans / Snap Beans.

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Last reviewed: 2026-10-13

Sources (7)