Vegetables

Tomato

A ripe red tomato with smooth taut skin, a green calyx and juicy seed chambers.

3 identity clues

A ripe red tomato with smooth taut skin, a green calyx and juicy seed chambers.
Look for a round to slightly flattened fruit, smooth red skin and a star-shaped green cap.
Tomato has several gel-filled seed chambers; sweet pepper is hollow with a pale central placenta.

Reading language:

Names in other languages

繁體中文: 番茄
English: Tomato
Bahasa Indonesia: Tomat (番茄)
Tagalog: Kamatis (番茄)

Name in Cantonese (Jyutping): faan1 ke4

What is it?

A tomato is round to slightly flattened and commonly red when ripe. Its juicy seed chambers distinguish it from a hollow red bell pepper.

How to identify it

Look for a round to slightly flattened fruit, smooth red skin and a star-shaped green cap.

Common Hong Kong household uses

Use in a recipe that specifically names this vegetable; this page identifies the market item only.

Choosing & preparing

Wash thoroughly under clean running water before cooking; do not use soap, special detergent or produce wash.

Storage

Wash only immediately before cooking or eating; if pre-washing is necessary, dry thoroughly and follow the label or supplier storage directions.

Helper tip

Use the Hong Kong name and check the physical features or original label when buying. Look for a round to slightly flattened fruit, smooth red skin and a star-shaped green cap.

What Ma’am or Sir may say

唔該要番茄，俾我睇清楚先。

The employer wants Tomato and asks for it to be checked before purchase.

Useful market phrase

唔該要番茄，俾我睇清楚先。

Meaning: Tomato, please. Let me look at it carefully first.

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Last reviewed: 2026-08-24

Sources (5)