甲鱼 (jiǎyú) · softshell turtle

Measure Word

一只甲鱼 zhī

Meanings

1 softshell turtle
2 Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis)

About the ingredient

水产 Fish and seafood

A freshwater turtle with a soft, leathery shell; most sold in China are farmed. It is chopped and stewed or made into soup, and the soft rim of the shell turns gelatinous. Chinese food lore counts it a tonic.

Also called 鳖、团鱼、水鱼、王八

Used in 1 dish

红烧甲鱼 hóngshāo jiǎyú

Characters

Examples

HSK 6

甲鱼汤是江南的传统补品。

Jiǎyú tāng shì Jiāngnán de chuántǒng bǔpǐn.

Softshell turtle soup is a traditional tonic in Jiangnan.

HSK 7-9

他在池塘里养了几只甲鱼。

Tā zài chítáng lǐ yǎng le jǐ zhī jiǎyú.

He raises a few softshell turtles in the pond.

Tips

culture

Also called 鳖 or 团鱼. Highly prized in Chinese cuisine and traditional medicine, where it's believed to nourish yin and the kidneys. Distinct from regular hard-shelled turtles (乌龟).