How to Write 芡 (qiàn) — Meaning “Gorgon fruit / Euryale ferox”

Imagine a plant (艹) that is so delicious you always owe (欠) yourself another taste. Or picture the bottom part 欠 as a person bowing to thank the plant for its starchy seeds.

Write the top radical 艹 first with three strokes: horizontal, vertical, vertical. Then write 欠 with four strokes: left-falling, horizontal-falling, right-falling, and left-falling. Keep the bottom part balanced and not too wide under the grass.

芡 (gorgon fruit) has 欠 below the grass, while 兹 (now/this) has 玄 (dark thread) below. 艻 (a grass species) has 力 (power) below. The shapes and meanings are distinct; 芡 is the only one related to starch or cooking.

芡 appears in cooking terms like 勾芡 (to thicken sauce with starch) and 芡粉 (cooking starch). It also refers to the gorgon fruit seed (芡实) used in traditional soups and medicine. You will see it most often in Chinese recipes and food packaging.

Common words containing 芡 include: 芡粉 (qiàn fěn) — Starch (used for thickening sauces); 勾芡 (gōu qiàn) — to thicken with starch; 芡实 (qiàn shí) — Gorgon fruit / Fox nut.