# Asian cuisine: sar gott?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-cuisine-sar-gott/1014652>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 22, 2025, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-cuisine-sar-gott/1014652 "2025-02-22T03:32:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2025, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-cuisine-sar-gott/1014652/1 "2025-02-22T03:32:17Z")

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We found an old Chinese/Hawaiian cookbook with a section on this main ingredient. But Googling fails. Any insight from the teeming millions?

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**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2025, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-cuisine-sar-gott/1014652/2 "2025-02-22T03:34:59Z")

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I’m guessing Jicama, based on this and a few other articles:

> **[Archive of strange and unusual food plants — Pull Up Your Plants!](https://www.pullupyourplants.com/archive/jicama)**
>
> Welcome to the bulbous and bodacious world of an ancient New World bean tuber. Welcome to the world of Pachyrhizus erosus.

> **Aliases —** Mexican turnip, Mexican water chestnut, potato bean, yam bean, yam bean tuber; _sar-gott,_ 豆薯 (CHINA); _sinkama_ (FILIPINO); _dolique bulbeuse_ (FRENCH); _bengkuang_ (INDONESIAN); _chicam, štšikam, tšikam, xicam_ (MAYA); _jícama_ (NAHUATL); _củ đậu_ {meaning: bean root}, _củ sắn_ (VIETNAM);

Without knowing more from your cookbook though, it’s just an informed guess.

This [PDF](https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/B-60.pdf) shows mentions it as an “oriental vegetable in Hawaii” on page 60 by that name as well.

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**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2025, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-cuisine-sar-gott/1014652/3 "2025-02-22T03:45:02Z")

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Wiktionary seems to concur that it’s the Cantonese word for jicama.  
[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/沙葛](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%B2%99%E8%91%9B)

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**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2025, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-cuisine-sar-gott/1014652/4 "2025-02-22T03:52:27Z")

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The cookbook was published by the Chinese Committee International institute YWCA Honolulu, 1941:

(And Jesus, am I fighting spellcheck to transcribe this!)

Sar Gott Chop Suey  
Sar Gott, sliced (_there’s your clue)_  
Bamboo shoots  
Sliced ham  
“Chinese (snow?) peas  
Celery, sliced  
Pork, sliced  
Green onions  
“Chinese” parsley (cilantro?)  
Peanut oil  
Oyster sauce  
Garlic

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**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2025, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-cuisine-sar-gott/1014652/5 "2025-02-22T04:06:37Z")

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Okay, the Wikipedia article on Jimcama, though it makes no mention of “sar gott,” (and it doesn’t have a baseball/besabaru” sound similarity) does describe it as a legume where the tuber has great value (though no mention of the beans), transported by the Spanish from Mesoamerica to the Philippines, and used as a primary ingredient for lumpia.

(Once you’ve had lumpia, you’ll never accept any egg roll)

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**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2025, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-cuisine-sar-gott/1014652/6 "2025-02-22T04:34:47Z")

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> [@Slithy\_Tove](#):
>
> and used as a primary ingredient for lumpia.

As a primary ingredient in some recipes for lumpia, anyway.