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What is a Quay

post #1 of 13
9/9/10 at 2:02pm
Thread Starter 

A customer of mine sent over some pickled quays, and they were really good, but I have no idea what they are.  Anyone know?

 

Thanks,

 

D. Clay

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post #2 of 13
9/9/10 at 10:19pm

Hmm as far as I know its like a jetty.  Are you sure that's the right spelling?  Googling it doesn't bring up anything about fruit/veg.

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post #3 of 13
9/10/10 at 3:17am

What do they look like?  That might help.  why do i think quail eggs?  I don't really know, just a wild guess

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post #4 of 13
9/10/10 at 5:05am

I believe they are a type of pickle.

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post #5 of 13
9/10/10 at 6:19am
Thread Starter 

I found a recipe online for pickled quays, but in the recipe it said to slice the quay and remove the seeds.  The pickled quays I got are green rings of some sort of vegetable.  They are the size of an old US silver dollar and look like gear cogs.  There are some pieces in there that are smaller, giving me the impression that it might have been some sort of cucumber or squash.  The customer dropped them off at my office then left, then someone in the office brought them to me so I didn't have the chance to ask what they were.  I am going to ask my customer what they are the next time I see her, but that could be days from now.  On the jar where she included the ingredients, she listed quay.  Thanks for the help.

 

D. Clay

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post #6 of 13
9/10/10 at 6:39am

I've checked all my references, and can't find it under cucumbers, melons, or squashes. Doesn't mean much, though, as there are hundreds of varieties that fit.

 

From your description, however, I'd guess that they are either a Russian or Japanese cucumber or pickling melon.

 

Be nice if your customer knows what they are.

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post #7 of 13
9/10/10 at 7:21am

Sounds like an armenian  cucumber.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_cucumber These are often pickled and quite tasty.

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post #8 of 13
9/10/10 at 7:24am

This forum thread supports my claim equating quays to the Armenian cucumber

http://www.idigmygarden.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-20187.html

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post #9 of 13
9/10/10 at 12:48pm

One of my first thoughts, Phil, was that they were Armenian Cukes (aka, serpent cucumber, snake cucumber), which, of course, are really melons.

 

However, none of my references use quay as a synonym, which is why I suspect a lesser known Russian or Japanese variety. Or maybe even one from any of the Indian Ocean islands.

 

Of course, the way things go, "quay" is probably some foreign word that merely translates as "pickle."

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post #10 of 13
9/10/10 at 9:53pm

Hmm. Where have you seen this term, precisely? I'm wondering about the spelling.

 

See, if this were printed in mainland China today, I would pronounce the word "chooway," roughly. If I saw it coming from maybe Hong Kong and an older label, I'd pronounce it "kway." If it's Japanese, I'd be up a creek, because there's nothing obviously parallel at all. And so it goes.

 

But the point is, the two Chinese terms, que and kuei are totally different. In roughly the same way as, let's say, "eye" and "aim" are different in English. And they could be transcribed into English in remarkably different ways. And, of course, that's just assuming Mandarin, which is a very bad assumption with imported foods, so many of which still come from Cantonese or Fukienese-speaking areas. So if one could narrow down roughly how it's supposed to sound, or at least what language it's supposed to be coming from, we might have reasonable odds of pinning it down.

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post #11 of 13
9/23/10 at 8:05am
Thread Starter 

I talked to the person that made the pickle quay and they are Armenian cucumbers that they grow themselves.  I was told that quay was what they were called for a very long time, but I couldn't find out why.

 

D. Clay 

Free shipping on orders over $99 - commercial knives, sharpeners, butcher supplies, BBQ tools, and restaurant utensils.
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post #12 of 13
8/17/11 at 1:52am

They are called Quay and are some type of cucumber. When I was a kid I stayed at my moms aunt Tish's house in Brady Tx and she gave me some. They were hot but were so good I didn't care. Maybe someone from that area can respond with a recipe.

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post #13 of 13
8/17/11 at 2:53pm

I know of kueh, as in Nonya Kueh, Ang ku kueh, etc.  Basically a Chinese/Malay pastry or dessert.

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