In Hokkien-speaking areas, Q (Chinese: 𩚨; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khiū) is a culinary term for the ideal texture of many foods, such as noodles, boba,[1][2][3][4][5] fish balls and fishcakes.[6] Sometimes translated as "chewy", the texture has been described as "The Asian version of al-dente ... soft but not mushy."[7] Another translation is "springy and bouncy".[6] It also appears in a doubled more intense form, "QQ".[7]
The term originates from the Hokkien word khiū (𩚨),[8][9] which has a sound similar to the letter "Q" in English, and has since been adopted by other forms of Chinese, such as Mandarin.[10] The use of the letter "Q" to represent khiū (𩚨) may have originated in Taiwan, but it is also widely used in Chinese speaking communities outside of Taiwan.[11]
"Q" in Sinitic languages has several other meanings, such as a shorthand for the English word "cute".[11]