9alb elouz قلب اللوز
Algerian Darja · noun
“9alb elouz” (قلب اللوز) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning semolina and almond cake.
Meanings
- semolina and almond cake
Usage
Qalb el louz, literally "heart of almond", is an Algerian pastry. It is made of semolina and filled with a layer of almonds, then soaked in syrup after baking. It is cut into diamond shapes. It is the emblematic sweet of Ramadan evenings, bought from the pastry shop or made at home. It is served with tea or coffee. In Algiers and some other regions, it is also called chamia. The name does not change in the plural: you say pieces of qalb el louz. In arabizi, the initial q is written k, q, 9 or g.
Example
شرينا قلب اللوز للسهرة
chrina 9alb elouz lessahra
“We bought qalb el louz for the evening.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, it is written “9alb elouz”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.