ras l7anout راس الحانوت
Algerian Darja · noun
“ras l7anout” (راس الحانوت) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning spice blend.
Meanings
- spice blend
Usage
Ras el 7anout is a powdered spice blend sold by the grocer or prepared at home. Its composition varies by family and region. It is used to season chorba, tajines, stews and some meat dishes. In English, the name is generally kept as is. The word is masculine and is most often used without a quantity word: zid chwiya ras el 7anout, "add a little ras el hanout". There is no single recipe.
Example
زيد شوية راس الحانوت في الشربة
zid chwiya ras el 7anout fel chorba
“Add a little ras el hanout to the chorba.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ras l7anout” but also “ras lhanout”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.