terfas ترفاس
Algerian Darja · noun
“terfas” (ترفاس) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning desert truffle, terfez.
Meanings
- desert truffle, terfez
Usage
Terfas is the desert truffle, an underground fungus harvested in steppe and Saharan areas after the winter and spring rains. It is also known as terfez. Highly sought after, it sometimes sells at a high price in the markets. It is prepared in a sauce, in a stew or with meat. The word is used as a collective: terfas refers to the whole harvest and not to one particular truffle. It should not be confused with the black European truffle, which is a different species.
Example
هذا العام كاين بزاف ترفاس
had l3am kayen bezzaf terfas
“This year, there are a lot of desert truffles.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “terfas” but also “terfess”, “terfes”, “terface” and “torfas”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.