bakoula بقولة
Moroccan Darija · noun
“bakoula” (بقولة) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning cooked mallow salad (khobbiza).
Meanings
- cooked mallow salad (khobbiza)
Usage
Bqula is a Moroccan preparation made from mallow leaves (khobbiza) steamed and then sautéed with garlic, coriander, parsley, olive oil, cumin and paprika, often garnished with olives and preserved lemon. It is served cold or lukewarm as a starter, among the cooked salads, notably during Ramadan or in winter when mallow grows in abundance. The word refers to the dish and not to the plant itself, which is called khobbiza. There are also variants made with spinach or chard, which are given the same name.
Example
ماما دارت لينا البقولة اليوم
mama darat lina l-bqula lyoum
“Mum made us bqula today.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “bakoula” but also “bekkoula”, “b9oula”, “bqula” and “bkoula”. 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.