kharchouf خرشوف
Moroccan Darija · noun
“kharchouf” (خرشوف) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning cardoon, wild artichoke.
Meanings
- cardoon, wild artichoke
Usage
Kharchouf refers to the cardoon, or wild artichoke, whose peeled stalks are eaten. It is mainly a cooking word: tajine with kharchouf, with meat or chicken and preserved lemon, is a seasonal dish. The vegetable takes a long time to peel, because the strings and thorns have to be removed, and it is put in lemon water so that it does not turn black. It should be distinguished from the cultivated artichoke, which is generally called 9o9 in Morocco. The word is common and neutral in register.
Example
ماما طيبات طاجين بالخرشوف
mama tiybat tajine bl kharchouf
“Mum made a tajine with cardoons.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “kharchouf” but also “khrchouf”, “kherchouf”, “kharchof” and “khrchof”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.