m7encha محنّشة
Moroccan Darija · noun
“m7encha” (محنّشة) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning almond pastry coiled like a snake.
Meanings
- almond pastry coiled like a snake
Usage
The word refers to a traditional Moroccan pastry. A long strip of thin dough (warqa) is filled with almond paste, often flavored with orange blossom and cinnamon. It is then rolled into a spiral, giving it the look of a coiled snake, hence its name. It is baked until golden and then coated in honey. It is served with tea, at celebrations and when receiving guests. In French, it is often found spelled "m'hencha" or "mhancha", or under the name "gâteau serpent" (snake cake).
Example
صوبت محنشة باللوز للضياف
sewwbt m7encha bllouz ldyaf
“I made an almond mhancha for the guests.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “m7encha” but also “m7ncha”, “mhancha”, “m7ancha”, “mhencha” and “m7nncha”. 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.