Mon chou-chou!

No, it isn’t an April Fool.

In France, mon chou is an endearment – just as the English might say,”my duck” or “my darling”, so the French call their partners “my cabbage”.

The endearment is extended to children too: mon p’tit chou (my little cabbage), or mon bout d’chou (my bit of cabbage) are both used regularly. I’ve seen signs saying bout d’chou and pour le chou-chou in shop windows, advertising items for the “little darlings”.

Chouchou (cabbage-cabbage) is my favourite. The next time you hear a small French child speaking, listen out for the phrase, they sing it out to themselves all the time.

Cabbage related keywords:

Le chou – cabbage

Le chou-fleur – cauliflower

La choucroute – sauerkraut

Le chou rouge – red cabbage

Les choux de Bruxelles – Brussels sprouts