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
