flocons de piment
In French, red pepper flake is translated as flocons de piment.
This phrase refers to small pieces of dried, crushed red chili peppers used as a spice to add heat to food.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of flocons (flakes) and de piment (of chili/pepper).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Basque region of southwestern France, you may encounter piment d'Espelette, which refers to a specific local variety of red pepper that is typically dried and crushed into flakes. Additionally, piment de Cayenne écrasé translates to crushed Cayenne pepper.
How does it change in a sentence?
While the plural flocons de piment is the standard way to refer to the spice, the singular flocon de piment can be used to refer to a single flake.
Did you know?
- The word flocons is most commonly used in French to describe 'snowflakes'. Its use in flocons de piment is a metaphorical way to describe the light and airy texture of the spice.
- The French word piment is a linguistic doublet of the English word 'pigment'. Both are derived from the Latin word pigmentum, which referred to coloring agents.
- The modern meaning of piment as a hot pepper is a semantic loan from the Spanish word pimiento.
Examples in context
- Ajoutez quelques flocons de piment sur votre pizza.Add some red pepper flakes to your pizza.
- Ajoute des flocons de piment sur ta pizza.Add some red pepper flakes on your pizza.
- Je préfère les pâtes sans flocons de piment.I prefer pasta without red pepper flakes.
- Peux-tu me passer les flocons de piment ?Can you pass me the red pepper flakes?
Example conversation
A couple is adding toppings to their homemade pizza at home.
- NathanEst-ce que tu veux des flocons de piment ?Do you want some red pepper flakes?
- ChloéOui, s'il te plaît, j'aime quand c'est épicé.Yes, please, I like it spicy.
- NathanTiens, en voilà pour ta part.Here, some for your portion.
- ChloéMerci, c'est parfait comme ça.Thanks, it's perfect this way.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, piment, CC BY-SA 4.0.
