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Glossary entry

Italian term or phrase:

puffo

English translation:

cornflower

Added to glossary by Laura Bennett
Dec 21, 2011 13:44
12 yrs ago
8 viewers *
Italian term

puffo

Italian to English Marketing Food & Drink macarons
Hello

This is from a list of colours of macarons (macarons not macaroons). All the other colours in the list are types of fruit (strawberry, lemon, orange, cherry) so to just translate it as "blue" would be a bit odd. Then again I think that changing all the fruits to their colours (red, yellow, orange, red again!) would be even worse. In America they apparently have Blue moon gelato which is like the puffo flavour in Italy, but that doesn't mean anything to most English speakers I doubt.

Thank you very much for any ideas.

Merry Christmas too
Proposed translations (English)
4 +2 cornflower
2 +9 smurf-blue
3 +2 Smurf!
4 bluebell
3 +1 Blue Moon
4 Lavender
4 Bubble gum/Viagra
3 (light) blueberry
Change log

Dec 23, 2011 12:00: Laura Bennett Created KOG entry

Discussion

jasonwkingsley Dec 21, 2011:
Smurf macarons are so trendy, they make earrings ! Smurf macarons are so trendy, they make earrings23:34

http://www.alittlemarket.com/boucles-d-oreille/boucles_d_ore...

I had to reword this as a moderator erased my discussion entry. But it does pertain to the question because it demonstrates that 'Schtroumpf' macarons (the French word for Smurf) and the Italian for 'Puffo' are so common that they make earrings ! If this gets erased, I will begin to take it personally, because 'No need to feel blue over the festive season...(which I have nothing against) does not pertain to the subject at all.
jasonwkingsley Dec 21, 2011:
The best answer is the literal translation. Isabelle is right. Smurfs are blue so it would be redundant to say this.
Laura Bennett Dec 21, 2011:
Thanks Holly! No need to feel blue over the festive season.....sorry, couldn't resist ;-)
Holly Nathan (X) (asker) Dec 21, 2011:
I think I'll go with Laura's "cornflower blue". I don't want to think about smurfs and shades of blue for the rest of 2011.
jasonwkingsley Dec 21, 2011:
I stand corrected. http://magalicuisine.canalblog.com/archives/2009/08/26/14826...

Very popular in France. Type in 'macaron schtroumpf' and you'll get lots of hits.
Glinda Dec 21, 2011:
Then blueberry it is ... at least to me XD
Holly Nathan (X) (asker) Dec 21, 2011:
No, it is the COLOUR that is important, not the flavour.
Glinda Dec 21, 2011:
@ David from Holly's words, we don't know if these macarons are given fruit names because they taste like them. We don't even know if in Italian the blue ones are named "puffo" because they taste like "puffo" or simply because they have a blue colour. Perhaps the client shoud have given her more information about this...
David Turnbull Dec 21, 2011:
Fruity? Wouldn't it be a bit misleading if you go with a fruit or anything connected to a flavour?

Presumably the 'lemon' macarons taste of lemon and the 'strawberry' ones do actually taste of strawberry. 'Puffo' flavour is just crema pasticcera and blue food dye, calling it 'blueberry' would give the wrong impression, non?
Holly Nathan (X) (asker) Dec 21, 2011:
No to smurfs! Yes, I think the biggest problem is that you say "puffo" to an Italian and they'll instantly make the connection with gelato. Say "smurf" to an English speaker and they just think of the cartoon.
Glinda Dec 21, 2011:
Exactly. And the point here is about all those other macarons NOT tasting like their namesake (the "strawberry" red ones, the "lemon" yellow ones, etc.), so going for a name of fruit, like I suggested, would not pose any problems, and be much more elegant than "smurf".
jasonwkingsley Dec 21, 2011:
Perhaps others were also mislead by the question. As the question shifted to a gelato discussion, perhaps people instantly thought 'smurf', but, in my opinion, this is much too unsophisticated for a macaron. A bit disgusting if you ask me. Even if the Italians use it, it is not a reason why you should use it. The person who wrote the Italian text perhaps made a quick decision and called it 'Puffo' - the easy way out. As it was already used for gelato, why not macaron ? The macaron market is very different from the gelato market, much more upscale and less kid-oriented.
Holly Nathan (X) (asker) Dec 21, 2011:
Thank you for all the ideas everybody.
Laura Bennett Dec 21, 2011:
Cornflower? This is certainly more elegant. Not sure whether it would imply that the macaron would taste of cornflower though, or perhaps this doesn't matter too much.....

Proposed translations

+2
1 hr
Selected

cornflower

An elegant alternative that doesn't convey a misleading flavour....
Note from asker:
I'll choose this eventually Laura, but I think if I close the question now then points will be awarded to the smurf answer instead.
Peer comment(s):
agree P.L.F. Persio : very elegant indeed.
26 mins
Thanks!
agree SYLVY75
6 hrs
Thanks!
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "thanks again, nice idea. "
+2
2 mins

Smurf!

It literally means this as its a children's flavour!!
Note from asker:
Thanks Isabelle, I was trying to avoid the literal translation though because I am not sure it would mean anything to an English speaker who doesn't know about puffo ice cream. I don't know.....I am talking about the beautiful colours of macarons and mentioning these fruits and then I stick smurf on the end......do you see what I mean?
Peer comment(s):
agree jasonwkingsley : Isabelle you are right ! In fact, why do other people think smurf-blue is a good choice??? Or cornflower blue ? 'Puffo' is 'Smurf' e basta ! It is something that comes directly from France as I pointed out in my links. C'est la vie (:
1 hr
agree P.L.F. Persio
1 hr
Something went wrong...
10 mins

(light) blueberry

My suggestion -- as all the other colours mention fruits... why not "blueberry" or "light blueberry"?
Something went wrong...
+9
3 mins

smurf-blue

If I'm honest I'm not entirely convinced by this myself, but without going a long way from the original Italian it seems like a reasonable compromise. My reference also seems to imply that the Chicago tribune used this translation.....

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 mins (2011-12-21 13:57:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I see your point! How about "cornflower"? More elegant, if a little further from the original.
Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Moon_(ice_cream)

Note from asker:
Thanks Laura. Yes, I am stuck! I want something elegant really. Macarons are elegant. Smurfs aren't.
Peer comment(s):
agree Christine Caillaud
1 min
Thanks Christine!
agree stefina
18 mins
Thanks Stefina!
agree texjax DDS PhD : puffo isn't elegant either...
45 mins
Thanks!
agree Isabelle Johnson : I agree - I think anyone using the word puffo meant to appeal to chidren however inelegant it is. This is a good compromise solution.
1 hr
Thanks Isabelle :-)
agree potra : Yes, it used to be an ice-cream flavor and it is mostly for children.
1 hr
Thanks Potra!
agree P.L.F. Persio
1 hr
Thanks!
agree Sara Maghini
1 hr
Thanks Sara!
agree 3ADE shadab
3 hrs
Thanks Mohd!
agree Umberto Cassano
4 hrs
Thanks Umberto!
Something went wrong...
18 mins

bluebell

Why not? An elegant flower with the word 'blue' in it... Plus, it doesn't imply any particular flavour that might not actually be present (e.g. bubble gum/blueberry).
Something went wrong...
+1
19 mins

Blue Moon

I think I would go for this.

Never seen this flavour in the UK so you take your pick really. At least some people from the US and people who have visited would know the flavour. For those that don't it is at least attractive and intriguing!

Macarons are a fairly upmarket treat here, so I think you need something that reflects that.

Otherwise, you could get your paint catalogue out and look at all the myriad names they have for blue: bleu ciel, powder blue etc.
Peer comment(s):
agree Sara Maghini
1 hr
Something went wrong...
31 mins

Lavender

I know I've already answered, but this is completely different. Could also be blueberry, but might be lavender :) Really depends on who your client is. You have lots of options.

http://mykeuken.blogspot.com/2011/10/lavender-macarons.html
Note from asker:
Unfortunately for me, Viagra is the right colour but so the wrong word! I like lavender, mind you.
Something went wrong...
12 mins

Bubble gum/Viagra

Other options.

http://www.italylogue.com/food-drink/italian-gelato-flavors-...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 38 mins (2011-12-21 14:23:13 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I was mislead as the question made me start thinking about gelato ! These answers would be valid in a gelato context, but not here. Viagra flavor is pretty funny though :)
Peer comment(s):
neutral Sara Maghini : VIAGRA???!! hahahahaha
1 hr
Something went wrong...
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