You are at a fancy restaurant. In the menu you find a dish that reads rather delicious. After many an attempt to order that particular dish you end up ordering something else because you’d rather eat rotten sushi rather than admit you have no idea how to pronounce the name of the dish. Raise your hands if this has ever happened to you. It has to me, several times in fact. But no worries, there is no shame in admitting and learning!
To help you better your food knowledge and pronunciation, I have compiled a list of hard to pronounce or often mispronounced food names with with definitions and their correct pronunciations in audio format. Let’s begin with part 1.
1) QUINOA
What is it?
Quinoa is a flowering plant in the Amaranth family. It is a herbaceous annual plant gown as grain crop primarily for its edible seeds. After harvest, the seeds are processed to remove the bitter tasting outer seed coat. Highly versatile, cooked quinoa is gluten free and supplies nutrient content similar to wheat and rice. (Source:Wiki)
How is it pronounced?
KEEN-WA
2) BRUSCHETTA
What is it?
Bruschetta is an antipasto or a starter dish from Italy. It consists of grilled bread rubbed with garlic, topped with olive oil and salt. Variations include toppings of tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat or cheese. A popular variant of the bruschetta includes toppings of basil, fresh tomato, garlic, onion and mozzarella. (Source:Wiki)
How is it pronounced?
BROO-SKET-TUH
3) GYRO
What is it?
Gyro is a Greek dish made of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie. Traditionally, meats such as pork, chicken or lamb are usually served wrapped in flatbread such as pita with tomato, onion, tzatziki (Scroll to no.7) sauce and sometimes French fries. (Source: Wiki)
How is it pronounced?
YEER-OH
4) PHO
What is it?
Pho is a Vietnamese soup consisting of broth, rice noodles, herbs and meat. It is a popular street food in Vietnam and the speciality of a number of restaurant chains around the world.
How is it pronounced?
FUH
5) WORCESTERSHIRE
What is it?
Frequently shortened to Worcester sauce, Worcestershire is a fermented liquid condiment originally created in England by Worcester chemists John Weeley and William Henry Perrins.
The sauce is piquant and contains malt, vinegar, molasses, anchovies, tamarind extract, salt, sugar, onions, garlic and spices. This mixture is allowed to mature for 18 months before being blended and bottled locally.
Worcestershire sauce is frequently used to enhance food and drink recipes as both a background flavour and as a source of umami, the savoury “fifth flavour”. (Source:Wiki)
How is it pronounced?
WUS-TUH-SHUR
6) SIRACHA
What is it?
Siracha is a type of hot sauce or chilli sauce made from a paste of chilli peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt. It is named after Si Racha, a coastal city in Chonburi Province, Eastern Thailand where is may have been first produced for dishes served at local seafood restaurants. In Thailand, Siracha is frequently used as a dipping sauce, particularly for seafood. (Source: Wiki)
How is it pronounced?
SIR-ROTCH-AH
7) TZATZIKI
What is it?
Tzatziki is a yoghurt based sauce served with grilled meats or as a dip. It is made of salted and strained yoghurt usually made from sheep or goat milk. Tzatziki is mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil. Sometimes vinegar, lemon juice and herbs like dill, mint, parsley and thyme are added. It is generally served as a cold meze. (Source:Wiki)
How is it pronounced?
ZAT-ZEE-KEY
8) GNOCCHI
What is it?
Gnocchi are thick, small and soft dough dumplings made from semolina, ordinary wheat flour, egg, cheese, potato, breadcrumbs, cornmeal and other similar ingredients. It was introduced by the Roman legions during the expansion of the empire into the European continent.
The dough for Gnocchi is most often rolled out and cut into small pieces about the size of a cork. They are then pressed with a fork or a cheese grater to make ridges which hold sauce. Alternatively, they are simply cut into little lumps and are commonly cooked on their own in boiling salt water and dressed with various sauces depending on the recipe used. (Source:Wiki)
How is it pronounced?
NYOHK-KEE
9) JICAMA
What is it?
Jicama is a juicy, sweet, nutty tuber with a distinct crunch. It has its origins in the Mexican Peninsular region and is best enjoyed raw. Jicama can be cooked as well; its white flesh stays crisp when cooked briefly. (Source:Thekitchn.com)
How is it pronounced?
HEE-KAH-MAH
10) BEIGNET
What is it?
Beignet is synonymous with the English fritter, is the French term for a pastry made from deep fried choux pastry. It is commonly known in New Orleans as a breakfast served with powdered sugar on top-lots of it! They are traditionally prepared right before consumption as they are best had fresh and hot. Variations of fried dough can be found across cuisines internationally. (Source:Wiki)
How is it pronounced?
BENN-YAY
11) BOUILLABAISSE
What is it?
The bouillabaisse is a rich, spicy stew made with a variety of fish. It has its origins in Provence. (Source:Dictionary.com)
How is it pronounced?
BOO-YA-BAYS
12) CHARCUTERIE
What is it?
Charcuterie is the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, pates, ballotines and confit primarily from pork. (Source:Wiki)
How is it pronounced?
SHAHR-KOO-TUH-REE
13) COGNAC
What is it?
Cognac is a variety of brandy named after the town of Cognac, France. It is produced by doubly distilling white wines produced in any of the designated growing regions. (Source:Wiki)
How is it pronounced?
KOHN-YAK
14) ENDIVE
What is it?
Endive is a member of the chicory family, which includes radicchio, escarole, frisee and curly endive. It has a crisp texture and a sweet, nutty flavour with a pleasantly mild bitterness. It is best served raw. (Source:thespruceeats.com)
How is it pronounced?
ENN-DIYV or ON-DEEV
15) ESPRESSO
What is it?
Espresso is coffee brewed by expressing or forcing out a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure through finely ground coffee beans. Espresso is generally thicker than coffee brewed by other methods. It has a higher concentration of suspended and dissolved solids and has a foam with a creamy consistency (crema) on top. As a result of the pressurized brewing process, the flavours and chemicals in a typical cup of espresso are very concentrated. Espresso is also the base for other drinks such as caffe latte, cappuccino, caffe macchiato, cafe mocha, flat white or cafe Americano. (Source:Wiki)\
How is it pronounced?
ESS-PRESS-OH
16) FOIE GRAS
What is it?
Foie Grass is a luxury food product made of the liver of a duck or goose that has been specially fattened. It is a popular delicacy in French cuisine. Its flavour is described as rich, buttery and delicate. Foie Gras is sold whole or is prepared into mousse, parfait or pate. It may also be served as an accompaniment to other food items such as steak. (Source: Wiki)
How is it pronounced?
FWAH GRAH
17) NICOISE
What is it?
A nicoise is a salad that originated in the French city of Nice. It is traditionally made of tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, Nicoise olives, anchovies and dressed with olive oil. It can be served either as a composed salad or a tossed salad. Freshly cooked or canned tuna may also be sued. There have been a significant disagreement between traditionalists and innovators regarding the ingredients to be used to prepare a nicoise. According to traditionalists, cooked vegetable needs to be excluded. However, cooked green beans and potatoes are commonly served in variations of this popular salad.
How is it pronounced?
NEE-SWAHZ
18) CRUDITES
What is it?
Crudites are traditional French appetizers consisting of sliced or whole raw vegetables. They are typically dipped in a vinaigrette or other dipping sauces and consumed. Examples of crudités includes celery sticks, carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, asparagus spears and strips of bell pepper. (Source:Wiki)
How is it pronounced?
CRU-DE-TEY
19) PAELLA
What is it?
While the paella is a Valencian rice dish that has ancient roots, its modern form originated in the mid 19th century on the East coast of Spain. There are a several types of paella, including Valencian paella, Vegetable paella, seafood paella and mixed paella.
The Valencian paella is believed to be the original recipe consisting of white rice, green beans, white beans, meat, snails and seasoning such as saffron and rosemary. Seafood paella replaces meat with seafood and omits beans and green vegetables. Mixed paella is a free style combination of meat from land animals, seafood, vegetables and sometimes bans. Most paella recipes use bomba rice due to it being less susceptible to overcooking and all recipes use olive oil. (Source: Wiki)
How is it pronounced?
PIE-AYE-YA
20) POMMES FRITES
What is it?
Basically used when you want to sound all fancy while ordering French fries!
How is it pronounced?
POHM FREET
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