15 foods the US and England will never agree on (2024)

A quick guide to gastronomic terminology can be useful for anyone traveling across the pond. Before ordering popular dishes on an American or British menu, identify interchangeable names for those dishes and ingredients.

Aubergine of aubergine

The British word foraubergineis eggplant, which is of French, Catalan and Arabic origin. Some say the less common white varieties of the typically purple plant led to the name used in the United States, but the terms are generally interchangeable regardless of color or shape.

Courgette of Courgette

In England, English zucchini comes after zucchini, the French word for the green pumpkin. The United States inherited the Italian name and both terms refer to the summer squash. Note that the word squash refers to a fruity drink in Britain, and a ripe version of the zucchini fruit turns into pulp.

Gammon or ham

The English gammon evolved from the French wordhamwhile the United States derived the termhamof the same word in Dutch and Germanhamme. Both refer to the same preparation of pork found in sandwiches and holiday centers in the US and pie in England. Furthermore, the Irish jambon is a ham and cheese pastry found throughout Britain.

Coriander versus cilantro

Coriander is a plant that produces a green herb, such as parsley. The name comes from Spain and in Britain refers to the leaves, seeds and stem, all of which are edible. In the United States, the seeds are ground into the herb called coriander, and the leaves and stem are often served as a garnish.cilantro. Coriander is also common in Mexican cuisine.

Muesli versus muesli

Müsli is a dish of oatmeal, nuts, seeds and fruit, which is often served with yoghurt in Switzerland. The tradition started as a pre-meal appetizer, evolved into a snack, and is today a ubiquitous breakfast item. In England, muesli is mass produced in cereals, much like the American oatmeal snack.muesli. In the US, a yogurt parfait often contains the sweetened mixture of oats, nuts, and seeds.

Arugula of rocket

Both the U.S. and UK took the name of this popular peppery leafy vegetable from its Italian origins: rucula in the south and ruchetta in the north. The US serves arugula (now commonly shortened to arugula in Italy) in salads and as a regular garnish. France adopted the roquette, which evolved intorocketin England, where it is a common part of salads.

Cookie vs cookie

And the US,biscuitare buttery, flaky bread cookies often served as a side dish or breakfast sandwich. American cookies are baked desserts, often sweet, that vary in texture and density. Hard or crunchy biscuits are called biscuits in Britain, while the chewy dessert can be identified as a biscuit.

Fries or chips, or chips

OfFrench friesoriginating from Belgium is a universal page in the US, with shape variants such as shoelace, waffle and curly. Because they are ubiquitous in Britain, fried potato slices are called chips, as opposed to the thin snack in the US - chips in England. You can't go wrong if you order all three in oneBritish pub.

Jam of gelei of Jell-O

Jell-O that Americans use for colorful cooking snacks or party shots is called jelly in England, where the line between marmalade, marmalade and preserves is better understood. In the US you can use all these terms interchangeably for what in Britain is probably jam.

Worst of Banger

Sausage, a staple of a sit-down breakfast in the United States and an essential part of a full English breakfast, evolved from the French saucisse and the Latin salsicus. According to the Daily Mail, Britain adopted the term banger during World War I, when sausages were stuffed with more readily available ingredients such as grain and made more noise when cooked. Bangers and mash is a classic dish in Britain these days.

Shrimp or prawns

Shrimp and prawns are different types of crustaceans with recognizable differences, but generally they can be used interchangeably in cooking. In the US shrimp has become a general term for both, and in Britain shrimp colloquially includes both.

Ijslolly's of ijslollystokjes

The British frozen fruit juice molds on sticks are simply called popsicles, like the American deonym,Popsicle, or the Mexican paleta.

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The same popular lettuce variety is called romaine in the US and cos in Britain, while the plant called endive in the United States is often called chicory in England.