Cookbook:International Food Terms


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The following international food terms may be useful when reading about food and recipes from different countries.

See also:


US Canada UK Australia
Dairy, Eggs & Meat
whole milk homogenized or 3% milk full fat milk full-cream milk
skim or fatfree or nonfat milk skimmed milk, skim milk, or 1% milk skimmed milk skim milk
2% milk 2% milk semi-skimmed milk Light or Lite milk
large egg large egg medium egg 67gm
ground meat ground or minced meat mince or minced meat mince
Produce/Vegetables
scallion green onion spring onion spring onion
zucchini zucchini courgette zucchini
squash squash marrow or squash - marrow specifically refers to a large green elongated squash with white flesh squash
eggplant eggplant aubergine eggplant
garbanzo or chickpea chickpea chickpea chickpea
navy beans haricots haricot beans navy beans
spinach spinach spinach English spinach
chard chard silverbeet or chard ? silverbeet or spinach
bell peppers bell peppers/peppers peppers capsicum
Prepared Foods
pickle pickle (gherkin refers specifically to a 'dwarf' pickle) gherkin gherkin
chutney ???? chutney Chutney
bouillon stock cube stock cube stock cube
fries French fries, fries, or chips, depending on region. chips chips or French fries (Note)
chips chips or potato chips crisps chips
crisps apple crisp or apple crumble apple crumble apple crumble
ketchup or catsup ketchup tomato ketchup or tomato sauce tomato sauce
Baking and Baked Goods
bread flour bread flour strong flour bread flour
all-purpose flour all-purpose flour plain flour plain flour
self-rising flour ???? self-raising flour self-raising flour
cornstarch cornstarch cornflour corn flour (note)
golden raisins sultanas sultanas sultanas
cane syrup ???? golden syrup/light treacle Golden Syrup
molasses molasses black treacle molasses or treacle
powdered or confectioners sugar icing or confectionery sugar icing sugar icing sugar
superfine sugar ???? caster sugar caster sugar
popover Yorkshire pudding Yorkshire pudding ????
a raisin-studded pudding ???? spotted dick ????
Drinks
lemonade lemonade old-fashioned or cloudy lemonade traditional lemonade
soda, soda pop, coke, or soft drink pop soft drink or fizzy drink soft drink or lolly water
clear lemon soda (e.g Sprite) lemon or lemon-lime drink lemonade lemonade
fruit drink concentrate fruit concentrate squash cordial
Sweets
dessert dessert pudding pudding
pudding pudding creamy dessert pudding
Jell-o, Jello, or jello Jell-o, Jello, or jello jelly jelly
cookie cookie (unless referring to tea biscuits, for example) biscuit biscuit
graham cracker Graham cracker or digestive biscuit (Note) digestive biscuit (Note) digestive biscuit
Techniques
broiling grilling grilling grilling

Digestive Biscuits and Graham Crackers

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These two items are fairly different, but are used similarly (e.g. to make crumb crusts for a cheesecake). Graham crackers are sweeter, and are available in different flavors, e.g. cinnamon, chocolate. Digestive biscuits are richer, and while slightly sweet, are often used eaten with cheese. They are also available coated on one side with milk or dark chocolate.

Chips and French Fries (Australia)

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In Australia, the term "chips" is generally used, but the term "French fries" is used to describe very finely cut chips (about 1/5" across.)

Cornflour (Australia)

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In Australia (and New Zealand?), cornflour is frequently made from wheat. FSANZ regulations require such cornflour to declare that it contains wheat and gluten, and it is usually described as wheaten cornflour. There are some brands of cornflour that are made from maize, however.