"French Toast", "Greek Salad"

[Big Bunny]

On the Chinese food forum we began discussing foods named after

places - that are unknown in the eponymous* places.

You know them - "French fries", "Greek salad", "Singapore noodles".

Sometimes, these names are for real.

When they are not, where did they come from?

Are some of them "semi-real"?

Let's make a list.

BB

* - $64 word loved by food mags.

[Fat Guy]

Let's start with French stuff. I think it would be possible to make a pretty long list of "French" foods that are named without much regard for geography:

- French Toast

- French Dip

- French Vanilla Ice Cream

- French Bread

- French Fries

- French Roast Coffee

- Frenched Beans

- French Onion Soup

- Franco-American (aka Chef Boyardee)

[Busboy]

Danish Pastries.

Interestingly, in Denmark, Danishes are known as wienerbrod -- Vienna bread. I've always wondered what they call them in Vienna.

[slkinsey]

"French bread" is known as "pain perdu" in France.

[Big Bunny]

When I was a kid, we got "Italian" bread at the "Vienna French Bakery"!

Really!

BB

[Pan]

In Malay, the word for turkey is ayam Belanda ("Dutch chicken"), guinea pigs (not eaten by Malays!) are called tikus Belanda ("Dutch mice"), and watermelon used to be called timun Cina ("Chinese cucumber") but seems to be more and more called tembikai. Back in the 70's, peanuts were known as kacang Jawa ("Javanese beans"), but no-one seems to remember that anymore and they are now apparently universally called kacang tanah ("ground nuts"). These names have to do with who brought these items to the Malay Peninsula originally.

We should also talk about Chinese names like xigua ("Western melon") for watermelon.

[Jensen]

Canadian bacon (called back bacon in Canada)

[Big Bunny]

But it IS Canadian from our (United-Statesian) perspective. No?

--- Edit: added parenthetical stuff

Edited January 5, 2004 by Big Bunny (log)

[fresco]

English muffins. (Never seen anything like them in England).

Canadian bacon (back bacon, although mostly consumed by the "hoser brothers" Bob and Doug McKenzie on SCTV.)

Nova Scotia smoked salmon (never called that in Canada).

In Spain, something called a "Russian salad" is popular. Unlikely that it is popular in Russia.

[GG Mora]

Let's start with French stuff. I think it would be possible to make a pretty long list of "French" foods that are named without much regard for geography:

- French Toast

- French Dip

- French Vanilla Ice Cream

- French Bread

- French Fries

- French Roast Coffee

- Frenched Beans

- French Onion Soup

- Franco-American (aka Chef Boyardee)

French's Mustard. Ooh, sorry, that's different.

But don't forget French Dressing. Or "Frenched" Rack of Lamb.

[tryska]

"French bread" is known as "pain perdu" in France.

i thought french toast was pain perdu?

and eggy bread in the uk.

[Pan]

But it IS Canadian from our (United-Statesian) perspective. No?

But not from theirs, which I think is the main point here.

But I can understand Greek salad, since it has feta cheese and perhaps Greek olives in it. I imagine in Greece, it's probably just "salata," though. Is that right?

[alacarte]

According to The Food Reference website,:

The first reference to 'French fried potatoes' was in 1894 in O. Henry's 'Rolling Stones', “Our countries are great friends. We have given you Lafayette and French fried potatoes.”

The 'French' in French fries refers to the method of cutting the potatoes; to 'french' means to slice into thin strips.

and here's what he has to say about German chocolate cake:

German chocolate, and German chocolate cake -- actually that is incorrect, it is German's Chocolate and German's Chocolate cake, the man who developed this chocolate was a Mr. German -- it has nothing to do with Germany.

Edited January 5, 2004 by alacarte (log)

[Al_Dente]

Did the hamburger originate in Hamburg?

I like "Swiss" cheese on my hamburger.

NASA confirmed today that Mars Bars don't come from there.

[Busboy]

Did the hamburger originate in Hamburg?

I like "Swiss" cheese on my hamburger.

Did the franfurter come from Frankfort?

I like American "cheese" on my hamburger.

[slkinsey]

"French bread" is known as "pain perdu" in France.

i thought french toast was pain perdu?

and eggy bread in the uk.

D'oh! Damn, damn mistyping!

Of course I meant to say "French toast." Grumble. The old brain-to-fingers connection is misfiring today.

[Big Bunny]

NASA confirmed today that Mars Bars don't come from there.

Oh well! There's still Venus clams (if they don't have Mercury in them.)

BB

[JPW]

I think that salad dressings are particularly prone to this. French, Italian, Russian, etc.

Where the hell are the 1000 Islands though?

Others I particularly like are "Black Forest" ham and English Muffins.

The Euros get us back with cafe a l'americaine/caffe americano.

[tryska]

QUOTE (tryska @ Jan 5 2004, 03:08 PM)

QUOTE (slkinsey @ Jan 5 2004, 02:42 PM)

"French bread" is known as "pain perdu" in France. 

i thought french toast was pain perdu?

and eggy bread in the uk. 

D'oh! Damn, damn mistyping!

Of course I meant to say "French toast." Grumble. The old brain-to-fingers connection is misfiring today.

hee hee...it's all good - i thought i was mistaken for a minute and hten remembered the old "lost bread" story.

i guess french bread in france is well..."pain".

Edited January 5, 2004 by tryska (log)

[cakewalk]

I once had a roommate from Paris. (No, this is not a limerick.) Two Americans, one Parisian in an apartment. One morning we made a bunch of French toast for breakfast. The Parisian said, "thanks for the fried bread, it was really good. What do you call it?"

[tryska]

I think that salad dressings are particularly prone to this. French, Italian, Russian, etc.

Where the hell are the 1000 Islands though?

Others I particularly like are "Black Forest" ham and English Muffins.

The Euros get us back with cafe a l'americaine/caffe americano.

the 1,000 islands are in upstate New York.

[tryska]

I once had a roommate from Paris. (No, this is not a limerick.) Two Americans, one Parisian in an apartment. One morning we made a bunch of French toast for breakfast. The Parisian said, "thanks for the fried bread, it was really good. What do you call it?"

wait - so they don't make pain perdu?

[JPW]

i guess french bread in france is well..."pain".

Not knowing what the heck is meant by "French Bread"

Depends on what you're getting.

A baguette is ............................... une baguette

The thicker loaf we usually see as "french country bread" or Paysanne or whatever

is (if memory serves me right) ......... un batard.

The best part about Boulangeries is the ability to just get a demi-baguette so you don't waste any. Even in France they get rock hard in 24 hours

Edited January 5, 2004 by JPW (log)

[JPW]

the 1,000 islands are in upstate New York.

Ah yes, now I see.

You would think that having lived up there for 7 years I would know that.

Almost time to go home.

Edited January 5, 2004 by JPW (log)

[fresco]

I think that salad dressings are particularly prone to this. French, Italian, Russian, etc.

Where the hell are the 1000 Islands though?

Others I particularly like are "Black Forest" ham and English Muffins.

The Euros get us back with cafe a l'americaine/caffe americano.

the 1,000 islands are in upstate New York.

Saveur had a piece a few issues back about fishing guides and "shore dinners" in the Thousand Islands region which mentioned that the salad dressing had been invented by a semi-legendary guide and shore dinner cook. The gist of it was, I think, that the dressing became so popular among fishermen from places like NYC that eventually it spread to restaurant menus, etc.