Eat healthier, cook more at home, stop eating sugar, drink more water, stop snacking, snack healthier, eat more vegetables, cut down on the carbs, go organic, calorie count, master self-control eating out, commit to breakfast, do a fridge makeover, cut out the drinking, read and study nutrition labels … this entire column could just be a list of new year’s resolutions when it comes to eating.
But for those waking up tomorrow who may or may not be feeling their freshest and perhaps not in the mood to bite off more than they can chew, I suggest a really simple resolution. It’s won’t be taxing, but will make you feel smarter about the time you spend with menus or cookbooks: Learn how to correctly pronounce some of the most commonly mispronounced food and dining terms. Easy!
Instead of making the list of terms that I believed are most commonly mispronounced, I turned to the experts.
A 2014 article by Alessandra Bulow at epicurious.com had a solid list of 30 terms that I've shared below to help you determine once and for all if you are phonetically in the right or if you need to massage your pronunciation of food terms you're likely to encounter in 2018.
I don’t have enough space to provide definitions of all of these, but if you don’t know what these terms are, I encourage you to resolve — that word, again — at some point to familiarize yourself. Think how confident you’ll feel as you navigate your next menu.
Here we go:
• Açai berry (“ah-sigh-ee”)
• Aïoli (“i-OH-lee”)
• Ambrosia (“am-BROH-zhah”)
• Amusebouche (“Ah-mooz boosh”)
• Ancho (“AHN-choh”)
• Anise (“AN-ihss”)
• Beignet (“ben-yey”)
• Boudin (“boo-DAHN”)
• Bouillabaisse (“BOOL-yuh-BAYZ”; “BOOL-yuh-BEHZ”)
• Braciola (“brah-JYOH-lah”)
• Bruschetta (“Broo-sketta”)
• Cachaça (“kuh-shah-suh”)
• Caipirinha (“kai-pee-reen-ya”)
• Camembert (“Cam-mem-bear”)
• Charcuterie (“shahr-KOO-tuhr-ee”; “shar-koo-tuhr-EE”)
• Chèvre (“SHEH-vruh)
• Crème fraiche (“krem FRESH”)
• Croissant (“kwah-SAHN”; “KWAH-sawn”; “kruh-SAHNT”)
• Crudités (“kroo-dee-TAY”)
• Edamame (“eh-dah-MAH-meh”)
• Endive (“On-Deeve”)
• Étouffée (“ay-too-FAY”)
• Foie gras (“FWAH GRAH”)
• Gruyère (“Groo-yair”)
• Gyro (“YEE-roh”)
• Haricot vert (“ah-ree-koh VEHR”)
• Hoisin (“HOY-sihn”; “hoy-SIHN”)
• Hors d’oeuvres (“or derves”)
• Hummus (“HOOM-uhs”)
• Jicama (“HEE-kah-mah”)
• Macaron (“mak-uh-RUH”)
• Mascarpone (“mas-kar-POH-nay; mas-kahr-POH-nay”)
• Merlot (“Mur-loh”)
• Mole (“MOH-lay”)
• Muffuletta (“moof-fuh-LEHT-tuh”)
• Niçoise (“nee-SWAHZ”)
• Parmesan (“PAHR-muh-zahn”)
• Pho (“fuh”)
• Quinoa (“KEEN-wah”)
• Pommes Frites (“pum-FREET”)
• Prix Fixe (“PREE FIHKS”; “PREE FEEKS”)
• Prosciutto (“proh-SHOO-toh”)
• Radicchio (“rah-DEE-kee-oh”)
• Raita (“RI-tah”)
• Ricotta (“rih-KAHT-tuh”; “ree-KOH-tah”)
• Rillettes (“ree-YEHT”; “rih-LEHTS”)
• Sake (“SAH-kee”; “SAH-kay”)
• Seitan (“SAY-tan”)
• Sommelier (“saw-muh-LYAY”)
• Sous Vide (“sooo veed”)
• Turbot (“TER-boh”; “TER-buht”)
• Tzatziki (“dzah-DZEE-kee”)
• Vichyssoise (“Vee-shee-swaz”)
• Worcestershire (“WOOS-tuhr-shuhr”; “WOOS-tuhr-sheer”)
Dayton Eats looks at the regional food stories and restaurant news that make mouths water. Menu updates, special dinners and events, new chefs, interesting new dishes and culinary adventures. Do you know of new exciting format changes, specials, happy hours, restaurant updates or any other tasty news you think is worth a closer look at? E-mail Alexis Larsen at alexis.e.larsen@hotmail.com with the information and we will work to include it in future coverage.
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