Translating cooking terms between US / UK / AU / CA / NZ

Question

This post is an attempt to keep track of the terms that differ between dialects of English or exist in some dialects but not others: British / Australian / Canadian / American / etc.

It's a community wiki, so feel free to edit and clarify or add additional items. The comments are getting long, so use answers for discussion of specific concepts if necessary, especially if you're not sure what a term means.

Vegetables:

• eggplant (US, AU) is an aubergine (UK)
• zucchini (US, AU) is a courgette (UK) when harvested young or a marrow (UK) when allowed to mature further.
• summer squash (US) are members of the squash family with a short storage life that are typically harvested before full maturity; typically available starting in the spring and summer; includes zucchini, yellow and crookneck squash
• winter squash (US) are members of the squash family that are allowed to reach full maturity before harvesting; typically available in the fall; includes pumpkin, acorn and butternut squash,
• arugula (US) is rocket (UK, AU)
• rutabaga (US) is swede (UK) but also called turnip or neep in some parts of the UK, particularly Scotland. (Wikipedia)
• endive (US) is chicory (Belgium, perhaps others)
• capsicum (US, AU) / bell pepper (US) is a pepper (UK)
• seaweed (US) has many names based on type of plant, including Kombu (Japan), Nori (Japan), Laver (Wales), and many others. See (edible seaweed)
• snow peas (US, AU) are mange tout (UK) (word borrowed from French). Mange tout (UK) translated to 'eat everything' and also includes sugar snap peas (US).
• peanuts (US) may be calledgroundnuts in the UK, particularly in reference to the oil (peanut oil (US) vs. groundnut oil (UK))
• legumes (US) are pulses (UK). 'Legume' may refer to the plant and not the seeds (lentils, beans, etc)

Herbs, Spices & Seasonings :

• kosher salt (US) is similar to flake salt (UK)? (ref)
• coriander (UK) tends to refer to the leaf (cilantro in the US), unless qualified as 'coriander seed'. May be qualified as 'fresh coriander' or 'green coriander'. 'Ground coriander' is always the seed.
• coriander (US) refers to the seed

Baked Goods:

• cookies (US, CA) are biscuits (UK, AU, NZ)
• biscuits (UK, AU) also refers to digestive biscuits, which are cookie shaped but more similar to a sweet cracker like the graham cracker (US, CA)
• biscuits (US, CA) are similar to a scone (UK, AU), and usually neither sweet nor savoury
• bisquit (Germany, no plural) is sponge cake (US)
• muffin (US, AU) is a quick bread (typically using the 'muffin method') baked in forms used for cupcakes
• muffin (UK) is english muffin (US, AU), a yeast leavened flat-ish bread, cooked on a griddle with a ring form.
• scone (US, CA) tends to be sweeter than a scone (UK)
• pancake (US, CA) generally refers to puffy item made from a thick leavened batter
• pancake (US) can also be called hotcakes, griddlecakes, or flapjacks
• pancake (UK) are made from a thinner unleavened batter, with a result a little thicker than a french crêpe.
• drop scone (UK) is similar to a (US, CA) pancake
• flapjack (US) is the same thing as a pancake
• flapjack (UK) is a baked square usually consisting of sugar/honey, butter, and oats
• frosting (US) is icing (UK, CA, AU)
• frosting (US) typically has air whipped into it, while icing (US) doesn't and dries harder

Meats:

• ground beef (US) is minced beef (AU, UK)
• Canadian bacon (US) is also back bacon (from the loin)
• bacon (CA, US) is streaky bacon (UK) (from the belly)
• bacon (UK) unless qualified is most likely back bacon.
• pork rinds (US) are scratchings (UK) and crackling (AU,NZ)
• names of cuts of meat in the US may differ from other countries. See wikipedia for images of US and British names of regions

Milk products:

• single cream (UK) = cream with 5% butterfat
• double cream (UK) = cream with 48% butterfat
• half-and-half (US) = a mix of half cream, half milk (about 12.5% butterfat)
• light cream (US) = cream with 18 to 30% fat
• light cream (CA) = cream with 5 to 6% fat
• whipping cream (US) = cream with 30 to 36% fat
• heavy cream (US) aka heavy whipping cream (US) = cream with more than 36% fat
• whipping cream (CA) = cream with 35% milk fat
• table cream (CA) = cream with 18% milk fat
• buttermilk (US, modern usage, aka 'cultured buttermilk') is a fermented product, basically a runny yogurt.
• buttermilk (US, historical usage) is the liquid left over after churning butter, which when fresh is closer to skim milk.

Sugar:

• powdered sugar or confectioners sugar (US) is icing sugar (UK, CA); contains cornstarch (~3%) as an anti-clumping agent.
• superfine sugar (US, CA) is caster sugar (UK, NZ, AU); may also be called berry sugar (CA), fruit sugar (CA), bar sugar, castor sugar, instant dissolving sugar, ultrafine sugar, fondant sugar, extra fine sugar.
• sanding sugar (US) is pearl sugar (CA). (size between coarse sugar & granulated sugar)
• unless otherwise qualified, sugar (US, CA) is granulated sugar

Other Food / Ingredients:

• dessert (US, AU) is pudding, sweet, dessert or afters (UK, depending on region and social class)
• pudding (US) is roughly equiv. to custard (UK)
• jello (US; brand name issues) is jelly (UK, AU)
• jelly (US) is seedless jam (UK) (see answer below for details)
• fries (US, abbr. for french fries) are chips (UK); both terms work in AU
• chips (UK) are steak fries (US)
• chips (US, AU) are crisps (UK)
• cornstarch (US) is cornflour (UK)
• corn flour (US; aka masa harina/fine corn meal) is cornflour (UK)
• liquid smoke (US) is condensed smoke, used as a flavoring.
• black beer (UK) is a malt liquor/fortified wine containing malt.
• black beer (US, Germany), also called black lager or schwarzbier is a type of lager brewed with extremely dark malt.
• tomato sauce (UK) is ketchup (US). Also catsup and other spelling variants.
• tomato sauce (US) is a tomato based sauce typically for pasta or pizza.
• marinara (US) is used synonymously with tomato sauce, and may refer to both quick or long-cooked varieties.
• tomato paste (US) is tomato purée (UK)
• tomato purée (US) is unreduced tomatoes (possibly stewed) with the skin and seeds removed. Also called crushed tomatoes.
• tomato passata (UK) (sometimes just 'passatad') is strained tomato purée (US).

Cooking methods:

• broiling (US) is grilling (AU, UK)
• grilling (US) is barbecuing (AU)
• barbecuing (US) is slow cooking using wood or charcoal to impart smoke to the food

Tools / Equipment / Non-food items :

• parchment paper (US, CA) is greaseproof paper (Ireland/ UK, NZ)
• stove (US, CA) is also range (US, CA) and hob (UK)
• crock pot (US; brand name issues) is a slow cooker (US,UK). Also slo-cooker (UK; brand name issues)
• food processor (US, CA) is sometimes a magimix (UK; brand name issues)
• canned items (US) are tinned (UK)
• recipe (US) is sometimes called a receipt in other areas and in older usage (pre-20th century).
• receipt (US, modern usage) is "a written acknowledgment of having received a specified amount of money, goods, etc."
• aluminum foil (US), aluminium foil (UK) is often referred to as tinfoil (US, UK), which had previously been in use for similar purposes.
• plastic wrap (US), cling film (UK) is often referred to as Saran™ wrap (US brand name) or Glad™ wrap (NZ, AU brand name)

Units of measurement :

• teaspoon (US,UK, CA) is 5 mL (note: abbreviated 't' or 'tsp')
• dessert spoon (UK) is 10 mL
• tablespoon (US,UK, CA) is 15 mL (note: abbreviated 'T', 'TB', or 'tbsp') (20 mL in AU)
• A "stick" of butter (US) is 1/4 lb (113 g); the physical stick is marked into eight "tablespoon" divisions [slightly larger than an actual tablespoon]
• A "cup" (US) is a fixed measure of ~236mL (8 fluid ounces, 16 TB, 1/2 a US pint); in AU a "cup" this is 250mL.
• Equipment for making tea or coffee may base their 'cup' count on 6 oz. teacups. Please look for information in mL or L when buying kettles or similar.

Answer 1

British Gas Mark to Degrees Conversion

• Gas Mark 1/4 : 225°F : 110°C
• Gas Mark 1/2 : 250°F : 120°C
• Gas Mark 1 : 275°F : 135°C
• Gas Mark 2 : 300°F : 150°C
• Gas Mark 3 : 325°F : 160°C
• Gas Mark 4 : 350°F : 175°C (often considered 180°C)
• Gas Mark 5 : 375°F : 190°C
• Gas Mark 6 : 400°F : 205°C
• Gas Mark 7 : 425°F : 220°C
• Gas Mark 8 : 450°F : 230°C
• Gas Mark 9 : 475°F : 245°C

I've based this table off of a number of sources that have slightly different values; I'm going to assume that the 25°F for each gas mark is correct (as those all agree), and derived the Celcius from there, rounding to the nearest 5. See the first three for descriptive terms like 'moderate oven', as they don't all use the same adjectives.

• http://www.circlecity.co.uk/kitchen/conversions/gasmark_temperatures.php
• http://www.onlineconversion.com/cooking_gasmark.htm
• http://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/kitchen/oventemp.htm
• http://www.godecookery.com/goderec/equiv.htm
• http://smittenkitchen.com/cooking-conversions/
• http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~mjw/recipes/cooking-faq

Answer 2

In at least some areas of the US when you order fish & chips in a restaurant you will get fish and potato chips (know as crisps in the UK). In Canada for fish & chips you will get the traditional fish and chips (fish and french fries).

Answer 3

From Charlotte Farley: endive (US) is chicory (Belgium, perhaps others). A I understand it, UK usage reverses continental usage - so the UK and US call it "endive". The rest of Europe calls it "chicory", and vice versa.

Edit by Rumtscho:

1. This is called "chickory" (or a clearly related word) in many continental European languages, except in Dutch. Common names in the Netherlands or Flanders are 'witloof', 'witlof' or 'Brussels lof'. (cc by-sa image by David Monniaux). It is bitter, and is often eaten as a part of a cooked dish. The root of this plant is called 'chicorei' in Dutch (so this word is related to 'chicory'), but it is used less and less (it was used as a coffee substitute).

2. This is called "endive" (or a closely related word) in many continental European languages, but endive or Belgian endive in the US and Canada. (cc sa-by-nc-nd image by Carlos Lorenzo). It is usually eaten raw, in a salad, interchangeably with other lettuces.* It certainly can be cooked as well (mainly the outer leaves).

3. There is another vegetable from the endive family. While it is commonly known as "radicchio", I've heard it referred to as "red endive". Not sure about its common use.

*sorry for the beautiful but not too recognizable picture, I couldn't find a better shareable one. Will snap it and update when I happen to buy the thing.

Answer 4

Muffins vs cupcakes: A muffin here in the US is a so-called "quick bread", traditionally not as sweet or rich (short) as cake, and sometimes even savory.

Cake (or cupcake) batter starts with fat and sugar in a fluffy suspension, then eggs, and then lightly folded in flour (preferably less glutinous "cake flour"), flavorings and liquid.

Quick bread batter is mixed all at once, a lumpy liquid, using regular "all-purpose" or self-raising flour. Fruits, raisins, nuts, and other ingredients may be incorporated that would sink the delicate suspension of cake batter.

When it's baked in a cake tin, plain or with fruit such as apples, it's "coffee cake", often with a baked on topping of cinnamon and crumbs. In loaves it might become banana bread, zucchini bread, etc. Muffins traditionally include bran muffins, which are hardly sweet at all, and plain, banana, poppy seed and blueberry muffins, along with savory flavors.

Almost all quick breads are considered somewhere in between bread and cake, though some would pass for cake in the UK, where American cake is considered too sweet. Here they're served for breakfast or with afternoon coffee or tea, less often as dessert.

The lines are blurred nowadays by the popularity of over-sweet dry muffin mixes and commercial muffins in flavors such as chocolate or caramel -- but if you buy a muffin you still expect it to be "breadier" than cake.

Answer 5

Icing (UK) is Frosting (US)

Muffin (UK) is a flat bun made of unsweetened leavened bread usually halved, toasted and buttered, sometimes with an additional spread like marmalade.

Muffin (US) is an excuse to eat cake for breakfast :-) Apart from icing/frosting I don't see the difference between this and a cupcake, except that a muffin can sometimes be a whole lot bigger (and I've seen iced/frosted muffins).

Answer 6

Minor point - "jelly (US) is jam (UK)" - in UK, a jar of SEEDLESS jam would be called "jelly", eg. raspberry jam would be full fruit and have the pips in it, but raspberry jelly would have the pips sieved out when it was made.

Answer 7

Some more...

US = UK
Skillet = Frying pan
Ground beef = mince (sometimes minced beef)
Grilling = BBQ
Chips = Crisps
Fries = French Fries (sometimes chips)
Steak Fries = Chips
Green onions/scallions = spring onions
Burner = Hob (the bit you put the pan on, on top of the stove)
Granola = muesli (in terms of breakfast cereal)
Granola bar = just cereal bar
trail mix = mixed nuts?
Milkyway = Mars bar
Brocolli rabe = doesn't exist, thank god.
appetizer = starter
entree = main course
can = tin
jello = jelly
jelly = jam / preserve

Also, not just food and equipment, but actual measures also differ in size, eg. Imperial and US gallons, not to mention the metric equivalents of both.

Other notes:

Bread in the US seems slightly sweeter, especially the lower quality generic white bread. Potato flour bread is hard to find in UK.

half-and-half doesn't exist in the UK. For the Brits, it's half milk, half cream. Good for coffee, if you make the mistake that's 50% fat or something and so low-fat milk, you'll be confused putting it on cereal. I was.

Root beer really should be easier to find in UK. Similarly, Irn Bru should be easier to find in US.

As as aside, the biscuit/cookie difference in the UK is to do with cooking. Biscuit is from the french 'bis cuit' - cooked twice. So, basically cookies that are cooked twice, and end up firmer. Also, generally less sweet. Although they run the full gamut, but definitely not US biscuits. People in the UK understand the term "cookie" but only from American TV and films.

Technically, in the UK, dessert and pudding both exist, and have their own specific meanings. I forget which exactly, put pudding being cooked, baked, etc, while desert is fresh or something. Also called 'sweet' sometimes, generally (sounds classist, but whatever) in lower-class places.

Before you flame, I'm English, but have been living in NYC for 4 years, so I've seen both sides pretty well.

Answer 8

US : jam/jelly/preserves/etc

In the US, there are specific definitions from the Food & Drug Administration on what can be labeled as jam, jelly, etc.

From CookingLight.com, but preserved here in case of link rot:

• Jelly is a clear, bright product. It is generally made by cooking fruit juice and sugar with pectin as a jelling agent and lemon juice as an acid to maintain a consistent texture. Jelly is firm and will hold its shape (it 'shakes'). Generally, jelly contains no pieces of fruit, although specialty jellies, like pepper jelly, may include pieces of jalapeño or other pepper.

• Jam is made from crushed or chopped fruit cooked with sugar, and often pectin and lemon juice. Jam can be a purée of fruit or have a soft pulp, but it does not contain chunks of fruit.

• Preserves are fruit cooked with sugar to the point where large chunks of fruit or whole fruit, such as berries, are suspended in a syrup base. The texture of preserves is not smooth like jelly or jam.

• Marmalade is a soft jelly, often citrus-based, that includes both the flesh and peel of the fruit suspended throughout the jelly base. The bitterness of the peel offsets the sweetness of the jelly.

• Conserve is a mixture of more than one fruit, often with added nuts and raisins, that is cooked until it becomes thick. It is used as a spread for breads, pastries and meats, and in the latter use is closest to chutney.

• Chutney is a spiced condiment of Indian origin (chatni is the Hindi word for strongly spiced) made of fruit or vegetables. It is typically served as an accompaniment to food, not as a spread. The spice level can range from mild to hot, and the consistency from a fine relish to a preserve or conserve. Fruit chutney consists of chopped fruit, vinegar, spices and sugar cooked into a chunky sweet-tart-spicy mix: according to one explanation, it 'blurs the Western distinction between preserves and pickles.'

• Fruit Butter, such as apple butter or prune butter, is fruit purée or pulp combined with sugar, lemon juice and spices, slowly cooked down to a smooth consistency. The 'butter' refers to its spreadability: there is no actual butter in the product.

• Fruit Curd is a creamy spread made with sugar, eggs and butter, generally flavored with citrus juice and zest.

• Fruit Spread is generally a reduced-calorie product made with fruit juice concentrate and low-calorie sweeteners replacing all or part of the sugar.