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Photograph by Kevin A. Roberts
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Q: Does everyone stumble over names and culinary terms on restaurant menus? I know I do. —Charlie L.
A: Yes, we all do, even those of us who try our utmost not to. It's a proven fact that unfamiliar culinary terms and foreign names intimidate diners. I can't tell you the number of restaurateurs who've changed their menu (read: dumbed it down) to make guests feel more at ease. Nobody wants to screw up when ordering, and it's even more belittling to have to point: "Um, I'll have that pasta."
Brant Baldanza, co-owner of The Tavern Kitchen & Bar, originally named the restaurant's Caesar salad "Et Tu, Brute." Sales were far less than what he would have thought for such a popular item. Once he changed the name to simply "Caesar Salad," however, sales went through the roof.
The Huffington Post recently published a list of the Top 10 Most Mispronounced Foods. They are:
Bruschetta: broo-SKETT-tah
Gnocchi: NYOH-kee
Espresso: es-PRESS-oh. Don't express your ignorance by adding an "x."
Chipotle: chih-POHT-lay
Beignet: bain-YAY
Sriracha: SIR-rotch-ah
Quinoa: KEEN-Wah
Gyro: YEE-row or ZHEER-oh. Say jie-row and risk the wrath of an angry Greek man.
Quesadilla: kay-suh-DEE-uh
Pho: fuh
Regarding pho, I have to take exception. Qui Tran, owner of Mai Lee restaurant, taught us "How To Eat Pho" in this video and pronounced the Vietnamese comfort food with a long "o." If it works for Tran, it works for me.
Herewith, a few more terms and their pronunciations:
Anise: AHN-iss. The "a" is short, not long.
Jicama: HEE-kah-mah
Salmon: Please don't say the "l."
Swiss Chard: The "ch" is hard, so not "shard." Sheesh...
Macaroon/Macaron: Different items, different spellings, and different pronunciations. The one made predominantly with coconut is mack-uh-ROON; the filled French sandwich cookie is mack-uh-ROHN.
Moussaka: MOOSE-uh-kuh
Muffuletta: moo-fuh-LET-tah or moo-fuh-LAH-tah or muff-uh-LAH-tah... Do as I do: Simply order the "moof."
Pinot Noir: It's nwahr, just like film noir. Not nor, no how.
Herbs: Unless you're imitating Martha Stewart, the "h" is silent.
Foie gras: Just remember it rhymes: fwah grah
Worchestershire: Use the mnemonic, wooster-sure or wooster-shire. Both are considered correct. So is "Lea & Perrins."
Clafouti: Clah-foo-TEE (For years, I accented the wrong syllable)
Crème Fraîche: Neither "cream" nor "fraish" is correct, but crehm-fresh. Stay close to the French pronunciation...but roll your r's only while in France.
Crêpe: I go the other way with this one. I'm French and even I say craype.
Blue Curaçao: If I hear one more bartender call this liqueur koo-RAH-koh, I'm gonna explode.
Caramel: Two syllables or three?
Endive: You can gauge the pretentiousness of a restaurant by the way the staff handles this one: ENN-dive, and you're good. ON-deev or on-DEEV, and you better hope someone else is paying.
Mostaccioli: There's no "k" in the word, k? That is, unless the reference is to the foodstuff served at local weddings, when the "muskaccioli" pronunciation is, for some reason, mandatory.
