You know what they say about two nations, divided by a common language... Well, it's certainly true when it comes to food and cooking. A lot of people know that a courgette is a zucchini by any other name, but until I started compiling this list I'd no idea that where we Brits say 'cake mixture', Americans say 'cake batter'; we say 'crisps', you say 'chips', we say 'chips' you say 'fries'....mmhmm. Room for confusion there.
So, apologies if you have found my site from across the Pond and been puzzled. This list will grow...and grow...as I discover more 'translations'. If there's any term that ought to be on there, please let me know. Happy healthy eating!
UK/US COOKING TERMS
UK
US
aubergine
eggplant
bap
hamburger bun
baking sheet
cooking sheet
barbecue
grill or outdoor grill
beetroot
beet
biscuit (sweet)
cookie
biscuit (savoury)
cracker
broad bean
fava/lima bean
cake mixture
cake batter
caster sugar
superfine granulated
chicory
endive
chips
french fries
chocolate/sweets
candy
chocolate, plain
semisweet/ bittersweet/ unsweetened
cling film
plastic wrap
cooker
stove
coriander (fresh)
cilantro
cornflour
cornstarch
corn on the cob
ears sweetcorn
courgette
zucchini
cream, double
heavy or whipping cream
cream, single
light cream or half-and-half
crisps
potato chips
filo pastry
phyllo
fish slice
spatula
flaked almonds
slivered almonds
flour, light plain
cake flour
flour, plain
all-purpose flour
flour, self-raising
self-rising flour
fool
creamy fruit dessert
french bean
green bean
fresh coriander
cilantro
frying pan
skillet
glace
candied
golden syrup
use light corn syrup
grated
shredded
green pepper
bell pepper/sweet pepper
grill (verb)
broil
hob
range
ice/icing
frost/frosting
icing sugar
confectioners sugar, powdered sugar
Jerusalem artichokes
sunchokes
joint (of meat)
roast
ketchup
catchup
kitchen towels
kitchen paper, paper towels
kipper
smoked herring
lettuce (loose-leaved)
Boston lettuce
mangetout
snow peas
mince/minced meat
ground (meat) or hamburger meat 2% milkfat, whole
milk (skimmed)
skim milk
milk, semi-skimmed
2% milkfat
pear, conference
bosc pear
pine kernels
pine nuts
pips
seeds
pitta
pita
prawns
shrimp
pudding
dessert
rasher (of bacon)
slice
rind
peel
rocket
arugula
semolina
cream of wheat
sorbet
sherbet
spring onion
scallion
stock
broth, stock
stock cube
bouillon cube
stoned
seeded or pitted
sultanas
golden raisins
swede
turnip/rutabaga
Swiss roll
jelly roll
Tabasco sauce
hot-pepper sauce
tea towel
kitchen towel
tin(baking/roasting/loaf/cake)
pan
treacle
molasses
tomato passata
tomato sauce (slightly thicker than passata
tomato puree
tomato paste
vanilla pod
vanilla bean
wholemeal
whole-wheat
yellow courgette
yellow straight neck squash
You may also find the Conversion Tables for ingredients and oven temperatures useful.
