The Differences Between American and International Cooking Vocabulary

If you're traveling in other English-speaking countries, you might be surprised to find that common foods and ingredients have completely different names. In the UK, an eggplant is an aubergine and arugula is rocket! The traveling chefs at Stack Exchange help us across the pond.

Here's a handy reference guide for keeping track of the food terms that differ between dialects of English, or exist in some dialects but not others. Whether your British, Australian, Canadian, or American, you might need to do a little research when it comes to cooking and finding the right word for what you want.

Note that Canada tends to vary by region, especially near the southern border where they often use US terms, while others may use UK terms. In fact, there will be regional differences in all countries!

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  • Rutabaga (US) is sometimes referred to as swede (UK), but also called turnip or neep in some parts of the UK, particularly Scotland, depending on the variety and how it is prepared.
  • Endive (US) is often confused with the Belgian endive, which is chicory.
  • Capsicum (US, AU) / bell pepper (US) is a pepper (UK).
  • Snow peas (US, AU) are mange tout (UK), a word borrowed from French meaning "eat everything." Mange tout also includes sugar snap peas (US).
  • Peanuts (US) may sometimes be sold in the UK as "monkey nuts," especially if unshelled. And peanut oil may be known in the UK as groundnut oil.
  • Legumes (US) are pulses (UK). "Legume" may refer to the plant and not the seeds (lentils, beans, etc).

Herbs, Spices and Seasonings

  • Kosher salt (US) is flake salt (UK). Some sea salts may be appropriate substitutes.
  • Cilantro (US) is known as Coriander (UK), and it tends to refer to the leaf, 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

  • Muffin (US, AU) is a quick bread (typically using the "muffin method") baked in forms used for cupcakes. It increasingly has this meaning in the UK too, with the prevalence of American-style coffee-shop chains. Muffin (UK) is english muffin (US, AU), a yeast leavened flat-ish bread, cooked on a griddle with a ring form.
  • Pancake (US, CA) generally refers to puffy item made from a thick leavened batter. Pancake can also be called hotcakes, griddlecakes, or flapjacks in the US. Pancake (UK) is 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. But flapjack (UK) is a baked square usually consisting of sugar/honey, butter, and oats.
  • Turnovers (US) and hand pies (US) are often called pasties (UK). (Pasties in the US are coverings to comply with nudity laws in strip clubs.) "Turnover" may be used in the UK for sweet versions (e.g. apple turnover).


  • Pork rinds (US) are scratchings (UK, when dry) and crackling (AU, NZ, and UK when fresh from a roast).


  • Cream (US) with 5% butterfat is single cream (UK), while cream with 48% butterfat (US) is double cream in the UK.
  • Half-and-half (US) is a mix of half cream, half milk (about 12.5% butterfat)
  • Light cream (US) is cream with 18 to 30% fat. But in Canada light cream is cream with 5 to 6% fat.
  • Whipping cream (US) is cream with 30 to 36% fat, whereas whipping cream (CA) is cream with 35% milk fat.
  • Heavy cream (US) aka heavy whipping cream (US) is cream with more than 36% fat.
  • Buttermilk (US, modern usage, aka "cultured buttermilk") is a fermented product, basically a runny yogurt, while historically buttermilk is the liquid left over after churning butter, which when fresh is closer to skim milk.
  • Sour cream (US) is soured cream (UK).

That's just the start. There's plenty more to see. Have your own kitchen translation to contribute? Edit the list. And find more questions like it at Seasoned Advice, a question and answer community for professional and amateur cooks and chefs.

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Illustration by Tina Mailhot-Roberge.