Have you ever gone to a fancy restaurant and had absolutely no idea how to pronounce something on the menu? We've all been there. It happens a lot in a country where we have so many different cuisines at our fingertips.
You know the drill: You sit back, look nervously at the waiter and point to the thing you'd like to order.
"Um, I'll have this," you say. Your palms sweat; your throat tightens. You read the item's description, because you can't bring yourself to say "foie gras" wrong and look like a fool.
This sort of thing doesn't occur only in expensive restaurants that serve foreign foods. Anywhere you go, you seem to find interesting foods, toppings and spices that have equally interesting (and difficult) names. It's a mouthful.
It can sound a lot like nails on a chalkboard to hear people pronounce “espresso” as "expresso." (Because then they'll be in the "express" lane? I really don't know how people rationalize that pronunciation.)
No one avoids this awkwardness. I didn't know that I'd been ordering my pinot grigio the wrong way since I was old enough to order alcohol. (The second "I," apparently, is silent.)
I know you've been guilty of this.
You may think you're quite the expert on all things culinary, but I can guarantee that there are a few food names you've been saying incorrectly.
Prepare to have your mind blown!
Here are 21 foods you've been pronouncing wrong for your entire life.
(Beneath the name is the correct pronunciation.)
