If you’ve ever watched The Great British Bake Off and wondered what some of the ingredients the contestants were using then you’re not alone. People living in the UK are known to have a lot of unique nicknames for their food. To make matters even more confusing some of these terms are the same words that Americans use for other foods. To add just another layer of complexity you’ll also find a few French words in the mix owing to the long history of cultural exchange (and warfare) between England and France. Take a look at these 27 British food terms that most Americans don’t know.
Afters: dessert; short for “after dinner”
Aubergine: eggplant
Bap: bun or roll
Banger: a small sausage
Biscuit: cookie
Bubble and squeak: a dish of whatever meats and vegetables are leftover from pervious meals, fried together in a mass
Builders: tea with milk and 2 sugar packets with the teabag left in longer than usual, presumably how tradesmen enjoy their tea after working hard
Chips: french fries
Crisps: potato chips or similar snacks like Cheetos
Courgette: small zucchini
Digestive: graham cracker, though in the UK they are round like cookies and often sold in sleeves; short for “digestive biscuit”
Double cream: heavy cream
Elevenses: light meal or snack made famous in The Lord of the Rings books, but also commonly referred to in real life; the name is a nod to 11am and 11pm, both times when you might want a small snack
Full English: this breakfast usually consists of toast, sausage, beans, tomatoes, bacon, mushrooms, and/or bacon as well as juice or tea and is often cited as the cure for what ails you; full Irish or Scottish breakfasts can differ in their ingredients
Gammon: ham
Kedgeree: a savory rice dish of English and Indian origin ranging between fried rice and rice porridge in texture, often with eggs, herring, or another source of protein included as well as spices; often eaten for breakfast
Marrow: squash or zucchini
Mash: mashed potatoes
Mince: ground beef, this is short for “mincemeat”
Rocket: arugula
Sarnie: a sandwich, sometimes also called a butty (short for “buttered bread” as this is one of the favored condiments of many UK sandwiches)
Scone: biscuit, sometimes flavored with sweet or savory ingredients; can be round or triangular in shape
Scottish egg: a hard-boiled egg that is coated in sausage and then breading and then deep fried (or sometimes baked) until brown
Swede: rutabaga or turnip
Tea: supper or evening meal
Treacle: molasses
Welsh rabbit: an open-face, toasted cheese sandwich; also known as a rarebit or cheese toastie