Seasoned Advice Asked on October 31, 2020
This post is an attempt to keep track of the terms that differ between dialects of English or exist in some dialects but not others: British / Australian / Canadian / American / etc.
Please note that Canada may be difficult to classify, as some regions (especially near the southern border) use US terms, while others may use UK terms.
It’s a community wiki, so feel free to edit and clarify or add additional items. The comments are getting long, so use answers for discussion of specific concepts if necessary. If you’re not sure what a term means, ask it as a new question and tag it with language)
Also see What international cooking terms sound similar but have different meanings? for similar issues with other languages.
Light Cream (CA) has 5% butterfat. Light Cream (US) is 18 to 30% butterfat. (Lite Cream (AU) is roughly 18% butterfat)
Table Cream (CA) is 15% or 18% butterfat.
Single cream (UK) is 18% butterfat. Equivalent to Lite Cream (AU), Thickened Cream – Reduced Fat (AU), Table Cream (CA), Coffee Cream (CA). Extra Thick Single Cream (UK) contains stabilizers.
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 in the US, but 10% butterfat in CA). May be called blend cream (CA).
Cooking Cream (CA (Quebec)) is either 15% or 35% butterfat, thickened with stabilizers and emulsifiers
Country-Style Cream (CA (Quebec)) is either 15% or 35% butterfat, with stabilizers and emulsifiers
Whipping Cream (CA) is 33 to 35% butterfat, and may have stabilizers. Equivalent to Thickened Cream (AU), Pouring Cream (AU) or Single Cream (AU). Whipping Cream (US) may be from 30 to 36% milkfat.
Heavy cream (US) aka heavy whipping cream (US) = cream with more than 36% fat, and often has stabilizers
Regular Cream (AU) or Pure Cream (AU) are roughly 40% butterfat without thickening agents.
Double Cream (UK) is 48% milkfat. Extra Thick Double Cream (UK) contains stabilizers.
Rich Cream (AU), Thick Cream (AU), or Double Cream (AU) is a spoonable cream with 48% butterfat or more.
Clotted Cream (UK) or Devon Cream (UK), has been heated to evaporate liquid, resulting in a spoonable cream with about 55% milkfat.
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. Historic buttermilk made with fresh milk is closer to today’s skim milk, but if made with sour milk is closer to cultured buttermilk.
Sour cream (US) = soured cream (UK)
entree (US) is the main course. Entree (AU, NZ) is a starter course, or appetizer (US) course. (ref)
dessert (US, AU) is pudding, sweets, dessert or afters (UK, depending on region and social class). Pudding is always a cooked item, while dessert may be fresh fruit or other non-cooked item.
pudding (US) is roughly equiv. to custard (UK)
jello (US; brand name issues) is jelly (UK, AU)
jelly (US) is seedless jam (UK, NZ) (see answer below for details)
fries (US, abbr. for french fries) are chips (UK, NZ); both terms work in AU, as does hot chips
chips (UK) are steak fries (US), rather than the typical American shoestring fries
chips (US, AU, NZ) are crisps (UK)
cornstarch (US) is cornflour (UK, AU, NZ)
corn flour (US; aka fine corn meal) is maize flour (AU),
a finer ground version of cornmeal (US,UK) or polenta (US,UK). Cornflour (UK) is the extracted starch derived from the raw corn kernal, not the dry ground flesh of the whole kernal. Also called masa harina (US) if made from nixtamalized corn.
cornflour (AU) is a powdered starch, but not necessarily made from corn, as there is also ‘wheaten cornflour’. (ref)
cider (US) is unfiltered (cloudy) juice, commonly from apples, while cider (UK, NZ) is an alcoholic beverage made from apple juice (aka. hard cider (US) or scrumpy (UK) for stronger dry ciders). cider (AU) refers to both the alcoholic beverage and any non-alcoholic carbonated apple juice.
cordial [US] is a flavored alcohol, while cordial [UK, AU] is a liquid drink flavoring that is intended to be diluted with water. (ref)
liquid smoke (US) is condensed smoke, used as a flavoring.
black beer (UK) is a malt liquor/fortified wine containing malt.
black beer (US, Germany), also called black lager or schwarzbier is a type of lager brewed with extremely dark malt.
tomato sauce (UK, AU, NZ) is ketchup (UK, US). Also catsup and other spelling variants.
tomato sauce (UK, US) is a tomato based sauce typically for pasta or pizza.
marinara (US) is used synonymously with tomato sauce, and may refer to both quick or long-cooked varieties.
tomato paste (US) is tomato purée (UK), a thick, concentrated tomato product.
tomato purée (US, AU) is unreduced tomatoes (possibly stewed) with the skin and seeds removed. Also called crushed tomatoes (although crushed tomatoes may still have seeds).
tomato passata (UK) (sometimes just ‘passata’) is strained tomato purée (US).
golden syrup (UK, NZ) is dark cane sugar syrup (US, CA); corn syrup is an acceptable substitute (Farmhouse Cookery)
rapeseed oil (UK) is Canola oil (US, AU, NZ). (abbreviation for "Canada oil, low acid")
vegetable oil (US, AU) is any flavorless oil with a decent smoke point. It may be soy, corn, or a blend, but you can use peanut (groundnut (UK)), canola (rapeseed (UK)), or extra light (not extra virgin) olive oil.
oats (US) unless qualified are ‘old fashioned’ or ‘rolled oats’, not groats (which are sold as ‘pinhead oats’), ‘Steel cut oats’ (cut up groats but not flattened, aka. ‘Irish oatmeal’), nor ‘instant oats’ (flattened & parcooked).
granola (US) is a cooked sweetened oat dish that may include nuts or dried fruit, and may be pressed into bars. It looks similar to muesli (UK) which is raw oats, nuts and fruit.
trail mix (US) is a mixture of nuts and dried fruit. It may include granola, seeds (eg. sunflower) or chocolate (typically in the form of M&Ms)
Smarties (UK, AU) are similar to the candy M&Ms
Smarties (US) are compressed sugar pellets (similar to PEZ tablets, but round with concave sides, packaged in rolls with twisted ends)
Candy (US) is sweets (UK) or lollies (NZ)
Fried egg in the UK is what Americans call sunny-side up unless otherwise qualified. The US terms over-easy, over-medium, over-well and over-hard are typically unknown in the UK. For a definition of the ‘over’ terms, see Can someone please give an explanation of different egg preparations? . (more details )
Casserole (UK) is a stew, a mixture of bite-sized chunks of (typically) meat and vegetables that is cooked submerged in liquid at low heat for a long period of time.
Casserole (US) is a bake (UK,US) or hotdish (US), and refers to any mixture of food baked in a casserole dish (sometimes shortened to simply casserole), an oven-safe, relatively deep, typically ceramic vessel. A casserole (US) is typically not as wet as a stew. It includes dishes that are composed of pre-cooked ingredients and then mixed or layered in a suitable vessel and baked to finish. (ref)
US : jam/jelly/preserves/etc
In the US, there are specific definitions from the Food & Drug Administration on what can be labeled as jam, jelly, etc.
From CookingLight.com, but preserved here in case of link rot:
Jelly is a clear, bright product. It is generally made by cooking fruit juice and sugar with pectin as a jelling agent and lemon juice as an acid to maintain a consistent texture. Jelly is firm and will hold its shape (it 'shakes'). Generally, jelly contains no pieces of fruit, although specialty jellies, like pepper jelly, may include pieces of jalapeño or other pepper.
Jam is made from crushed or chopped fruit cooked with sugar, and often pectin and lemon juice. Jam can be a purée of fruit or have a soft pulp, but it does not contain chunks of fruit.
Preserves are fruit cooked with sugar to the point where large chunks of fruit or whole fruit, such as berries, are suspended in a syrup base. The texture of preserves is not smooth like jelly or jam.
Marmalade is a soft jelly, often citrus-based, that includes both the flesh and peel of the fruit suspended throughout the jelly base. The bitterness of the peel offsets the sweetness of the jelly.
Conserve is a mixture of more than one fruit, often with added nuts and raisins, that is cooked until it becomes thick. It is used as a spread for breads, pastries and meats, and in the latter use is closest to chutney.
Chutney is a spiced condiment of Indian origin (chatni is the Hindi word for strongly spiced) made of fruit or vegetables. It is typically served as an accompaniment to food, not as a spread. The spice level can range from mild to hot, and the consistency from a fine relish to a preserve or conserve. Fruit chutney consists of chopped fruit, vinegar, spices and sugar cooked into a chunky sweet-tart-spicy mix: according to one explanation, it 'blurs the Western distinction between preserves and pickles.'
Fruit Butter, such as apple butter or prune butter, is fruit purée or pulp combined with sugar, lemon juice and spices, slowly cooked down to a smooth consistency. The 'butter' refers to its spreadability: there is no actual butter in the product.
Fruit Curd is a creamy spread made with sugar, eggs and butter, generally flavored with citrus juice and zest.
Fruit Spread is generally a reduced-calorie product made with fruit juice concentrate and low-calorie sweeteners replacing all or part of the sugar.
Answered by Joe on October 31, 2020
From Charlotte Farley: endive (US) is chicory (Belgium, perhaps others). A I understand it, UK usage reverses continental usage - so the UK and US call it "endive". The rest of Europe calls it "chicory", and vice versa.
Edit by Rumtscho:
This is called "chickory" (or a clearly related word) in many continental European languages, except in Dutch. Common names in the Netherlands or Flanders are 'witloof', 'witlof' or 'Brussels lof'. (cc by-sa image by David Monniaux). It is bitter, and is often eaten as a part of a cooked dish. The root of this plant is called 'chicorei' in Dutch (so this word is related to 'chicory'), but it is used less and less (it was used as a coffee substitute).
This is called "endive" (or a closely related word) in many continental European languages, but endive or Belgian endive in the US and Canada. (cc sa-by-nc-nd image by Carlos Lorenzo). It is usually eaten raw, in a salad, interchangeably with other lettuces.* It certainly can be cooked as well (mainly the outer leaves).
There is another vegetable from the endive family. While it is commonly known as "radicchio", I've heard it referred to as "red endive". Not sure about its common use.
*sorry for the beautiful but not too recognizable picture, I couldn't find a better shareable one. Will snap it and update when I happen to buy the thing.
Further Edit by Megha :
Elsewhere, chicory is a blue flower, whose root is roasted and used as a coffee substitute. This flower is sometimes known as "root chicory" (because the roots were mostly used, I suppose), as opposed to leaf chicory, which is the endive or radicchio as mentioned above. This plant is used in the Mediterranean region, where the plant was native, and is often used in Indian coffee, and is also known in southeast Asia, South Africa, and southern United States (especially areas affected by the naval blockades during the US Civil War --Joe)
Answered by Charlotte Farley on October 31, 2020
British Gas Mark to Degrees Conversion
I've based this table off of a number of sources that have slightly different values; I'm going to assume that the 25°F for each gas mark is correct (as those all agree), and derived the Celcius from there, rounding to the nearest 5. See the first three for descriptive terms like 'moderate oven', as they don't all use the same adjectives.
Answered by Joe on October 31, 2020
From the book "Hamlyn All Colour Cook Book" (29th, revised impression 1992 reprinted 1997; first published in 1970), in the section "Useful facts and figures":
Notes for American and Australian users
In America the 8-fl oz measuring cup is used. In Australia metric measures are now used in conjunction with the standard 250-ml measuring cup. The Imperial pint, used in Britain and Australia, is 20 fl oz, while the American pint is 16 fl oz. It is important to remember that the Australian tablespoon differs from both the British and American tablespoons; the table below gives a comparison. The British standard tablespoon, which has been used throughout this book, holds 17.7 ml, the American 14.2 ml and the Australian 20 ml. The teaspoon holds approximately 5 ml in all three countries.
British American Australian ------------------------------------------------- 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon 1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon 2 tablespoons 3 tablespoons 2 tablespoons 3 1/2 tablespoons 4 tablespoons 3 tablespoons 4 tablespoons 5 tablespoons 3 1/2 tablespoons
An Imperial/American guide to solid and liquid measures
Imperial American --------------------------------- Solid Measures 1 lb butter or margarine 2 cups 1 lb flour 4 cups 1 lb granulated or castor sugar 2 cups 1 lb icing sugar 3 cups 8 oz rice 1 cup Liquid measures 1/4 pint liquid 2/3 cup liquid 1/2 pint 1 1/4 cup 3/4 pint 2 cups 1 pint 2 1/2 cups 1 1/2 pints 3 3/4 cups 2 pints 5 cups (2 1/2 pints)
Note: when making any of the recipes in this book, only follow one set of measures as they are not interchangeable
Answered by Joe on October 31, 2020
When dealing with some older US recipes, you may find recipes that mention the size of a can as a number. I have no idea if these same standards were used in other countries. (I would assume Canada, but I have no idea)
Note that this is not the same as giving a weight ("8 oz. can" or "14 oz. can"), as it's a standard about the size in terms of width & height of the can, for stacking on shelves.)
From The Spruce Eats (original link has approx weights, too; I computed mL):
Can Size Name Volume Metric
------------- ------ ------
Picnic 1 1/4 cups 300mL
12 ounces vacuum 1 1/2 cups 360mL
No. 1 1 1/3 cup 320mL
No. 1 tall 2 cups 480mL
No. 1 square 2 cups 480mL
No. 2 2-1/2 cups 600mL
No. 2 1/2 3-1/2 cups 840mL
No. 2 1/2 square scant 4 cups ~940mL?
No. 3 5-3/4 cups 1380mL (see below)
No. 3 squat 2-3/4 cups 660mL
No. 5 7-1/3 cups 1760mL
No. 10 12 cups 2880mL (see below)
No. 300 1-3/4 cups 420mL
No. 303 2 cups 480mL
Note: "scant" means "slightly less than". The link also has a discussion of why certain foods were packaged in certain sizes.
The above chart slightly disagrees with the one from The University of Nebrasca-Lincoln which says that "No.1" and "Picnic" are the same size (1-1/4c.), but does say they are "Can size approximations".
Sizes.com gives height and diameter of various can sizes, but there's no mention if these are internal or external measurements. Oddly, their definition of a #3 can (4-3/16" dia, 4-7/8" high) would be ~67 cu.in, or 4.6 cups if I'm doing my math right ... more than a cup less than every other definition I've found) They say a #3 can is 32 fl.oz (4cups; 950mL), and a "#3 tall" seems to match everyone else's definition for a #3 (46 fl.oz; ~1360mL)
Sizes.com also disagrees with every other site about #10 cans -- they say it's 1 gallon (16cups; 3785mL) while other sites say 12cups (2840mL).
Supposedly, there were ten original sizes designated (#1 through #10, and the three digit ones came later, along with the modified types. I've also found a few others that weren't mentioned in the Spruce Eats link. (I've derived some measurements for completeness):
Answered by Joe on October 31, 2020
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