Measurements as a cook they make me think at times… In the UK, metrication was introduced to replace Imperial measurements. So when we joined the EEC in 1973 we were “obliged” to set it in domestic law.
Did anyone give a thought to us “cooks? ” I was still a child then and cooking but under my mum’s guidance. My mum did then and still does use lbs and ounces..bless her.
I have recipes going back years from friends and acquaintances from all around the world some in lbs and ounces, some in grammes and some in cups.
But apart from a headache at times I manage to get by…haha
Do you??? If you don’t then I hope this helps…
I have included my trusty conversion chart for you ….. I still use it sometimes myself or if I know a recipe that well I just guess and I am pretty good at that, I know because I check myself at times. A double-check is always good.
The outcome …I cook using all 3 measurements now get your head around that!
The song from “Pink Floyd” often springs to mind and if I was clever enough I would do a mash-up and change the lyrics slightly to say
” Leave them cooks alone“
Yes, I know I am a slightly crazy, whimsical English Cook with the weirdest sense of humour at times..bring back pounds and ounces I say..but then everything I buy will still be in grammes so that wouldn’t work …
Good job I have my trusty conversion kit and a bit of common sense….I do! Don”t I??????
Jokes aside I don’t get the cup bit I mean I have cups, mugs all differing sizes in my cupboards…Yes I know I should buy a universal cup measure…make it easy for yourself Carol.
But I already have jugs with 2 conversions on them, so many measuring spoons WITH 2 conversions on them!
And a tape measure…Joking haha
Now while I am on the subject there is the case of differing names of food depending on where in the world you live so stay with me and all will be revealed.
11 Food terms which are different over the water…. I hope this helps you if you “can’t see the wood for the trees ” (a British idiom) when you read my recipes…
Coriander v Cilantro:
The latin name is Coriandrum Sativum. Cilantro is the Spanish translation so I get that. We refer to the leaves and stalks as Coriander and the seeds as Coriander seeds.
In the US it is Cilantro for the leaves and stalks and Coriander for the seeds.
The word Cilantro does not even exist in the Uk.
Aubergine v Egg Plant:
There is actually a color — aubergine — that resembles the purple of the eggplant. … Apparently, way back in the 1700s, early European versions of eggplant were smaller and yellow or white. They looked a bit like goose or hen’s eggs, which led to the name “eggplant.”
Herbs v Erbs:
All I will say is we speak ” Queens English”
Courgette v Zucchini:
I get this one we call it Zucchini as well, probably due to all these cooking shows and books ..so that was an easy one.
Ice Lolly v Popsicle:
Plain Flour v All purpose Flour:
NOOOOOOO! ….. now I know why….
Ever since I have been in Thailand and I have tried all ways to make dumplings with my stews….”The penny has now dropped” I have been buying ” All purpose flour” because I thought it was ” All purpose”….But No! It’s Plain fricking flour and that’s why my dumplings don’t rise….. It’s taken 5 years for this one …5 years …
Of putting it to chill in the fridge, using soda water, using different fats..you name it… I have tried it ….and it’s the flour!
Well…that’s better….rant over!
And the sun is shining….
Profiterole v Cream Puff:
Well, this is a profiterole.
This is a Cream Puff or Slice.
I think the difference is obvious ….they are totally different although both pastries?
Rocket v Arugula:
What!
Rump Steak v Sirloin:
Sirloin v Porterhouse:
Well, what can I say…who is right and who is wrong??? I don’t know and it is what it is depending on where we reside. I am just glad I don’t eat steak as who knows what I would get depending on where I was…..
Swiss Roll v Jelly Roll:
Swede v Rutabaga:
The word Rutabaga is from an old Swedish dialectical word and swede from the Swedish Turnip so it is down to just being a preferred word in either country.
I hope you enjoyed my little foray around the differences in our languages and I think it’s great and has caused many a debate but The flour … I am off to bake….
Images: https://pixabay.com/ no attribution required all Free images.
If you have enjoyed this post and think one of your friends could benefit from the conversions please share or reblog…
Until next time stay safe, have fun and as you already know laugh a lot as it is the best medicine..a proven fact……
Interesting!!! For eggplant, In India its brinjal.
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Yes , thank you… so many different names for the same thing isn’t there 🙂
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Yaaaa…
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Conversions simply make me roll my eyes. In truth, I find it all a bit tiresome. When I moved to the US (having grown up with British measurements, words, and spellings) it was a totally new learning curve and I’m not quite sure I got used to it. Always have to google the equivalents sometimes.
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I know Jacqueline.. universal measurements would be great but I suppose with a the recipes peole keep it probably wouldn’t work…I have just succumbed to using spoons if the recipe demands but it is tiresome at times 🙂
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Of course you probably knew that I’d comment, soooo 😀
I’ve always used the word ‘zucchini’, which is Italian. As for cilantro, I never knew what that was until about a decade ago. I knew it as coriander. Cilantro was adopted because of the number of Spanish speaking people in the US from south of the border. I don’t like the smell or taste, so I don’t cook with it. For “herbs”, proper pronunciation in the US is to leave the ‘h’ silent, so it is ‘erbs’ here, too. (That can be confusing because weeds are also known as ‘forbs’ in botanical circles.) Flour is flour here unless leavening is added; usually baking soda and baking powder. Thus, there is nothing special about all-purpose flour. It is basically generic, meant for use with anything from cake, bread, pan-frying, making household paste, and so forth. It is all-purpose because it is run of the mill flour (no pun intended). If leavening is added, it is ‘self-rising flour’.
I never buy self-rising flour since it is more expensive and there isn’t much to adding baking powder, baking soda, and salt to plain flour.
As for pastries, to me, if it is has a creamy filling, it would be a cream puff. I don’t normally eat arugula/rocket. I’ll opt for leaf lettuce. As for steak, there actually is a difference between sirloin and porterhouse, but it is mostly people who have butchered and cut their own mean who’d know the difference. It has to do with precisely where the meat comes from on the carcass. Sirloin is also broken down; top sirloin, bottom sirloin, sirloin tips, etc. Finally, you can have my share of swedes/rutabagas. However, to me, a Swede would be a person from Sweden, so a recipe for cooking Swedes would likely come from the cannibal’s cookbook. 🙂
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Comment Rex..You…lol..It’s like war and peace…lol
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Are you insinuating that I tend to be verbose? LOL
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Of course I am…lol
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Interesting post, enjoyed reading this !!
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Thank you 🙂
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Cilantro for the eastern seaboard of the US…
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Sounds interesting 👌
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American chips are crisps to us and jelly is jam. Used to wonder how they got to spread jelly onto bread 😂😂😂😂#Wibblywobbly
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Ha Ha…and now you know 🙂 I love finding out what different names are used around the world for everyday items 🙂
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We say coriander and cilantro in The States. I have coriander on my herb/spice shelf and have used cilantro for salads.Until I read this, I did not know the two are related.
I think of aubergine as a color too and eggplant as the vegetable. Very enlightening, Carol – thank you!
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You are welcome Marian it is amazing what we know and don’t know isn’t it ?
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Love this 🙂
As I have lived in the States (where I had cooking lessons with strange measurements that a continental European 12 year old cannot grasp) and in England, I have come across some of these.
When I arrived in the US the word “zucchini” was used, just like in Germany, making the learning of the language a bit easier 😉, what a surprise it was to find out that the English give it the same name as the French.
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I know some of these measurements are mind- boggling….I normally use the conversion chart or Google … Yes it is I wish there were more foodstuffs where the same name applied 🙂 Thank you for commenting 🙂
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That is really interesting, Carol. I have a lot of English recipes and I just do the conversion. It is easy.
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