7 names of foreign dishes in Russia, in which most often make mistakes

We open a menu, see an unfamiliar foreign word written in the original language or in Russian, but with no explanation of its composition. We put a smart expression on our face, we hang on for a minute, and then we start thinking in our heads: what it is, how to pronounce it, whether I want to eat it.

This can happen both in Russia (where someone decided to show originality) and abroad, where it’s just a local dish. And it is important to pronounce the name of the dish correctly so that you are understood correctly.

Once in Budapest I ordered hot milk with lemon instead of hot tea. In Hungarian it sounds very similar: teá – tea, tey – milk. The waiter brought the milk and lemon separately, watching with interest how I was going to drink it. When he saw my surprised face, he realized I had mispronounced the word. And replaced the milk with tea, laughing at the situation with me.

In a similar fashion, I ordered a “glass of fresh air” instead of a glass of fresh juice. This time the waiter hovered in space for a moment and then brought me an empty glass, commenting that there was fresh air in there. Here my memory for associations when learning foreign languages played a cruel trick.

It was impossible to memorize Hungarian. I made up associations. When I was learning the word “air”, I noticed it had the word “juice” in it. The machine-brain reproduced it just as I’d memorized it. What you order, you get.

To avoid getting into situations like this, it’s worth remembering a few rules.

The bad news is, there’s no one rule. The accent and pronunciation of a word depends on the original language, so words may sound strange, not as you expect.

Bugood news: you can open an online translator and click on the microphone. The announcer will pronounce it the way you need it to be pronounced.

Lifehack: your brain may not remember the word the same way, or in Russia it may sound different from the original language in Russian. So it’s better to double-check in an online translator whether you are ordering what you really want.

For example, many Russian tourists, when they come to Italy, order a “latte” in the hope of getting coffee, but they get milk. It’s important to say “caffe latte” there.

So, here is a list of the most popular foreign dishes in Russia, in which mistakes are most often made. And which you just need to memorize.

İçindekiler

Asai

A very useful berry, which is grown in areas of South and Central America. It contains a large number of minerals and vitamins (A, C, E). Açaí is most often added to fruit salads and smoothies, considering it a superfood for youth and beauty.

The stress in the word is placed on the last letter (açaí).

Swirl it

Zoogeeks love this French appetizer of peeled and sliced raw vegetables: sticks of celery, carrots, cucumber, strips of bell pepper, pieces of broccoli, cauliflower, fennel, asparagus stalks. It is served in combination with a light sauce.

Most people stress the last syllable (crudité́), and rightly so.

Edamame

This Japanese national dish is gradually becoming popular in Russia. It consists of unripe soy beans cooked with spices and salt. In Japanese cuisine, this appetizer is served with beer and other Western alcoholic beverages.

The stress is placed on the penultimate vowel letter (edamame). It sounds almost like “food to mom” or “ode to mom”.

Muffuletta

The famous New Orleans sandwich, created by Italian immigrants from Sicily, can be found in restaurants. It resembles a layered pie, as it consists of layers of cheese and ham layered with cubes of bread. How should the name of this traditional Mediterranean dish be pronounced?

The stress is placed on the first vowel letter (muffuletta).

Gyros

The Greek analog of the familiar shawarma. It is prepared in pita bread with the addition of meat, fresh vegetables, and Greek tzatziki sauce. In Russia, gyros has become more popular than shawarma because of the large amount of vegetables in the composition.

It is correct to put the accent on the first syllable (gyros).

Bouillabaisse

A famous French multicomponent fish soup, which is cooked on the Mediterranean coast of France. Originally, this dish was common among fishermen and was prepared from the leftovers of fish not sold out for the day. Later, however, the recipe became more complicated and many expensive varieties of soup appeared.

The stress is placed on the last syllable (bujabeños).

Jalapeño

A warm, medium-sized chili pepper can become hot during a meal. The fruits of the pepper are five to nine centimeters long and are picked green. In Russia, it can be found in appetizers in Mexican restaurants. It is correct to put the stress on the penultimate syllable (jalapeño).