Food names often tell stories of where they came from, but this is not always the case. Sometimes, their names are creative marketing that mislead us, making us say that everything is just a lie. Today, we’re serving the 9 foods that are basically committing geographical theft. Check out some of your favorite foods making it to the list.
9. Mongolian Beef
This Chinese-American takeout favorite has nothing to do with Mongolia at all. It was actually invented by Taiwanese restaurants that landed in the US thanks to Chinese-American cuisine. Real Mongolian cuisine actually uses lamb, not beef, in sweet soy sauce. The name was made to sound exotic to appeal to American diners who associated Mongolia with tasty meat-heavy cuisine.
8. Turkish Coffee
Turkey may be a rich coffee culture region, but the coffee itself and how it’s prepared originated in Yemen and Ethiopia. The Ottoman Empire spread the coffee preparation style throughout its territory that which became associated with Turkish culture.
7. English Muffins
The English muffins, as we know them, are round and flat, and they can be filled with whatever filling inside. What you don’t know is that they’re an American invention. It was actually created by British-born Samuel Bath Thomas in New York back in the 1880s. While England really has their own muffins, they’re typically simpler bread products made for tea.
6. Russian Dressing
This pink mayonnaise used in salad is made with ketchup and relish. They also have zero connection to Russia, by the way. It likely got its name from the murky kind with caviar, which was considered Russian. It could also be from the Russian Tea Room in New York. Still, Russians would be baffled by what everyone calls Russian dressing since it’s different from actual Russian condiments.
5. Hungarian Goulash
The goulash that Americans know is a mix of ground beef, macaroni, and tomato sauce, but it is not the traditional Hungarian way. The authentic Hungarian gulyás (goulash) is a soup or stew filled with beef, vegetables, and paprika, typically served without pasta. The American one is a depression era casserole with a borrowed name, but it’s actually different from the authentic dish.
4. Belgian Waffles
Those thick and fluffy waffles with deep pockets are what many Americans call the Belgian waffles. They were made popular in the 1964 New York World’s Fair by a Belgian vendor. In Belgium, they call them the Liège waffles, depending on the style. The Belgian waffles are a name coined to be an American marketing term.
3. German Chocolate Cake
This rich and deep chocolate cake features a coconut-pecan frosting that has absolutely nothing to do with Germany. It was actually invented in 1957 by a Dallas homemaker named George Clay, who used the German’s Sweet Chocolate, which is a baking chocolate made in 1852 by English-American chocolatier Samuel German. The apostrophe got lost over time, so many thought that the dessert was from Germany.
2. Danish Pastries
If you ask for a Danish pastry in an actual bakery in Denmark, they’ll be confused. They’re actually called wienerbrød, which means Viennese bread. The pastry style was just brought to Denmark by Austrian bakers back in the 1850s. The “Danish” is actually Austrian, but even Austrians don’t call it that either.
1. Swiss Cheese
What we call Swiss cheese is actually an American imitation of the Emmental. It’s a cheese from Switzerland’s Emme Valley, as they’re filled with hundreds of varieties like Gruyère, Appenzeller, and Sbrinz. It looks nothing like the cartoon cheese with holes, which many associate with Switzerland.