Translating British Recipes Into American English

  • 01 of 04

    English to American Food and Recipe Translator - A to E

    Eggplant standing on end, close-up
    Isabelle Rozenbaum / Getty Images

    If you enjoy British Food but are not from these shores, it may help to grasp something of the different words and terms used. Do you know your aubergine from your eggplant; that tea is eaten as well and drunk; jam is jelly and jelly is jello? Confusing? You bet. But here's a guide to help demystify these food terms.

    Below are the British words, followed by the American.

     British to American Ingredient Translator

    • Aubergine = eggplant
    • Bacon - Back Bacon = Canadian Bacon
    • Bacon - Bacon Rasher = bacon slice
    • Bacon - Streaky Bacon = American bacon
    • Bap = Hamburger bun
    • Beans - French = string beans
    • Beans - Haricot = navy beans
    • Beef - Baron = Two sirloins as one roast
    • Beef - Bully = Corned beef
    • Beef - fillet = steak tenderloin
    • Beef - Minced = lean ground beef
    • Beef - Silverside = top round
    • Beef - Sirloin = porterhouse steak
    • Beetroot = beets
    • Bicarbonate of soda = baking soda
    • Biscuit - Ginger Nut = ginger snap
    • Biscuits = cookies
    • Biscuits - Rich Tea = plain vanilla cookies
    • Biscuits - Water = water crackers
    • Bisto = brown gravy mix
    • Braising steak = chuck steak
    • Bread - brown = wholemeal bread
    • Broad Bean = fava bean
    • Butter - unsalted = unsalted or sweet butter
    • Cake - Fairy = cup cake
    • Candyfloss = cotton candy
    • Cantaloupe Melon = cantelope or muskmelon
    • Cheese Biscuits = crackers
    • Chicory = endive
    • Chipolata = small sausage
    • Chips = French fries
    • Corn = maize
    • Cornflour = corn starch
    • Cos lettuce = Romaine
    • Courgette = zucchini
    • Cream - Cornish = clotted cream
    • Cream - Devon = clotted cream
    • Cream - double = heavy cream
    • Cream - single = light cream
    • Cream - Whipping = between light and heavy cream
    • Crisps = potato chips
    • Crystallised fruit = candied fruit
    • Custard = custard sauce
    • Custard - Powder = Instant custard sauce powder
    • Cutlet = chop
    • Dark Cooking Chocolate = semi-sweet chocolate
    • Desiccated coconut = shredded coconut
    • Doughnut - Jam = jelly doughnut
    • Doughnut - Ring = doughnut
    • Endive = chicory
    • Essence = extract
    Continue to 2 of 4 below.
  • 02 of 04

    English to American Food and Recipe Translator - F - M

    Fresh coriander sprigs on white background
    eve_eve01genesis / Getty Images
    • Faggot = meatball
    • Filo pastry = filo (or phyllo) dough
    • Fish - Brill = not unlike turbot
    • Fish - coley = black cod
    • Fish - fingers = fish sticks
    • Fish - Whitebait = tiny deep-fried fish
    • Flour - Plain = all purpose flour
    • Flour - Self Raising = self rising flour
    • Flour - Strong = bread flour
    • Flour - Wholemeal = whole wheat flour
    • Gammon = thick slice uncooked ham
    • Gelatine = gelatin
    • Glace cherry = candied cherries
    • Golden syrup = light Karo syrup
    • Herbs - coriander leaf = cilantro
    • Herbs - coriander seeds = coriander
    • Hundreds and thousands = sprinkles
    • Icing = frosting
    • Jelly = jello or gelatin
    • Lamb - chump chop = lamb chop
    • Liver Sausage = liverwurst
    • Lolly = popsicle
    • Mangetout = pea pods or snow peas
    • Marrow = large squash/large zucchini
    • Mincemeat = sweet mince pie filling
    • Mixed spice = mixture of allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves
    Continue to 3 of 4 below.
  • 03 of 04

    English to American Food and Recipe Translator - N - P

    Christmas-Pudding
    Elaine Lemm
    • Natural yoghurt = unflavored yoghurt
    • Offal = animal organs, heart, liver, kidneys etc
    • Pawpaw = papaya or pawpaw
    • Pepper - Green, red, yellow = bell pepper
    • Perry = cider made from pears
    • Plum Duff = plum pudding
    • Polony = bologna
    • Porridge = cooked oatmeal
    • Potato - Jacket = baked potato
    • Prawn = small shrimp
    • Prawn or shrimp = shrimp
    Continue to 4 of 4 below.
  • 04 of 04

    English to American Food and Recipe Translator - Q - Z

    Creamy Leek Tart
    Elaine Lemm
    • Scone = biscuit
    • Sherbet = powdered candy
    • Sponge Finger = ladyfinger
    • Spring onion = scallion or green onion
    • Squash - drink = juice drink
    • Squid = squid or calamari
    • Stock - brown = Beef stock
    • Stock - white = chicken or fish stock
    • Sugar - Caster = super fine sugar
    • Sugar - coffee = crystal sugar
    • Sugar - Demerara = dark raw sugar
    • Sugar - Granulated = sugar
    • Sugar - Icing = confectioners sugar
    • Sugar - Raw = raw or unrefined sugar
    • Sultanas = white or golden raisins 
    • Swede = rutabaga
    • Sweetcorn = Whole kernel corn
    • Tart = open pie
    • Toffee = taffy
    • Tomato ketchup = ketchup
    • Tomato puree = tomato paste
    • Treacle = molasses