Have you ever stared at a menu and go all squinty at certain dish names... what the hell is that? You have two options: pretend that you know what it is (with far-fetched inferences) and order it anyway, or have whatever your friend is having. Both are deeply uncomfortable options. Well, here are some of names that you might commonly encounter. Ten for starters!
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| Photo credits: marthastewart |
Origin: North Africa
Pronunciation: koos-koos
"Made of granules of durum wheat and semolina, it turns into fluffy grains after adding boiling water. It does not have much flavour on its own and is similar to rice."
2. Escargots
Origin: France
Pronunciation: as-car-go
"Cooked land snails that are usually purged from their shells and cooked with garlic parsley butter, chicken stock or wine, and later placed back into their shells."
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| Photo credits: idenchang417 |
3. Gnocchi
Origin: Italy
Pronunciation: neo-kee
"Dumplings made from potatoes, semolina, cheese, breadcrumbs, egg and/or flour. They can be considered as an alternative to pasta. They are not to be confused with another type of pasta named gnocchi as well."
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| Photo credits: puttogetherlife |
Origin: Italy
Pronunciation: pro-shiu-doh
"Dry-cured ham made from hind leg of a pig. It is usually thinly sliced and eaten as it is... uncooked. Pair prosciutto with melons for a summer appetizer!"
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| Photo credits: cookingwithchrissy |
Origin: Mexico
Pronunciation: geh-sa-di-ya
"Corn or flour tortilla stuffed pancake, usually with cheese. Go crazy with quesadilla flavours here - there are lots of fun you can do with it!"
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| Photo credits: bakingmad |
6. Quiche
Origin: France
Pronunciation: kish
7. Quinoa
Origin: South America
Pronunciation: keen-wah
8. Ravioli
Origin: Italy
Pronunciation: reh-veoh-li
9. Risotto
Origin: Italy
Pronunciation: Ree-soh-to
10. Tteokbokki
Origin: South Korea
Pronunciation: toh-boh-kee
Pronunciation: kish
"Savoury, open-faced pastry crust with cheese, meat, vegetables and/or seafood and a rich egg custard milky base."
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| Photo credits: adutchoven |
7. Quinoa
Origin: South America
Pronunciation: keen-wah
"Protein-rich grain seeds considered as a superior carbohydrate as compared to couscous - with higher calories, iron, protein and carbohydrate per servings."
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| Photo credits: tastykitchen |
Origin: Italy
Pronunciation: reh-veoh-li
"Sealed and filled pasta that creates a dumpling effect. They can be in square or circular shapes. They can be stuffed with cheese, meat and/or vegetables that can be boiled or baked. Served with tomato sauce or other sauces, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese, parsley and fresh herbs."
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| Photo credits: gopixpic |
9. Risotto
Origin: Italy
Pronunciation: Ree-soh-to
"Rice cooked in flavoured broth to give rise to a creamy consistency."
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| Photo credits: spicedpeachblog |
Origin: South Korea
Pronunciation: toh-boh-kee
"Also known as toppoki. Stir-fried hot and spicy rice cakes that are quite sticky drenched in sauce."