Food Naming Differences Between the US and the UK

cupcakes or fairy cakes

Fries or chips? Biscuits or cookies? While I’m sure most anglophones are aware of the usual suspects, there are a number of other foods which are known by different names in each country. I may have missed some words here and there, but I think these lists give a good overview of the common differences you might encounter. My favorite of these are probably candyfloss and fairy cakes, which both sound like things I would eat if I were two inches tall and lived in a flower!

Produce

USUK
cilantrocoriander
rutabagaswede (England) or neep (Scotland)
zucchinicourgette
eggplantaubergine
bell pepperpepper
arugularocket
scallionspring onion
soysoya
orange juice with pulporange juice with bits
lima beansbutter beans
garbanzo beanschickpeas
golden raisinssultanas
persimmonsharon fruit

Milk and Dairy

USUK
skim milkskimmed milk
1% – 2% milksemi-skimmed milk
whole milkwhole milk/full fat milk
half and halfno equivalent
light creamsingle cream
whipping cream/heavy whipping creamdouble cream

Prepared Foods

USUK
oatmealporridge
grilled cheesecheese toastie
granola barflapjack
popsicleice lolly
cupcakesfairy cakes
cotton candycandyfloss
french toasteggy bread
Jell-Ojelly
maraschino cherryglacé cherry

Other Food-Related Words

USUK
plastic wrap/saran wrapcling film
silverwarecutlery
canned foodtinned food
stovetophob
broil (as in the oven setting)grill
seeds (like that of an apple)seeds/pips
dishwashing, washing the dishesdoing the washing up
flax seedslinseeds

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