Snack travel

From wieners to sardines: 10 foods named after places

Image: angela pham

We all love hamburgers, and wieners, but have you ever stopped and wondered how some of your favorite foods got their names? Many of the dishes we enjoy today are named after the places they came from or through some historical twist of fate. We’ll call these "food toponyms" because they tell us about the food itself, and the regions, cities, and people that helped shape its history. Let’s take a flavorful trip around the globe, exploring how 10 famous foods got their geographic names!

Image: engin akyurt

You might think of hamburgers as the ultimate American meal, and the immediate picture is that of a juicy meal sizzling on the grill. But their name comes from the German city of Hamburg.

The term hamburger originally referred to a "hamburger steak," which was a minced beef dish that sailors from Hamburg loved. When German immigrants arrived in America in the 19th century, they brought this treat with them.

But something so delicious couldn’t stop there: Over time, it evolved into the sandwich we know and love today, losing the steak and gaining a bun. Despite the evolution of the treat itself, the name stuck. Today, it’s hard to imagine a barbecue without them, right?

Image: Philippe Murray-Pietsch

If they are the same word, they are probably related, don’t you think? But is thisone of those times when language is trying to play a trick on us? Actually no, the bird you feast on every Thanksgiving is named after Turkey the country.

As the story goes, back in the 1500s, European merchants traded guinea fowls, which they imported through Turkish traders. Because of who imported them, the birds were known as "Turkey fowl" or simply "turkey."

So, where is the mistake? When European settlers in America encountered the wild bird we now call a turkey, they mistook it for the same bird. They eventually saw the differences, but the name had already stuck!

Image: David Trinks

To the eye, scallions don’t say much. Scallions, these simple green onions, are in fact really tasty. But we’re not here for the taste, we’re here for the story behind them!

The term scallion comes from the ancient port city of Ascalon, now part of modern Israel. The Greeks and Romans named these flavorful little onions after the city where they believed they originated.

Today, they are no longer exclusively tied to this region in the Mediterranean, but the name stayed with the vegetable. And even if they are not the first choice for amateurs, they are a great addition to some meals.

Image: Andrik Langfield

Have you ever been to Vienna? Do you wish you could travel there for a much-deserved holiday? Try a wiener and you’ll be enjoying a piece of the city. Wiener is actually short for "wienerwurst," composed of two words that translate to "Viennese sausage" in German.

The name comes from Vienna, the capital of Austria, where this type of sausage was very popular. However, when the wiener made its way to the country, it evolved into our praised hot dog. And of course, each state, and each city, found new ways to make their own version of it!

Image: Martin Moore

Cantaloupes today are one the juiciest summer snacks, but did you know they were first linked to royalty? Or at least that’s one theory.

This fruit gets its name from the town of Cantalupo, near Rome, where Pope Paul V reportedly cultivated the fruit in his papal estate.

However, this is not the only story behind it: Some say the name could also come from the French village of Cantaloup in Languedoc, which had its own connection to the fruit.

Regardless of which story we choose to believe, cantaloupes were a European sensation when they first appeared. Today, no summer goes by without thousands enjoying a delicious piece of cantaloupe!

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Maybe you didn’t believe us the first time, but in America, each city you visit has its own version of a hot dog. And Coney dogs are just one of those!

Coney dogs are beloved in places like Detroit, but their name is pure New York. Specifically, they’re named after Coney Island, the famous amusement park destination.

However, the hot dog slathered in chili sauce is thought to have originated with Greek immigrants who settled in Michigan in the early 20th century. Why the name "Coney"? Most likely, they named their creation after the popular hot dogs sold at Coney Island as a way to attract customers.

Image: Towfiqu barbhuiya

We know these are not everyone’s favorites: Some love them, and some hate them. But nobody can deny that tiny as they are, they are packed with flavor. Which team are you on?

In any case, sardines made it to this list because they are named after the Mediterranean island of Sardinia. This fish was once found in abundance in the waters surrounding the island, making it a natural hub for sardine fishing. The name sardine soon became synonymous with these small, oily fish, no matter where they were caught.

Today, you’ll find canned sardines from all over the world, but the name keeps the link to their Mediterranean roots.

Image: shraga kopstein

Our next stop is an ancient place: Greece. Not to be mistaken with grapes, although they are sold as raisins too, currants are seedless fruits that grow on shrubs. Now, what is their connection to Greece?

Well, the name comes from the phrase raysons of Coraunte which translates to "raisins of Corinth." Corinth was a port city in Greece, where they were exported from.

As with many other foods, and thanks to many advances, currants now come from many places, and one of them is California.

From California to your house, but it takes you straight to Greece. Quite an adventure!

Image: Alexander Kovacs

Just reading the title is enough: Few things are so mouthwatering as buffalo wings. They had to be included in the article!

Buffalo wings are named not after the animal, but after the city of Buffalo, New York. They were first made in the 1960s at the Anchor Bar, where the owner cooked up some chicken wings in a tangy hot sauce. Tressa Bellisimo was her name and we love her!

The spicy snack became an instant hit. They were so popular that they were featured in a story in the New Yorker many years after they were created. By that time, the wings were already spreading across the country. The dish has since become a staple of American cuisine, especially during football season. Despite their widespread popularity, the wings always carry the name of the city where they were born and they do so proudly!

Image: Kristijan Arsov

Baloney has a birthplace, and that is Bologna, in Italy. The popular deli meat traces its roots to mortadella, a finely ground pork sausage with chunks of fat, first made in the Italian city.

When mortadella crossed the ocean and made it to America, it was re-invented in more ways than one, each more American than the other. The ingredients became a mix of chicken, turkey, beef, or pork, often the extra bits.

What about calling something "baloney" to mean nonsense? Well, the credit goes to Alfred E. Smith, New York’s 42nd governor, who used it to criticize President Franklin Roosevelt’s administration. Just like the treat, the phrase stuck!

THE BOOKS THAT SHAPED AMERICA

Discover Ten Iconic Novels Influenced By U.S. States & Cities!

Image: Chris Lawton

It’s no wonder that America has inspired a myriad of iconic authors, including 15 Nobel Prize winners (and counting). This amazing country offers unique landscapes fertile for the imagination, including both the wonders of rural life as well as the bubbling excitement of metropolitan cities.

We have selected ten timeless classics on which American states and cities are not just the background on which the story takes place, but rather a full character in their own right. Be sure to add these to your reading list!

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John Kennedy Toole’s post-humous novel is a hysterical depiction of the misadventures of Ignatius J. Reilly, a lazy and misanthropic man-child looking to impose his medievalist views on the modern world. His search for a job turns into a quest of epic proportions, fueled by his wild demeanor and quirky antics.

While Ignatius is central to this novel, it could also be said that Toole wrote "A Confederacy of Dunces" as a love letter to his beloved New Orleans. His characters are outlandish and eccentric, but are also a product of the colorful charm the "Birthplace of Jazz" has to offer.

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Holden Caufield, the main character and narrator of this J.D. Salinger coming-of-age novel, is a troubled teenager who wanders around New York City after being expelled from his boarding school. The story takes place over a single day, on which Holden strolls through Central Park, attends a play at the Biltmore Theatre, and ice skates in Rockefeller Center.

"The Catcher in the Rye" is considered by many to be an essential read, and is praised for its groundbreaking way of describing teenage rebellion and angst. While New York City seems like a cruel and unforgiving place for Holden, Salinger also goes out of his way to describe this city’s beauty and magnificence.

Image: Alex Preusser

Let’s continue with another classic book that features New Orleans. Tennesse Williams named his legendary play after the Desire streetcar line that ran half a block away from his apartment on Toulouse Street, in New Orleans’ beautiful French Quarter.

The double meaning in the play’s title, referring to both the iconic streetcar as well as to the idea that desire is a driving force, shows how this iconic piece of literature could only have been conceived in such a stunning city.

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Author Hunter S. Thompson is considered to be the father of "gonzo" journalism and his 1971 novel "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" is a clear example of this: a fast-paced and at times surreal descent onto "Sin City". The movie is the basis of a 1998 movie starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro, considered now to be a cult classic.

Thompson’s book is based on two trips he took with Oscar Zeta Acosta in 1971. The author describes those frenzied nights of driving around Las Vegas and manically writing in a hotel room. The flashing lights and countless sources of entertainment that Las Vegas is known for add another layer of craziness to this already relentless whirlwind of a book.

Image: JD Gipson

If you have a friend from San Francisco (or if you are a resident of this wonderful place yourself), you might know that some locals simply refer to San Francisco as "The City". If you didn’t know this fact, you might now realize that Armistead Maupin’s series of novels "Tales of the City" aren’t just about urban life in general, but rather a beautiful depiction of the "Golden City."

Maupin's books were first serialized in The San Francisco Chronicle and The San Francisco Examiner, and they revolve around the life of a group of friends living in this city. The first book of the series was published in 1978, while the ninth was released in 2014, and a tenth one is scheduled to be published in 2024.

Image: The New York Public Library

While New Orleans is known as "The Birthplace of Jazz", it can’t be denied that Harlem’s influence helped jazz evolve into the groundbreaking genre we know now. Like the music that gives this book its name, Toni Morrison’s 1992 novel "Jazz" is a nonlinear and colorful exploration of the Harlem neighborhood.

The story revolves around Joe and Violet Trace, and their struggles with everyday life in 1920s Harlem. Morrison’s book is now considered an American classic, by a Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning author.

Image: Fern M. Lomibao

You might be more familiar with Stanley Kubrick's flawless film adaptation, but Stephen King’s 1977 novel "The Shining" marked a turning point in the history of horror literature. The story centers around Jack Torrance, an alcoholic aspiring writer who accepts a job as winter caretaker of the fictional Overlook Hotel, in Colorado. Jack and his family are haunted both by his addiction and by the supernatural beings that reside in the hotel.

While the Overlook is a fictional location, it was inspired by a visit from King and his wife to the Stanley Hotel, located in Rocky Mountain National Park. While supernatural dangers are always present, Colorado’s ruthless winters and the hotel’s isolation add another threat to the family’s safety.

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Truman Capote’s "In Cold Blood" is considered to be the first non-fiction novel in history. The book describes the events that took place in 1959 in Holcomb, Kansas, in which the Clutter family was murdered during a home invasion.

Capote masterfully reconstructs not only how the crime took place, but the personalities and background of both victims and criminals. In that regard, the way the author masterfully depicts the typical way of life of a town like Holcomb, Kansas helps paint a picture of these real-life characters.

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Similar to "The Shining", Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel "Gone with the Wind" might be better known by its 1939 adaptation, starring Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, and Clark Gable. In any case, both mediums tell the story of Scarlett O’Hara, the daughter of a Georgia plantation owner, and the love triangle she is involved with.

This novel is heavily ingrained in pop culture and has been referenced constantly in movies and TV shows. Mitchell’s portrayal of 19th century Georgia (particularly, Atlanta and Clayton County) is among the reasons why this novel is considered one of the biggest examples of American historical fiction.

Image: Justin Wilkens

We end this article with one of the cornerstones of modern American literature. William Faulkner’s "The Sound and the Fury" describes the life of the Compson family, a Mississippi aristocratic family in decline. The author’s magnificent use of the stream-of-consciousness technique allowed him to recreate the human thought process in an astonishingly accurate manner.

Faulkner sets most of "The Sound and the Fury" in Yoknapatawpha County, a fictional Mississippi county on which a lot of his novels are based. However, most critics agree that Yoknapatawpha was largely based in Lafayette County, on which Faulkner spent most of his life.