Watch what you order

Duck sauce has no duck, Welsh rabbit has no rabbit: Misnamed meals 101

Image: Umesh Soni

If "puppy chows" are not dog snacks, "duck sauce" contains no duck whatsoever, and "German Chocolate Cake" is reportedly Texan… who is handing out these misleading dish names? Decidedly, some of the terms on this list might make you check with the waiter before you place your order. Let’s explore the stories behind unexpected food labels!

Image: Van Thanh

This might be good news: No ducks are harmed in the making of this popular takeout condiment! Duck sauce is a sweet-and-sour orange jelly often served with Chinese-American dishes.

It’s made from apricots, plums, or peaches, combined with sugar and vinegar. The name likely came about because it was invented as a match for crispy duck dishes in Chinese restaurants.

Image: Taria Camerino

English muffins look nothing like American muffins, do they? And, technically, they do not come from England either.

These breads were popularized in the US by Samuel Bath Thomas, a British immigrant who began selling his "toaster crumpets" in New York in the late 1800s. It was the American consumers who branded them as "English muffins."

Image: Logan Clark

Did you know that German Chocolate Cake was actually popularized in… Texas? It did not come from Germany. The name refers to Samuel German, an American baker who created the delicious dark baking chocolate for Baker’s Chocolate Company.

In the 50s, a Texas homemaker later used his chocolate in a layered coconut-pecan cake recipe, and newspapers spread it with that name.

Image: Jay Gajjar

There’s no duck in duck sauce, and there’s no rabbit in Welsh rabbits, or Welsh rarebit! It’s actually melted cheese sauce served on toasted bread. Sometimes it comes flavored with ale, mustard, or spices.

The term "Welsh rabbit" was a tongue-in-cheek jab, likely implying that cheese was the "poor man’s meat" in Wales.

Image: Alex Gorey

Definitely not oysters! There’s nothing oceanic about this dish. Rocky Mountain oysters are actually bull or sheep testicles, usually battered, deep-fried, and served as bar fare or at ranch festivals in the American West.

Image: Piotr Musioł

Don’t expect poultry when you order this South Asian specialty! Bombay duck is actually a type of dried fish, locally known as "bombil," long eaten along India’s western coast.

Why the name, then? Some theorize that it derived from the mail system that transported this food, the ‘Bombay Dak’ (which translates to Bombay Mail).

Image: Charles Chen

You may or may not know this, but some Midwestern states enjoy a homemade candy called "puppy chow." Contrary to what the name might imply, it is not meant for dogs!

They are usually made of cereal, chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. The same snack goes by other cute names, like "monkey munch" or "muddy buddies."

Image: Jolien Coryn

No bread and not "sweet." This dish has a grossly misleading name. Sweetbreads are the thymus or pancreas glands of young animals, prized in French cuisine for their delicate, tender texture.

The "sweet" refers to their mild flavor compared to other organ meats, while "bread" may stem from an old English word for "flesh."

Image: Sebastian Coman Photography

It turns out, "Scotch egg" is not Scottish at all. Some place the origins in London, while others point to Indian dishes like kofta as possible inspirations.

The dish is a hard or soft-boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat, breaded, and fried.

Image: Alexandra Tran

We all know what French toast means, but, just like French fries, the origins are disputed! This classic breakfast recipe is far more ancient and pan-European than the name implies.

Versions of egg-soaked bread fried in fat go back to ancient Rome, and have popped up across Europe for centuries under names like pain perdu in France or arme ritter in Germany.

Image: Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦

Hearing "mincemeat," most people imagine ground beef. But this pie filling doesn’t always involve minced beef, as it once did.

Traditional mincemeat once did contain actual minced beef or mutton mixed with dried fruits, spices, and suet. Over time, many chose to drop the meat content, but the name stayed.

BUZZING TRIVIA

Summer Chorus: 10 Noisy Facts About Cicadas

Image: Shannon Potter

Cicadas are fascinating living beings. They spend years slowly developing underground, only to die shortly after emerging. They sing loud and mesmerizing summer symphonies that can be heard from miles away.

Join us as we unravel the many mysteries of cicadas!

Image: Ellicia

Cicadas have one of the longest lifespans among insects, with certain broods surviving up to 17 years underground before emerging as adults.

This extended period spent feeding on sap from tree roots allows them to develop slowly, conserving energy for their brief life above ground.

Image: USDAgov, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Cicada nymphs are adept tunnelers, using their strong front legs to burrow through the soil in search of tree roots to feed on. They construct vertical tunnels that can extend as much as 2 feet underground, where they remain until it's time to emerge as adults.

This subterranean lifestyle protects them from predators and environmental fluctuations until their time to emerge to the surface comes. While tunneling out, they produce chemicals that act as a sort of glue, holding the tunnel’s shape for long periods of time.

Image: Matteo Grando

Cicadas feed primarily on xylem sap, the nutrient-rich fluid found in plant vascular systems. Using their specialized mouthparts, they tap into tree roots (or branches during adulthood) to access this vital sustenance.

While their feeding habits may cause minor damage to trees, cicadas more than make up for it by helping aerate the soil with their tunnels and contributing nitrogen to the soil after they die.

Image: Ian Hutchinson

North American periodical cicadas have a unique lifecycle, spending either 13 or 17 years underground before emerging. This lengthy span isn't random, it's thought to be an evolutionary strategy to avoid synchronization with predator populations.

Emerging in prime-numbered cycles makes it difficult for predators to anticipate their arrival.

Image: Ian Hutchinson

If you are a fan of cicadas, this year you might have the chance to witness a very rare phenomenon. Periodical cicadas are classified into groups called broods according to the length of their cycles and their location.

Sometimes, two or more broods synchronize and emerge all at once in the same year, swarming wooded areas with billions of the chanting insects. In 2024, Brood XIX and Brood XIII will emerge at the same time in the Midwest, something we have not seen since Thomas Jefferson was president!

Image: Jacinto Diego

Mass emergences of cicadas can sometimes coincide with the outbreak of a fungal pathogen known as Massospora cicadina. This fungus infects cicadas, causing them to lose control of their bodies and engage in bizarre behaviors.

Infected cicadas are often noticeable because they lose part of their abdomen to a soft mass of fungal spores. Despite these gruesome effects, the fungus only affects a small percentage of the total population.

Image: Yuri Vasconcelos

Like all insects, cicadas undergo ecdysis, the process of shedding their exoskeletons as they grow. However, cicadas take this to the extreme, shedding their nymphal exoskeletons en masse once they emerge as adults.

This transformation process, known as molting, leaves behind the ghostly exoskeletons of their nymphal stages clinging to trees and other surfaces.

Image: Deb Dowd

Once above ground, adult cicadas spend their short-lived adulthood focused on one mission: reproduction. Males produce their characteristic buzzing calls to attract mates, with some species capable of reaching volumes exceeding 100 decibels.

Unlike crickets, which rub their legs together to make noise, cicadas repeatedly expand and contract a membrane called a tymbal. Their cacophonous chorus serves as a mating call that can be heard from miles away.

Image: Joshua J. Cotten

On top of their lengthy cycles and simultaneous hatching, cicadas have evolved various adaptations to survive predation. From cryptic coloration to mimicry of toxic species, they employ a range of strategies to evade hungry predators.

Males soften or stop their singing altogether when a predator approaches so that their attention goes to nearby louder singers. Some species even display bright colors on their wings when threatened.

Image: Harish Shivaraman

Celebrated for their crunchy texture and nutty flavor, in many cultures cicadas are considered prized delicacies. Among Native Americans, specimens from the 17-year brood were highly sought after, while in South Asia, they are often eaten deep-fried, or in a similar fashion to shellfish and other crustaceans.

Rich in protein and low in fat, cicadas can be a healthy and sustainable food source.