You might consider yourself a foodie, but there’s nothing more embarrassing than concealing your knowledge – only to mispronounce the names of your favorite dishes and ingredients.
From Bruschetta to Pho, the names of delicious treats from other countries can be tongue twisters for British diners.
Italian dishes, such as Gnocchi and Bolognese, are the most commonly mispronounced, while French words like charcuterie can also trip people up.
Sauces are not exempt, and many find it difficult to determine the pronunciation of many condiments, from sriracha to aioli and even Britain’s own Worcestershire sauce.
Here, FEMAIL reveals how to really say these food names if you want to avoid being left red-faced at the dinner table.
Brits can’t pronounce these popular foods correctly – so DO YOU know the correct way to pronounce them?
bruschetta
Be it tiramisu or antipasti, Italian cuisine is full of dishes that have proven to be a hit with the British.
But while pronouncing “pizza” and “pasta” is pretty straightforward, some foodies have scratched their heads over other terms.
In recent years, bruschetta, an entrée made from toasted bread drenched in garlic, olive oil and tomato, has become a staple on the menus of gastro-pubs and Italian restaurants, where many customers have tried their best to pronounce it correctly when speaking. to order.
Many people pronounce the word “brushetta” with a “sh” sound, but this is wrong.
The correct way to pronounce the name begun is to pronounce it ‘broo-skeh-tah’.
Gnocchi
Gnocchi has also left some diners dumbfounded, some of whom aren’t sure how to pronounce the “gn” at the beginning of the word.
According to Everyday Italian wordsmost Brits mispronounce it as ‘naw-key’.
However, the site explained that Britons stumble over the word because the ‘gn’ sound doesn’t exist in English.
They said the two consonants should be pronounced like the “ñ” in “piñata,” producing a “ni” sound.
Meanwhile, the ‘cchi’ at the end of the word isn’t pronounced ‘shee’ but ‘key’.
For this reason, the correct pronunciation of “gnocchi” is “knee-oh-key” or “ni-oh-key.”
Prosciutto
Prosciutto, the Italian name for cured or cured ham, is another tongue twister for some.
According to Buzz feedsome believe it is pronounced ‘Pro-shoot’.
However, the correct way to say the word is “pro-shoot-teen.”
Meanwhile, Vietnamese Pho is not pronounced ‘foe’ but ‘Fu’ as in ‘fun’.
Meats
Charcuterie platters are also becoming increasingly popular in well-to-do wine bars, but even the most sophisticated patrons struggle to nail down the pronunciation of the term.
The ‘r’ sound is particularly difficult for English speakers to pronounce because it does not exist in their native language.
Some people also pronounce the ‘cut’ sound as in the verb ‘cut’, which is not correct.
The Spanish sausage chorizo has also tripped up a few people and is so divisive that in 2017, even MasterChef viewers got into a fight over it on Twitter.
A voiceover described a dish as: “Iberian pork with grilled calamari, served with chuh-REE-thoh jam, a chuh-REE-thoh and tomato paste, Asian pear and a dressed fennel salad.”
Meanwhile, the dish’s creator, Michelin-starred chef Shaun Rankin, pronounced it “shu-REE-zoh,” leaving viewers confused.
Martha Figueroa-Clark, a linguist in the BBC Pronunciation Unit commented for over 10 years on the correct way to pronounce the word at the time.
She said the usual pronunciation in English is “chu-REE-zoh,” but “chorr-EE-zoh and “chorr-EE-soh” have also been certified as pronunciations in British dictionaries.
But she noted that in Central and South American countries that speak their own varieties of Spanish, the “z” can be pronounced “s,” as in “sit.”
Acai
The South American berry Açaí took the world by storm in the 2010s and quickly became a breakfast staple for many.
But some aficionados have struggled to pronounce the word correctly, which should be pronounced “ah-sah-ee” with the “c” in açaí pronounced like the “s” in “simple.”
Rooibos
Hailing from South Africa, Rooibos tea has also been challenging for some.
Perhaps tea aficionados have pronounced the variety “ROY-buhs,” which PronounceItRight.com says is wrong.
Written down, the word should be pronounced “roy boss,” but the “oh” is more like a hiss, which Webster Tea says should be pronounced “biss,” yielding the correct pronunciation: “roy-biss.”
Sauces
Spices are not safe from pronunciation hazards.
Even the mighty Worcestershire sauce has left Brits – and visiting foreigners – scratching their heads.
It should not be pronounced ‘Worst-cest-er-shire’, because the ‘cest’ is silent, as in ‘Leicestershire’.
For this reason, the sauce’s name is pronounced “Woos-tuh-shure.”
The popular sauce aïoli, made from olive oil and garlic, has also proved difficult.
The seasoning comes from the Mediterranean coast and originated in France, Spain and Italy.
Some pronounce it “eye-oh-lee,” but the pronunciation begins with a softer “ah” sound.
The whole word should be pronounced “ah-oh-lee,” according to Speak it out. com