If you’ve ever watched The Great British Bake Off and wondered what some of the ingredients the contestants were using then you’re not alone. People living in the UK are known to have a lot of unique nicknames for their food. To make matters even more confusing some of these terms are the same words that Americans use for other foods. To add just another layer of complexity you’ll also find a few French words in the mix owing to the long history of cultural exchange (and warfare) between England and France. Take a look at these 27 British food terms that most Americans don’t know.

Via: Arturo Esparza/ Unsplash

Afters: dessert; short for “after dinner”

Aubergine: eggplant

Bap: bun or roll

Banger: a small sausage

Biscuit: cookie

Via: Katherine Sousa/ Unsplash

Bubble and squeak: a dish of whatever meats and vegetables are leftover from pervious meals, fried together in a mass

Builders: tea with milk and 2 sugar packets with the teabag left in longer than usual, presumably how tradesmen enjoy their tea after working hard

Chips: french fries

Crisps: potato chips or similar snacks like Cheetos

Courgette: small zucchini

Digestive: graham cracker, though in the UK they are round like cookies and often sold in sleeves; short for “digestive biscuit”

Via: Stacy Spensley/ Flickr

Double cream: heavy cream

Elevenses: light meal or snack made famous in The Lord of the Rings books, but also commonly referred to in real life; the name is a nod to 11am and 11pm, both times when you might want a small snack

Full English: this breakfast usually consists of toast, sausage, beans, tomatoes, bacon, mushrooms, and/or bacon as well as juice or tea and is often cited as the cure for what ails you; full Irish or Scottish breakfasts can differ in their ingredients

Gammon: ham

Kedgeree: a savory rice dish of English and Indian origin ranging between fried rice and rice porridge in texture, often with eggs, herring, or another source of protein included as well as spices; often eaten for breakfast

Marrow: squash or zucchini

Via: Louis Hansel/ Unsplash

Mash: mashed potatoes

Mince: ground beef, this is short for “mincemeat”

Rocket: arugula

Sarnie: a sandwich, sometimes also called a butty (short for “buttered bread” as this is one of the favored condiments of many UK sandwiches)

Via: Suea Sivilaisith/ Unsplash

Scone: biscuit, sometimes flavored with sweet or savory ingredients; can be round or triangular in shape

Scottish egg: a hard-boiled egg that is coated in sausage and then breading and then deep fried (or sometimes baked) until brown

Swede: rutabaga or turnip

Tea: supper or evening meal

Treacle: molasses

Welsh rabbit: an open-face, toasted cheese sandwich; also known as a rarebit or cheese toastie

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