Food words people often get wrong

1. 1
   espresso/ˌeˈspresoʊ/iAlso said ˌekˈspreˌsoʊ.

   noun

   Strong black coffee made by forcing hot water through finely ground beans.
2. 2
   gnocchi/ˈnoʊki/

   noun

   Small soft dumplings of potato or flour, usually served with a sauce.
3. 3
   croissant/ˌkwɑːˈsɑːnt/iAlso said krəˈsɑːnt.

   noun

   A flaky, buttery roll shaped like a crescent.
4. 4
   chipotle/tʃɪˈpoʊtˌliː/

   noun

   A ripe jalapeño pepper dried for cooking.
5. 5
   salmon/ˈsæmən/

   noun

   The pink meat of a large fish.
6. 6
   almond/ˈɑːmənd/

   noun

   An oval nut with a thin brown skin.
7. 7
   cumin/ˈkjuːmən/

   noun

   Small seeds with a warm, earthy taste.
8. 8
   caramel/ˈkerəməl/

   adjective

   Light golden brown.
9. 9
   garnish/ˈɡɑːrnɪʃ/

   verb

   To decorate food before serving it.
10. 10
    fillet/fəˈleɪ/

    verb

    To cut meat or fish off the bone.

The sentences

1. Could I get a double espresso to go?

2. I'll have the gnocchi with the tomato sauce.

3. Can I get a warm croissant, please?

4. Is the chipotle sauce very spicy?

5. I'd like the grilled salmon with rice.

6. Could I have that with almond milk instead?

7. Does the soup have a lot of cumin in it?

8. The top should be a nice caramel color.

9. Could you not garnish mine with parsley?

10. Could the kitchen fillet the fish for me?

Pronunciation

• espresso/ˌeˈspresoʊ/

  No k sound anywhere in it: es-PRESS-oh.

• gnocchi/ˈnoʊki/

  The g is silent and the cch is a k: NYOH-kee comes out as NOH-kee here.

• croissant/ˌkwɑːˈsɑːnt/

  The stress goes on the second part: kwah-SAHNT.

• chipotle/tʃɪˈpoʊtˌliː/

  The t comes before the l: chi-POHT-lee, not chi-POLE-tee.

• salmon/ˈsæmən/

  The l is silent, so it rhymes with famine.

• almond/ˈɑːmənd/

  The l is silent: AH-mund.

• cumin/ˈkjuːmən/

  It starts like cute: KYOO-min.

• caramel/ˈkerəməl/

  Say all three syllables: KAIR-uh-mul.

• fillet/fəˈleɪ/

  The t is silent: fi-LAY.

Good to know

tip

In the United States, servers at sit-down places are usually tipped, commonly between 15 and 20 % of the bill. It is not usually included, so check the bill.

sales tax

The price on the menu usually leaves out sales tax, which is added at the register or on the bill. The rate varies by state and city.

to go

Say "to go" when you want your order packed up to take away. Most cafés also ask "for here or to go?" when you order.

free refills

Many diners and casual restaurants refill plain drip coffee for free, though it varies by place. Espresso drinks are usually not refilled.

Questions

How do you pronounce gnocchi?

The g is silent and the cch is a k, so it comes out as NOH-kee here. A sentence to try: "I'll have the gnocchi with the tomato sauce."

How do you say espresso?

There is no k sound in it: es-PRESS-oh. You can practise it with "Could I get a double espresso to go?"

What should I say if I don't want a garnish on my food?

You can say "Could you not garnish mine with parsley?" To garnish means to decorate food before serving it.