Some of you may know that my second daughter is studying in the US this year.
I’ve had a number of messages over the last few months asking for help with deciphering some of the American cooking and ingredient terminologies—which are almost, but not quite, the same as they are over here. Things like:
- What exactly is broiling? (She sent me pictures of the dials on the cooker in her dorm for this one)
- What should I look for if I want double cream?
And given that yet again yesterday, I had to look up what a stick of butter weighed (in order to make egg-free sticky toffee pudding), I thought I’d document some of the differences we’ve found here—for our use, but also for yours, in case it’s helpful.
Ingredients – Dairy
| UK | US |
| single cream | light cream, half and half |
| whipping cream | no equivalent |
| double cream | heavy cream |
| clotted cream | no equivalent |
| skimmed milk | non-fat milk |
| semi-skimmed milk | reduced-fat milk |
Ingredients – Vegetables
| UK | US |
| aubergines | eggplant |
| courgettes | zucchini |
| peppers | bell peppers |
| fresh coriander | cilantro |
| rocket | arugula |
| spring onions | scallions, green onion |
| mange tout | snow peas |
| swede | rutabaga |
| chicory | endive |
Ingredients – Sugars
| UK | US |
| sugar, granulated sugar | caster sugar |
| caster sugar | superfine sugar |
| icing sugar | powdered sugar |
| demerara sugar | light brown cane sugar |
| golden syrup | corn syrup (near enough) |
| treacle | molasses |
Ingredients – Baking
| UK | US |
| icing | frosting |
| plain flour | allpurpose flour |
| bicarbonate of soda | baking soda |
| marzipan | almond paste |
| golden syrup | corn syrup (near enough) |
| dark chocolate | semi-sweet chocolate |
Others
| UK | US |
| pumpkin seeds | pepitas |
| chickpeas | garbanzo beans |
| digestive biscuits | graham crackers |
| jam | jelly |
| jelly | jello |
| sultanas | white or golden raisins |
| cider, scrumpy | hard cider |
| apple juice | cider |
| squash | juice drink |
| rapeseed oil | canola oil |
| pudding | dessert |
| mousse | pudding |
Measurements
| UK | US |
| 240g | a cup of butter |
| 100g | a stick of butter |
| 120g | a cup of flour |
| 200g | a cup of granulated sugar |
| 100g | a cup of icing sugar |
| 180g | a cup of brown sugar |
| 190g | a cup of rice |
| 90g | a cup of oats |
| 200g | a cup of raisins |
| 1 pint=20 fl oz | 1 pint=16 fl oz |
Cooking
| UK | US |
| grilling | broiling (i.e. heat from above) |
| barbecuing | grilling (i.e. heat from below) |
| frying pan | skillet |
| baking tray | cookie sheet, baking pan |
I’m sure there are lots more—and of course, there may be regional differences in both countries!
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I’ve written a book summarising what we’ve learnt over 20 years of dealing with the gluten free diet, and it might be just what you’re looking for. It packs the lessons we’ve learned into what I hope is a helpful and straightforward guidebook. It’s available on Amazon, as a paperback or for your Kindle… |
