Mimi’s Corner: Brussels Sprouts and Tahiti Lime Pie

by Samantha Enslen, guest writer

Recently, I learned the distressing truth that German Chocolate Cake doesn’t originate from Germany. It was first whipped up in 1957 by Mrs. George Clay, a homemaker from Dallas.

Readers, I was shook.

I started to doubt everything I thought I knew about food names. I decided to investigate whether other foods with regional names really come from that region.

Here’s what I found out.

Some food names are accurate: Brie cheese does come from Brie, France. Other names are nonsensical: the Jerusalem artichoke is not from Jerusalem—nor is it an artichoke! It is an edible plant, but it’s native to North America, and its roots look more like potatoes than artichokes. 

Here’s the scoop on a few other “regional” food names.

First, there are the realists. These food names indicate precisely where the food originated. For example:

·         California rolls, an American version of sushi, were invented in California.

·         Dijon mustard does hail from Dijon, France.

·         Lebanon bologna is a specialty of the Pennsylvania Dutch who live near Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

·         Brussels sprouts were first cultivated in Brussels, Belgium.

Second, there are the posers. These food names bear little relation to their origin.

·         Danishes. These flaky pastries did not originate in Denmark. In fact, they were created in France some 350 years ago. An apprentice baker was making pastries and forgot to add the butter. When he saw his mistake, he folded lumps of butter into the already-mixed dough, hoping no one would notice. What they did notice was the remarkably light dough that resulted from this “accidental” recipe. The new treat was carried to Italy, then Austria, then Denmark. Danish bakers then brought it to the rest of the world … along with their country name.

·         French fries. These ubiquitous treats are not French. Their name comes from the way they’re cut. Slicing food into long, thin strips is called frenching—thus, french fries or french-cut green beans.

·         Swiss steak. This dish, smothered with onions and tomatoes, doesn’t exist in Switzerland. The name is believed to come from an English term, “swissing,” which refers to a way of smoothing out cloth between a set of rollers. Swiss steak is usually made from a tough slice of meat like beef round. It’s pounded with hammer or run through a set of bladed rollers to tenderize it. In other words, it’s swissed.

Third, there are foods whose names could be accurate … or could be seen as misleading. For example:

·         Darjeeling tea. Technically, the term “Darjeeling tea” refers only to tea that’s grown and produced in Darjeeling, India, a hill town nestled in the Himalayas. However, this tea isn’t native to India; it was brought there from Assam, China, in 1841 by an English civil servant. So is this tea’s moniker a mistake?

·         Key lime pie. These tangy pies made with condensed milk and lime juice were first whipped up in the Florida Keys in the 1850s. Bakers used juice from limes that were grown on the Keys. Today, however, almost all limes grown in America are Tahitian limes. So, should we be calling this dish Tahiti lime pie?

·         Veal parmesan. This dish of breaded, fried veal that’s topped with tomato sauce is a staple in Italian–American restaurants. The name probably comes from Parmesan cheese, a hard cheese originally made in Parma, Italy. However, veal parmesan is usually topped with mozzarella, not Parmesan. Shall we start calling this dish veal mozzarella?

After all this research, I don’t know what to believe anymore. My foods have let me down. Maybe I’ll calm my nerves by stress-eating some Tahiti lime pie and non-Danish Danishes, with a cup of Assam tea on the side. We can only hope it helps.