# 4 Foods Renamed So That You might eat them. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 27, 2013, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-foods-renamed-so-that-you-might-eat-them/648507 "2013-01-27T02:54:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-foods-renamed-so-that-you-might-eat-them/648507/1 "2013-01-27T02:54:07Z")
Before you click that link. Do you know the new names for… Patagonian Toothfish Prunes Rapeseed Oil Whore’s Eggs click to find out > **[4 Foods Renamed So That You Might Actually Eat Them](https://www.cracked.com/quick-fixes/4-foods-renamed-so-that-you-might-actually-eat-them)** > > Marketers are able to laugh at us from their penthouses with gold plated toilets -- they can sell us anything. With the right name. they forgot escolar new names butter fish or when served raw super white tuna, king tuna lots of names for escolar - the diarrhea fish > **[Beware the Butterfish, Warns Soiled Writer](https://gothamist.com/food/beware-the-butterfish-warns-soiled-writer)** > > Sometimes journalists really do pull stories out of their asses: Philadelphia ---
**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-foods-renamed-so-that-you-might-eat-them/648507/2 "2013-01-27T02:59:47Z")
Rapeseed oil is Canola oil. I don’t know about the others, but Edamame, is the new name for soy beans (I suppose because no one would eat soy beans). Bob ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-foods-renamed-so-that-you-might-eat-them/648507/3 "2013-01-27T03:09:13Z")
Rapeseed used to be potentially toxic. Newer varieties from Canada aren’t but the name still had that old, dangerous stigma. So Canada called it Canola oil. Pam was introduced in the 70’s and the first canola oil I tasted. > **[The rise of rapeseed oil](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/jun/12/rise-of-rapeseed-oil)** > > Carefully made, high-end British rapeseed oil is all the rage in restaurants, but the cabbagey flavour means there are limits to its versatility. Do you use it? > [@](#): > > During the industrial revolution the oil was used to lubricate steam engines, but although people fed the plant to animals for centuries, it was rarely eaten by humans. The old strains were horribly bitter and contained high levels of something called erucic acid, which is toxic, especially for young children. **In 1956, the American FDA banned rapeseed from the human food chain altogether.** > > In the 1970s, farmers developed strains of rapeseed with low and, in the American parlance, “generally recognized as safe” levels of erucic acid. They also found ways to treat it and remove the unpalatable bitterness. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-foods-renamed-so-that-you-might-eat-them/648507/4 "2013-01-27T03:26:08Z")
I’m pretty sure the modern name for “prunes” is “prunes”. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-foods-renamed-so-that-you-might-eat-them/648507/5 "2013-01-27T03:32:10Z")
Our local Fish & Chip shop sells lemon fish fillets, much more appetising than dogfish or [shark meat](http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/what-we-do/publications/-best-fish-guide-/rig-shark/lemonfish). ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-foods-renamed-so-that-you-might-eat-them/648507/6 "2013-01-27T03:37:50Z")
I knew the first three. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-foods-renamed-so-that-you-might-eat-them/648507/7 "2013-01-27T03:41:46Z")
Spider crab aka Alaskan King Crab ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-foods-renamed-so-that-you-might-eat-them/648507/8 "2013-01-27T04:05:41Z")
Brazil nuts used to be called **nigger toes.** ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-foods-renamed-so-that-you-might-eat-them/648507/9 "2013-01-27T04:18:21Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’m pretty sure the modern name for “prunes” is “prunes”. Nope. They’re [dried plums](http://www.californiadriedplums.org/) now. Still just as tasty, but we’re eating more fiber these days so we don’t have to ask, “Is three enough, is six too many?” You probably shouldn’t eat a whole box, but just because of the calories. Also: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgzbKe6\_DN4](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgzbKe6_DN4) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-foods-renamed-so-that-you-might-eat-them/648507/10 "2013-01-27T04:27:27Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Do you know the new names for… > Patagonian Toothfish > Prunes > Rapeseed Oil > Whore’s Eggs I knew all of those except ‘whore’s eggs’. Not on the list was the slimehead. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-foods-renamed-so-that-you-might-eat-them/648507/11 "2013-01-27T15:04:57Z")
> [@](#): > > Nope. They’re dried plums now. Yeah, I saw the link. So one company that sells them is trying to rebrand them for marketing purposes. I’ll bet you that the folks buying them still write “prunes” on their grocery list, though. OK, maybe they’ll eventually succeed at changing the language, like the rapeseed growers have with Canola. But they haven’t yet. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-foods-renamed-so-that-you-might-eat-them/648507/12 "2013-01-27T15:27:21Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Yeah, I saw the link. So one company that sells them is trying to rebrand them for marketing purposes. I’ll bet you that the folks buying them still write “prunes” on their grocery list, though. > > OK, maybe they’ll eventually succeed at changing the language, like the rapeseed growers have with Canola. But they haven’t yet. Depends on the age of the writer of the list. My friends won’t touch prunes, due to the unfortunate geriatric connotations. They have excitedly shared dried plums with me, though. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-foods-renamed-so-that-you-might-eat-them/648507/13 "2013-01-27T16:26:04Z")
Wasn’t the dolphin fish renamed “mahi-mahi” to avoid the confusion with Flipper? ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-foods-renamed-so-that-you-might-eat-them/648507/14 "2013-01-27T16:50:24Z")
Orange Roughy was “slime” something, iirc. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-foods-renamed-so-that-you-might-eat-them/648507/15 "2013-01-27T16:57:10Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > Orange Roughy was “slime” something, iirc. [Larry The Cable Guy] I thought that was what happened after eating too many Cheese Doodles. [/LTCB] ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-foods-renamed-so-that-you-might-eat-them/648507/16 "2013-01-27T16:59:17Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > Orange Roughy was “slime” something, iirc. (Post 10. 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-foods-renamed-so-that-you-might-eat-them/648507/17 "2013-01-27T17:07:22Z")
**Kiwifruit** sells pretty well in the US. But it didn’t sell as _Chinese Gooseberries_ or _melonette_ > **[Kiwifruit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwifruit)** > > Kiwifruit (often shortened to kiwi in North American, British and continental European English) or Chinese gooseberry is the edible berry of several species of woody vines in the genus Actinidia. The most common cultivar group of kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa 'Hayward') is oval, about the size of a large hen's egg: 5–8 centimetres (2–3 inches) in length and .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;ve Kiwif... ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-foods-renamed-so-that-you-might-eat-them/648507/18 "2013-01-27T17:40:48Z")
I already knew the story about prunes/dried plums. I would usually roll my eyes at the name change, but in this case, the name change is actually more consistent with food terminology. There’s no separate name for dried apricots or dried apples or dried cranberries. Now if we could change raisins to dried grapes, all us nitpickers will be happy. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-foods-renamed-so-that-you-might-eat-them/648507/19 "2013-01-27T18:09:58Z")
Anyone other Californians remember this circa-1980s commercial (sung to the tune of _Okie From Muskogee_)? _I’m proud to be a prune from California I was born a plum, but just take a look at me I’m plump and ripe and juicy just right for snacking I’m a California prune and I’m plum good, naturally!_ . ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-foods-renamed-so-that-you-might-eat-them/648507/20 "2013-01-27T18:14:00Z")
An old one but I think escargot lets people avoid the thought that they’re eating snails. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-foods-renamed-so-that-you-might-eat-them/648507.md?page=2)