# Foods whose names have changed **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 5, 2010, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-whose-names-have-changed/531412 "2010-03-05T14:45:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-whose-names-have-changed/531412/121 "2010-03-16T02:32:13Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > The big sandwich on a long roll seems to have more different names than any other food. > > I don’t know why. You mean a Po-Boy? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-whose-names-have-changed/531412/122 "2010-03-16T06:57:38Z")
Yams are a pale yellowish color. Sweet potatoes are bright orange. I’ve read conflicting reports on that, but I’m a really solid 70% sure that it’s true ;). ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-whose-names-have-changed/531412/123 "2010-03-16T15:12:08Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > Er… huh? > > I figure it’s kinda like why the Greeks call a really thick tortilla a pita. Just a regional name for something as common as a flatbread. Right. But what I was responding to is Annie-Xmas’ comment that “pita” is now called “pocket bread”. There’s usually a reason for renaming a food product - the old name is offensive, or the old name has unhealthy connotations, or the old name just isn’t as marketable as a flashy new one. None of these apply to pita, as far as I can see, unless we’re talking about knee-jerk “patriots” who think anything that smacks of the Middle East needs to be renamed lest it offend Real Americans. I’m just trying to say that unless the above is actually true, then a) pita is still pita and b) it’s a bit weird to call something “pocket bread” when it doesn’t always have a pocket. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-whose-names-have-changed/531412/124 "2010-03-16T15:51:13Z")
> [@Tethered\_Kite](#): > > But then the Midwest isn’t exactly known for BBQ. Yeah, Kansas City has never even heard of the stuff. :rolleyes: 😉 It seems really odd to me to call a sloppy joe a barbeque. That’s just wrong and makes baby Jesus cry. But it’s funny, because when I make them the sauce is less tomato-y and more barbequey. ---
**Author:** ![zeldarae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/f14d63/32.png) [@zeldarae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zeldarae)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-whose-names-have-changed/531412/125 "2010-03-16T17:10:17Z")
> [@Mahna\_Mahna](#): > > Right. But what I was responding to is Annie-Xmas’ comment that “pita” is now called “pocket bread”. > > There’s usually a reason for renaming a food product - the old name is offensive, or the old name has unhealthy connotations, or the old name just isn’t as marketable as a flashy new one. None of these apply to pita, as far as I can see, unless we’re talking about knee-jerk “patriots” who think anything that smacks of the Middle East needs to be renamed lest it offend Real Americans. > > I’m just trying to say that unless the above is actually true, then a) pita is still pita and b) it’s a bit weird to call something “pocket bread” when it doesn’t always have a pocket. I remember eating pocket bread sandwiches back in the late 70’s when my mom decided we should eat healthier. I never heard it called pita bread until Greek restaurants started to open in our town sometime in the late 80’s. So was it the chicken, or the egg? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-whose-names-have-changed/531412/126 "2010-03-16T18:33:53Z")
> [@zeldarae](#): > > So was it the chicken, or the egg? How should we know? It was your mom that made the sandwiches. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-whose-names-have-changed/531412/127 "2010-03-16T21:19:09Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > During the 1980s, at least, all the Noo Yawkers called a complete pizza (as opposed to pizza slices) a “pie”, as in “Hey, wanna’ order a pie?”, while those from Upstate New York simply called it “pizza”. It’s been a pie since at least the early 1960’s. (Brooklyn born). But it’s not that clear cut. You might say “Let’s order (a) pizza”, but when you call the pizzeria, you’d say " I wannna order a pie, half mushroom, half peppers", or some variation thereof. I find the concept of not being able to buy a slice of pizza completely alien. Any pizzeria worth their salt always has fresh pie cut up ready to be sold piecemeal. You want a whole pie, you’re going to wait. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-whose-names-have-changed/531412/128 "2010-03-17T01:38:27Z")
> [@zeldarae](#): > > I remember eating pocket bread sandwiches back in the late 70’s when my mom decided we should eat healthier. I never heard it called pita bread until Greek restaurants started to open in our town sometime in the late 80’s. In the 70’s I always saw cookbooks and restaurants calling it “pita bread” (this was in the northeastern US). I always just assumed that “pocket bread” was a commercial variation from the sandwich joints selling different kinds of “pocket” sandwiches. Hey, it just dawned on me: wraps are the new pockets. Not so new any more, of course, but IIRC I stopped seeing “pockets” on sandwich joint menus about the time I started seeing “wraps”. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-whose-names-have-changed/531412/129 "2010-03-17T06:13:42Z")
> [@Mahna\_Mahna](#): > > Right. But what I was responding to is Annie-Xmas’ comment that “pita” is now called “pocket bread”. > > There’s usually a reason for renaming a food product - the old name is offensive, or the old name has unhealthy connotations, or the old name just isn’t as marketable as a flashy new one. None of these apply to pita, as far as I can see, unless we’re talking about knee-jerk “patriots” who think anything that smacks of the Middle East needs to be renamed lest it offend Real Americans. > > I’m just trying to say that unless the above is actually true, then a) pita is still pita and b) it’s a bit weird to call something “pocket bread” when it doesn’t always have a pocket. I’ve heard pita bread called pocket bread for decades. It’s what magazines like Women’s Day would call it to make it more approachable by the average U.S. housewife. Back in the 80’s you’d always see little recipes for healthy lunches of pocket bread sandwiches with alfalfa sprouts and carrot and maybe some hummus. It’s like calling mozzarella sticks “string cheese”. It’s just an advertising name to make it more accessible. I wouldn’t go so far as to say the name has replaced pita, it’s just another descriptive name for it. Even my gyro place called it that for us gringos. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-whose-names-have-changed/531412/130 "2010-03-17T06:15:04Z")
nvm - tried to cancel previous post, but just made a new one! ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-whose-names-have-changed/531412/131 "2010-03-17T13:18:58Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Don’t forget hoagie, grinder and torpedo. And spuckie! ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-whose-names-have-changed/531412/132 "2010-03-17T13:26:16Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > I’ve heard pita bread called pocket bread for decades. Maybe it’s regional. The closest I’ve ever heard to anything like this is “Hot Pockets,” which isn’t exactly the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-whose-names-have-changed/531412/133 "2010-03-17T14:12:00Z")
> [@Arcite](#): > > I don’t know how generalizable this is, but according to my uncle, the use of the Italian word “pasta” by the masses is a recent development as everyone tries to become more cosmopolitan. He says the closest thing middle-class average-Joe Americans had to a general term for it when he was growing up in the 50’s and 60’s was “noodles.” Which is why Noodle Roni became Pasta Roni. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-whose-names-have-changed/531412/134 "2010-03-17T14:14:30Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > Maybe it’s regional. The closest I’ve ever heard to anything like this is “Hot Pockets,” which isn’t exactly the same thing. I too don’t recall ever having heard the term “pocket bread” (which isn’t to say I haven’t, it does sound familiar.) But I came in here to reply that just now did I realize that the bread in Hot Pockets are somewhat pita-y, at least they resemble pita bread moreso than they do some other sorts of bread. Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-whose-names-have-changed/531412/135 "2010-03-17T14:20:09Z")
Re. Pita vs. Pocket Bread I believe needscoffee hits the nail right on the head, and it was after Women’s Day and the like started referring to it as Pocket Bread that some manufacturers who didn’t have Greek brand names (or at least Greek-sounding ones) started to call it this as well. For example, I can go to Safeway and find Athenos Pitas right next to the McSweeney Pocket Bread, but they both look exactly the same. ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-whose-names-have-changed/531412/136 "2010-03-17T14:39:35Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Don’t forget hoagie, grinder and torpedo. When I was growing up in Massachusetts in the '40s and '50s we called them “Italian Club Sandwiches” (formally) or “wop sandwiches” (informally). ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-whose-names-have-changed/531412/137 "2010-03-17T15:20:18Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > I find the concept of not being able to buy a slice of pizza completely alien.. Tell me about it. I’ve only ever lived in the northeast US, so the idea of going to one of the local pizza joints and getting a “slice and soda”, as we always used to say in my college days, is perfectly normal. Hell, though most of my undergrad years the best place in town to get it charged $1 for a slice of cheese, and it as a big slice! Add $0.50 and you got a fountain soda with it. By the end of my senior year it had gone up to $1.75 (the soda increased to $0.75, cause it was now a serve yourself type fountain, so it was in theory to cover the cost of refills, which is bunk since fountai nsoda is dirt cheap.) This was from 2000-2004. I think now it’s like $2.50, with the slice being $1.75, and the soda still $0.75. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-whose-names-have-changed/531412/138 "2010-03-17T20:46:48Z")
I believe honeydew and canteloupe used to be called muskmelons. Not sure why that changed - probably to draw a distinction between the two and because musk just sounds stinky. Also, any idea why tofu is sometimes called bean curd and others tofu? Is it called bean curd or tofu in China? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-whose-names-have-changed/531412/139 "2010-03-18T06:27:13Z")
> [@overlyverbose](#): > > I believe honeydew and canteloupe used to be called muskmelons. Not sure why that changed - probably to draw a distinction between the two and because musk just sounds stinky. I never knew this! > [@overlyverbose](#): > > Also, any idea why tofu is sometimes called bean curd and others tofu? Is it called bean curd or tofu in China? One is a descriptive English phrase and one is not. Just like pita vs. pocket bread. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-whose-names-have-changed/531412/140 "2010-03-18T12:36:09Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Back to the OP: > > Bait became much more popular when they renamed it “sushi.” And the old term for folks who used that joke has now been changed to Appalachian-American. > [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > I could be wrong on this, but I could have sworn that when I was a child, that Oscar Mayer’s braunschweiger was sold under the label “liverwurst.” They’re two different things, I believe the difference is that Braunschweiger is smoked. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-whose-names-have-changed/531412.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-whose-names-have-changed/531412.md?page=8)