# Lemonade, jelly, and biscuits (and other foods people outside of the US have wrong) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 28, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-jelly-and-biscuits-and-other-foods-people-outside-of-the-us-have-wrong/483401 "2009-01-28T17:26:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Butterscotch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dc4da7/32.png) [@Butterscotch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Butterscotch)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-jelly-and-biscuits-and-other-foods-people-outside-of-the-us-have-wrong/483401/101 "2009-01-29T10:49:45Z")
> [@scifisam2009](#): > > I do get frustrated reading Americans writing stories (fanfics or professional stories) set in England where a character has cider and treats it as a non-alcoholic drink. ‘Jack had a beer, but John was driving, so he just had a couple of ciders.’ Nuh-uh! You’re going to lose your licence, mate! Most ciders here are fairly strong. The traditional ciders aren’t fizzy and can taste fairly bitter, but modern ciders are sparkling and reasonably sweet - basically, the beer and lager versions of the cider world. Both types are about 5% or so, with a fair bit of variation. But we also have Scrumpy: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrumpy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrumpy) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-jelly-and-biscuits-and-other-foods-people-outside-of-the-us-have-wrong/483401/102 "2009-01-29T10:53:13Z")
Here eggplants are brinjals …and suckers are water-ice lollies. Things like Quality Street or Pick’nMix are just “chocolates” - as in “I went to the shop and bought some chocolates”. “A chocolate” is a chocolate bar, like Mars or Crunchie or Aero or the like. You may call this a “chocolate bar” if you’re posh. “Bar of chocolate” or “Slab” is for the Cadbury-style Milk, Fruit&Nut, Mint Crisp type of thing. “A Block” refers to just one block broken off such a bar. It gets confusing sometimes - Aero used to come in a slab, but now it’s a chocolate bar. Kit-Kat is of ambiguous status - it breaks like a slab, but into “fingers”, not blocks. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-jelly-and-biscuits-and-other-foods-people-outside-of-the-us-have-wrong/483401/103 "2009-01-29T10:55:14Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > We used to get Ribena which is blackcurrant syrup, but can be quite pleasant when appropriately mixed. Yes, with half lager and half cider. Whoops, exposing my Goth-ness there. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-jelly-and-biscuits-and-other-foods-people-outside-of-the-us-have-wrong/483401/104 "2009-01-29T11:00:36Z")
Or with cider and Pernod. ---
**Author:** ![Butterscotch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dc4da7/32.png) [@Butterscotch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Butterscotch)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-jelly-and-biscuits-and-other-foods-people-outside-of-the-us-have-wrong/483401/105 "2009-01-29T11:08:21Z")
Or: half lager, half cider, shot of vodka and blackcurrant. Now THAT’S a Snakebite! ---
**Author:** ![Dublin11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Dublin11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dublin11)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-jelly-and-biscuits-and-other-foods-people-outside-of-the-us-have-wrong/483401/106 "2009-01-29T11:12:23Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > As to the jam debate, we have the same descriptions, pretty much, as you (except for jelly). Except Marmalade is not jam. It’s marmalade. Two different things (I suppose jam is sweeter and made with soft fruits, whereas marmalade is more bitter and made with citrus fruits). I’ve always regarded marmalade as quintessentially British, but I may be wrong. I agree that marmalade is made with citrus fruits and jams are made with soft fruits. Or vegetables in the case of rhubarb, I suppose. Preserves are made with a bigger ratio of fruits to sugar than jams are, I seem to think. But I don’t see how marmalade can actually be British, seeing as citrus fruits don’t grow in Britain and never have done. The most famous marmalade I know of is a Seville Mamalade from Dundee. So I presume the oranges come from Spain, because Scotland is a place hardly known for its acres of sun drenched orange groves. 😃 And though English language words are often from other languages, marmalade still sounds very “foreign” for want of a better way to describe it. Sounds Spanish or Italian or Portuguese to me. Definitely a pilfered word, anyway. I should stress here that I don’t know for sure. I’m just musing. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-jelly-and-biscuits-and-other-foods-people-outside-of-the-us-have-wrong/483401/107 "2009-01-29T11:45:13Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > The U.S. has always had alcoholic cider–it’s simply referred to as “hard cider.” I don’t know what kind of reading you’ve seen by Americans whereby you’ve come across so many references to “cider” in Britain as non-alcoholic that it has brought you to the point of frustration. That’s a pretty narrow niche of reading material. It’s also come up in conversation with American friends. They aren’t thinking of cider as non-alcoholic (sorry - I was being lazy with my phrasing there), but as having a low or very low alcohol content. My American friends are from all different parts of the states, so I’d assumed their usage was commonplace. > [@Butterscotch](#): > > But we also have Scrumpy: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrumpy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrumpy) I was thinking of that as one of the traditional ciders (not including cheap fizzy 2 litre bottles of Scrumpy Jack, of course). ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-jelly-and-biscuits-and-other-foods-people-outside-of-the-us-have-wrong/483401/108 "2009-01-29T11:46:47Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Well, to my (brit) ears, he just sounds like a guy who couldn’t cook. Our mashed potatoes are the same as yours. ‘Creamed’ potatoes, sounds a bit nouveau-restauranty to me. Mashed spuds are mashed spuds, creamed are spuds mashed and cream/milk thrown in. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-jelly-and-biscuits-and-other-foods-people-outside-of-the-us-have-wrong/483401/109 "2009-01-29T11:56:17Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > People don’t like oreos?! How? I’ve never known anybody that could stop eating them before the cookie was gone or they got sick. If I was wearing pants I’d be heading to the store to buy some right now. (Underlining mine) 1. I don’t have a cite, but I’ve heard that the filling for Oreos is about the worst thing you can eat. I always found it pretty cloying, even when I was a kid. 2. Underlined part: :eek: TMI, TMI! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-jelly-and-biscuits-and-other-foods-people-outside-of-the-us-have-wrong/483401/110 "2009-01-29T12:37:43Z")
> [@Dublin11](#): > > But I don’t see how marmalade can actually be British, seeing as citrus fruits don’t grow in Britain and never have done. The most famous marmalade I know of is a Seville Mamalade from Dundee. So I presume the oranges come from Spain, because Scotland is a place hardly known for its acres of sun drenched orange groves. 😃 > And though English language words are often from other languages, marmalade still sounds very “foreign” for want of a better way to describe it. Sounds Spanish or Italian or Portuguese to me. Definitely a pilfered word, anyway. > > I should stress here that I don’t know for sure. I’m just musing. Well, actual origins have never stopped us from claiming something as our own! There’s boatloads of foodstuffs that constitute quintessentially British traditions but don’t originate here (tea, anyone?). Apparently, a spot of googling suggests it’s originally from Portugal, and has been consumed in Britain since at least the 1400s. Some debate about whether the name refers to Mary Queen of Scots, as it may come from the French meaning ‘ill lady’, and Mary was, to all intents and purposes, brought up french. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-jelly-and-biscuits-and-other-foods-people-outside-of-the-us-have-wrong/483401/111 "2009-01-29T13:01:32Z")
> [@scifisam2009](#): > > The traditional ciders aren’t fizzy and can taste fairly bitter, but modern ciders are sparkling and reasonably sweet - basically, the beer and lager versions of the cider world. Both types are about 5% or so, with a fair bit of variation. Assuming 5% for traditional cider could get you in a rather messy situation - I’d expect more like 6-9% from many, but they won’t necessarily give it away with a sharp kick! ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-jelly-and-biscuits-and-other-foods-people-outside-of-the-us-have-wrong/483401/112 "2009-01-29T13:13:08Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Assuming 5% for traditional cider could get you in a rather messy situation - I’d expect more like 6-9% from many, but they won’t necessarily give it away with a sharp kick! True. Again, I was being a bit lazy, just making the point that they’re definitely not low-alcohol drinks. The traditional ciders I’ve had recently (people keep buying me them, for some reason) are around the 5% mark, but obviously some are stronger. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-jelly-and-biscuits-and-other-foods-people-outside-of-the-us-have-wrong/483401/113 "2009-01-29T13:20:18Z")
> [@Dublin11](#): > > So why is it not called lemon juice, then? > You’ve explained it in such a way that your explanation actually detracts from your own logic for calling it what you do call it. > > To me, lemon juice comes from lemons, orange juice comes from oranges and pineapple juice comes from pineapples. Lemonade is a fizzy lemon flavoured drink, orangeade is a fizzy orange flavoured drink and pineappleade is a fizzy pineapple flavoured drink. Well, apparently the suffix -ade does not mean “carbonated” in North America like it does here. Although you do hear people refer very occasionally to homemade, non-fizzy lemon drink as lemonade. The sort of thing your granny would make for the village fete. Re referring to 7-Up and Sprite as “lemonade”, I have never heard that. If I asked for a lemonade and was given Sprite, I would be slightly confused. ---
**Author:** ![Oswald\_Bastable](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oswald_bastable/32/214_2.png) [@Oswald\_Bastable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oswald_Bastable)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-jelly-and-biscuits-and-other-foods-people-outside-of-the-us-have-wrong/483401/114 "2009-01-29T13:54:35Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Well, actual origins have never stopped us from claiming something as our own! There’s boatloads of foodstuffs that constitute quintessentially British traditions but don’t originate here (tea, anyone?). Apparently, a spot of googling suggests it’s originally from Portugal, and has been consumed in Britain since at least the 1400s. Some debate about whether the name refers to Mary Queen of Scots, as it may come from the French meaning ‘ill lady’, and Mary was, to all intents and purposes, brought up french. I believe the name comes from the fact it was originally made with quinces rather than oranges or other citrus fruit. Quince in Portuguese is _marmelos_. I think it also originated as a dessert (or pudding) served rather like a jelly (or jello) rather than as a breakfast spread. OB ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-jelly-and-biscuits-and-other-foods-people-outside-of-the-us-have-wrong/483401/115 "2009-01-29T14:36:31Z")
As an American, I can say IMO that Oreos suck. I never liked them. I much prefer homemade chocolate chip or other cookies (think Mrs Fields) to bakery fare or grocery store offerings. Cider over here is non-alcoholic. I’m not even sure where one can buy hard cider here, but I don’t get out much. Mashed potatoes are mashed potatoes–everyone has their own preference. I’ve never understood the habit of putting baked beans on the table for breakfast, but I hear tell they do that in Tex-mex places as well as UK. That said, I much prefer a British breakfast to a “continental” one. I have no time to Google this morning, but isn’t coriander a completely different spice here in the states? I think it’s a seed of some kind…? ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-jelly-and-biscuits-and-other-foods-people-outside-of-the-us-have-wrong/483401/116 "2009-01-29T14:41:31Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > The U.S. has always had alcoholic cider–it’s simply referred to as “hard cider.” “Cider” or “apple cider” here is [an unfiltered nonalcoholic beverage made from apples](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_cider). “Hard cider” is what you think of as “cider”. There is also “sparkling cider”, which is a clear, fizzy, nonalcoholic, fairly sweet beverage. It’s served as a nonalcoholic alternative to champagne. > [@Tracy Lord](#): > > Coriander is cilantro. Here, the leafy herb is cilantro. The seeds are coriander. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-jelly-and-biscuits-and-other-foods-people-outside-of-the-us-have-wrong/483401/117 "2009-01-29T14:49:22Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > I have no time to Google this morning, but isn’t coriander a completely different spice here in the states? I think it’s a seed of some kind…? > [@Anne\_Neville](#): > > Here, the leafy herb is cilantro. The seeds are coriander. And to clarify, both are coriander here in Britain, and a recipe will specify ground (seeds) or leaves, or sometimes whole seeds. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-jelly-and-biscuits-and-other-foods-people-outside-of-the-us-have-wrong/483401/118 "2009-01-29T14:50:18Z")
> [@Dublin11](#): > > But I don’t see how marmalade can actually be British, seeing as citrus fruits don’t grow in Britain and never have done. Darned Limeys don’t know anything about citrus fruits anyway. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-jelly-and-biscuits-and-other-foods-people-outside-of-the-us-have-wrong/483401/119 "2009-01-29T14:50:31Z")
Forgot to put in my post that over here, ginger ale is a carbonated, mild flavored drink (I assume it tastes like ginger–not sure what ginger actually tastes like as I only know it as a dash of flavor in other stuff). Never heard of ginger beer, but I am intrigued. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-jelly-and-biscuits-and-other-foods-people-outside-of-the-us-have-wrong/483401/120 "2009-01-29T15:08:53Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > And to clarify, both are coriander here in Britain, and a recipe will specify ground (seeds) or leaves, or sometimes whole seeds. I figured that out watching Jamie Oliver once. He was talking about coriander while waving around what was clearly cilantro to us. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-jelly-and-biscuits-and-other-foods-people-outside-of-the-us-have-wrong/483401.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-jelly-and-biscuits-and-other-foods-people-outside-of-the-us-have-wrong/483401.md?page=7)