# The rules for capitalizing (food) dishes named for their inventor **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 2, 2025, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rules-for-capitalizing-food-dishes-named-for-their-inventor/1012482 "2025-01-02T15:22:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2025, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rules-for-capitalizing-food-dishes-named-for-their-inventor/1012482/21 "2025-01-02T19:22:00Z")
From Merriam-Webster’s entry on nachos: " Note: According to a story that apparently first appeared in the _San Antonio Express_ on May 23, 1954 (“Nacho’s? Natch!”, by Clarence D. LaRoche, p. 3H), the dish was devised in 1940 by Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya García (1895-1975), a waiter (in other versions a maitre d’ or chef) at a restaurant in Piedras Negras, Mexico. As related by LaRoche and in later versions, the story has stock elements of a culinary origin myth: late in the day a waiter or chef is pressed to come up with food to satisfy hungry customers and with limited ingredients left in the kitchen invents a new dish. Similar stories purport to explain the origins of other eponymous dishes, as the Reuben sandwich, Buffalo wings and Caesar salad. Though a print connection between “Nacho” Anaya and nachos is relatively early—predating the popularity of the snack outside south Texas—the first citations for _nacho,_ in 1948 and 1949, make no reference to him." ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2025, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rules-for-capitalizing-food-dishes-named-for-their-inventor/1012482/22 "2025-01-02T19:42:46Z")
Parmesean (edit parmesan!) or cheddar cheese seem lower case, Worcestershire like it should be capitalized. Romaine? ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2025, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rules-for-capitalizing-food-dishes-named-for-their-inventor/1012482/23 "2025-01-02T20:55:04Z")
The [pavlova](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavlova_(dessert)), named after touring Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, is usually spelled lower case, as is the standard abbreviation ‘pav’ in both Australia and New Zealand. It was probably invented while she was still on tour or within recent memory, so its connection to her is undisputed. From a quick look at other items using the Australian historical newspaper database, and ignoring ones that could be capitalised as titles: Swiss / swiss roll - about 80 / 20 Vienna / vienna schntizel - 99 / 01 French / french fries - 30 / 70 [as some recipes point out they are not named after the well-known country, but the technique of frenching, I assume a sort of swirling tongue motion performed on the potato] Caesar / caesar salad - 70 / 30. I think the lesson derived from all this is rules shmules. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2025, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rules-for-capitalizing-food-dishes-named-for-their-inventor/1012482/24 "2025-01-02T21:30:05Z")
The noodles Romanov please with chicken Kiev or New York strip steak? And a Cobb salad. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2025, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rules-for-capitalizing-food-dishes-named-for-their-inventor/1012482/25 "2025-01-02T22:07:57Z")
Perhap a Kansas City strip or some nice St. Louis style ribs. And baked Alaska for dessert? ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2025, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rules-for-capitalizing-food-dishes-named-for-their-inventor/1012482/26 "2025-01-02T23:53:57Z")
I made a big stink in my 10th grade English class when I discovered “french dressing” and “American cheese” were preferred capitalizations in the same style handbook. _"You guys are just pulling grammar rules out of your asses, aren’t you?_" ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2025, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rules-for-capitalizing-food-dishes-named-for-their-inventor/1012482/27 "2025-01-03T00:11:18Z")
The bloody mary just looks wrong when not capitalized. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2025, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rules-for-capitalizing-food-dishes-named-for-their-inventor/1012482/28 "2025-01-03T00:20:15Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > as some recipes point out they are not named after the well-known country, but the technique of frenching I researched this awhile ago, and they are not named after the technique. Lemme see what I can dig up: Etymonline has: > [@](#): > > 1903, American English, earlier French fried potatoes (by 1856); see [French](https://www.etymonline.com/word/French#etymonline_v_14160) (adj.) + [_fry_](https://www.etymonline.com/word/fry#etymonline_v_14225) (v.). Literally “potatoes fried in the _French_ style.” The name is from the method of making them by immersion in fat, which was then considered a peculiarity of French cooking. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2025, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rules-for-capitalizing-food-dishes-named-for-their-inventor/1012482/29 "2025-01-03T00:31:53Z")
I’m not sure that cite supports that contention. If “french fries” regardless of my preceding casing are really “fried potato strips in the French style”, then they are unequivocally “French(-style) fried potatoes”. AKA French fries. All else is ignorance or heresy. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2025, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rules-for-capitalizing-food-dishes-named-for-their-inventor/1012482/30 "2025-01-03T01:50:52Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > when I discovered “french dressing” a Do you mean freedom dressing? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2025, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rules-for-capitalizing-food-dishes-named-for-their-inventor/1012482/31 "2025-01-03T02:02:44Z")
OK, either way, the technique of “frenching” refers to preparing it in the style of the French, i.e. cutting into thin strips and frying. So it’s still named after the country. But the etymology seems to go French fried potatoes → french fries, not “frenched fried potatoes” or “frenched potatoes” or “frenched fries.” The “French” clearly comes from the name of the country, even if they may be Belgian in origin. Also, from Wikipedia: > [@](#): > > [Thomas Jefferson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson) had “potatoes served in the French manner” at a [White House](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House) dinner in 1802.[[23]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_fries#cite_note-ppc_hess1-26)[[24]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_fries#cite_note-jpc_fishwick1-27) The expression “french fried potatoes” first occurred in print in English in the 1856 work _Cookery for Maids of All Work_ by [Eliza Warren](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliza_Warren): “French Fried Potatoes. – Cut new potatoes in thin slices, put them in boiling fat, and a little salt; fry both sides of a light golden brown colour; drain.”[[25]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_fries#cite_note-28) That seems to be the first reference to French fries in America, and they’re called “potatoes served in the French manner.” ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2025, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rules-for-capitalizing-food-dishes-named-for-their-inventor/1012482/32 "2025-01-03T02:24:22Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The “Buffalo” in “Buffalo wings” is the city, not the ungulate, so should be capitalized. Buffalo buffalo Bufallo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2025, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rules-for-capitalizing-food-dishes-named-for-their-inventor/1012482/33 "2025-01-03T03:42:29Z")
Bloody mary is lowercase if you’re following AP Style. > **[Cooking In AP Style: A Stew Of Words Spelled Right](https://www.npr.org/2011/06/01/136855652/cooking-in-ap-style-a-stew-of-words-spelled-right)** > > The way journalists write affects how the public consumes news and understands the world. One topic deeply connected to our daily lives is food. The Associated Press recently released the print edition of its 2011 Stylebook, which offers a new food... Unfortunately, my edition of the AP Stylebook (which is the most recent one), does not have this food section in it–it merely says to go look at the AP Style Food Guide online, which I do not have access to. Oddly enough, they say to capitalize “Sloppy Joe.” And they do mention Alfredo, so it sounds like they want it capitalized. This is just one stylebook among many, though, and a quirky one at that. That said, MLA and Chicago Manual of Style also seem to prefer bloody mary in lowercase. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2025, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rules-for-capitalizing-food-dishes-named-for-their-inventor/1012482/34 "2025-01-03T14:09:56Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > That seems to be the first reference to French fries in America, and they’re called “potatoes served in the French manner.” Although the description of the process suggests the result is something closer to home made potato chips or one shape of home fry. IOW thin discs, not long thin strips of roughly square cross section. And apparently pan fried, not deep fried. Still, that clearly gets us started down the road to modern French fries. With an uppercase F. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2025, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rules-for-capitalizing-food-dishes-named-for-their-inventor/1012482/35 "2025-01-03T18:22:35Z")
Oysters Rockefeller was invented by Jules Alciatore, and named after a famous rich guy who had nothing to do with the creation. For all of these, it is weird not to capitalize it the guy’s name, and the other noun can be capital or lowercase. But after a time the proper noun might get lowercase’d if people stop recognizing it as a name. ---
**Author:** ![Topologist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/topologist/32/3208_2.png) [@Topologist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Topologist)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2025, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rules-for-capitalizing-food-dishes-named-for-their-inventor/1012482/36 "2025-01-03T21:33:52Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > But after a time the proper noun might get lowercase’d if people stop recognizing it as a name. This happens in math. For example, _abelian groups_ are named after [Niels Henrik Abel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niels_Henrik_Abel) (1802–1829). I’m a bit of a contrarian and will capitalize it when I use the term, but you’ll most often see it lowercased. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2025, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rules-for-capitalizing-food-dishes-named-for-their-inventor/1012482/37 "2025-01-03T21:58:21Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > But after a time the proper noun might get lowercase’d if people stop recognizing it as a name. Like the Earl of Sandwich? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2025, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rules-for-capitalizing-food-dishes-named-for-their-inventor/1012482/38 "2025-01-03T22:54:39Z")
Or thagomizer stew. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2025, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rules-for-capitalizing-food-dishes-named-for-their-inventor/1012482/39 "2025-01-03T23:03:07Z")
Too soon, dude. ---
**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 4, 2025, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rules-for-capitalizing-food-dishes-named-for-their-inventor/1012482/40 "2025-01-04T09:57:15Z")
> [@Quondam\_Mechanic](#): > > I don’t know how the Romans handled it: Latin scripts didn’t use the same case variation we do - a given text was either all majuscule (Roman Square or Rustic Capitals, Old Roman Cursive) or all minuscule (New Roman Cursive, Uncial). The only case distinction, in New Roman Cursive, was using the so-called _litterae grandiores_ (the same letters written slightly larger) which were just at the start of sentences, not for proper nouns as such. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rules-for-capitalizing-food-dishes-named-for-their-inventor/1012482.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rules-for-capitalizing-food-dishes-named-for-their-inventor/1012482.md?page=3)