I Think You Mean COOmin

Today at work, someone said how delicious my food smelled. Eek! A compliment about my food! Way better than a compliment about my hair, I’ll say that much. So I immediately blushed and coyly looked away. After a few awkward moments, I realized they wanted to know what the delicious dish was. I started to freak out a little. Y’all, don’t judge me, but I didn’t know how to say the dish I was eating.  I said don’t judge me!

Chana Masala. A tasty and popular Indian dish with chickpeas stewed in a spicy and flavorful sauce.  But boy oh boy, that “chana” really trips me up. Is it a standard “CH,” like change or chores or chickpeas? Or does it make a “K” sound, like my name, Chloe, or chlorine or Chris Brown? Ugh. I hate him. OR could I be completely off and it sounds like Chanel or Chicago? You see what I mean?!  There are way too many ways to look like a big dummy in the culinary world these days.

So I called it Chickpea Masala. I also mumbled it a little, so it was weird for everyone, I’m sure.

But this little exchange got me thinking. How many times have I mispronounced a word or two while at a dinner or cooking for friends? I get nauseous just thinking about it. Like food in my teeth, I need to know when I’ve said something wrong.  I need to know when that ‘CH’ is a ch or a ch or a ch! What I did just then was pronounce the letters “ch” in a variety of ways. However, I didn’t know how to type it out, so I just wrote “ch” three times.  I digress.

I’ve compiled a (working) list of words in the culinary field that are commonly mispronounced by both yours truly and the free world. I also added some on there that I heard often during my previous life as a server.  Print this, fold it up and put it in your pocket. It’s sure to save you from at least three embarrassing situations.

Please feel free to add at the bottom of this list! Tell a funny story, if you’d like.

Bouillabaisse (boo-yah-base)

Bruschetta (broo-skeh-tah)

Caramel (car-ah-mel)
 – this kinda depends on where you’re from, right?

Chana Masala (chana masala)

Charcuterie (shahr-koo-tuhr-ee)

Chipotle (chi-poht-lay)

Coq au vin (coke-ah-van)

Crudité (kroo-duh-tay)

Cumin (Coo-min)

Curacao (cur-a-sow)

Endive (n-dive) or (on-deev) – depends on which kind according to endive.com!

Gnocchi (nyoh-kee)

Gyro (jeer-ho) or (yee-roh) – I saw yee-roh, because I’m an adult.

Jalapeno  (hah-luh-peyn-yoh)

Naan (non)

Paczki (poonch-key)
- I know exactly where I was when I mispronounced this in front of a lot of people.

Pho (fuh)

Quinoa (keen-wah)

Turmeric (ter-me-rick)

Vichyssoise (vee-she-swaaz)

Worcestershire (woos-tuhr-shuhr)

I need more suggestions! Post yours here.