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© Getty Images
0 / 30 Fotos
Pork butt
- This little piggy part is most certainly not its derrière, but the part of his shoulder blade. It's also known as Boston butt, pork blade roast, and Boston roast.
© Shutterstock
1 / 30 Fotos
Egg cream
- There's neither egg nor cream in this 1930s soda fountain drink. While the top resembles frothy egg whites, its only ingredients are chocolate syrup, milk, and seltzer.
© Shutterstock
2 / 30 Fotos
Welsh rabbit
- Also known as Welsh rarebit, this doesn't contain any rabbit. It’s a simple piece of toast with a spicy béchamel cheese sauce on top, which doesn't sound so bad!
© Shutterstock
3 / 30 Fotos
Head cheese
- If you're a cheese lover, be careful! If you order head cheese, you'll get cold sliced gelatinous sausage made from parts of a cow or pig's head.
© Shutterstock
4 / 30 Fotos
Bubble and squeak
- A bubble gum brand? No, bubble and squeak is a British dish comprised of mashed potatoes, fried with cabbage and sometimes boiled beef. The name apparently comes from the noises made while the ingredients are being fried.
© Shutterstock
5 / 30 Fotos
Sweetbreads
- If you're looking for sweetened bread, then this isn't what you should order. Sweetbreads are the thymus gland of animals, and the one most often served is from a calf. Why the name? Because they are "sweeter compared to typical meat, and they are bread because the Old English word for flesh is bræd."
© Shutterstock
6 / 30 Fotos
Mincemeat
- Mincemeat is finely minced meat, right? Nope! It actually consists of chopped apples, raisins, spices, and rum or brandy, which you can find in pies and tarts. It all makes sense when you consider that "meat" used to be a term for food in general, not just what we classify as meat today.
© Shutterstock
7 / 30 Fotos
Phoenix claws
- No mythical creatures were harmed in the creation of this Chinese dish. It's simply standard chicken feet dim sum.
© Shutterstock
8 / 30 Fotos
Nun's puffs
- Dating back to medieval Europe where it was made by nuns, the recipe involves preparing a double cooked cream puff dough, which is either pan-fried in lard, double fried, or baked.
© Shutterstock
9 / 30 Fotos
Lion's head
- Lion's head is a Chinese meatball dish, which is steamed with napa cabbage. The shape is supposed to resemble the head of the Chinese guardian lion.
© Shutterstock
10 / 30 Fotos
Bombay duck
- Bombay duck is actually a fish, more specifically a lizardfish, which is considered a delicacy in some parts of India. Why the name? The fish used to be transported on the iconic Bombay Daak train (daak meaning "mail). Daak was then changed to "duck."
© Shutterstock
11 / 30 Fotos
Ants climbing a tree
- This traditional Sichuan dish doesn't contain any ants or trees. Instead, it's made from ground meat and bean-thread noodles. The pieces of ground meat clinging to the noodles are said to resemble ants walking on twigs, hence the name.
© Shutterstock
12 / 30 Fotos
Grasshopper pie
- Don't worry: grasshopper pie doesn't have any bugs in it! First made in New Orleans in the '50s, it's an open-faced chiffon pie in a graham cracker crust. The flavor is composed of crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and heavy cream. It takes its name from the grasshopper cocktail.
© Shutterstock
13 / 30 Fotos
Rocky Mountain oysters
- These little 'oysters' are actually lamb, boar, or calf testicles, which have been halved, battered, and deep-fried.
© Shutterstock
14 / 30 Fotos
Soldiers
- No real soldiers here! Just bread that's toasted, then cut into strips and dipped into soft-boiled eggs in Britain, or into Marmite in Australia. Apparently they meal is called soldiers because the toast strips are so straight.
© Shutterstock
15 / 30 Fotos
Cathead biscuits
- The last thing you want to eat is a cat. Good thing these biscuits don't have any part of a cat's head in them then! These sweet, buttery treats are just the size of a cat's head.
© Shutterstock
16 / 30 Fotos
Hen of the woods
- Also known as ram’s head or sheep’s head, hen of the woods is a mushroom that grows at the base of trees. The name comes from the fact that it looks like the feathers of a hen.
© Shutterstock
17 / 30 Fotos
Angels on horseback and devils on horseback
- Two original British dishes, devils on horseback is dried fruit, usually dates, wrapped in bacon and baked. Angels on horseback is oysters wrapped in bacon and baked.
© Shutterstock
18 / 30 Fotos
Parson's nose
- No nose here! Also called pope's nose or sultan’s nose, this is basically the butt-end of the chicken.
© Shutterstock
19 / 30 Fotos
Cat’s tongues
- Eaten in many parts of the world, this cookie is light and delicately sweet. It can also be filled with buttercream or dipped in chocolate.
© Shutterstock
20 / 30 Fotos
Egg hoppers
- Egg hoppers are small pancakes served in Southeast Asia, as a breakfast, dinner, or snack food. Made from rice flour and coconut milk, it's served with a whole egg cooked in the center. They're named after the pan they're cooked in: a hopper.
© Shutterstock
21 / 30 Fotos
Black pudding
- Sorry to break it to you, but black pudding isn't a chocolate dessert. It's actually a sausage that’s made of curdled pigs' blood, pig fat, onions, oats, and seasoning.
© Getty Images
22 / 30 Fotos
Bear claw
- A pastry isn't the first thing you'd think of with this name. Yet a bear claw is an almond-flavored pastry, drizzled with icing and sliced almonds.
© Shutterstock
23 / 30 Fotos
Geoduck
- Geoduck isn't actually a duck, but a soft shell clam that's found in the Pacific Ocean. It’s considered a delicacy in China and the Korean Peninsula.
© Getty Images
24 / 30 Fotos
Ants on a log
- Celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins—this snack is pretty healthy! The only thing is that it's not packed with protein like the name might suggest...
© Shutterstock
25 / 30 Fotos
Cream crackers
- Cream crackers don’t have any cream in them. Made from wheat flour, vegetable oil, and yeast, the name comes from the fact that the ingredients are "creamed together."
© Shutterstock
26 / 30 Fotos
Refried beans
- Refried beans aren’t actually fried. The name comes from the Spanish word refritos, which just means well-cooked.
© Getty Images
27 / 30 Fotos
Scotch woodcock
- Scotch woodcock is a British savory dish that doesn't contain woodcock, a type of bird. This dish is toast topped with scrambled eggs and anchovy paste, or actual anchovy fillets.
© Shutterstock
28 / 30 Fotos
Ladyfinger
- If you hear someone saying that they love munching on ladyfingers, no, they're not a cannibal! These ladyfingers are sweet sponge cake cookies. Sources: (Insider) (Paste) (British Food: A History) See also: Unique foods from around the world you have to try
© Getty Images
29 / 30 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 30 Fotos
Pork butt
- This little piggy part is most certainly not its derrière, but the part of his shoulder blade. It's also known as Boston butt, pork blade roast, and Boston roast.
© Shutterstock
1 / 30 Fotos
Egg cream
- There's neither egg nor cream in this 1930s soda fountain drink. While the top resembles frothy egg whites, its only ingredients are chocolate syrup, milk, and seltzer.
© Shutterstock
2 / 30 Fotos
Welsh rabbit
- Also known as Welsh rarebit, this doesn't contain any rabbit. It’s a simple piece of toast with a spicy béchamel cheese sauce on top, which doesn't sound so bad!
© Shutterstock
3 / 30 Fotos
Head cheese
- If you're a cheese lover, be careful! If you order head cheese, you'll get cold sliced gelatinous sausage made from parts of a cow or pig's head.
© Shutterstock
4 / 30 Fotos
Bubble and squeak
- A bubble gum brand? No, bubble and squeak is a British dish comprised of mashed potatoes, fried with cabbage and sometimes boiled beef. The name apparently comes from the noises made while the ingredients are being fried.
© Shutterstock
5 / 30 Fotos
Sweetbreads
- If you're looking for sweetened bread, then this isn't what you should order. Sweetbreads are the thymus gland of animals, and the one most often served is from a calf. Why the name? Because they are "sweeter compared to typical meat, and they are bread because the Old English word for flesh is bræd."
© Shutterstock
6 / 30 Fotos
Mincemeat
- Mincemeat is finely minced meat, right? Nope! It actually consists of chopped apples, raisins, spices, and rum or brandy, which you can find in pies and tarts. It all makes sense when you consider that "meat" used to be a term for food in general, not just what we classify as meat today.
© Shutterstock
7 / 30 Fotos
Phoenix claws
- No mythical creatures were harmed in the creation of this Chinese dish. It's simply standard chicken feet dim sum.
© Shutterstock
8 / 30 Fotos
Nun's puffs
- Dating back to medieval Europe where it was made by nuns, the recipe involves preparing a double cooked cream puff dough, which is either pan-fried in lard, double fried, or baked.
© Shutterstock
9 / 30 Fotos
Lion's head
- Lion's head is a Chinese meatball dish, which is steamed with napa cabbage. The shape is supposed to resemble the head of the Chinese guardian lion.
© Shutterstock
10 / 30 Fotos
Bombay duck
- Bombay duck is actually a fish, more specifically a lizardfish, which is considered a delicacy in some parts of India. Why the name? The fish used to be transported on the iconic Bombay Daak train (daak meaning "mail). Daak was then changed to "duck."
© Shutterstock
11 / 30 Fotos
Ants climbing a tree
- This traditional Sichuan dish doesn't contain any ants or trees. Instead, it's made from ground meat and bean-thread noodles. The pieces of ground meat clinging to the noodles are said to resemble ants walking on twigs, hence the name.
© Shutterstock
12 / 30 Fotos
Grasshopper pie
- Don't worry: grasshopper pie doesn't have any bugs in it! First made in New Orleans in the '50s, it's an open-faced chiffon pie in a graham cracker crust. The flavor is composed of crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and heavy cream. It takes its name from the grasshopper cocktail.
© Shutterstock
13 / 30 Fotos
Rocky Mountain oysters
- These little 'oysters' are actually lamb, boar, or calf testicles, which have been halved, battered, and deep-fried.
© Shutterstock
14 / 30 Fotos
Soldiers
- No real soldiers here! Just bread that's toasted, then cut into strips and dipped into soft-boiled eggs in Britain, or into Marmite in Australia. Apparently they meal is called soldiers because the toast strips are so straight.
© Shutterstock
15 / 30 Fotos
Cathead biscuits
- The last thing you want to eat is a cat. Good thing these biscuits don't have any part of a cat's head in them then! These sweet, buttery treats are just the size of a cat's head.
© Shutterstock
16 / 30 Fotos
Hen of the woods
- Also known as ram’s head or sheep’s head, hen of the woods is a mushroom that grows at the base of trees. The name comes from the fact that it looks like the feathers of a hen.
© Shutterstock
17 / 30 Fotos
Angels on horseback and devils on horseback
- Two original British dishes, devils on horseback is dried fruit, usually dates, wrapped in bacon and baked. Angels on horseback is oysters wrapped in bacon and baked.
© Shutterstock
18 / 30 Fotos
Parson's nose
- No nose here! Also called pope's nose or sultan’s nose, this is basically the butt-end of the chicken.
© Shutterstock
19 / 30 Fotos
Cat’s tongues
- Eaten in many parts of the world, this cookie is light and delicately sweet. It can also be filled with buttercream or dipped in chocolate.
© Shutterstock
20 / 30 Fotos
Egg hoppers
- Egg hoppers are small pancakes served in Southeast Asia, as a breakfast, dinner, or snack food. Made from rice flour and coconut milk, it's served with a whole egg cooked in the center. They're named after the pan they're cooked in: a hopper.
© Shutterstock
21 / 30 Fotos
Black pudding
- Sorry to break it to you, but black pudding isn't a chocolate dessert. It's actually a sausage that’s made of curdled pigs' blood, pig fat, onions, oats, and seasoning.
© Getty Images
22 / 30 Fotos
Bear claw
- A pastry isn't the first thing you'd think of with this name. Yet a bear claw is an almond-flavored pastry, drizzled with icing and sliced almonds.
© Shutterstock
23 / 30 Fotos
Geoduck
- Geoduck isn't actually a duck, but a soft shell clam that's found in the Pacific Ocean. It’s considered a delicacy in China and the Korean Peninsula.
© Getty Images
24 / 30 Fotos
Ants on a log
- Celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins—this snack is pretty healthy! The only thing is that it's not packed with protein like the name might suggest...
© Shutterstock
25 / 30 Fotos
Cream crackers
- Cream crackers don’t have any cream in them. Made from wheat flour, vegetable oil, and yeast, the name comes from the fact that the ingredients are "creamed together."
© Shutterstock
26 / 30 Fotos
Refried beans
- Refried beans aren’t actually fried. The name comes from the Spanish word refritos, which just means well-cooked.
© Getty Images
27 / 30 Fotos
Scotch woodcock
- Scotch woodcock is a British savory dish that doesn't contain woodcock, a type of bird. This dish is toast topped with scrambled eggs and anchovy paste, or actual anchovy fillets.
© Shutterstock
28 / 30 Fotos
Ladyfinger
- If you hear someone saying that they love munching on ladyfingers, no, they're not a cannibal! These ladyfingers are sweet sponge cake cookies. Sources: (Insider) (Paste) (British Food: A History) See also: Unique foods from around the world you have to try
© Getty Images
29 / 30 Fotos
Foods with hilariously deceptive names
If your order a mince pie for your entrée and sweetbreads for dessert, you'll be disappointed
© Getty Images
Around the globe, countless millions of people have been misled by foods with peculiar names. You'd think that the names given to dishes would pretty much always give you an idea of what they are, but that's not always the case. Imagine you order duck and get a salty dried fish instead, or you ask for oysters and you're given a plate of fried testicles!
Click on to get the story behind several baffling food names, so you don't get any unwanted surprises!
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