Culinary Vocabulary

Menu Minefields: How Do You Pronounce Gewurztraminer?

Cass-ooh-LAY
Cass-ooh-LAY Photo: RH at Andaz, West Hollywood

The Stew did a tremendous service to mankind yesterday by compiling a list of ten commonly mispronounced food words, complete with phonetic spellings. Still, beyond their elucidations of gnocchi (NYOH-kee) and gyro (YEER-oh), there are some words that continue to confound us. (We won’t even get started on the spectacular linguistic degradation of capiciola into the Italian-Americanism “gabbagool,” or Toby Young’s “charitzo”-chorizo mangling on Top Chef.) So to go with the Trib’s take, here’s a supplementary list of menu terms we (or those we love) have found to be, from time to time, a challenge. We welcome your own vocab lessons, as well.

Porchetta: por-KETT-ah
Guacamole: huaca-MO-lay
Espresso: ess-PRESS-oh (there’s no “ex” sound)
Tagliatelle: tahl-ya-TELL-eh
Gewurtzraminer: ge-VOORTZ-tra-meener
Cassoulet: cass-ooh-LAY
Rillettes: ree-YET
Macaron: mah-cah-ROn (swallow the R at the end; don’t confuse it with the coconutty “macaroon,” which is pronounced as it’s spelled)
Quinoa: KEEN-wah
Nicoise: nee-SWAhs
Paillard: pie-YARD
Paella: pa-EYH-ah
Claret: cla-rett (exactly as it’s spelled — this isn’t a French word)
Bouillabaisse: BOOL-ya-base

Clearly this isn’t a complete set of words that sound awfully different than they look. What menu items always trip you up?

Top 10 at 10: Mispronounced Foodie Words [The Stew/Tribune]

Menu Minefields: How Do You Pronounce Gewurztraminer?