Restaurant menus increasingly use unfamiliar terms to describe dishes, causing confusion for diners.

Restaurant menus, from Michelin-starred eateries to small-plate establishments, are increasingly using unfamiliar terms to describe dishes, leaving diners confused. Chefs aim to convey key attributes in few words, sometimes just four or five. This has led to terms such as verjus, top pesto, and umeboshi becoming more common. Professor Charles Spence from Oxford University notes that menus have always been a linguistic minefield.

May 19, 2024
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