There are names of foods, beverages and condiments that give a different picture of what their actual ingredients are. In a way, they are deceptive or misleading. An example is the dish known as Bombay duck, which is not duck but fish.
So better beware! Some of these items may sound yummy but knowing the ingredients might tweak one's sensibilities, while others are the other way around.
Here goes:
Colonial Goose
A classic dish of New Zealand. This dish is deboned lamb leg stuffed with dried apricots mixed with honey, finely chopped onion and parsley, seasonings and herbs; and coated with breadcrumbs and bacon; and then soaked in a marinade with red wine added so that it will resemble a certain kind of fowl when roasted. In a land where geese are quite scarce and where sheep outnumber its human population more than ten to one, the New Zealanders had to use their creativity in creating what has become a popular dish.
Sweetbreads
Sweetbreads on mushroom risotto.
A cholesterol-rich European delicacy, often served as an appetizer. It is made of the pancreas or thymus gland of young lambs or calves, which are usually dipped in flour, and then seared, fried, or grilled until medium done to retain its spongy texture.
Toad in the Hole
A traditional British dish, considered as not so healthy by today's standards as animal fat is sometimes used to achieve desired taste and texture. This dish, also known as poor man's roast, comprises of pork sausages baked in Yorkshire pudding batter until puffed up, golden brown and crispy and is often served with onion gravy and steamed vegetables.
Welsh Rabbit
Also called Welsh rarebit, this popular Welsh snack is simply toasted cheese on toast. The sliced cheese is sometimes combined with milk, butter and mustard before placing it on hot toast and then heated. Variations include topping the cheese with poached/fried egg, onions, herbs, sliced tomato and/or bacon.
Gunpowder Tea
A type of Chinese green tea. It is so called since each individual leaf used was rolled into tiny irregular-shaped pellets, somehow resembling gunpowder, in order to better preserve its flavor and aroma. Pingshui, Formosa and Ceylon are some of its more popular varieties.
Ants Climbing a Tree
A super spicy Szechuan dish, whose name is a literal translation of its Chinese name "θθδΈζ " that is quite descriptive of how tiny pieces of ground pork sticking to the noodle looked like. Ground pork is first marinated and cooked in a sauce mixture of sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and chili paste; and then it is poured over stir-fried glass or vermicelli noodles.
Bear Claw
A super yummy pastry item, very much popular in Western United States. This breakfast item is made with Danish pastry dough and often contains fillings of nuts, dates and raisins. It is partially sliced 3 to 4 times on one side and is then gently spread open to resemble a bear's claw, hence its name.
Head Cheese
Also called souse or brawn, these are chunks of seasoned meat from cow's, pig's or sheep's head, feet, heart and tongue, which have been heated in gelatinous broth, poured in a mold to cool and sliced after they had settled. It gives a distinguishing taste when mixed in salads and sandwiches.
Monkeygland Sauce
A rather unappealing and usual name for a popular South African sweet and sour-tasting sauce. This condiment is simply a mixture of fruit chutney, red wine, tomatoes, onion, chilis, sugar, vinegar and spices; and tastes great on steaks, ribs and even hamburgers.
Rocky Mountain Oysters
A popular western American dish usually served as appetizers in steak restaurants; so named due to its resemblance to oysters. Also called "cowboy caviar" and "swinging sirloin," it is actually bull or buffalo testicles that had been peeled, sliced, breaded, flattened and deep-fried.
