One Name, Two Different Food Items – UK and US Food Names

Last week, when I was writing about jello and why you shouldn’t freeze jello for an assignment, for a moment, I got confused between it being jello or jelly. I knew both meant the same, but I still had my doubt, so of course, I looked it up.

And like everything that seems illogical when it comes to pronunciations and spellings, the difference was UK and US. Go figures!

So, I thought I would share with you three food item names that mean different things in both the countries and the other name to them as well. So, we will be talking about jelly, biscuit, and chips.

1. Jelly

So, the jello I talked about last week, is called Jello in the US and Jelly in the UK. Jello (US) and Jelly (UK) are the wobbly desserts made of gelatin that you eat as is, with ice cream, or in more solid sugar covered candy forms.

Not only is Jello called Jelly in the UK, but the Jelly in the US is also called Jam in the UK. Jam (UK) and Jelly (US) are made from preserved fruit and sugar that you spread on your bed or toast for breakfast.

2. Biscuit

Something that in the US is called Cookie is called Biscuit in the UK. Cookie (US) and Biscuit (UK) are flat and round dessert snacks that are made from sweet dough. In the UK, the bigger, softer variety is sometimes called cookie too, but they are mostly all called biscuits and are accompanied by a cup of tea.

The US, too, has something they call Biscuits, but then these are called Scones in the UK. Biscuits (US) and Scones (UK) are crumbly cakes that you can eat with butter, jam, thick cream, etc. They usually accompany a cup of tea.

3. Chips

Chips in the US and Crisps in the UK are something that everyone loves and is one of the all-time favorite snacks for people. Chips (US) and Crisps (UK) are thin and round slices of fried potatoes that come in packets.

The UK has Chips as well, and it is called French Fries in the US. French Fries (US) and Chips (UK) are strips of potatoes that are deep-fried and salted. In the UK, they often have vinegar too. Their strips of potatoes are usually fat, and you only call the skinny versions french fries that are sold in fast food joints like McDonald’s.

Final Thoughts

It is so fascinating to see the same names have different meanings in two different places and the same thing to have two different names. Honestly, I use both of them all the time, and this is what makes my brain lag. But, when you have friends from both places, they understand, and it is fun all around.