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What Is up With Certain Food Names?

Posted by Paul

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Forum: Food and Restaurants

Okay, so hear me out.

There are some foods out there with names that just strike me as odd and perhaps a little frustrating.

Take egg rolls for example. Usually, there's no egg in an egg roll so what's the deal with putting the word, "egg" in the name when there are no eggs at all?!? You're false advertising here.

Hamburger is another one. Where's the ham? I mean, I get that people often just use "burger" but still, that word exists and it does not describe what it says it is.

Help me here, people. Why must we falsely advertise ingredients in the names of certain foods? Why must we do this to ourselves? Haven't we suffered enough?!?

Alright, that's all I gotta say.
Thanks!


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Reply by electroslag.ttv

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Hahaha! It's actually an easy explanation for hamburgers.


Hamburgers were invented in Hamburg, Germany. They are named after a town, not an ingredient.

As for egg rolls, apparently no one really knows but the original egg roll might have been wrapped in actual egg. 

Sometimes words that aren't English get bastardized by Americans so we get things like "bubble tea" which isn't bubbly at all but contains boba (tapioca pearls). But Americans are like AH, YES, BUBBLES.


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Reply by Paul

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Ahh, that explains the hamburger. Thanks!

I like how Americans will sometimes make up names for foods that aren't American. Like you said, one of them being bubble tea (boba tea). Interesting how we can't just say boba. We go with bubble because it sounds similar. It's like, you can say "lo mein" just fine but you can't say boba?!? Lol.

In all seriousness, call it whatever you want. Life is interesting when we have different names to refer to the same thing. xD


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Reply by geekout

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I think the egg roll wrapper contains egg.

There's a thing called "egg noodles" which are noodles that contain egg. I suspect egg roll wrappers were, at some time in the past, made with a dough with egg in it.

I say this because I recall that some restaurants had, huge egg rolls stuffed with a lot of food that was more "loose" than the current style of egg roll. I could see that holding up better with a wrapper made with egg.


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Reply by Mrs turner

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i  get it  lol , its like oxtails but its not from a ox , its from a cow , i think . well i dont know where its from but its darn good 


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Reply by Vegan Prepper

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the pork "butt" is actually the shoulder of the pig lol


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Reply by emolovestory

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Hamburger is derived from Hamburg, which is Germany's second biggest city.


I think egg rolls are called that because the dough used to make them used to have eggs in it, but now it definitely makes no sense. Egg rolls are similar to spring rolls and both are absolutely delicious.



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Reply by Kitchen Staff

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My theory is that sometimes food is changed from the original form it took but still has the original name.


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Reply by Suburban Guy

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idk people make up weird shit


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Reply by ana key

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toad in a hole or whatever it is


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Reply by prettycat

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ive always thought that with hot dogs LOL


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Reply by xM00NP1X1Ex

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No because what British person looked at a Saussage and called it a 'banger' 


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Reply by Ashrr

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Reply by Ashrr

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Reply by -ˋˏZeeˎˊ-

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The egg roll wrapper is sealed up with egg so maybe thats why it's called an egg roll?


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Reply by Halcyon

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Food names are fun. I've been confused about mincemeat (typically pie/pastry filling of chopped dried fruits, fat, spices & nuts. Althoughh historically, it did include meat) and sweetbread (organ meat, pancreas and/or thymus gland) before. Trail mix is also referred to as gorp, which is a pretty amusing acronym for good old raisins and peanuts.


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i think maybe banger comes from a sausage's slight resemblance to a stick of dynamite.


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