The American food terms that baffle Aussies

Lost in food translation? These are the American food words that confuse Australians most while cooking.

Sonya Gellert

5 min read

February 17, 2024 - 3:36PM

You call THAT a coffee cake?

We’re living in an ever-connected, food-loving world.

And, if your social media feeds are anything like ours, you’ll have cooking videos and recipe ideas jumping out at you from all over the world. While we’re not complaining about it (we’re all about sharing inspiring cooking content), every so often we’re tripped up by terms we hear from US-based cooks. But, based on common Google searches, so are you. So, we thought we’d clear some things up.

Whether you’re an Australian searching for recipes or seeking cooking information online, or you’re an American visiting taste.com.au, there’s a list of food terms that always pop up as the ones that get lost in translation between us.

(And don’t even get us started on converting ounces to grams.)

The American food terms that baffle Aussies

Here’s what Australians and Americans are searching Google to find out.

In the US (and most parts of Italy), marinara sauce refers to a thin, tomato-based sauce that many Australians call Napolitana.

What is marinara sauce in Australia?

What’s in a marinara sauce? Well, that depends who you ask. In the US (and most parts of Italy), marinara sauce refers to a thin, tomato-based sauce that many Australians call ‘Napolitana’. It’s generally a simple combination of passata, herbs and garlic that you can spread on pizza or toss through pasta. But, when Australians talk about ‘marinara sauce’’ we’re usually talking about the popular pasta dish packed with seafood (‘spaghetti marinara’). You can read more about where we think the confusion stems from, in our marinara sauce recipe’s notes.

Jam is called jelly in the US.

Do Americans really put jelly on their sandwiches?

Yes, and no. When Americans speak about putting peanut butter and jelly on their sandwiches, they’re referring to what Australians call jam. So ‘jelly’ is ‘jam’ in the US. But what do Americans call jelly, then? Jello. Fewf. We’re not sure we ever want to see jello (jelly in Australia) stuffed between two pieces of bread. But peanut butter and jam we’re willing to try.

Americans call burgers sandwiches.

Speaking of sandwiches, why do Americans call our burgers ‘sandwiches’?

What Aussies would call a chicken burger (complete with a piece of fried chicken, lettuce, mayo and a bun), would be called a chicken sandwich in the US. Why? Because in the US, a burger is a name that’s only used for a dish that contains a ground meat patty (be it beef, fish, chicken or otherwise) between two buns. If it’s just a whole piece of meat, or haloumi or a large mushroom, for example, it’s still a sandwich to an American. Bacon and egg ‘burger’? Not without a patty. Here? We’ll call anything between a burger bun (whether it has a hamburger patty or not) a burger (and we’ll probably put beetroot or pineapple on it too).

American pancake recipes call for more ingredients than Australian pancake recipes.

What are hotcakes, griddle cakes and flapjacks in Australia?

In America, hotcakes, griddle cakes and flapjacks are all names for pancakes (although the term ‘pancake’ is used in the US too). Generally, American pancake recipes call for more ingredients than Australian pancake recipes, and usually contain an additional raising agent like baking powder (or baking soda) to create added height.

(Side note: flapjacks in the UK are something entirely different. We have a recipe for British flapjacks that’ll demonstrate the difference perfectly).

American food: In the US what are known as peppers or ell peppers are what Aussies call capsicums.

What are peppers in Australia?

It’s interesting to see how differently everyday vegetables are named between the US and Australia. When Australians see the word ‘peppers’ in a recipe, many think of crushed peppercorns, which we use to season dishes alongside salt, or even chilli peppers. In the US (and many other countries) what are known as peppers or ‘bell peppers’ are what Aussies call ‘capsicums’. Look, we’re not here to question it – we just roll with it.

Scallions refer to spring onions.

What are scallions in Australia?

Oh boy. This topic is always a tricky one because even Australians tend to have differences of opinion on what we call the US’s ‘scallions’ here. Generally speaking, scallions refer to ‘spring onions’ (the long green variety with the bulb on the end). Alas, some Australians also call these (and the variety without a bulb) ‘shallots’ (not to be confused with the small brown eschallots). Still scratching your head? Luckily we have a whole article about this very issue to clear up any onion confusion.

American food: What Americans call biscuits are very similar to our scones.

What’s a biscuit in the US?

As we know, biccies or biscuits in Australia are essentially what an American would call a ‘cookie.’ We give the name ‘biscuit’ to both sweet and savoury varieties, and bites of many different shapes and textures (from Anzac biscuits to Tim Tams, to crackers). ‘Cheese and biccies’ could refer to water crackers or Jatz, for example. But what Americans call ‘biscuits’ are very similar to our scones (although they’re often served as a savoury meal accompaniment with gravy). You can try making American-style buttermilk scones at home.

American food: In a shocking turn of events, an American coffee cake does not contain any coffee.

What’s in a coffee cake?

If you ask an Aussie, a coffee cake is any cake that is flavoured with or tastes like coffee. It must be the same in the US, right? Right? Wrong. In the US the coffee cake is a specific type of cake with a bread-like consistency, which often contains sour cream (we have a recipe for a coffee cake of this style). In a shocking turn of events, an American coffee cake does not contain any coffee.

In the US, casseroles are also baked dishes (generally with a protein), but are often topped with dairy products.

So what’s a casserole in America?

Have you ever looked at an American green bean casserole, or potato casserole (a potato bake or gratin, to us) and thought, ‘wait, that’s not a casserole?’. You’re not alone. In Australia, a casserole is generally a stew that’s been cooked in a deep dish in the oven. They’re often slow-cooked meals. In the US, casseroles are also baked dishes (generally with a protein), but are often topped with dairy products and sometimes thickened by flour, for example (so gratins can be included in this category). It’s a subtle difference but it tends to cause confusion when searching for recipes from either country. In the end, both are delicious comfort dishes.

What is whole milk in Australia?

If you’ve ever seen ‘whole milk’ in an American recipe and wondered what to use as a substitute, it’s the same as ‘full cream milk’ in Australia.

What’s half and half in Australia?

While half and half isn’t readily available on supermarket shelves here in Australia, it’s easy enough to replicate at home. It’s equal parts cream and full cream milk. Thinner than cream, thicker than milk, half-and-half is as simple as mixing those two ingredients in equal parts together.

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