English food names explained: A culinary journey through language

Three young people sat outside eating pizza and smiling

Food is not just a means of nutrition; it can be a vibrant part of a culture's identity. English cuisine, influenced by its history, boasts a range of interesting and sometimes puzzling food names (some even puzzling fluent English speakers).ÌýLet's explore the stories behind some of the most well-known English food names.

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English food names explained
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Bangers and Mash

Let's start with this classic British dish loved and known by many.

The term "bangers" refers to sausages, which earnt its name during World War II when rationing caused sausages to be cut with things like extra water (to go further).

The extra water made them pop and bang when cooked.Ìý"Mash" refers to the creamy mashed potatoes that go with them.

Ploughman's Lunch

This traditional dish typically consists of a selection of cold ingredients, including cheese, cold meats, pickles, and bread.

The name originates from the idea that it was a meal enjoyed by ploughmen during their lunch break.

Bubble and Squeak

A dish made from leftover vegetables, usually leftovers from roast dinners. The name is said to come from the sound the vegetables make when they are fried—bubbling and squeaking in the pan.

Black Pudding

You might be thinking this is a nice dessert of sorts, but you'd be sorely surprised if it was served to you. Black pudding is a sausage made up of animal fat/blood and mixed with other things like oats and spices. This mix usually means its black in color.Ìý

It's a very old dish with a written record of it as far back as 800 BC, Ìýsuspected to have come from the Romans.

Toad in the Hole

Despite its odd name, it is a lot nicer than it sounds. It consists of sausages baked in a large Yorkshire pudding.

The dish's name is thought to originate from the sausages poking through the batter, like toads peering out of a hole.

Scotch Egg

While you might think the name suggests a Scottish origin, the Scotch Egg is actually an English creation. It is a hard-boiled egg coated in sausage meat and breadcrumbs, deep-fried until golden brown.

The term "Scotch" here refers to the process of coating the egg.

Eton Mess

A dessert made with strawberries, whipped cream, and meringue. It’s thought that the dish was created at Eton College, a famous English school, when a pavlova dessert was accidentally dropped and mixed together.

The resulting mess became a beloved dessert and was aptly named Eton Mess.

Pork Scratchings

A popular pub snack, pork skin/rind is cooked to become a crunchy treat. They were originally made to make sure there was no part wasted of the pig.

The name's origin is up for debate, but it could be due to the rind that would have been scratched/scraped off.

English cuisine may have some peculiar dish names, but behind each one is a story, tradition, or nod to history. Some dishes have come about from hard times, needing to be resourceful and others have just been created by sheer chance or experimentation.

Exploring the names of food allows us to delve deeper into the country's cultural heritage and culinary traditions. Next time you encounter an unfamiliar English food name, remember there might be a story behind it.

Have a think about what food names from your country sound nothing like the dish, and why that name is used. You might find some surprising similarities.

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    6 tips for planning your first English classes

    By Nicole Kyriacou

    You are nervous, yet excited. You want to appear relaxed and fun, but still be taken seriously. Most of all, you are keen to make an excellent first impression.

    With all that in mind - planning your first English classes of the year can be a daunting experience.

    Here are six things to consider when planning your first classes:

    1. Set clear aims

    Whether you are teaching young learners, teenagers or adults, it’s important you discuss the aims and objectives of the course from day one. You’ll need to learn more about your students' needs to do this. Why are they learning English? Do they want to prepare for an official exam? What activities do they enjoy? What things do they need to improve the most?

    The way you do this will depend on the age of your learners. For example, with adults and teens, you could get them to interview each other and write a report about what they found out. With younger children, do a survey they can complete using smiley faces.

    2. Find out students’ interests

    Although you should understand your students' needs and why they want to learn English - to help make your classes relevant and engaging - you should also discover what they enjoy doing outside of class.

    To do this, get students to write mini bios you can stick around the classroom. Or have them prepare presentations where they share something they are passionate about with the rest of the class - using coursebooks. As a class, go through the contents page, vote on which topics students find most interesting, and start with those.

    3. Break the ice

    You want your first class to be fun so that students are motivated, and associate English language learning with something they can enjoy. Ice-breakers can also be an excellent way to get to know each other and learn about your students' current level of English.

    Activities where students have to ask each other questions work well.

    4. Provide a comfortable environment

    Young learners and teenagers tend to be shy at the start of a course - especially if they don’t know each other. Develop a rapport and break down boundaries by including team-building activities in your first class.ÌýYour aim is to have all the students feeling more comfortable with each other before the end of the lesson so that there are no awkward silences in future lessons.

    5. Manage expectations

    Managing expectations is an essential part of a teacher's job. Make sure in the first class you are clear about what you expect from your students and what they can expect from you.

    Have students brainstorm the rules for the class and then make a big poster or ‘class contract’ which all students have to sign. Display the poster on the wall so you can always refer to it if someone misbehaves.

    Try to keep the rules as positive as possible. Instead of writing: 'Don’t speak your first language', write: 'Try to always speak English and ask if you don’t know a word'. If you are feeling really brave, you can even get your students to devise a list of rules for you which you can display on the wall next to theirs.

    6. Make it challenging

    It’s great making your first lesson fun - but there’s nothing more motivating than leaving a new class and feeling like you’ve made a good decision and you are going to learn lots (and you aren’t wasting your time or money). This is especially important for adult learners.

    So, as well as getting to know each other and finding out their needs, teach them something new. This could be 10 new pieces of vocabulary, how to structure a letter or report, or a list of resources they can use at home to practice their English.