13 Fake (and Real) Food Names

1. Brussels Sprouts

The ancestors of modern day Brussels sprouts were likely first cultivated in ancient Rome, not Brussels. Although the first written record of these miniature, cabbage-like vegetables came in 1587, present day varieties are thought to have been growing in Belgium’s capital since the thirteenth century, and the vegetable is popular in Belgium, but Belgium is not one of the leading world producers of Brussels sprouts. Depending on which style guide you follow, the B in “Brussels sprouts” can be capitalized or lowercase. The Chicago Manual of Style recommends lowercase because Brussels sprouts often aren’t from Brussels, so their editors don’t view “Brussels” as being used literally to refer to the city, but the AP Stylebook says to capitalize “Brussels.” For our first ruling, this one is kind of waffle-y. Brussels sprouts didn’t originally come from Brussels and the city isn’t a big supplier of the little cabbages, but they probably got their name because they were so popular in Brussels. If forced to choose, we’d have to say the name isn’t fake.

2. Scotch Eggs

The Scotch egg is a dish made from a hard or soft-boiled egg that is encased in sausage, coated with breadcrumbs, and deep fried or baked. Dotting the aisles of English supermarkets and gas stations, Scotch eggs are an undoubtedly British staple, though they do not hail from Scotland as their name suggests.

The treat has varying origin stories; one states that the Piccadilly outlet of the English department store Fortnum & Mason created the snack for its wealthy customers to munch on as they traveled. One theory is that officers of the Scots Guards who were stationed near the store particularly liked the dish, and that’s where it got its name. Another theory claims that the egg dish was created in Yorkshire at a restaurant called William J Scott & Sons where it was originally called “Scotties.” Some people speculate that the family name “Scott” may be the origin of the name “Scotch eggs.” According to food historian Annie Gray, a likely origin of the snack is that it may be an alteration of nargisi kofta, a dish that was brought to England either by soldiers returning from India or by the British Raj. Nargisi kofta is similar to Scotch eggs in that they...

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