How to order ethnic food like a pro

Have you ever dined out and wondered what to order? You are not alone. Many people refuse to eat at ethnic restaurants because they aren’t familiar with the food names, but don’t pass up good food just because you don’t know what ingredients are in the dish. Hopefully, this article will help you decide what to order an identify what you are eating.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• imagination

1. What those terms mean when dining in an Asian Restaurant
   
   Bean curd: tofu
   
   Bok choy: a milder tasting cabbage
   
   Crab Rangoon: a fried wonton filled with cream cheese, scallions and crabs
   
   Chow Fun: rice noodles
   
   Dim Sum: snacks made from various ingredients, in numerous shapes
   
   Ginseng: root that tastes similar to anise
   
   Hoisin: thick, tangy brown sauce made from soybeans and spices
   
   Lychee: a sweet tasting white fruit
   
   Mo Goo Gai Pan: stir fried chicken with mushrooms
   
   Moo shu: shredded meats, cabbage, mixed with scrambled eggs. Comes with paper thin pancakes for rolling
   
   Spring roll: similar to an egg roll with thinner crust
   
   Twice cooked pork: boiled pork that is stir fried with vegetables
   
   Wonton: dumpling filled with either meat or vegetables. Can be boiled, steamed or fried
2. Dining in an Italian Restaurant
   
   Al dente: cooking the pasta a little bit under-done
   
   Antipasto: usually a plate of hor d’ oeuvres that includes meat, olives and cheeses, can be served hot or cold
   
   Biscotti: Italian cookie
   
   Bolognese Sauce: pasta sauce with tomatoes and meat
   
   Bruschetta: toasted garlic bread topped with diced tomatoes marinated in olive oil and garlic
   
   Cacciatore: a stew prepared with tomatoes, onions and mushrooms
   
   Calamari: squid, can be fried or steamed
   
   Calzone: a pizza that looks like a turnover
   
   Cannoli: a tube shaped crunchy pastry shell filled with sweet, creamy ricotta cheese
   
   Carbonara: pasta sauce cooked with ham, eggs, cream and grated cheese
   
   Foccaccia: round, crusty flat bread topped with olive oil and spiced
   
   Formaggio: cheese
   
   Gelato: ice cream
   
   Gnochhi: dumplings made of ricotta cheese, potatoes, cheese and spinach
   
   Pancetta: cured, unsmoked bacon
   
   Parmigiana: dish is served with parmesan cheese
   
   Pesto: green sauce made from fresh basil, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts and parmesan cheese
   
   Polenta: cornmeal porridge
   
   Spumoni: light, foamy ice cream
   
   Risotto: creamy, flavorable rice dish served with meat, vegetables or both
   
   Zabaglione: custard like dessert made with wine, egg yolks and sugar
3. Dining in a French restaurant
   
   Aperitif : usually an alcoholic beverage, served before the meal
   
   Baguette: loaf of bread with a crispy crust and chewy middle
   
   Boeuf bourguignon: beef stew cooked with red wine, onions and chunks of bacon
   
   Boudin Noir: blood sausage
   
   Canard: duck
   
   Champignon: mushroom
   
   Charcuterie: sauce of onion, white wine beef stock and gherkins
   
   Coq au vin: chicken and wine stew
   
   Croque monsieur: a ham and cheese sandwich dipped in an egg batter and grilled in butter
   
   Crudites: raw vegetables
   
   Foie gras: liver, usually of a fattened duck or goose
   
   Fraise: strawberries
   
   Fruite de mer: a combination of seafood
   
   Haricots verts: string beans
   
   Hollandaise: egg based sauce thickened with butter and flavored with lemon
   
   Jambon: ham
   
   Nicoise: a salad prepared with olives, tomatoes, garlic and anchovies
   
   Petit pois: green peas
   
   Poisson: fish
   
   Pomme frites: french fries
   
   Poulet: young chicken
   
   Sorbet: sherbert
   
   Steak au poivre: pepper steak covered in covered in crushed peppercorns and served with a sauce
   
   Tarte Tatin: upside down apple tart
4. Dining in a Middle Eastern Restaurant
   
   Baba ganoush: smooth, creamy dip made from pureed eggplant, tahini, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil
   
   Baklava: a sweet dessert made from phyllo dough, honey and chopped nuts
   
   Falafel: deep fried balls, made from spiced ground chickpeas, usually served with pita bread and vegetables
   
   Grape leaves stuffed: usually stuffed with meat, spices and vegetables
   
   Gyro: sliced meat, usually lamb, roasted, usually served with pita bread
   
   Hummus: dip of mashed chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic
   
   Kefta Kebab: ground lamb mixed with herbs and spices, usually grilled or baked
   
   Pita: round flat bread that can be split to form a sandwich pocket
   
   Shawarma: thinly sliced meat rolled into a large piece of flatbread or pita, served with vegetables, tahini or hummus and sometimes fries, similar to a taco.
   
   Tabbouleh: salad, made from bulgur wheat, parsley, mint, tomatoes, olive oil and lemon juice
   
   Tahini : sauce made from ground sesame seeds
5. Dining in an Indian Restaurant
   
   Biryani: marinated meat or vegetables mixed with basmati rice and slow cooked in closed container.
   
   Chapatis: flat bread
   
   Daals: red, black or green lentils
   
   Korma: marinated meat cooked with onions, tomatoes, and traditional Indian spices
   
   Lassi: churned yogurt sprinkled with essence of rose water
   
   Masala: on its own is sometimes used by cookery writers to refer to the spicy sauce which you are using or have just made, as in "mix the spices to make the masala
   
   Mulligatawny Soup: pureed lentil soup flavored with herbs and spices
   
   Naan: leavened flat bread cooked in a tandoor or oven
   
   Raita: whipped yogurt mixed with diced cucumbers, cumin seeds, cilantro and min
   
   Saag: usually creamed spinach cooked with cheese
   
   Samosa: deep-fried pastry filled with meat, potatoes, peas
   
   Tandoor: a pit oven made with clay and heated by burning charcoal. Food is cooked slowly but evenly to retain its natural flavor
   
   Tandoori: food cooked in a clay oven, spices include cumin, coriander, cinnamon, mace, ginger and garlic
   
   Tikka Masala: chunks of marinated grilled meat cooked in a thick tomato-based gravy
   
   Vindaloo: very hot dish made by grinding chilies and spiced and cooking them in a gravy