New Food Words in the Dictionary

(Photo: Leo Reynolds)

OMG, did you hear? The Oxford English Dictionary has revised its latest edition to include new “words” such as FYI, BFF and LOL. Yes, let’s all take a moment and ROFL at that for a moment. What you might not know is the esteemed book also included some new food words. Some of them are under-the-radar food phrases, while many are probably already in your daily vernacular, which makes me wonder why they weren’t already in the dictionary, I mean WTF.

Keep reading to see some of our favorite food terms that are now officially legit, in alphabetical order.

Banh Mi

We were talking about the banh mi back in 2009, and by now it’s become so popular that it’s being called the new cupcake and there are even competitions dedicated to this once humble Vietnamese dish. This is clearly not your average sandwich so you had better get used to it.

“a Vietnamese snack consisting of a baguette (traditionally baked with both rice and wheat flour) filled with a variety of ingredients, typically including meat, pickled vegetables, and chili peppers:along with classic banh mi, there are refreshing cold noodles and exceptional bowls of soup.”

Eton Mess

Eton isn’t just home to the humble beginnings of one future King of England; it’s also the namesake of this ambiguous mess of ingredients. I think I’ve lived in the U.S. too long because I had no idea what this English specialty was let alone understand its definition. So I thank the good folks over at OED for explaining it for me.

“a dessert consisting of a rough mixture of whipped cream, pieces of meringue, and fruit, typically strawberries.”

(Photo: Garrettc)

Kleftiko

No longer just a dish composed of lamb, many have adapted the kleftiko as a style of cooking rather than the ingredient itself.  Either way, if you’ve ever eaten at a Greek restaurant odds are you’ve had this tasty morsel of meat. 

“a Greek dish consisting of lamb marinated with lemon juice and herbs and cooked slowly in a sealed container.”

Momo

“(in Tibetan cooking) a steamed dumpling filled with meat or vegetables.”

Muffin Top

Just for shits and giggles I had to include this in the list. For the record I think the muffin top is not solely a female affliction. I’ve seen many a male friend (me included) who is the not-so proud owner of a little extra fat around the waist.

“a roll of fat visible above the top of a pair of women’s tight-fitting low-waisted pants.”

(Photo: Practical Fashionista)

Nom Nom

Now this is just ridic (is that a new word, because it should be). Nom nom, really? I’ve never heard of this term prior to researching this piece so I’d love to know if it is something commonly used enough to be worthy for inclusion in a dictionary?

“used to express pleasure at eating, or at the prospect of eating, delicious food: chili and cornbread for dinner, nom nom!”

(Photo: Peyton C. / Cutest Eaters)

Taquito

Thanks to you and your late night drunk food binging we now have the inclusion of 7-Eleven and their crap to add to our lexicon: the taquito. Other than seeing them continually turn on warm rollers I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in an actual restaurant, never mind eaten one.

“a crisp-fried Tex-Mex snack.”

Ten Second Rule

We’ve all done it so go on and admit it now. There’s one bite left of that delicious brownie and it falls to the floor — need not fret, the OED has excused you of your bad habit by introducing the 3, 5 or 10 second rule to your vocabulary, however long you favor. In the interest of full disclosure I do not condone any second rule when cooking for friends. Sorta.

“which allows for the eating of a delicious morsel that has fallen to the floor, provided that it is retrieved within the specified period of time.”

(Photo: The Truth About All)

So ES-ers, what food words do you think need to be included in next year’s Oxfrod English Dictionary update”