Re: Connotations

Peter Bleackley <Peter.Bleackley@...> writes:

> Staving Costentin Cornomorus:
>>--- Peter Bleackley
>><Peter.Bleackley@...> wrote:
>> > Shall we go out for an exotic meal of tempura
>> > tonight, or stay in and have plain old
>> > fritters?
>>
>>OK, I'll bite: what's the connotations of foreign
>>food choices? I guess in this case between
>>Japanese (?) and Pennsy Dutch. I'm much less
>>certain of what either of them are, though
>>fritters sound vaguely fried, though I'm pretty
>>sure they're not chips.
>>
>>Padraic.
>
> The point is, that both "Exotic" tempura and "plain" fritters consist of
> food that has been dipped in batter and deep-fried. Yet the choice of a
> Japanese or English name makes them sound like completely different things.
They aren't the same thing though.  Tempura uses a different batter
than uhm... fritters.  Each technique also probably uses different
kinds of food for dipping.  I've never had fritters (unless you mean
fried potato strips :p ) but I can pretty much assume that there is an
identifiable difference between the two types of cooking.

It does seem vulnerable to abuse, I have to admit.  Someone could
improve business by simply calling their tempura fritters, or vice
versa, depending on the patrons of their restaurant.  Unless someone
comes in who's had both before, no one will be the wiser!


Starling

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