# Menus Lost in Translation



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

We often see items on menus which are badly translated and/or misspelled when translated into English, but it's usually possible to work out what they really mean. Today, however, I was stumped when we passed a place selling baked potatoes. Their vegetal one included the following ingredient - "creaking and hopeful onions"

What on earth can it mean? Any ideas?


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Lynn R said:


> We often see items on menus which are badly translated and/or misspelled when translated into English, but it's usually possible to work out what they really mean. Today, however, I was stumped when we passed a place selling baked potatoes. Their vegetal one included the following ingredient - "creaking and hopeful onions"
> 
> What on earth can it mean? Any ideas?


Creaking = Crujiente, as in crunchy perhaps, but hopeful is proving difficult...


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Creaking = Crujiente, as in crunchy perhaps, but hopeful is proving difficult...


hmmm - will have a ponder - hopeful has me stumped atm as well

It's funny that this thread should pop up because I've just had a disagreement with someone who claims to be an interpreter, on a local FB group.

A local bar owner had put her attempt at translating something on & asked if it was OK. 

I asked a couple of questions - it wasn't clear in the Spanish whether the bread for the sandwich was tomato & rosemary , or whether the pork in the sandwich was - & a couple of other things

This other woman said it didn't matter & just translated it as a pork with rosemary & tomato sandwich.....which actually turned out to be wrong because it's the bread - this 'translator' maintains it isn't important  

She also translated _Enslada Rusa con crujientes _ as Russian salad with crunchies.... yes, you could guess that it means croutons, as it later transpired the bar owner meant - but why not find out for sure & be accurate?


----------



## carquinyoli (Jan 5, 2016)

Just an errand boy, Ana Botella and I understand this English: *crujientes y prometedoras cebollas *(92%)


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

carquinyoli said:


> Just an errand boy, Ana Botella and I understand this English: *crujientes y prometedoras cebollas *(92%)


I suspect that these are "crispy caramelised onions." or "crispy battered onion rings"

However the placing of the adjectives may signify that they don't necessarily apply to the onions or not in their entirety. One needs to see the complete item.


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> I suspect that these are "crispy caramelised onions."
> 
> However the placing of the adjectives may signify that they don't necessarily apply to the onions or not in their entirety. One needs to see the complete item.


I thought about caramelised (how many things can you do to an onion after all), but how that results in _prometedoras_, I don't know, and caramelised onions are not normally crispy, are they? (Crispy is better than crunchy I think)


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I thought about caramelised (how many things can you do to an onion after all), but how that results in _prometedoras_, I don't know, and caramelised onions are not normally crispy, are they? (Crispy is better than crunchy I think)


I'm sure you are right about the creaking bit being crispy, but I can't see how prometedoras comes into it, either. They didn't even use Google translate to do it, because I tried that and it didn't come out as creaking and hopeful! No, caramelised onions are not crispy at all.


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

GOT IT

They are crispy onion rings - think prometerse - engagement rings - it's an outside the box job!


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

baldilocks said:


> GOT IT
> 
> They are crispy onion rings - think prometerse - engagement rings - it's an outside the box job!


You may well be right, I almost feel obliged to go back and buy one now just to find out - but they didn't really sound very nice so we may never know for sure


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> GOT IT
> 
> They are crispy onion rings - think prometerse - engagement rings - it's an outside the box job!


Sounds good.
But not on a jacket potato!!


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Sounds good.
> But not on a jacket potato!!


Who, in his, or her, right mind, would want to get engaged to a jacket potato in the first, or any other, place?


----------



## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Hi,
This is the best example we have ever seen - from the menu in a Korean restaurant.








We were not brave enough to order this item!
Cheers
Steve


----------



## carquinyoli (Jan 5, 2016)

It's not unusual to hear about something cooked: *esto promete*. Potatoes are a very neutral and ductile food, prone to receive all kinds of condiments and adjectives. But impossible to know 100 %


----------



## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

Was this the Spanish version crujientes y esperanzadores cebolla ?


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

maureen47 said:


> Was this the Spanish version crujientes y esperanzadores cebolla ?


See post 4

https://www.google.com/search?q=cru...fsiI_MAhWLWhQKHZBIBxIQsAQIJw&biw=1280&bih=713


----------



## DunWorkin (Sep 2, 2010)

Not about the potato but my favourite which I saw the other day is

Pizza four railway stations - lol 

Let me know if you don't get what it should be.


----------



## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

DunWorkin said:


> Not about the potato but my favourite which I saw the other day is
> 
> Pizza four railway stations - lol
> 
> Let me know if you don't get what it should be.


Most likely a four seasons pizza!

Quattro stationi = four stations
Quattro stagioni = four seasons


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Stevesolar said:


> Most likely a four seasons pizza!
> 
> Quattro stationi = four stations
> Quattro stagioni = four seasons


that's Italian!

You'd be right though -_ estación_ translates as both season & station in Spanish.


----------



## DunWorkin (Sep 2, 2010)

xabiachica said:


> that's Italian!
> 
> You'd be right though -_ estación_ translates as both season & station in Spanish.


Yes, Four Seasons Pizza in Spanish is Pizza cuatro estaciónes but as estación means station as well as season it is an amusing mistake that Google translate (or similar) can make.


----------



## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

But what does four seasons pizza mean?


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

AllHeart said:


> But what does four seasons pizza mean?


Best ask on the Italian forum!


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

AllHeart said:


> But what does four seasons pizza mean?


According to Yahoo:



> It is called "four seasons" because each 1/4 of the pizza has a topping which corresponds to a particular season of the year. The artichokes represent spring, the olives summer, the mushrooms fall, and the ham winter. Thanks to modern preservation techniques, these items are available year-round, but their traditional association with the seasons represents what season of the year these foods are typically harvested and preserved.


Which falls apart because olives are a winter fruit.


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

AllHeart said:


> But what does four seasons pizza mean?


How to Make Four Seasons Pizza: 5 Steps (with Pictures)


----------



## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

baldilocks said:


> According to Yahoo:
> 
> 
> 
> Which falls apart because olives are a winter fruit.


Right! And here's a recipe:

How to Make Four Seasons Pizza: 5 Steps (with Pictures)


----------



## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

xabiachica said:


> How to Make Four Seasons Pizza: 5 Steps (with Pictures)


Posting at the same time.  Aren't we smart?! Or should we credit El Google?


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

AllHeart said:


> Right! And here's a recipe:
> 
> How to Make Four Seasons Pizza: 5 Steps (with Pictures)


That recipe doesn't give you proper four seasons pizza.

Properly done, the pizza has proper divisions, usually separated by pizza dough ribbons and into each quarter one puts the appropriate food items to match each of the four seasons.

Toppings for the 4-Season Pizza / <i>Quattro Stagioni Pizza Topping</i>

However, I would make the ribbons thinner and tidier, that one looks like something from a grade one ®Plasticine modelling class.


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> That recipe doesn't give you proper four seasons pizza.
> 
> Properly done, the pizza has proper divisions, usually separated by pizza dough ribbons and into each quarter one puts the appropriate food items to match each of the four seasons.
> 
> ...


And that's exactly why I said ask on the Italian forum 'cos I'm sure there'll be 33.5 opinions of what is a 4 seasons pizza, just as what constitues Real Paella. At least they're in the country of origen


----------



## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

Some very funny meal time howlers there

My own example is a Freudian Slip which I uttered whilst having dinner with my wife

I meant to say " pass me the salt please dearest" but instead I said. "you've ruined my life you hateful bat"

How I chuckled to myself in the spare room for the next 5 weeks


----------



## The Skipper (Nov 26, 2014)

baldilocks said:


> According to Yahoo:
> 
> 
> 
> Which falls apart because olives are a winter fruit.


Well, they are harvested in the winter but they are not edible straight away, so could be correct!


----------

