Your menu has a dirty mouth, and you might not even realize it. That
spicy pasta – spaghetti alla puttanesca – literally means “whore’s
spaghetti.” In the U.K., you’ll find “spotted dick” on store shelves. In
Alpine Europe, double-baked rye bread is called “Negerbrot.” (The last
part of the word means “bread,” and you can probably figure out the
first part.) They’re all legitimate food items, but Austria is hoping
some of these names have caused offense for the last time.
The country routinely serves up traditional dishes whose names point
to a time far past. “Zigeunerschnitzel” is a typical pork cutlet topped
with a sauce made of peppers and onions. But when you order it, you’re
asking for a plate of “Gypsy steak.” “Mohr in Hemd” is a dessert made
with chocolate cake and whipped cream. Translated, its name means “Moor
in a shirt,” a nod to the North Africans that have migrated to Europe
throughout the centuries.
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