Okra is a star-shaped vegetable that is a great addition to gumbo or served deep-fried. But some English speakers, especially in Singapore and the U.K., refer to them as “ladies’ fingers” because of their long and elegant shape. The vegetable is native to Ethiopia, but was widely cultivated across North Africa. The term “okra” in the United States comes from Igbo, a dialect spoken in present-day Nigeria.

It’s believed these hamburgers came to the U.S. in the 19th century from Hamburg, Germany. Go to Hamburg today, and you’ll find American-style hamburgers sold by burger chains, but you’re better off trying a more traditional beef patty called the “frikadelle.” The predecessor to the modern hamburger, the frikadelle has been eaten in northern Germany for centuries.

In South Africa, locals prefer their own version of beef jerky called “biltong.” It is quite similar to jerky, but there are a few slight differences. Biltong uses a variety of spices to give it an extra kick and distinctive flavor. It’s also a little fattier and chunkier than beef jerky and is processed using a more natural method — curing it with vinegar and air-drying as opposed to using a dehydrator.

This popular nutty spread is known around the world as peanut butter, but in the Netherlands, it’s called “pindakaas,” which means “peanut cheese.” Peanut butter is an American innovation and didn’t make its way over to the Netherlands until 1948. However, the Dutch are diligent about their dairy, so the word “butter” could only be used for actual butter made from milk.

Bell peppers are called by their Latin genus name, capsicum, in Australia and New Zealand. This is also the case in countries in Asia where English is widespread, such as Singapore, India, and Pakistan. “Capsicum” is the Latin name for the plant that grows bell peppers, as well as chilies and pepperoncini.

A “Berliner” is not a term for a citizen of the city Berlin, but rather a jelly doughnut. Some believe a 17th-century German recipe was the very first jelly doughnut recipe. Although Berlin residents call the jelly doughnuts “pfannkuchen” to avoid confusion, the popular, jelly-filled treats are called Berliners across Europe.

American ketchup king, Heinz, wasn’t sold in Australia and New Zealand until fairly recently. This is because the Land Down Under had its own version of the tomato, sugar, and vinegar-based condiment simply called tomato sauce. Heinz has attempted to market ketchup in Australia as distinct from tomato sauce, but ketchup connoisseurs have failed to find a huge difference between the two.

In English, the tangy, tropical fruit gets the name “pineapple” from its appearance. In most countries around the world, however, this yellow fruit is called “ananas.” When European countries began importing pineapples, most nations (except for Great Britain and Spain) simply referred to the pineapple by its native Tupi name, ananas.

Although a pudding is technically a specific dish — a squishy cake — the term is used to lovingly refer to desserts as a whole in the U.K. Some say this is a result of the entrenched class system in Britain: the working classes tended to say “pudding,” whereas desserts are generally more refined, sophisticated dishes.

Greek salad blends feta cheese and olives with sweet tomato and red onion. But in Greece, this classic style of salad is called a “horiatiki salata,” which translates to “village salad.” Greeks believe that the best food is found in the country’s rural villages — straight from the family kitchen with only a few simple, fresh ingredients.

As far as food names go, the humble baked potato is one of the most literal. However, the British call the baked potato something else entirely — a “jacket potato.” When you think about it, the name makes total sense: The soft flesh of the baked potato is protected by a thick, crinkly skin that can be easily taken off, like a jacket.

Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, Belgian waffles are a breakfast staple. But what you’ll see labeled as such on American menus are called "gaufre de Bruxelles," or Brussels waffles in the land where they were invented. Belgians also have another variation of the sweet treat called Liège waffles, which are slightly denser and chewier; they are a popular street food.

Any country can mix up a serviceable Bloody Mary, but Canada takes the beloved brunch staple in a different direction (namely, north) with the Bloody Caesar, the Parliament-declared official cocktail of Canada. The Bloody Caesar relies on Clamato (clam and tomato) for its base instead of pure tomato juice. This makes for a thinner but more flavorful quaff, so most Canadians go easier on the added seasonings.

In the U.S., the term “eggplant” has been used since the early 1800s and refers to the vegetable’s likeness to a swan’s egg. The U.K., however, opted for the name “aubergine.” The name is borrowed from the Catalan word “alberginia,” which came from the Arabic “al-badhinjan” and the Persian word “badingan” before that.

The tortillas that originated in Mexico and Central America have little in common with the Spanish tortilla beyond their round shape. In Spain, a “tortilla” is a frittata-like dish of eggs and potatoes, often referred to as a Spanish omelet. Many consider it to be Spain’s unofficial national dish. It can be served any time of day — for breakfast, as a snack, or as part of tapas.

Denmark's most famous culinary export isn’t originally from Denmark. In the 19th century, Danish bakers went on strike, so their employers hired cheaper bakers from Vienna instead. However, the Austrian bakers made sweet treats from home, including a folded pastry filled with cream, jam, or chocolate. The pastry was a hit with Danish customers, and the danish was born.

If you want to whip up some zucchini gratin in London, you'll probably be looking to pick up a courgette or two. The British name for the vegetable comes from the French word "courge," meaning gourd, and so a courgette is a little gourd. Whatever name you know it by, the zucchini is a variety of cucurbit, belonging to the same family as cucumber, squash, and melon.

Nope, they don’t call ‘em “French fries” in France. If you want to be quite proper, you’d order “pommes de terre frites” (“fried potatoes”). But few people are so formal about such a casual food, so it’s more likely you’ll order “pommes frites,” or “frites.” For example, the popular French dish “steak frites” is composed of — you guessed it — steak and fries.

How does one get to “arugula” from “rocket”? Both words have a common ancestor, the Latin word “eruca,” referring to a native Mediterranean plant species. Arugula was first known as “ruchetta” in Italian and later “roquette” when the vegetable arrived in France in the 16th century. On its way to the U.K., the “qu” was dropped, and the more English-sounding “ck” was adopted instead.

If you’re in the mood for a bag of potato chips on a trip to the U.K., you’ll need to be on the lookout for “crisps,” not chips. The Brits refer to the salty snack food as such because the word “chips” is reserved for what Americans call French fries.

In England, fries are called chips, eggplants are aubergines, and arugula is rocket — to name a few British food-isms. Biscuit is another term used differently by the two countries. What Brits consider to be “biscuits” Americans would probably call cookies or crackers. Often dipped in tea, they can be either sweet or savory, as long as they’re crunchy (not chewy) in texture.