Martha and Grant discuss more regional food terms. If you order Albany beef in upstate New York, for example, don’t be surprised if you’re served fish. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Albany Beef”
So Grant, earlier we were talking in the program about local food terms that vary from place to place.
I’m wondering if, being in New York there, you ever had Albany beef.
No, what is that?
Albany beef is an old term for sturgeon.
It turns out that sturgeon were really plentiful in the Hudson River at one point, to the point where they used to use caviar in taverns.
They would just give it out for free.
And Albany beef was a joking term for sturgeon because it was so plentiful.
I had no idea.
Well, here’s my question for you.
How many different names can you give for a fried pastry that has a vegetable or fruit filling?
Pretty much every culture has one, doesn’t it?
Hamantaschen?
Well, I’m thinking more like empanadas in Latin America, right?
Okay, yeah.
Empanadas in Portugal and Brazil.
Okay.
And samosas in India.
Paddies from the Caribbean.
In Iran, in Iranian food, they have sambusas.
I mean, they’re not all exactly alike, but they’re fried dough that’s been filled with a vegetable or meat filling, right?
Yeah.
It’s just interesting.
Every culture or many cultures seem to have the same exact, very similar kind of concept.
Right.
It’s just interesting to me.
I’m trying to complete my list.
Well, if you’ve got anything for my list, I’d love to hear it.
If you’ve got some food terms that are special to your hometown, we’d like to hear about those, too.
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