Val writes, “I’m always fascinated by the different names a food has in different geographical places. When we lived in New Hampshire, shortly after moving there we were at a flea market with friends. The guy said “I’m going to get some tonic, do you want some”. Thinking he meant tonic water I passed. He came back with Cokes. I mentioned I would have liked a Coke and he said I just asked you and you said no. That was my first experience with foods being called something other than I was used to. So let’s see what you all call some things that I know have other names.”

1. How do you pronounce manicotti? Men-e-got, man-i-cotti or some other way?
2. What do you can the carbonated drink that comes in a bottle? Soda, tonic, pop, fizzy or something else?
3. What do you call a sandwich on a long roll? Sub, grinder, hoagie, hero, poor boy or something else?
4. Do you call it broth, boullion or stock? How do you make chicken stock?

You can visit Val’s site, From Val’s Kitchen, to find out her answers and also other people’s answers.  Here are mine:

1. Man-i-cotti
2. We call it a “coke,” as in “Do you want to go get a coke?” which could end up being Dr. Pepper, 7-Up, etc.  It’s kinda funny when you stop and think about it.
3. Sub sandwich
4. Broth is what I call the watery stuff that comes in a can.  I think of chicken stock as boiling the whole chicken, and when the liquid is chilled in the fridge, then the stock has the consistency of gelatin.   Actually, though, stock has veggies and spices cooked in with the chicken, and the liquid drained off is the stock.