Culinary crime #1: It's not High Tea
Visions of scones, tiny sandwiches, and tartlets belong to a quintessential English tradition called Afternoon Tea. This is not to be confused with High Tea, which is a substantial meal of meat and fish dishes alongside plentiful breads and pastries served in the early evening at the main table. Afternoon Tea is a light meal in the late afternoon with tea and small pastries.
Culinary crime #2: There is no "Oriental" food
“Oriental” has somehow become synonymous with “Asian”, with respect to cuisine. Besides the vast differences between various Asian cuisines, such as Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and South Asian, the term “Oriental” is inaccurate in describing Asian foods, as the term originated in Europe to describe things that were from the lands directly to their east, what is now known as the Middle East. It was only later that the description of "Oriental" was extended to include Asia. More importantly, the term was used by Europeans to embody ideas of exoticism from the East. So, the terms “Orient” or “Oriental” have no concrete significance in food lingo.
Culinary crime #3: Peanuts are not nuts
Especially in the context of allergies, peanuts are discussed together with nuts like cashews and almonds. This is unfortunate, because peanuts are actually legumes - similar to beans - a dried fruit within pods of plants in the fabaceae family. Legumes usually have seams opening naturally on both sides. Nuts are an edible dried seed or fruit located within hard shells that do not open on their own.
Culinary crime #4: Chili and Chile
The distinction between chili and chile is often muddled. Chili is the short form of the Mexican dish, Chili Con Carne, where chile pods are stewed with tomatoes, ground meat, and beans. The correct reference to actual hot peppers in the Capsicum genus is chile.
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