Annoying Food Term Abuse

This may not be an American affectation but that's the only sort of show where I have seen it used. The British shows see to know better.

The term is 'au jus' which means served with broth or gravy (but technically a gravy is thickened with starch so isn't properly au jus). In other words served with the juices that come from the meat during cooking. The classic bistro dish is French dip which is a sandwich of shaved cooked beef served with a side cup of beef juices to dip it in.

The abuse is that I have heard many people say that they are going to serve something with 'au jus' which to anyone familiar with French or culinary terms sounds like they are stuttering - "with with jus"

Yes, "with au jus" is a classic from the Department of Redundancies Department.

One food term that I find often abused in restaurants is "homemade". Usually what they mean is ":made here at the restaurant". Not "made at home". There are rare exceptions. There is/was an excellent Greek restaurant in Naples, Florida that served a moussaka to die for every Wednesday. This was made by the owner's grandmother in her home kitchen and then taken to the restaurant to be served. Now that really is homemade.

-Paul W.

[Robin Garr]

I remember a diner in Upstate New York where the servers often inquired whether you would like some "aw juice" with your entree.

I've only seen Au Jus on menus when in the USA, and found out later that it is meat juices unthickened.

Here in UK its usual for gravy to accompany meat, and it's usually thickened with a commercial thickener which also contains dried meat juices, onions, herbs & etc. The big brand is Bisto, (slogan Aaah Bisto! ) my family have all complained when I've served gravy too thin. They like it thick.


You can also make gravy with Bisto without your own meat juices just by adding hot water

https://www.bisto.co.uk/

The abuse is that I have heard many people say that they are going to serve something with 'au jus' which to anyone familiar with French or culinary terms sounds like they are stuttering - "with with jus"

Yes, I have heard it often. I just quietly cringe and go on with the meal.

[Jenise]

On Sunday, we ate in a French restaurant on Whidbey Island. I ordered 'manilla clams with chorizo', in which the chorizo and accompanying broth was hotter than blazes. When I complained to the waitress, she said "oh but chorizo is supposed to be hot" like I should have expected it. No it's not, I informed her, 'chorizo' is merely the Spanish word for sausage which in fact is typically mild, and I personally have a very high tolerance for hot food--I love heat. So if I was complaining, the average customer with only an average tolerance would have been unable to eat it. I barely could. My point to her was that the menu should warn that it's spicy, and she had a responsibility to point out to customers that it's VERY VERY spicy. I ate it anyway, and suffered greatly later because of it. I've never had pure stomach pain as a result of hot food, but I did that night.

And that's abuse, when you make a food because its trendy, go over certain reasonable lines, and don't train your staff on how to sell it.

And you'd hardly expect blazing hot food at a French restaurant, would you?

Lull Farm in Hollis NH employs several Jamaicans. On weekends during the summer they cook up and serve excellent jerk chicken. Lull also sells jars of Jamaican-style hot pickled vegetables. The vegetables are julienned and mixed with vinegar and spices. There's a hefty dose of scotch bonnet chiles in there, too. I ate it all, including the spices (including black peppercorns) the first time I tried it. Half an hour later my stomach was in agony. Water with a good dose of bicarbonate of soda helped a lot.

-Paul W.