Britsh and American Equivilents
Common British and American cooking product (ingredient) equivalences
American to British Recipe Terms
Some common American ingredient terminology translated into the equivalent British term.
| American Term | British Term |
|---|---|
| all-purpose flour | plain flour |
| bacon | streaky bacon |
| bread flour | strong flour |
| broil | grill (with oven) |
| broiling | grilling (with oven) |
| casserole | bake |
| Canadian bacon | bacon |
| dark brown sugar | demerara sugar |
| eggplant | aubergine |
| flour | plain flour |
| graham crackers | digestive biscuits |
| granulated sugar (or just sugar) | castor sugar |
| karo syrup (corn syrup) | golden syrup |
| half and half | single cream |
| ham | gammon |
| heavy cream | double cream |
| light cream | single cream |
| molasses | treacle |
| navy beans | haricot beans |
| pie cherries | Morello cherries |
| pumpkin pie spice | mixed spice |
| seedless raisins | sultanas |
| semi-sweet chocolate | dark cooking chocolate |
| tomato paste | tomato puree |
| turnips | swedes |
| whipping cream | double cream |
| zucchini | courgette |
British to American Terms
Some common British ingredient terminology translated into the equivalent American term.
| British Term | American Term |
|---|---|
| aubergine | eggplant |
| bacon | ham or Canadian Bacon |
| castor sugar | superfine granulated sugar |
| courgette | zucchini |
| dark cooking chocolate | semi-sweet chocolate |
| demerara sugar | dark brown sugar |
| digestive biscuits | graham crackers |
| double cream | whipping cream, heavy cream |
| gammon | ham |
| golden syrup | light karo syrup (corn syrup) |
| grill | broil (with oven) |
| grilling | broiling (with oven) |
| haricot beans | navy beans |
| mixed spice | substitute pumpkin pie spice |
| Morello cherries | pie cherries |
| plain flour | all-purpose flour |
| single cream | light cream |
| strong flour | bread flour |
| sultanas | seedless light raisins |
| treacle | molasses |
| tomato puree | tomato paste |
| streaky bacon | bacon |
| swedes | turnips |
Comments
over 3 years ago
You are mistaken posting that seedless raisins =sultanas. The American equivalent of sultanas are sold as "golden raisins." They are, I believe made from green grapes rather than red or purple grapes.
over 3 years ago
You are correct about sultanas being dried white grapes. In England sultanas are smaller than than regular raisins. They are also a bit sweeter. Great for baking.AZZ
over 3 years ago
incorrect on British term for Swede, American equivalent turnip. NOT SO
American equivalent is rutabaga
about 3 years ago
Golden syrup is not same as corn syrup! You can sometimes get away with substituting one for the other, but you best not count on it.
almost 3 years ago
Castor sugar is actually baking sugar, which is a finer particle size than regular granulated sugar. Or bar sugar (from what I’ve read - I’ve only used baking sugar)
also called superfine can sugar. dominos distributes it everywhere in U.S.
over 1 year ago
over 1 year ago
You should really re-do this list. It’s filled with inaccuracies.
over 1 year ago
What is musqvarna sugar
this looks like a bad typo. sounds like muscovado sugar. you can substitute homemade brown sugar: 1 tbsp molasses to 1 cup granulated sugar. it'll come close, mores than turbinado sugar.
over 1 year ago
over 1 year ago
What is the American equivalent to cornflour in the UK?
i use corn starch when the brits say cornflour.
over 1 year ago
over 1 year ago
i agree with all the inaccuracies posted in comments. also missing: sweet paste. what is it called in U.S?
over 1 year ago
i use corn starch when the brits say cornflour.
over 1 year ago
this looks like a bad typo. sounds like muscovado sugar. you can substitute homemade brown sugar: 1 tbsp molasses to 1 cup granulated sugar. it'll come close, mores than turbinado sugar.
over 1 year ago
also called superfine can sugar. dominos distributes it everywhere in U.S.
over 1 year ago
Came across a British recipe and it calls for single sugar? Do you know what this is thanks
about 1 year ago
Is superfine sugar the American version of icing sugar
about 1 year ago
Icing suger is American powdered sugar
about 1 year ago
What does it mean when it says shortening?
I know what shortening is in USA but not what it's called in the UK. It's a solid, neutral-flavored fat often used in piecrust, cookies, or in frying. It often used to be partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, but since we've learned that is unhealthy, it's often palm oil now. You can substitute lard (rendered pork fat) also.
about 1 year ago
about 1 year ago
there is no such thing as single sugar in England. From a Brit. Also sultanas are much bigger and sweeter that raisins. Which is what there is here in .the States
about 1 year ago
I know what shortening is in USA but not what it's called in the UK. It's a solid, neutral-flavored fat often used in piecrust, cookies, or in frying. It often used to be partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, but since we've learned that is unhealthy, it's often palm oil now. You can substitute lard (rendered pork fat) also.
11 months ago
What is maze in England?
London, United Kingdom
9 months ago
I thin shortening is called lard in the UK
Ephrata, United States
8 months ago
REDO THE LIST
London, United Kingdom
7 months ago
Shortening sounds like lard - generally pork (or beef in some places) fat which makes piecrusts.
This is not the same as vegetable oil or palm oil, as it is not plant based.
I agree with everyone about sultanas. Maybe they are thinking of currants? I would need to find someone who likes dried fruit to answer that for sure.
Icing sugar I think is either confectioners sugar or powdered sugar in the usa.
Turnips and swedes are completely different (although to be fair they are both root vegetables) I agree that it's probably rutabaga in the USA. I think turnips are more white, as opposed to swede which is a yellowy/orange colour.
Not all bacon is called streaky bacon here! We have back bacon, streaky bacon, bacon joints (although to be fair that's very similar if not identical to, gammon joints), smoky bacon, bacon lardons etc. I prefer back bacon as there's less fat for the way we cook our bacon, although crispy american bacon is lovely.
Ham here is very diverse also... although yes what you call "a ham" is a gammon joint, or what we call gammon steaks the usa probably call ham steaks.
London, United Kingdom
7 months ago
For the usa lunch meat is accepted for pretty much all deli meat options. Here, luncheon meat is a very specific type of ham/deli meat so if you ask for lunch meat here you'll get that. Or maybe Spam. You would not get offered salt beef, honey roast ham, breaded ham, corned beef, sliced chicken etc.
What you call grilled cheese we call a cheese toasty. Or a Welsh Rarebit depending upon how it's prepared.
What you call pudding is absolutely not what you would get in the UK. Pudding here is similar to cake (think sticky toffee pudding) but it is made with suet. Likewise if you were to have a meat pie here (or pie as we would say) that would be made with regular pastry, but a steak and kidney pudding etc would be made with suet. Both of these would be steamed instead of baked in the oven.
I think it's not demerera which would be your dark brown sugar - demerara is more golden brown and has a distinctive smell. Whereas brown sugar is indeed brown and there are other types of sugar which are darker still.
TL;DR - this page needs a LOT of corrections.
Lynnwood, United States
3 months ago
Oh dear. So many problems here.
Hove, United Kingdom
about 2 months ago
We have both swede and turnip in the UK, they are different veg!
Monroe, United States
18 days ago
What is the American equivalent to Cream hardener. It was used in making a frosting like filling in a recipe I found. It called for 2 packets of cream hardener