Study shows Australians find menus too confusing
Shakshuka, salmagundi and amuse bouche are some of the dishes appearing on Australian menus that are leaving diners baffled.
A new study has revealed most Australians do not understand half the items they read on restaurant menus.
Research from OpenTable shows that a whopping 74 per cent of diners need to ask waitstaff to explain items on the menu to them.
A new study has revealed most Australians don't understand half the items they read on menus. Pictured is the most misunderstoof term - mirepoix - diced mixed vegetables cooked for a long time on a gentle heat
Research shows 74 per cent of diners need waitstaff to explain items on the menu . Second on the misunderstood list was salmagundi (pictured) a salad of cooked meats, seafood, vegetables, fruit, leaves, nuts and flowers and dressed with oil, vinegar and spices
Furthermore, more than 40 per cent of restaurant customers said they felt uncomfortable admitting they didn't know the meaning of a word on a menu.
Only 37 per cent attempted to pronounce the confusing words on their own without checking for clarification first.
The most confusing menu item was mirepoix - diced mixed vegetables cooked for a long time on a gentle heat.
Coming in second was salmagundi a salad of cooked meats, seafood, vegetables, fruit, leaves, nuts and flowers and dressed with oil, vinegar and spices
Coming in third was shakshuka (left) - baked eggs in a sauce of tomatoes, onion and capscium, while beignets (right) - a deep fried choux pastry - also confused diners
The study showed more than 40 per cent of restaurant customers said they felt uncomfortable admitting they didn't know the meaning of a word on a menu. Pictured is blanquette de veau, a French veal ragout rating at number 10 on the list
Only 37 per cent of people attempt to pronounce the confusing words on their own without checking for clarification first. ABout 61 per cent of people were not familiar with amuse bouche - single, bite-sized hors d'œuvres or starters
These were followed by shakshuka, a dish of baked eggs poached in a sauce of tomato, red capsicum, onions and spices.
The fourth-most confusing men item was pan haggerty, more commonly known as potato bake - a dish of baked potatoes, onions and cheese.
The age group most likely to ask for advice with menu items is Gen Y with 83 per cent of young people the most confused when it came to interpreting menus.
Pan haggerty (left), more commonly known as potato bake, was also an unknown dish. About 62 per cent of people were also unfamiliar with en papillote (right), a method of cooking where food is put into a folded pouch or parcel and then baked
Diners were also confused by lardo (pictured), a a type of salumi made by curing strips of fatback with rosemary and other herbs and spices
Meuniere (pictured), which commonly refers to fish dishes describes a cooking process whereby the fish is dipped in flour, sautéed in butter, and sprinkled with lemon juice and chopped parsley
In comparison, 73 per cent of Gen X said they would ask for help and 68 per cent of Baby Boomers would also ask for menu assistance when dining out.
OpenTable's Lisa Hasen said today's chefs were reinventing classic techniques and international dishes.
'By pushing these boundaries to enhance the dining experience, some Australian diners are being challenged to keep up with food jargon; however it definitely hasn't dampened their thirst for trying new dishes or cuisines,' she said.
The OpenTable report was done by Galaxy Research in October 2016 and surveyed a sample of 1,265 people across Australia.
WHAT ARE THE TOP 10 MOST CONFUSING MENU ITEMS? 1. Mirepoix (68%) - diced mixed vegetables cooked for ages on a gentle heat 2. Salmagundi (68%) - a salad of cooked meats, seafood, vegetables, fruit, leaves, nuts and flowers and dressed with oil, vinegar and spices 3. Shakshuka (66%) - baked eggs in a sauce of tomatoes, onion and capsicum 4. Pan haggerty (65%) - a vegetarian side dish of baked potatoes, onion and cheese 5. Meuniere (63%) - commonly refers to fish dishes, is a cooking process where the fish is dipped in flour, sautéed in butter, and sprinkled with lemon juice and chopped parsley 6. Beignet (63%) - the French term for a pastry made from deep-fried choux pastry 7. En papillote (62%) - a method of cooking where the food is put into a folded pouch or parcel and then baked 8. Lardo (61%) - a type of salami made by curing strips of fatback with rosemary and other herbs and spices 9. Amuse bouche (61%) - single, bite-sized hors d'œuvres or starters 10. Blanquette de veau (61%) - a French veal ragout in which neither the veal nor the butter is browned in the cooking process
The age group most likely to ask for advice with menu items is Gen Y with 83 per cent of young people the most confused when it came to interpreting menus (stock image)