Fancy a Soupe à l'Oignon?

Do you know what Vichyssoise means? 10 exotic dishes’ names explained

Credit: Sam Loyd

Whenever browsing through the menu of a foreign restaurant, the names can make food appear exotic, fancy, enticing, or straight-out odd. In these cases, the logic dictates that we ask the waiter for help. But a few of these foreign dishes have become famous all over the world and their names pop up in all sorts of restaurants, not just foreign ones. Take a look at the following ten and see if you already know the meaning of any of them!

Credit: Philippe Murray-Pietsch

A staple name when it comes to "fancy" meals, Coq au Vin is French for rooster in wine, even if the rooster is usually replaced with chicken. Coq au Vin was a peasant dish in origin due to the fact that rooster meat is tough and sinewy and it takes a long time to marinate and braise to make the meat tender.

As legend goes, this dish originated during the Roman conquest of Gaul. The rooster was a symbol of valor to the Gauls. The chief of the tribe Arverne sent a symbolic rooster to Julius Caesar to show they would never be defeated. Caesar returned this gesture with a surprising twist, serving the chief with a delicious dish of rooster in wine.

Credit: Mgg Vitchakorn

A literal translation of "spring pasta", Pasta Primavera certainly sounds Italian. But this dish originated in 70s America, not Italy. Sirio Maccioni, the co-owner of New York restaurant Le Cirque, initially introduced pasta primavera as an off-menu special.

Maccioni is said to have taken a dish of pasta, vegetables, and cream his wife had mixed from a hunger-induced raid of their kitchen, refined it, and started serving it to his guests. Despite its humble beginnings, pasta primavera gained huge popularity amongst diners and critics, eventually being adopted by home cooks in America and beyond.

Credit: Bakd&Raw by Karolin Baitinger

Just pronouncing the name of this dish sounds like speaking French. Vichyssoise is a soup made of cooked and mashed leeks, potatoes, onions, and cream, served chilled and garnished with chopped chives. It was invented in the early 20th century by Louis Diat, a cook working as head chef of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in New York.

Leek and potato soup is a traditional staple of French cuisine. 19th-century French cookbooks give recipes for a simple leek and potato soup, called potage Parmentier or potage à la Parmentier. The name Vichyssoise means "ice-cold cream from Vichy".

Credit: Toa Heftiba

A familiar yet exotic name, Chicken Tikka Masala is a dish consisting of roasted marinated chicken chunks in a spiced sauce, often creamy and orange-colored. The dish was created by cooks from South Asia living in Great Britain and is popular in restaurants around the world.

The sauce usually includes tomatoes, cream, coconut cream, and a masala spice mix. The sauce and chicken pieces may be colored orange using foodstuffs such as turmeric, paprika, tomato purée, or food dye. Tikka translates to "roasted", and Massala is "a mix of spices".

Credit: Becca Tapert

Moussaka is an eggplant or potato-based dish, often including ground meat, which is common in the Balkans and the Middle East, with many local and regional variations.

Many versions have a top layer made of custard or béchamel sauce.

In Greece, the dish is layered and typically served hot. There’s a vegan version that replaces meat with mushrooms or a mix of sautéed onions and rice. And, in Turkey, moussaka consists of thinly sliced and fried eggplant served in a tomato-based meat sauce, warm or at room temperature. The word moussaka itself translates to "cold, or dipped in liquid".

Credit: silvia trigo

Ceviche is a Peruvian dish consisting of fish or shellfish marinated in citrus and seasonings. The fish is usually cured in lemon or sour lime juice, marinated together with sliced or chopped onion, and served with chopped cilantro. The dressing also includes some local varieties of chili pepper or chili, replaced by mustard in some locations in Central America.

In Peru, it is served with garnishes of boiled root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, cassava, or, very rarely, potatoes, and grains or seeds such as corn, legumes such as zarandaja, fried plantain, seaweed, and lettuce.

Credit: Mulan Sukrisno

A colorful array of small Chinese dishes traditionally consumed for brunch, Dim Sum is commonly associated with Cantonese cuisine. In the 10th century, travelers frequented Cantonese teahouses for small-portion meals with tea. Cantonese dim sum was originally based on local foods. As dim sum continued to develop, chefs introduced influences and traditions from other regions of China.

Dim Sum has a very broad range of flavors, textures, cooking styles, and ingredients and can be classified into regular items, seasonal offerings, weekly specials, banquet dishes, holiday dishes, house signature dishes, and travel-friendly items, as well as breakfast or lunch foods and late-night snacks. The term Dim Sum translates to "touch the heart."

Credit: Viktor Ritsvall

Doner kebab is a dish of Turkish origin made of seasoned meat stacked in the shape of an inverted cone, turned slowly on the rotisserie, next to a vertical cooking element. The operator uses a knife to slice thin shavings from the outer layer of the meat as it cooks.

The sliced meat of a doner kebab may be served on a plate with various accompaniments, stuffed into bread as a sandwich, or wrapped in a thin flatbread such as filo. Doner kebab has become popular around the world as a fast food dish sold by kebab shops, and is often called simply a "kebab." The term, donner kebab itself, translates to "roasted lamb."

Credit: Alyssa Kowalski

An exotic dish that has become famous all over the world, Pad Thai is a rice noodle dish fried in a wok and commonly served as a street food. As Thailand's national dish, it is typically made with rice noodles, shrimp, peanuts, scrambled eggs, and bean sprouts.

Many of the ingredients on a Pad Thai dish are provided on the side as condiments, such as red chili pepper, lime wedges, roasted peanuts, bean sprouts, garlic chives, and other miscellaneous fresh vegetables. The term Pad translates to "fried".

Credit: Bakd&Raw by Karolin Baitinger

Wiener schnitzel is made of a thin, breaded, pan-fried veal cutlet served without sauce.

It is one of the best-known specialties of Viennese cuisine and one of the national dishes of Austria.

This dish is prepared from veal slices, butterfly cut, lightly pounded flat, slightly salted, and rolled in flour, whipped eggs, and bread crumbs. Finally, the Schnitzel is fried until it is golden yellow. The term Wiener schnitzel translates, literally to "small, breaded, veal cutlet."

YOU CAN ALWAYS STAY ON THE GAME

10 Healthy Activities Senior Adults Can Enjoy At Any Age

Credit: Ravi Patel

Being a senior adult in this day and age is not the same as it was just a couple of decades ago. The advancements in modern medicine have allowed everyone to live a longer, healthier, and more fulfilling life than ever before. And, as long as we take care of ourselves, staying active is possible at any age. We have compiled a short list of 10 things that can be done by almost anyone and can provide endless benefits to the body and mind.

Credit: Nikolay Tchaouchev

It is no secret that pets bring life and joy to any house, making it a home. Older adults can enjoy the company a dog or a cat can provide, as long as the breed is not too attention-demanding. Also, a pet provides a wonderful excuse to get outside and stay connected to others.

And, thanks to most senior living communities now being pet-friendly, residents can bring their companions with them.

Credit: Jacek Dylag

Like reading, music provides a welcome break from everyday life to anyone who attempts it, whether by playing it or simply enjoying it. Today’s seniors are part of a generation that revolutionized music and many have decidedly specific tastes.

Learning to play a musical instrument, any instrument, is a highly stimulating activity for the brain, at any age. And if playing isn't an option, listening to both old, familiar tunes and new music can be a delightful mental pastime.

Credit: Sarah Brown

Anyone who has ever attempted an artistic endeavor knows how immersive and rewarding it can be to spend time on your own, creating something for the pleasure of it. Many artistic expressions like painting or drawing require almost no physical effort and can be done either indoors or outdoors.

Watercolor and acrylic painting as well as drawing and sketching are all high on the list of avenues for artistic expression and, also, making art in a group can be an enjoyable way to engage with others.

Credit: rivage

Online games are not only for children and young people. At least not anymore. Connecting with others doesn’t always mean participating in an in-person event and chatting with friends and family online can be very convenient for people with reduced mobility.

Playing online games can help maintain social connections while training basic hand-to-eye coordination skills, which is especially important for senior adults.

Credit: Alexandre Pellaes

An excellent way of staying mentally alert and engaged is achieved by expanding one’s knowledge. Attending lectures in nearby locations is an activity that combines physical and mental exercise. But watching and even participating online is very rewarding as well.

Also, enrolling in classes of any subject that might be of interest is a great way of stimulating one’s mind at any age.

Credit: Christin Hume

Readingis one of the most fulfilling activities that require almost zero physical effort and almost anyone can perform and thoroughly enjoy. And, while traveling with the mind through a book’s pages can be done anywhere, it is especially suited for the indoors.

Book clubs are a great way to socialize and bond over a thing all the participants love: books and reading. This kind of groups can be found almost anywhere and many are especially suited for senior adults.

Credit: Markus Spiske

Getting your hands dirty while cultivating the soil is one of the most noble activities a human being can perform. And, nobility aside, is also fun, rewarding, and cheap.

Gardening is an enjoyable activity that requires almost no physical effort (unless you plan on cultivating really big plants) and it can be adapted to whatever space is available. Watching life develop, harvesting fruits and vegetables, pulling weeds, and nurturing plants is an endeavor that is well within most senior adults’ reach and provides enormous amounts of joy.

Credit: Anupam Mahapatra

Group exercises, like yoga, tai chi, or aqua gym, are fun and social ways to improve flexibility and balance, which are key to preventing falls in older adults.

Almost every neighborhood has a center or location where at least one group exercise class well suited for senior adults can be found.

Credit: Jon Flobrant

A good walk can provide a breath of fresh air and a boost to natural "feel good" endorphins. Walking around the community is an easy way for a senior adult to keep active, and can also be a good way of making friends.

Hiking and walking are low-impact activities that provide valuable exercise while stimulating the mind by discovering new places and creating memories.

Credit: Alyson McPhee

Last but not least, an activity that is rewarding for both the part that does the cooking and the one that does the eating. Cooking is really fun and therapeutic even for someone who has never done it before (as long as she or he stays away from overtly complicated recipes at first).

There are infinite websites and books available that teach how to cook anything and everything, tailored for each individual group of people, including senior adults. Just pick a recipe you enjoy and give it a try.