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Asian cuisine is so different from what we are used to - starting with such unusual ingredients as sea cucumbers and ant eggs and ending with unpronounceable names; it often leaves us, westerners, quite baffled. Now, not many of us speak Chinese or Taiwanese, so when visiting, we seek the comfort of English menus to explain to us what we are about to eat. If luck is in, and you've found one in your mother tongue, your struggles to order are probably not over, as translating the food names is whole another art, with which we'd like to acquaint you.
Often, restaurant owners try to Google Translate the ingredients and names of their funny foods in the menus and if their mission fails they shamelessly declare, that they couldn't find the appropriate name. Other times, proofreading was skipped entirely, or maybe the owner just didn't care enough or couldn't understand the translation himself. Either way, the results are absolutely hilarious, and who in their right mind would skip trying the 'Mr. Oyster' or 'Mermaid in Deep Sea,' whatever that might mean.
So, if funny food names are what you live for or have a tendency to try and eat anything and everything weird, this totally lost in translation list is like hitting the jackpot. Now, scroll down to check these food puns, and funny fails for yourself!
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#1
An Interesting Chinese Menu
BitchPudding 10 years ago
I can't find on google but it's delicious? Baahahaha! I can't breathe! I'm dead! PMSL!
AndréGatos 10 years ago
Mermaid in deep sea seems hard to eat, if we consider all the water...
Roger Callon 5 years ago
You got it right there with the translations. 🐚=🚹👳🏻♂️ And 🍟=🚺👳🏽♀️
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Jiawen Luo 2 years ago
i thought that it was shittake like the s**t but it was a type of mushroom
RELATED:
#2
There's Something Wrong In This Menu
SallyannGriffin 10 years ago
I think we should start a petition about it :(
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Succulent 🇺🇦 3 years ago (edited)
Help I'm laughing to hard I will miss you in my grave pandas
#3
A Restaurant Menu I Found In China
#4
One Order Of Whatever Please
BenLim 10 years ago
Singapore really once sold canned drinks called Whatever and Anything. You won't know what's inside until you drink it.
LeeCaution 10 years ago
but that juice is called “whatever” for real，its Chinese name“随便”just means “whatever”.
#5
Stir-Fried Wikipedia
#6
Sochi Menu Translation Problems
TaylorSmith 10 years ago
it goes in as vanilla, comes out as chocolate w/corn
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ElenaBabenko 10 years ago
It should have been "ice cream in assortment". Russian language abbreviated the last word.
SusannaVesna 10 years ago
Assortment abbreviated. Looks like they didn't realise the horrific meaning! :P
Matan Yussman 3 years ago
Me: Can I get ice cream in the a*s? Waiter: Sure! *throws ice cream at my rear end*
TammyChapman 10 years ago
to Mmmm, what's really bad (and hilarious), is that I want to hear you holler...(from a different room, of course) when you do it. lmao So glad to know the real translation of that one.
Ambry Petersen 2 years ago
Apparently you can digest ice cream backwards according to this menu.
#7
Roasted Husband
AmandaHarlow 10 years ago
Like! That last kanji also has the meaning of power/stamina - i.e food for giving you stamina.
Mark Dalthorp 3 years ago
This is a typo in Chinese as well. The last character should say 麸 (a sticky gluten-y dish) not 夫 (husband). They are pronounced the same .
#8
Chicken Vs. Real Chicken
RJazz909 10 years ago
Is it just me or does anybody else wonder what is in this 'chicken' apposed to the 'real chicken'...
#9
You And Your Family
Okiku's Master (still Potato) 4 years ago
Thank goodness! I'm way too young to dieeee
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#10
Menu In Beijing
#11
My Friend Is Visiting China And Went To A Restaurant. This Is From The Menu
#12
Grab Me Now
142durandal 2 years ago
100 plus is a sports drink. Dunno what ast means.
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GlynisLailann 10 years ago
On my first visit to Hong Kong in 1988, the locals called Coca Cola "Haul Orr". For a couple of days I could not make out what they were talking about.
#13
My Friend Saw This On A Menu In China. He Didn't Know What To Order
captaingrumpy 10 years ago
I would have ordered it. When I went O/seas I ordered anything and everything. Sometimes it was good and sometimes.?
#14
The Sushi Restaurant That I Went To Accidentally Put A Picture Of USB Sushi On Their Menu
witono 10 years ago
You can download a new patch from iSushi, but its gonna cost you $0.99
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#15
Chinglish Menu: Cat Ear And Rotten Child
#16
My Local Thai Food Joint Has A Very Unique Interpretation Of Kid's Menu
#17
From A Menu In Shanghai
Ambry Petersen 2 years ago (edited)
Sounds tasty....not. So do they give you muscles and make you stupid.
#18
Not Sure If This Was A Typo On My Menu
#19
It's The Cheapest Thing On The Menu
DarcyPetersen 10 years ago
Yeah, it actually says that in Japanese, it's not a mistranslation.
#20
My Brother Went To China, This Is What Was On The Menu
Matan Yussman 3 years ago
No. Being Jewish myself I find this offensive. BP, please no more anti-Semitism
Jet 3 months ago
bro it's the name of a mush room it is called Jew's ear aka Wood Ear
Load More Replies... #21
Acid Beans
#22
Husband And Wife Lung Slice
Ile De France 8 years ago
NO SOUP FOR UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
#23
Ordering At A Restaurant, When Suddenly
#24
English Menus In China Are An Endless Source Of Amusement
MelissaNeese 10 years ago
Nobody noticed the dou shi vegetables? Ugh..I hate it when vegetables are douchey
#25
I Don't Want To Check Their Kitchen.
Final score:
21points
#26
Don't Order The Greenstuffs
#27
Crap Stick
#28
A Simple Typo Can Make A World Of Difference
Jerry Brentnell 4 years ago
one I got a laugh out of I was in niagara falls years ago and the sign on the burger king was only part light up ! it read home of the whop! cute
#29
Many Bandits
#30
Another Stupid Chinese Menu In Shenzhen, China
#31
Recently Moved To Shanghai And Found This At A Local Restaurant
#32
Menu At A Restaurant In Shanghai
#33
Birds Beast
#34
Best Menu Typo Ever
#35
Menu Fail
earringnut 10 years ago
coke is called c**k in china. it has to do with the fact that phonetically "coke" doesn't translate well.
#36
My Local Chinese Restaurant Needs Help With Their Menu
#37
Characteristics Of Mouth-watering
Devin Wong 3 years ago
Well it kinda is. 特色 mean specialty/characteristics and 口水 means saliva or possibly mouth-watering and 鸡 means chicken. So I assume that 口水鸡 must have the original meaning that the dish looks so good you instantly salivate
Load More Replies... #38
Spicy Crap Masala
JaapVerhoef 10 years ago
Dude, in Thailand, you get some serious spicy c**p. I guess they're just being honest about what's happening to your bowel.
#39
I'm Not Sure If I Should Order That First One
#40
Boiled Farmers Anyone?
Final score:
10points
#41
Explodes Fries Pig
Mark Dalthorp 3 years ago
Good heavens even the "shanxia" is incorrect, it should be "sanxia" (meaning "three gorges", it's a place name).
#42
Bugger
#43
Bottle Of Bears
#44
It Gives It That Extra Punch Of Flavor...
Final score:
9points
ChristopherYen 10 years ago
Translation is technically correct. Actually, it is trying to say when you bite it, the juice in the beef ball burst out like when you pXX.
Devin Wong 3 years ago
That dish could not be saved however you translate it. I was going to do “squirting beef balls”, but that ain’t better.
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#45
This Is How You Can Cool Down Yourself After A Hot Day In Egypt.
Final score:
9points
#46
This Menu Is A Little Exciting
#47
Found Something Unexpected On The Menu While Having Dinner With A Friend Today
MaD2Fan2018 6 years ago
Japanese food is supposedly laced with viagra. So if you get an erection. P.S It won't go away.
#48
Pig's Organ Soup
CandaceFormosa 10 years ago
It does actually contain pig organs. So yeah, it is correct.
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Lavendeer 201 3 years ago
Fr. This is rare in the US but I would love to try
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Gabriel Pang 3 years ago
What's wrong? This is a stall in my country, Singapore. We DO eat pig organs in A LOT of our dishes.
riri_shizu 1 year ago
As a Singaporean, the name is correct - we eat pig stomachs and intestines and others.
ChristopherYen 10 years ago
That is correct. Pig's organ, like heart, liver, brain, intestine, and stomach.
#49
Some Interesting Drinks
#50
Suck That Leisure Rod
Final score:
8points
#51
Round-cut Aborigine
#52
From Selçuk, Turkey - I Chose A Safer Option.
Final score:
7points
Sharon Skidmore 7 years ago
Artemisinin dumplings sounds a bit disturbing. Artemisinin is a chemical extracted from wormwood. I don't think that's what they had in mind.
Willi Waldmaus 9 years ago
That's not even a bad translation: http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/details/Food/cop_sis.html
#53
Local Indian Restaurant Had An Interesting Choice On Their Menu
Supergummyman17 3 years ago
Magic mushrooms are a natural drug that you eat, they give the same effects as weed
Load More Replies... PeytonMcIntosh 10 years ago
If you think this is special, you should take a look at Mellow Mushroom's menu, which is literally drug-themed!
#54
Not Hungry Anymore
Final score:
6points
ChristopherYen 10 years ago
Translation is technically correct. Actually, it is trying to say when you bite it, the juice in the beef ball burst out like when you pXX.
#55
Sensitive Meatball - Menu From A Turkish Restaurant
Final score:
6points
#56
Alexander Will Return With Yogurt! - From Menu Of A Turkish Restaurant
Final score:
6points
Jessie Zhang 3 years ago
Holding the yogurt proudly, Alexander returned sitting on his rice...
#57
Saw This Sentence On A Menu In China, Made Me So Confused!
Final score:
6points
Lizhang Wen 5 years ago
Tell the waiter if you want the above with rice or noodles. Every order comes with a small fruit platter.
#58
Simmer Chicken Cloud Ear
#59
Oh My, Alexander Is Confused! - Menu From A Turkish Restaurant
Final score:
4points
Nicole Freeman 1 year ago
Rotating sandwich? I imagined it like a sub sandwich on a lazy susan type of tray & spinning the tray part.
#60
Tonic Water Becomes ...
Final score:
4points
tom jones jr 3 years ago
We have enough toxic water in the river behind my house from all the coal dumping.
#61
Only If It's Warm...
Final score:
4points
EglantineTinegan 10 years ago
In French, "crottin" means horse poop. It's a cheese which has (roughly) the same shape and size.
#62
Don't Know If I Will Eat That Lao Potato
Final score:
2points
HexalYouichi 10 years ago
Dude you got a language or you entered the wrong country. Thats thai for your info.
#63
No, You Are The Best...
Final score:
2points
#64
When Pingyao Dogmeat Is The Safest Option
Final score:
2points
ChristopherYen 10 years ago
《Domestic life soil bean a round mass if 》- Homely Potato Ball， 《Syrup long chlnese yam 》 - Honey Long Yam， 《Water Fry Meat Bun》 - Water Fry Meat Bun （Cooking Method use is Fry using water, not oily）， 《Froth spongecake made with lard》 - Oily Rice Cake (Fried)， 《Sour picked cabbabe wish mound》 - Fermented Vegetables Fry Hanging Fish， 《The element frieS the Cat ear》 - Cat Ear (Something like Macaroni)， 《Fragrant Crisp cowpea》 - Fragrant Crispy Beans， 《Burn the eggplant》 - Oily Paste Eggplant - Fried Eggplant with paste， 《Stewed meat and mountaw mushroom》 - Mountain Mushroom with Stewed meat （Fried）
ChristopherYen 10 years ago
flower the chicken - "beggar chicken" When beggar catch a chicken, the poor beggar has no utensil to cook the chicken，but is able to find wood to make fire. So mud is use to cover the entire chicken like a soccer ball, then put it in the fire. After a while cover the burning fire with sand/mud. Wait more, before removing the ball. Then break open the ball, the chicken feathers will stick to the muddy ball, and you can then eat the chicken. Nowadays, they use aluminum foil. Try the chicken, if you come across it.
ChristopherChang 10 years ago
I miss out this one. Orchid Zhou Knife cut face - Knife Shave Noodle
ChristopherYen 10 years ago
Domestic life soil bean a round mass if - Homely Potato Ball Syrup long chlnese yam - Honey Long Yam Water Fry Meat Bun - Water Fry Meat Bun （Cooking Method use is Fry using water, not oily） Froth spongecake made with lard - Oily Rice Cake (Fried) Sour picked cabbabe wish mound - Fermented Vegetables Fry Hanging Fish The element frieS the Cat ear - Cat Ear (Something like Macaroni) Fragrant Crisp cowpea - Fragrant Crispy Beans Burn the eggplant - Oily Paste Eggplant - Fried Eggplant with paste Stewed meat and mountaw mushroom - Mountain Mushroom with Stewed meat （Fried）
#65
Winter Is Coming
Final score:
2points
#66
Squid Meters Flowers
#67
Diet Cock Please!
Final score:
1point
#68
God Fillet
Final score:
1point
#69
Fancy Some Mice For Dinner?
Final score:
1point
meamwayne 2 years ago
How is translating," rôtie," (roasted) as, "mouse," a good translation?
Load More Replies... #70
Horrible Way To Die
Final score:
1point
#71
I'll Have The Letture, But I Don't Want To Eat My French Friend!
Final score:
0points
#72
I'll Have The Letture, But I Don't Want To Eat My French Friend!
Final score:
0points
#73
You Will Feel Relaxed.
Final score:
-2points
#74
Handmade Knife Cut Noodles With Chicken ( Just As Bad In French )
Final score:
-4points
Emmanuelle Papillon 3 years ago
The French version in English: cut by the hand a knife to cut the noodles with the chickens
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What do you think ?
MacyWong-Thompson 10 years ago
It is really fun to read them if you can read both Chinese and English - I just can't help laughing....
Paige Nienaber 7 years ago
Or when you have a menu where every item is the same price. http://hotelnightmares.com/an-ocd-room-service-menu-on-crack/
MacyWong-Thompson 10 years ago
It is really fun to read them if you can read both Chinese and English - I just can't help laughing....
Paige Nienaber 7 years ago
Or when you have a menu where every item is the same price. http://hotelnightmares.com/an-ocd-room-service-menu-on-crack/
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