Name-changing may jog our memory to Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, it is a practice that has hung around for ages, for one reason or the other. This time it is the Gujarat government which has grabbed people’s attention by renaming dragon-fruit to ‘Kamalam’. The freakish name change was made as the fruit’s name was associated with China, and because the fruit somewhat resembles a lotus. Of late name-changing of places and food-items in India has been in the connotation of nationalism; however, name-changing is done for various other reasons.
Here are a few food items from across the world which got renamed.
Rockfish to Red Snapper
Red Snapper is an Atlantic-derived, extravagant delicacy and the Rockfish is its Pacific version. The former has a better taste and feel, but fisheries often trick customers into buying rockfish as red snappers making them think that they are getting the better quality, as they are technically the same fish but from different regions.
Slimehead to Orange Roughy
Orange Roughies are large deep-sea fish which were previously known as slimeheads because of their mucus-filled canals on their faces. The name was changed to Orange Roughies simply because the former name made people squeamish.
Prunes to Dried Plums
Prunes are actually just dried plums. The process of a plum becoming a prune is the same as grapes becoming raisins. However, not all plums can turn to prunes, as most plums are grown for fresh consumption. The use of term “prune” for fresh plums is obsolete, except when applied to varieties grown only for drying.
Mudbugs to Crayfish
A new identity for mudbugs was desperately needed as the idea of having grimy creepy-crawlies on your seafood platter is not very appetising.