How to Pronounce Bruschetta
Filed under How To, Italian Food | Comments (6)
Every time I order bruschetta in a restaurant and pronounce it properly (brusˈket.ta) the server invariably says, "Oh, you mean the brushetta?" Then they look at me as if to say, "You poor uncultured little thing." It happened again last night.
I wouldn't care how they pronounced it if they didn't correct me in that annoying way. Isn't it maddening when you pronounce something properly and someone corrects you?
Attention all restaurant servers in America and anyone else who wants to know:
"ch" in Italian is always pronounced with a hard "k" sound. (Think chianti, pinocchio, and zucchini). Being part Italian and having lived there I can guarantee you that it is not pronounced with a "sh" sound.
If you choose to pronounce it wrong that's your choice, but please don't correct paying customers who know the proper way to pronounce it! Don't take my word for it. Here's what Wikipedia has to say:
It is worth noting that in Italian, bruschetta is pronounced [brusˈket.ta], though in English-speaking countries it is commonly mispronounced. The noun "bruschetta" is from the verb in the Roman dialect "bruscare," meaning "to roast over coals."
So there you have it. You snotty restaurant servers can "chiss" my ass!
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Posted by Tracy on July 12, 2007 10:19 AM | DIGG | del.icio.us | furl
Thanks for the lesson. I´m not a server, I´m Swedish, and we pronounce "sch"
like "sh" in shoe. I shall never do that again.
I couldn't agree with you more! It bothers me to no end to go to a *supposedly* Italian restaurant for supper, order the ** brusˈket.ta **, and have the server repeat back to me, "Oh, you'd like the bruSHetta?"
Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh!!
On top of it, this *always* happens at one particular restaurant we've been to several times...the name of that restaurant? (it's a chain in Canada) -- Chianti's.
:/
I swear, next time we go there and order the *brusˈket.ta*, when they repeat it back to me incorrectly, I'm going to stop and ask them how they pronounce the NAME of their restaurant!!
When they say, "Kianti's", I'll reply, well, if you don't pronounce "Chianti" - "Shianti", then you shouldn't be pronouncing *brusˈket.ta* - "bruSHetta."
Is it too much to think the info would get around to all the wait staff at the restaurant?! Oh...probably....
Anyway...Thanks for your excellent post! It totally made me laugh out loud, as I could picture it all happening....it's happened to me so.many.times!
This happened to me and my husband tonight. My husband ordered, and the waiter said, "the brushetta?" And I told him that it was actually pronounced "brusketta" because it's Italian. When he served it, he pronounced it correctly.
Exactly the same situation has happened to me - over here in Australia.
Ordered bruschetta with the "K" sound, as I've always known it to be in my italian studies (plus being from a portuguese background.. the 'ch' is also a hard "K")
My mouth must of dropped slightly when I had the waitress tell me "Oh no, your not pronouncing it right at all! its bruShetta!" to rub it in... she repeats it a second time (as if to follow) "... bruShetta!"
well I was left in total amazement when she abruptly walked off with the order and pretty annoyed at being looked down, especially as I consider my pronunciation of Italian to be on the ball.
Thanks for clearing up the fact! :)
I totally agree and one of my pet peeves. Especially when the server does look at you in a condescending manner. I don't understand why it occurs but take the same server to a Spanish/Mexican or taco bell and they roll their R's and think they are hispanics all of a sudden. Chef Boyardee may have made his name an American staple but Italy has more to offer than that and really bad version of pizza.
That bugs me, too! I hope when it happens, you tell them exactly what you wrote here.