As I experience a wider variety of food, I have noticed that some words used to name a food are not always the original or most common name of the food. I’m intrigued by the fact that these food euphemisms exist. By this I mean the fact that some foods need to be given alternative names because of the perception that less people would eat that food if its original name was used. Below are a list of several food euphemisms that I could think of.

Sweetbreads
Neither sweet nor bread, but the thymus gland or pancreas of a young animal, usually a lamb or calf, just doesn’t sound as tasty.

Chilean sea bass
This fish really has no relation to a bass, but it sure sounds better than calling it a Patagonian toothfish.

Foie gras and escargot
If you call something by its fancy French name, then maybe people will feel refined when they are eating goose liver and snails.

Sunchokes
Everyone has warm feelings about the sun. But everyone might not have those same feelings about Jerusalem, which may be why Jerusalem artichokes were renamed.

Canola oil
Renamed to mean “Canadian oil, low acid” because you can understand why rapeseed oil just wouldn’t sell.

Squab
It’s just a pigeon. The same bird that populates major cities across the globe.