Where do things like charcuterie and similar trends come from?

[Chris P Bacon]

I'm just curious as to how I lived my entire life up to this point without knowing that salami and ham on a plate were called charcuterie. Is this just a plot by Oscar Myer and Hormel to sell more lunchmeat by giving it a fancy name? Does charcuterie give one some special powers that plain old pimento loaf does not? I don't mind that it's a recent addition to something that I'll probably consider useless information forever but life seems complicated enough without having to learn new words every day. So many people get upset about foreigners "taking" jobs away from Americans or that companies are sending jobs overseas, yet no one seems to mind that a foreign sounding word has replaced bologna. I ask only, I repeat I only ask from a point of curiousness. Wasn't fondue a "thing" at one point in the past? When was the last time you saw a commercial or a new recipe for that? Next thing you know, people'll be wanting to put pineapple on pizza! Sacré bleu or sacrilege?

 

[CinnamonSugar]

It’s kind of like Crudités for plain ol’ raw vegetable sticks, I guess. A French or Italian word sounds more dignified. I’m with you… call it like you see it, unless there’s a good reason, like the Queen is dropping by for lunch

 

[jujube]

It only works if you say "charcuterie" with your nose in the air. Otherwise, it's just sliced salami on a 2x8.

 

[Capt Lightning]

"Charcuterie" is a French term originally referring to a pork butcher's shop. In UK English it has come to mean a variety of cured meats (often pork) that are ready to eat eg. Salami, Chorizo etc. It's not a matter of inventing a new word, but using a traditional term to describe the type of meat product.

As for Crudités, that is another French term, but derived from Latin, so the name goes back a long way. These are not 'trends', but perfectly good words in use for a long time.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Sell the sizzle not the steak!