The title of a recipe gives the first impression of the dish and the author.
Located prominently, recipe titles are printed in special, large type, memorable to readers as units because they are official labels for the recipes. The title may be simply a word ‘Oatmeal’ to a more elaborate phrase ‘Bountiful Blueberry Pie with Spiced Whipped Cream’ to almost a paragraph, a format found more typical of earlier recipe titles. Fancy one from 1608: ‘To Make a Walnut, That When you Cracke It, You Shall Find Biskets, and Carrawayes in It, Or a Prettie Posey Written.’
Recipe titles vary in the way the dish is described.
Recipes like ‘Chocolate Ice Cream’ are straight to the point, highlighting the main components of the dish. Others include the cooking method, such as ‘Roasted Chicken’ or ‘Stir-fried rice.’ Some refer to locations, which lend to authenticity, such as ‘El Paso Beans,’ or conjure up an exotic locale, like ‘Tahitian Vanilla Bean Gelato.’ Some recipes go as far as promoting that they’re the ‘Best Ever Buttermilk Pancakes’ or the ‘Ultimate BBQ Ribs.’ Or, at the opposite spectrum, recipe titles can be self-deprecating: ‘Ugly but Good Hazelnut Cookies’ or ‘Wacky Pot Roast.’
Recipe titles may indicate the time, energy, and/or ingredient required.
Some promise speed (‘5-Minute Dip’), frugality (‘$10 Casserole’), simplicity (‘3-Ingredient Pasta’), or few kitchen equipment (‘No-Bake Pudding’). Recipe titles may focus on a health aspect with terms like ‘organic,’ ‘low-carb,’ ‘vegan,’ and the increasingly popular—‘gluten-free.’ Seasonality may be the emphasis, such as ‘Summer Potato Salad’ or ‘Winter Root Casserole.’
Some credit the creator (‘Bubba’s Gumbo’) as a way to remember the person.
It also adds credibility to the dish if the person is known for their culinary skills. The recipe title may indicate the very physique of the author (‘Big Papa’s Tartar Sauce’), social relation (‘Granny’s Apple Cake’), occupation (‘Fishermen’s Soup’), or place in history (‘George Washington’s Cherry Pie’). The personality of the author may be indicated, such as humor (‘Hokey Pokey’) and creativity (‘Meatzza’).
There are countless recipes, but a good and unique title will make the recipe standout among the rest and be selected and ultimately cooked or baked from. Whether the recipe intrigues, puzzles, or amuses, the title makes the prospective recipe reader want to know more. Titles may play off of words and/or use poetic devices to create an emotional reaction and/or curiosity. For instance, ‘Meatzza’- what is it? (a meat-based pizza dish sans the crust) or ‘3-Ingredient Pasta’- what are the three ingredients? Alliterations (‘Browned Butter Banana Bread’), rhyming (‘Dreamy and Creamy’), figurative language (‘Knock-you-naked Brownies’), and imagery (‘Juicy Fruit Salad’) offer other ways to attract readers/cooks.
A recipe title is a signpost of information about the dish and the author.
Thus, a recipe title is a signpost of information, implicit and explicit, both of the dish and of the author. The best ones are distinctive and memorable and keep in mind the recipe’s promise to readers, whether it is about how to cook fast or at leisure, simple or elaborate, healthy or indulgent, traditional or innovative.
As a recap, recipe titles tell us:
- what the dish
- the locale or region it originates from
- about a person, whether the author, relative, or memorable person
- the time, energy, and/or ingredient required
- invoke curious
- about the dish and who the author is
Let’s share stories! What recipe titles have you found intriguing, amusing, funny, or memorable? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Please share below.
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