Bajan retronymy, or, der Sauerampfer, der es nicht ist

[muckefuck]

I thought I'd written about retronyms here before, particularly in the context of the Americas, but if so I can't find the entry. (Surprising, because it really is one of my favourite topics in lexicography.) In any case, a rather confusing new example came down the pike recently: One of my co-workers is from Barbados (in the Lesser Antilles). When I mentioned that there was an African/Caribbean market near me where we'd managed to find jugo de naranja agria for mojo criollo, she asked me to keep an eye peeled next time I visited for "sorrel".

I was intrigued; I've never really heard of anyone cooking with sorrel outside of northern Europe (particularly Germany and Latvia) so I asked her what the Barbadians used it for. "Oh, we make a drink out of it." Really? Must be awfully sour! "No, it's kind of sweet." Hmmm....I described to her the plant I was thinking of--herbaceous, low-growing, wide leaves--and, sure enough, it didn't match the woody shrub she was thinking of at all.

About a week later, she appeared while I was at the front desk and said "roselle". Huh? Oh, right, so it's not common sorrel at all, but a species of hibiscus. And so the drink made from it is just a Caribbean version of good old jamaica, the sweet tea of Mexico. Nice to have that cleared up before I decided to experiment with Sauerampfertee on my own!

Comments

[bwillsouth.livejournal.com]

The only reason I know the word "Sauerampfer" is because of a comedy from the DDR-Zeit called "Karbid und Sauerampfer". It's actually very amusing, and for me it was somewhat surprising that it wasn't censored until I realized the main character is a determined, selfless proletarian.

[snowy-owlet.livejournal.com]

I've had sorrel in a Caribbean restaurant, and it was very different from jamaica.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Different how? Sharper, sweeter, tarter, more bitter, less floral, what? I've yet to see it at any of the few Caribbean restaurants I've visited.

[snowy-owlet.livejournal.com]

Sweeter, less floral, and more herbal. I really liked it. It had an earthy tang to it. It was also a darker, more orange red.

[thedeli.livejournal.com]

In contrast, I only know 'sorrel' as being a common name for hibiscus, and was surprised to learn that oxalis is AKA 'wood sorrel'. Your third, common, leafy variety is relatively unknown to me.

[tyrannio.livejournal.com]

I've always thought that roselle was the same as Gongura, but Wikipedia claims it's a closely related species instead.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

It can be said that there is no person from Andhra Pradesh who does not know Gongura or who does not like Gongura.

It can be said...but would it be accurate? What does it matter, this is Wikipedia after all! (Or perhaps do they take out all the babies who won't eat gongura and drown them, like they do Thai children who won't eat cilantro?)

[richardthinks.livejournal.com]

I was caught off-guard by sorrel a couple of years ago in a Jamaican restaurant, in just the same way (and it was red!?!). Thank goodness my old friend Guanabana was there, under the misleading name "sour sop."

[pne.livejournal.com]

So "sorrel" is what that's called in English, is it? Learn something new every day.

(I remember eating sorrel leaves as a child.)

[danbearnyc.livejournal.com]

Then of course....