It’s a strange thing that fanciful nationalities are attributed to foreign dishes. Legend has it that Turkish Delight was created for a Turkish sultan who had a sweet tooth. However, the British are the only Europeans to use this expression and although the Germans refer to nougat as Turkischer honig (Turkish honey), do either of these two treats actually come from Turkey?

The Danish, in all likelihood, imported pains aux raisins to Britain, which have become known as Danish pastries. In the south of Italy, however, they are called paste danesi. The French prefer to use the term viennoiseries to refer to croissants and other sweet treats, and the Austrians call them Wiener Mehlspeise (any baked specialty made with flour). In France, you can also find crème anglaise (custard) and glaces italiennes (soft ice cream). German-speakers call mustard Englischer Senf. And how about French fries, which the Belgians claim to have invented and have duly become the country’s national dish?