What does a “smacked cucumber” look like? What is a “rutabaga”? Why does a “spiny caldereta” sound so threatening? Is “blackened” just a fancy word for “burnt”? These are some of the many questions diners have to grapple with when they look at a menu in some restaurants these days. But Britons are a shy bunch who would rather curl up in a ball and disappear than actually have to utter these queries out loud to a waiter. I would know – my husband is one of 41 per cent of diners who would choose to google an unfamiliar menu term under the table instead of asking for clarification, according to recent research from reservation service Resy. Whenever me and my husband come across an obscure word on a menu, my suggestion of asking the waiting staff to explain is swiftly shot down by the appearance of his phone, followed by a muttered definition from a search engine. Navigating a menu has become harder in recent years. It’s not just the use of lesser-known techniques, nor the use of alternative words for common ingredients (a rutabaga is a turnip and a cep is a porcini or pennybun mushroom, by the way). With Covid came menus only available via QR code, a development that’s now the bane of eating out – some restaurants still use them. It means having to point our stupid camera phones at stupid, alien-looking squares and scroll through the menu in stupid silence, as if we need to be even more enslaved to our devices than we already are. And then, if menus do get printed, they’re impossible to see because restaurants insist on turning their lights down lower and lower. Or they print the text in smaller and smaller typeface, making it a struggle to read even with 20/20 vision – which I haven’t had since I was 10. I’ll never forget trying to read the menu at the ever-trendy Smoking Goat in Shoreditch in 2019, me and five of my companions sat squinting in the dark with our phone torches on. Going to a restaurant should be a relatively easy endeavour, an experience free of stress and embarrassment. But recent menu trends might be off-putting to the customer, says Gavin Rankin of the Mayfair-based French brasserie restaurant Bellamy’s. “Restaurant menus are supposed to seduce you, to persuade you,” he tells me. “There’s a tendency now to list vegetables or ingredients nobody’s ever heard of, but I don’t like it and people don’t like having to ask questions about what something is because it makes them feel foolish. Restaurants aren’t out to humiliate the diner.” Descriptors that give an idea of texture or flavour are important, but they don’t have to be complicated. It’s definitely possible to achieve a balance between having your menu be stylish and still informative Hugh Richard Wright, restaurant PR But could it be a good thing for menus to spark conversation between a diner and the restaurant? When I ask Rankin this, he blows a raspberry down the phone line, though not rudely – just in exasperation. “There’s something a bit… aggressive about it,” he says. “You can see on some menus they are deliberately choosing to list things that will force people to ask. Keep it simple, in my opinion. It’s different if you’re trying a really unfamiliar cuisine, but not when you go to an English or French restaurant. You should be able to look at a menu and be happy to eat 90 per cent of it with pleasure.” I’m someone who’s quite happy to have a chinwag with the waiter and ask questions about a menu. I also like it when a menu provides the opportunity to learn something new. But Rankin is right in pointing out that many diners don’t like asking questions at all, and menus shouldn’t force a diner into having to enquire about every single item. Hugh Richard Wright, leading restaurant PR and man-about-town with years of eating and consulting experience under his belt, says restaurants need to be mindful of striking the right balance with their menus. “A menu is more than just a list of dishes,” he says. “It should tempt you and excite you, so the descriptions should be tantalising. A menu that makes you want to have a conversation with your server is nice but it’s a balance. You don’t want to have everything explained to you and to go through every dish asking, ‘What’s this, what’s that’. That’s what a lot of places get wrong.” He adds that a menu should give the diner a “realistic impression of what you’re getting on your plate” – a reasonable enough expectation that some restaurants have foregone in favour of just listing ingredients. “For example, ‘pork, leek, kumquat’. It should describe how the pork is cooked. Is it pulled pork? Or roasted? Descriptors that give an idea of texture or flavour are important, but they don’t have to be complicated. It’s definitely possible to achieve a balance between having your menu be stylish and still informative.” David Paw, international editor at Resy, advises that we shouldn’t be put off by a sparse menu. “It may be deliberate,” he says. “The restaurant is setting up the chance for a guest and the front of house staff to engage in a dialogue. I lean into these moments as opportunities to have a chat about ingredients, techniques, and the kitchen’s creative process. I’d encourage diners to always try to ask for more information. Even frequent diners are always learning and expanding their food vocabulary.” It comes down to what kind of experience we’re looking for when we dine out. For some, like Paw and myself, it’s fun and exciting to come across new things on a menu. But for many, given that eating out nowadays is much more of a pricey indulgence than it used to be, relaxation is key, not being challenged. This isn’t to say that every single restaurant should acquiesce to simplicity, but it would be no small potatoes to consider ways to make a diner feel less like they need a thesaurus before sitting down. It doesn’t diminish a fine restaurant to make its menu more accessible – instead, it would make it so much more appealing, bringing incredible food to the many instead of the few. That said, we go to restaurants to eat food we wouldn’t normally cook ourselves, and often food that we’re not familiar with. There is so much joy to be had in allowing new flavours and textures to colour your palate, and the culinary world has never been more creative or diverse than it is right now. So in a time where suspicion of anything unfamiliar is rife, perhaps it would do us all some good to try something new on our plates. Next time you’re stuck, ask your waiter for assistance. I promise they won’t bite. Read More Best burgers in London: Where to eat top patties in the city Why ‘chain’ restaurant shouldn’t be a dirty word Three ramen recipes to change your life Best burgers in London: Where to eat top patties in the city Why ‘chain’ restaurant shouldn’t be a dirty word Three ramen recipes to change your life

Generally speaking, tech nerds tend to be very particular about what they like and dislike,

Doctors determined that the mother had water toxicity, also known as hyponatremia, which is brought on by low blood salt levels

Researchers call them the "American blondes" -– bright-eyed environmentalists tweeting passionately in support of the UAE and its handling of the forthcoming COP28 climate summit. The...

The US summer travel season is kicking off with forecasts for the third-busiest Memorial Day on record, driving

Sometimes denim gets a bad reputation — especially during the summer months. Cheaply made jeans can be uncomfortable, scratchy, and unflattering, but G-Star Raw Denim is the exact opposite. The brand lives and breathes denim, whether it’s with the sustainable materials used or the unique styles designed — if you want high-quality denim, G-Star Raw is where to go. Plus, for a limited time, we get to experience it first-hand at a crazy discount. With no promo code, get up to 50% off select styles. Keep on reading to see our favorite 50%-off picks, from Bermuda overalls to boyfriend jeans.

Actor Tom Hanks posted a warning to Instagram over the weekend about an AI-generated version

When it comes to packing for a flight, some travelers are checking off an extra furry box on their carry-on checklist, and it's not their sherpa blanket!

A person’s genetic makeup can play a role in determining whether they can stick to a strict vegetarian diet or not, according to a new study. The research, published on Wednesday in the journal PLOS One, may lead to further studies on personalised dietary recommendations and the production of meat substitutes. While a large fraction of people self-identify as mainly “vegetarians”, they also report eating fish, poultry and/or red meat, suggesting there may be environmental or biological constraints that override one’s desire to adhere to a vegetarian diet, said scientists, including those from Northwestern University in the US. “It seems there are more people who would like to be vegetarian than actually are, and we think it’s because there is something hard-wired here that people may be missing,” study co-author Nabeel Yaseen said. In the study, researchers compared UK Biobank genetic data from 5,324 strict vegetarians – consuming no fish, poultry or red meat – to 329,455 controls. Scientists found three genes linked with vegetarianism and another 31 genes that are potentially associated. Several of these genes, according to the study, are involved in lipid (fat) metabolism and/or brain function including two of the top three (NPC1 and RMC1). “My speculation is there may be lipid component(s) present in meat that some people need. And maybe people whose genetics favor vegetarianism are able to synthesize these components endogenously,” Dr Yaseen said. “However, at this time, this is mere speculation and much more work needs to be done to understand the physiology of vegetarianism,” he said. While vegetarianism is increasing in popularity, vegetarians remain a small minority of people worldwide, with 2.3 per cent of adults and 1.9 per cent of children in the UK identifying as vegetarian. Scientists believe the driving factor for food and drink preference is not just taste, but also how an individual’s body metabolises it. Citing an example, they said when trying alcohol for the first time, most people would not find it pleasurable for the first time, but develop a taste because of how alcohol is over time. “I think with meat, there’s something similar. Perhaps you have a certain component – I’m speculating a lipid component – that makes you need it and crave it,” Dr Yaseen said. “While religious and moral considerations certainly play a major role in the motivation to adopt a vegetarian diet, our data suggest that the ability to adhere to such a diet is constrained by genetics,” he said. Scientists hope future studies will lead to a better understanding of the physiologic differences between vegetarians and meat eaters. They said such an understanding would enable personalised dietary recommendations and to produce better meat substitutes. Read More Six healthy recipes that both you and your gut will love Father sparks debate for giving his son non-vegan food behind his wife’s back From leaf crisps to pudding, India’s ‘super food’ millet finds its way onto the G20 dinner menu

Super Sale Alert: Get 20% off sitewide at Indie Lee with our promo code REFINERY29, now through July 24.

If there's one thing the Fast and Furious franchise loves more than driving cars through

A popular fitness influencer has angered fans after posting photos of herself tanning in the sun just weeks after revealing she’d had a skin cancer lesion removed from her leg. Earlier this month, Tammy Hembrow, an Australian-based YouTuber, issued a reminder to her followers about the importance of annual skin cancer screenings in a video posted to TikTok. In the video, the 29-year-old revealed that she’d recently had a “chunk” of her leg removed after doctors identified melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. “Okay so I want to show you guys the chunk they had to take out of my leg because of the melanoma that I have,” Hembrow began the video, before explaining that the week earlier she’d had to get a “skin cancer cut out of my leg”. “It was melanoma, which spreads very quickly and is very dangerous [and] can be very deadly if it spreads,” Hembrow continued, while noting that the mole in question had been “tiny” and “did not look suspicious to [her] at ALL”. In the video, Hembrow informed her followers that she was waiting for confirmation from her doctor that they’d “got it all,” with the influencer noting that she was “very hopeful that they did”. Hembrow then expressed her relief that she’d gotten a skin cancer screening, before urging her fans to “get regular skin checks”.“I am so so so lucky that I went and got my skin checked. Please get regular skin checks, it can honestly be life-saving,” she continued. In the TikTok, the influencer then admitted that, despite spending a lot of time in the sun, she rarely wears sunscreen. However, she said she is “absolutely regretting that now,” as she revealed that the skin cancer scare has “changed [her] outlook on everything”. @tammyhembrow Go book that skin check rn guys ? ♬ original sound - Tammy Hembrow According to the Mayo Clinic, melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, “develops in the cells that produce melanin, the pigment that gives your skin its colour”. “Exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV) radiation from sunlight or tanning lamps and beds increases your risk of developing melanoma,” the health organisation states, while noting that melanomas “most often develop in areas that have had exposure to the sun, such as your back, legs, arms and face”. After revealing that she never thought she’d develop melanoma, and admitting that she felt “very silly for that now,” Hembrow showed her followers the two-inch stitched incision behind her knee where the melanoma had been removed. Hembrow is now facing anger and concern from her fans, just weeks after sharing the skin cancer warning, after posting photos of herself tanning in the sun. In the pictures, which the influencer posted to Instagram on Tuesday, she could be seen wearing a patterned yellow bikini as she posed on a sun lounger while sitting outside in the sun. In the photos, Hembrow could also be seen wearing the bandage on her leg where the melanoma lesion had been removed. “OMG, you just had a melanoma removed and are sunbathing,” one person commented under the photos, while another said: “You’re another type of thick if you’re sunbathing after just having a melanoma removed.” “Literally still has the bandage on from having a melanoma removed and now posting photos of herself suntanning. It’s like she wants to get skin cancer?” someone else wrote. However, Hembrow has since defended herself from the backlash in the comments, where she claimed that she was “in the sun for 15 minutes” and that it’s “silly” to think she can “never go in the sun in a bikini again”. “Was in the sun for 15 minutes. It’s also winter here and I don’t go in the sun without sunscreen anymore,” Hembrow wrote in response to one critic. “Alsooo, I am still very much going to go in the sun, to the beach, to the pool, or even if I just want to read a book for 15 minutes in the sun etc. “Just always going to wear SPF and not be out in the hottest hours with no protection like I used to. People are silly if they think I can never go in the sun in a bikini again…” According to The Skin Cancer Foundation, regular daily use of SPF 15 sunscreen can “reduce your risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) by about 40 per cent, and lower your melanoma risk by 50 per cent”. However, skin cancer charity Cancer Research UK notes that individuals who have been diagnosed with melanoma are at a higher than average risk of developing the skin cancer again in the future. The Independent has contacted Hembrow for comment. Read More Sarah Ferguson reveals she almost skipped doctor’s appointment that led to cancer diagnosis Best sunscreen for your face 2023: Daily SPF protection, from sensitive to non-greasy formulas Khloe Kardashian says what she thought was a zit turned out to be melanoma