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French to English translations [PRO] Marketing - Cooking / Culinary / menu item for restaurant in France
French term or phrase:Fraîcheur de crabe
That's the name of the item on the menu.
The constituents are as follows: Pois chiche, chutney betterave fruits rouge, crabe royale, herbes et salades, tuile vinaigre de fruits rouge.
They have supplied an image for this, so I can see that the red-fruit-vinegar tuile is in fact in the form of a hoop, the chickpea is a puree "bed" - arranged like a rectangular board that the crab is apparently "lying" on, and "supporting" the bed of chutney, with the chunks of crab, all topped elegantly with a few frizzy lettuce leaves. The whole has a "fresh" appearance, but I feel that "Fresh crab" doesn't do this justice, and I find "Freshness" and "cool" uninspiring. It isn't frozen, so "iced" or "chilled" won't do either. I'm toying with "summery", although this may sound too restricting. I want to avoid anything like "delight", which says nothing about the ingredients or the way they are presented. Does anybody have any more inspired ideas? If so, I'd be most grateful for any suggestions - many thanks!
lovely - many thanks Wordeffect!! And thanks to everybody else for all the great efforts. Despite the obvious simplicity of this answer, the question proved a lot harder than expected! As you say, this could well catch on - just like a good many other many French culinary terms 4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer
I do apologise for being so slow in grading this! In fact, I've been unable to use Word run out of disc space...), and am also still waiting for the client's final verdict on this one. I do appreciate all your valiant efforts - many thanks!
Skye99 (X)
United States
02:43 Jun 10, 2010
Carol, although I am new to culinary translation and still have a lot to learn, I think you should go with your idea of using "cool" - however uninspiring as it may be. It retains the meaning of the word "fraicheur" which is defined as, "caractère de ce qui est légèrement froid". What do you think?
Alison Sabedoria (X)
United Kingdom
Keep the French?
06:52 Jun 6, 2010
If this is a term French chefs are now using, might "Fraîcheur of crab" work, and even catch on? BTW I'm still waiting for that sample... =)
A salad to me conjures up a picture of mainly salad ingredients, often with a French dressing, whereas this is really a standalone work of art - quite statuesque on its bed of chutney and surrounded by the chickpea puree, and 3 or 4 endive leaves (the curly sort) looking extremely fresh and jaunty on top - like a cockade (I think!). The crab itself is presented in 3 solid-looking chunks - not broken up.
I guess that I was hoping all along that there would be a standard translation for "Fraîcheur" in this context, as it does get a few g-hits - with "few" being the operative word!
Many restaurants have a "salade de fruits de mer" on the menu that does not contain any actual salad leaves (try a google image search). So I cannot really see why the chef should be upset (although you never know...). So long as it is followed by a list of the ingredients "crab salad" seems pretty safe.
the list of "constituents" IS the description (word for word) that appears of the menu, immediately beneath the name of the item. So, even in French, they don't go in for descriptiveness - merely relying on the ingredients, but more especially on the wonderful images. Unfortunately, I only have half of these, so it's no good waxing too lyrical about those with images, as this would make the others look like poor relations. Here I just need a title that says as much as the French, and no more - just a subtle soupçon of a title. I'm beginning to think this is more of a tall order than I at first imagined..;)
So am I right in thinking that no other information will be given on the menu apart from the name of the dish? There isn't a short description just below? If so, then something like "Fresh crab on a bed of chickpeas with beetroot and red fruit chutney" would obviously be more helpful. But then for consistency you would have to do the same sort of thing for all the other items on the menu.
I SHOULD have said that this is an extremely sophisticated/upmarket place, so the menu needs to sound upmarket as well. This is a main dish, rather than a starter - I think! It's definitely an artistic arrangement, rather than a cocktail.
Sorry, I don't seem to have supplied enough context, despite my efforts!
@ Sandra: I'd be surprised if the chef would be willing to supply the recipe... ;-)
@ Chris: I have the image as an attachment sent via email. Not sure how to load it here though... :(
Explanation: You could use 'cocktail' if it's intended as an appetizer.
Or "Summertime salad of crab and chickpeas with beet and red fruit chutney". The use of 'salad' would be a way to convey the fresh & cool aspect.
Helen Chauveau France Local time: 11:36 Specializes in field Native speaker of: English
Notes to answerer
Asker: many thanks Helen! I'm contemplating "salad" in some form, although cocktail won't work, as this doesn't look in the least like one! I guess my description wasn't as good as all that... ;) This more has the appearance of solid pieces (sausage-like) of the king crab, sitting on a solid layer of the red chutney, which is arranged to lookas though it in turn is lying on a "board" of chickpea puree. The few crisp leaves are on top of the crab...
Explanation: Refreshing crab salad, crunchy cucumber with a curry dressing 18 Scallop trilogy ... mediterrannean tian and fresh noodles 29 Cassolette "from the sea" with ... Coupe fraicheur de crabe, croquant au concombre et vinaigrette de curry 18 ... www.kfemassai.com/menu.swf
Juicy chunks of crab meat tie together the bitter, the nutty and the tart in this refreshing crab salad. 66161 by bonvivant ... www.tastespotting.com/tag/crab/3 -
23 Jun 2008 ... Since I was trying to keep this meal light — it was lunchtime after all — I served my warm arepas with a refreshing crab and avocado salad. ... www.bitchincamero.com/.../arepas-wcrab-avocado-salad/
Hamidou Ouédraogo Burkina Faso Local time: 09:36 Native speaker of: Mossi, French PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: many thanks Hamidou! A possibility I had originally discarded, but should perhaps bring back into the ring!
34 mins confidence:
Fraîcheur de crabe ...
something with salad?
Explanation: Not an easy one! Emma's zingy and zesty nicely convey the idea of the fruit and beetroot.
"Fresh crab" has the drawback of suggesting fresh as opposed to tinned.
I did a quick search using the ingredients and thought perhaps some kind of XYZ salad might be the key. A salad always suggests crispness and freshness.
Maybe you can play on the colours?
Deep Purple Crab Salad (one for the 70s rock fans!).
Just a suggestion to work on!
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2010-06-04 13:42:43 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
STACKED
Taking it from a new angle, based on how the ingredients are put together in layers, which often become stacks in culinary parlance.
Hamidou's "refreshing" could be worked in to convey the crispy freshness.
Sandra Petch Local time: 11:36 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 16
Notes to answerer
Asker: many thanks Sandra! I agree re "fresh", and was toying over lunch with "salad" in some form or other. It actually has only the bare minimum of salad leaves on top, but this may still be the way to go!
Explanation: Zingy (or zesty) crab salad? Just looked up "refreshing" in the thesaurus. I find that often gets me on the right track.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 3 hrs (2010-06-04 15:30:37 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Quite a few hits for "layered crab salad" but personally I think it sounds a bit flat.
Emma Paulay France Local time: 11:36 Works in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 43
Notes to answerer
Asker: many thanks Emma! I did indeed use the thesaurus - but for fresh rather than refreshing. I like the idea of zingy/zesty, but need it just a little more sophisticated (sorry, my fault!). It does at least convey the idea that I'm trying to get across
Asker: thanks again Emma! yes, I was playing with the idea of "salad" but in a fashion that wouldn't suggest that this is actually a salad. I think that its minimalistic 3 leaves hardly qualify as a "salad" - although they are highly decorative and cool/fresh looking! Oh dear, these images have had me drooling all afternoon!
edithbloom United States Native speaker of: English
Notes to answerer
Asker: many thanks Edith for your help! This is in fact the name of the menu item rather than a description of the condition of the crab. Thanks all the same!
Explanation: Do you hate ''medley'' as much as you dislike ''delight'', Carol?
Claire Nolan Local time: 05:36 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 2
Notes to answerer
Asker: Hi Clanola, and many thanks! It's not that I hate it, but simply that it doesn't say anything about the dish. "Delight" is one of those b=very English or US things that's usually applied to some concoction without actually giving any clue as to the contents. "Medley" at least is fairly self explanatory, although I was hoping for something that would somehow express the "fraicheur" aspect without sounding corny :)
Explanation: as crabe royale is king crab and summer gives the idea of refreshing as well as holiday (i.e. lying on a beach of chick peas and going beetroot red!),
suezen Local time: 11:36 Works in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 48
Notes to answerer
Asker: many thanks suezen! This is along the lines of my original brainstorming!
9 hrs confidence: peer agreement (net): +2
Crab salad
Explanation: I know this is rather simple and possibly even boring sounding, but there is a big question here...you say it is the name of the item on the menu, but is it followed by a description with details of the chutney, chickpeas etc? If so, then "crab salad" would be a suitably "upmarket" understatement of the dish. In fact, if this is a very serious restaurant then you can probably get away with it even if it is not followed by a descritpion. Fancy restaurants love doing that sort of thing, they write "fish and chips" but we all know that we are going to get something rather more sophisticated than a greasy parcel of overcooked fish wrapped in newspaper.
Mark Nathan France Local time: 11:36 Specializes in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 188
Notes to answerer
Asker: many thanks Mark! It is inded a VERY upmarket and serious restaurant, and Crab Salad would certainly be a "classy" understatement - although I'm not sure whether the chef would appreciate it. The trouble for me with "crab salad" is that it conjures up an image of lots of leaves and other salady items, whereas this has only 3 or 4 frizzy leaves (endive, I'd think) forming a sort of elegant topnotch. Unfortunately, none of my descriptions really do this item justice. All the items they sent photos of are really incredibly artistic - a shame to eat them really!
21 hrs confidence:
Flourish of crab
Explanation: with the emphasis on the "de-daah!" aspect.
or a few other equally pretentious musings:
treasure of king crab (all those jewel like bits on the "beach" of chickpeas)<p> caprice of (king) crab bounty of... (getting a bit too piratical perhaps...?)
...but I REALLY NEED a free sample to do this properly - see to it please, Carol!
=)
Alison Sabedoria (X) United Kingdom Works in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 15
Notes to answerer
Asker: Many thanks for your help Wordeffect. However I'm trying if possible to steer clear of anything that doesn't actually describe the item in some way - specifically the "Fraîcheur " aspect if possible - which rules out anything like delight, treasure, caprice, bounty, and I'm beginning to think this may not be possible. Although "Flourish" does rather capture the somewhat cheeky topnot of endive... it does have a sort of a flourish about it... :)
And, yes, I was drooling all yesterday over the photos, and agree that samples would be much better!
Explanation: I suggest that you give the title as "King crab" - plain and simple - and then follow it with your description underneath. See for example Hélène Darroze's menus at the Connaught Hotel in London.
Incidentally, would it be better to avoid saying "Fresh crab" here as it is possible that the crab will have been frozen at some point (en route from Norway, Alaska or Russia)? Although I could be entirely wrong on this point.
Writeaway's suggestion to keep the French is also a possibility given that you have the description underneath. "Fraîcheur" is certainly a term that is very popular on French menus at the moment!
Explanation: If this is a term chefs are now using, keeping the French might work, and even catch on.
Alison Sabedoria (X) United Kingdom Works in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 15
Grading comment
lovely - many thanks Wordeffect!! And thanks to everybody else for all the great efforts. Despite the obvious simplicity of this answer, the question proved a lot harder than expected! As you say, this could well catch on - just like a good many other many French culinary terms
Reference information: This site simply translates "Fraîcheur de crabe" as "Crab". However, I perosnally believe that the best solution would be to translate it as "Fresh crab".
Chris Hall Works in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 16
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