Strawberry Shortcake

Why is strawberry shortcake called a "shortcake"?

Some students thought that "shortcake" means a short, small piece of cake. Of course, many different kinds of cake are sold at Japanese bakeries as single pieces of cake. But we don't call all of those kinds of cakes "shortcake."

According to Barron's Food Lover's Companion (Food Lover's Companion. Copyright © 2001 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc.), a shortcake "is a large, sweet biscuit that is split in half, then filled and topped with sliced or chopped fruit (traditionally strawberries) and softly whipped cream."

Shortcake is called "shortcake" because it uses a "shortened dough" just like the dough used to make biscuits. Normal cake batter is like a liquid and is poured into a pan before baking. Shortcake dough is formed and cut before placing on a cookie sheet for baking.

What is "shortened dough"? First, there are two types of dough: shortened dough and long dough. Both types of dough use shortening, but the technique of mixing the shortening into the dough is different. Long dough is used for pie crusts. Short dough is used for biscuits and tarts.

Thus, the name of "shortcake" comes from the use of "short dough" or "shortened dough."

In Japan, I have never seen a real strawberry shortcake. The so-called strawberry shortcake sold all over Japan is really a layered sponge cake with strawberries and whipped cream.

So, if you have a chance to try real strawberry shortcake overseas, please give it a try! Until then, I hope you enjoy your sponge cake during the Christmas holidays here in Japan!

Christmas Dinner

What will you have for dinner on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Where turkey is the traditional standard on Thanksgiving Day in the States, glazed ham is the traditional standard for Christmas dinner.

When I was a kid back in the States, I remember my mom serving honey glazed ham that had been roasted in the oven, carrot pineapple Jello salad with whipped cream, freshly baked rolls, deviled eggs, pickles, olives, and various cakes, pies, and/or Christmas cookies.

Some of the students have told me what they will have for Christmas dinner this year. The offerings are quite different from what I used to have back home.

"We will have sushi, fried chicken, and strawberry shortcake."

"My mom will serve roast chicken."

"We will have the same dinner as usual: rice, miso soup, pickled side dishes, and some small Salisbury steaks."

Of course, many students wanted to say "Christmas cake," which is a kind of 和製英語. There is no such cake called "Christmas cake" in the States as far as I know. We do have Christmas cookies, however.

So, if you want to refer to クリスマスケーキ in English, I would suggest you simply say, "strawberry shortcake."

Hyphen

Use hyphens for compound words:

例: a five-minute walk; a high-speed chase; the front-right seat; a never-seen-before magic trick; the blue-white train; a flow-type air micrometer; etc.

Use hyphens for numbers:

例: a thirty-three thousand dollar car; sixty-two billion dollars in tax cuts; eighty-four yen per dollar; two-tenths of a percentage point

Use hyphens with some prefixes:

例: anti-aging cream; extra-condensed; semi-independent; self-help therapy; half-baked idea

Note:

Be sure to check a dictionary for proper spelling. Some compound words have become single words. For example, the term "electronic mail" became "E-mail" with a hyphen. Then, "E-mail" became "e-mail" with a lowercase "E." Then, "e-mail" became "email" as one word.

References:

1. APS Style Manual (http://www.apsstylemanual.org/apsHouseStyle/punctuation/hyphens.htm)
2. The Mayfield Handbook of Technical & Scientific Writing at MIT (http://www.mit.edu/course/21/21.guide/hyphen.htm)
3. The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Edition