Can you reliably convert American recipes to UK measurements?
Joe, Margate
“It really depends on the kind of recipe you’re talking about,” says the American food writer Sarah Chamberlain, who specializes in converting recipes for US cooks. “People in the UK often get caught up on the use of cups, but when it comes to liquid measurements, conversion is fairly straightforward: one cup equals 240ml, which can be easily divided. For example, half a cup is 120ml.” In some cases, you can even round the conversion to 250ml, as slight variations won’t make a significant difference, but it ultimately depends on the recipe.
When it comes to stews and curries, they are more forgiving in terms of measurements compared to baking, which Chamberlain sees as “another adventure entirely.” In baking, you simply need to look up the conversions, which can be easily found online. However, if you’re measuring solid ingredients for baking, it’s recommended to buy a set of cups for accuracy. Keep in mind that ingredient weights can vary – for example, a cup of flour is approximately 125g, while a cup of sugar is around 200g. Using cups can make your life easier when working with American recipes.
Nik Sharma, the California-based author of Veg-table, published in October, shares his struggle with using cups. He believes that weights are a more reliable measurement. For instance, a cup of chocolate chips may have significant gaps between each piece, while the measurement of flour depends on how it was scooped and leveled. Additionally, not all cups are the same size, so Sharma suggests making sure they measure 240ml of water when purchasing a new set.
Butter is a unique case, as it is measured in sticks or tablespoons in the US. Chamberlain mentions that a standard stick of butter weighs 113g, but she often rounds it up to 125g without much impact. To convert butter measurements, think of a standard 250g UK block as two sticks with a little extra, and each stick is equivalent to eight tablespoons. If in doubt, Chamberlain advises visiting a US supermarket’s website to find product measurements in both cups and grams.
However, it’s worth noting that not all ingredients translate easily. Chamberlain points out that the cuts of meat differ between the US and UK. For example, Americans don’t have back bacon because pig cutting methods are different. Size variations also exist. A medium egg in the UK is considered a large egg in the US, which can be counterintuitive. Likewise, American onions are generally 50% larger than those in the UK.
These differences posed challenges for Sharma while writing his latest book. He faced variations in vegetable weights between markets and stores, as the US Department of Agriculture classifies vegetables based on dimensions rather than weight. In such cases, common sense becomes crucial. Chamberlain suggests using a sensible amount of ingredients when faced with such variations. Additionally, it’s important to carefully read a recipe before starting, especially when dealing with conversions.
Some American cooks are starting to adopt metric measurements. Chamberlain recommends looking to bakers like Joanne Chang, who provide conversions in their recipes. The culinary world is gradually embracing cross-cultural recipes. As for Australia, their measurement system is different, but that’s a topic for another discussion…
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