English Speaking People are Word Thieves!

As I go food shopping I see many products with Hellenic/Greek names and I feel obligated to explain the origin of these names. I took a few pictures at the supermarket and I post them here with a terse explanation about the origin of their name.

Here they sell balsamic vinegar. I remember by grandfather, Ioannis Panagiotopoulos, who would drink certain teas as a balsam (βάλσαμο). Balsam is a substance that you get from a tree or plant. 

Further down I see Chobani Yogurt. I don't think you even know what Chobani is but you use the name, buy the product, and you finally eat it without even knowing what it means. In its original language, Hellenic, it means keeper of sheep, or shepherd. You should think about the name next time you use Chobani in a phrase.

Further down the isle I see ΦΑΓΕ yogurt. Another Hellenic word that simply means eat. I remember buying Fage yogurt when I lived in Hellas. There was only only type of Fage yogurt you could buy. There wasn't any low fat, reduced calories, mixed with fruit, or fruit on the bottom ΦΑΓΕ. They had containers of ΦΑΓΕ yogurt. Period. here is an eye opener for you: the premise of Hellenic yogurt is its fat content. Claiming that you have Chobani or Fage that is low in fat is...an oxymoron. IT SHOULD BE ALL FAT! But I digress.

Oops. Here is my favorite: Oikos. It is pronounced the same as the first three letters in the word economy followed by the letter s. It means house and it has nothing to do with yogurt. This particular product claims that it is "traditional." What? Traditional yogurt has a thick layer of crust a.k.a. fat on the top.

To finish my rant about language usage I have a surprise for you. The word yogurt is TURKISH! Bam! Another notch! All of these products should say Turkish Yogurt and not Greek/Hellenic. You got it all wrong...again!

Further down the aisle I see containers with Kalamata olives. Kalamata is a region in southern Hellas where they produce a particular type of olive. Olive trees are very hardy and require very little water to survive.

I remember when I was a lad walking back home from elementary school picking olives from trees and stuffing my pockets with them. Then I would give them to my friend Takis' mom who lived across the street from us. After his mom collected enough olives to fill a 10 gallon container Takis and I would use a small marble rock to smash each olive and place it in a bucket that had vinegar and spices. In Hellas they have olive trees growing everywhere. But you would need to pickle the olives before eating them. Trying to eat raw olives is not a good experience. Also, raw, non pickled olives can be used as ammunition when you are fighting with your friends. I was the best sling-shot in the hood.

I am done whining.