I’ve spent a great deal of my time working on the Deli floor behind the salad case. And when I’m behind the salad case I spend much of my time hearing customers ask for various salads by the name we assign them, often stumbling thru random pronunciation attempts, eventually just pointing and nodding at the desired fare. Not that we’re complaining mind you – whatever works, just glad they are here and happy.
But it occurs to me that perhaps we could offer a bit of help with regard to this pronunciation gap we’re having here.  Below I’ve assembled a few of what I have gathered as the most commonly stumbled over/often desired items that we offer:

 Edamame (ed-uh-MOM-ee): Japanese for “twig bean”, these are young soybeans, picked before they ripen, with some shoot attached. Boiled and usually served with shoot cut apart, and then often tossed with other (usually vegetarian) ingredients to complement their flavor. Edamame is rich in protein, omega 3 fatty acids, and is an excellent source of dietary fiber, folic acid, and iron. In most of Asia, it is a popular laxative remedy.

Farfalle ( far FAL  ay): Italian for butterfly, hence the shape of the pasta often identified as “bow tie”. Likely the most difficult to pronounce salad in the case- people love it, and it’s by far one of the most requested salads. Simply tossed with sundried tomatoes, spinach, (most customers order it as “bowtie with spinach”), and olive oil, it is light, healthy, and colorful on the plate – a very handy picnic and/or Shakespeare night idea.

Spanakopita (span uh KO pee tah): A Greek spinach “pie” , with Feta cheese, cut in squares, wrapped in sheets of phyllo dough (see below) – very tasty, and also popular at the Co Op Deli. Reheat to bring out the flavors a bit, but be careful not to dry it out – a nice side dish item, or a snack on the go.

Phyllo (fee low): Greek for “leaf” these paper thin sheets of raw, unleavened flour dough are then filled with, or wrapped around, multiple savory or sweet foods, such as Spanikopita and Baklava (see below)

Baklava ( BAHK lah vah): Made locally for us for the last 20 years by one dear woman named Colleen, this Middle Eastern pastry is made of layered sheets of phyllo dough, with chopped nuts and honeyed syrup, and baked with butter, cut into diamonds, and topped with a clove bud. Find it in the Deli Espresso/ cookie case – they are so, so good.