--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you can't pronounce it, you shouldn't…" description: "\"If you can't pronounce it, you shouldn't be eating it.\" — Michael Pollan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d18/michael-pollan-408_eating_if-you-can-t-pronounce-it-you-shouldn-t_1873233.png" --- # If you can't pronounce it, you shouldn't be eating it. ![“If you can't pronounce it, you shouldn't be eating it.” quote by Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d18/michael-pollan-408_eating_if-you-can-t-pronounce-it-you-shouldn-t_1873233.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d18/michael-pollan-408_eating_if-you-can-t-pronounce-it-you-shouldn-t_1873233.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d18/michael-pollan-408_eating_if-you-can-t-pronounce-it-you-shouldn-t_1873233.png) > “If you can't pronounce it, you shouldn't be eating it.” [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If you cannot pronounce a food’s name, you likely lack familiarity and should avoid consuming it. **In simple terms:** Unpronounceable foods are best avoided. Key Takeaway Learn names before trying unfamiliar foods. Themes food safety language culture Mood cautious curious Type practical philosophical When to use this quote - travel - dietary restrictions - food markets Key Concepts etymology culinary exploration Questions to Reflect On - How does language shape food choices? - What are risks of avoiding unfamiliar foods? A Different Perspective Exotic foods may be safe despite unfamiliar names. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Eating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eating/) ## Related quotes > [If you think humans are meat-eaters then try eating the animal raw like every other meat-eater on the planet. 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Whether we're eating meat or eating vegetables, it all begins there.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/everything-we-eat-begins-with-a-plant-turning-solar-energy-into/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“Daily, our eating turns nature into culture, transforming the body of the world into our bodies and minds.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/daily-our-eating-turns-nature-into-culture-transforming-the-body-of/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [Eat with consciousness. When you eat with consciousness, and you know what you're eating, and you eat it in full appreciation of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/eat-with-consciousness-when-you-eat-with-consciousness-and-you-know/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [It's all very Italian (and decidedly un-American): to insist that doing the right thing is the most pleasurable thing, and that the act of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/it-s-all-very-italian-and-decidedly-un-american-to-insist-that-doing/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [Cooking for yourself is the only sure way to take back control of your diet from the food scientists and food processors, and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/cooking-for-yourself-is-the-only-sure-way-to-take-back-control-of/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [You're from where?" "Lay'en. It's near Salt Lake City." "Spell that for me." "Um, that would be S-A-L-T-" "No, the other one. The city…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/you-re-from-where-lay-en-it-s-near-salt-lake-city-spell-that-for-me/) [Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/) > ["Croissant": However you choose to pronounce it at home, it is perhaps worth nothing that outside the United States, the closer you can come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/croissant-however-you-choose-to-pronounce-it-at-home-it-is-perhaps/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [I am a chilled-out person. But if people call me by my name, I hope they pronounce it right. I get called Baron, sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barun-sobti/i-am-a-chilled-out-person-but-if-people-call-me-by-my-name-i-hope/) [Barun Sobti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barun-sobti/) > [Never mind what my name is,” the man said. “No one can pronounce it anyway. Just call me Sir.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-mind-what-my-name-is-the-man-said-no-one-can-pronounce-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are many times where even I, at certain points in the evening, after a few drinks, can't pronounce my own surname.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milla-jovovich/there-are-many-times-where-even-i-at-certain-points-in-the-evening/) [Milla Jovovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milla-jovovich/) > [Dont use your power of tounge in front of your parents,from whom you learn how to pronounce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikkie/dont-use-your-power-of-tounge-in-front-of-your-parents-from-whom-you/) [Nikkie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikkie/) > [My name can't be that tough to pronounce!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keanu-reeves/my-name-can-t-be-that-tough-to-pronounce/) [Keanu Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keanu-reeves/) > [My name is marwin... I have a first name but I cant pronounce it too ...go home marwin you are drunk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marwin-machiaveli/my-name-is-marwin-i-have-a-first-name-but-i-cant-pronounce-it-too-go/) Aruho Marwin Machiaveli ## More by Michael Pollan > [“In the same way that the picturesque designers were always careful to include some reminder of our mortality in their gardens -- a ruin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-the-same-way-that-the-picturesque-designers-were-always-careful-to/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [My hope is that if people have the knowledge, and if they actually see where their food comes from and have access to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/my-hope-is-that-if-people-have-the-knowledge-and-if-they-actually-see/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [The problem is that we let special-occasion food become everyday food. That goes for soda and french fries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/the-problem-is-that-we-let-special-occasion-food-become-everyday-food/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [Every peasant cuisine has incredible ingenious tricks for getting a lot of nutrition out of a small amount of ingredients. There are people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/every-peasant-cuisine-has-incredible-ingenious-tricks-for-getting-a/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“In ancient Greece, the word for “cook,” “butcher,” and “priest” was the same—mageiros—and the word shares an etymological root with “magic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-ancient-greece-the-word-for-cook-butcher-and-priest-was-the-same/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [In the end I'm still a writer. I'm still a journalist, and my first responsibility is to my readers. That's where I have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-the-end-i-m-still-a-writer-i-m-still-a-journalist-and-my-first/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [Seeds have the power to preserve species, to enhance cultural as well as genetic diversity, to counter economic monopoly and to check the advance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/seeds-have-the-power-to-preserve-species-to-enhance-cultural-as-well/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“The bubble logic driving tulipomania has since acquired a name: “the greater fool theory.” Although by any conventional measure it is folly to pay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/the-bubble-logic-driving-tulipomania-has-since-acquired-a-name-the/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“Of the seven deadly sins, surely it is pride that most afflicts the gardener.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/of-the-seven-deadly-sins-surely-it-is-pride-that-most-afflicts-the/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [Growing corn, which from a biological perspective had always been a process of capturing sunlight to turn into food, has in no small measure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/growing-corn-which-from-a-biological-perspective-had-always-been-a/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [Eat with consciousness. When you eat with consciousness, and you know what you're eating, and you eat it in full appreciation of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/eat-with-consciousness-when-you-eat-with-consciousness-and-you-know/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [This is part of human nature, the desire to change consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/this-is-part-of-human-nature-the-desire-to-change-consciousness/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“...whenever I hear people say clean food is expensive, I tell them it's actually the cheapest food you can buy. That always gets their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/whenever-i-hear-people-say-clean-food-is-expensive-i-tell-them-it-s/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“Imagine if we had a food system that actually produced wholesome food. Imagine if it produced that food in a way that restored the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/imagine-if-we-had-a-food-system-that-actually-produced-wholesome-food/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“CONSULT YOUR GUT.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/consult-your-gut/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) [Explore all 584 Michael Pollan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) ## More Eating quotes > [By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-murdock/by-eating-many-fruits-and-vegetables-in-place-of-fast-food-and-junk/) [David H. Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-murdock/) > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [Most people are sensitized to animals through their cats and dogs, but for me it was a flounder. I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/) [Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/) > [I have my meals delivered... you know what I like? Chicken and rice... But the problem with being a defensive lineman is, if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-douglas/i-have-my-meals-delivered-you-know-what-i-like-chicken-and-rice-but/) [Hugh Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-douglas/) > [I do not believe in eating fish hot. People always insist on hot fish, but that leaves it dried out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-zakarian/i-do-not-believe-in-eating-fish-hot-people-always-insist-on-hot-fish/) [Geoffrey Zakarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-zakarian/) > [One things guys have to remember is consistency... You can't make up for three years of eating poorly in just one workout.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/one-things-guys-have-to-remember-is-consistency-you-can-t-make-up-for/) [Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/) > [My mom cares that I tweeted a picture of my breakfast. She's knows I'm eating and I'm safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-dorsey/my-mom-cares-that-i-tweeted-a-picture-of-my-breakfast-she-s-knows-i-m/) [Jack Dorsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-dorsey/) > [There is an idea that you can take the spiritual teachings of a religion outside of a religion and practice them; these ideas are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyyed-hossein-nasr/there-is-an-idea-that-you-can-take-the-spiritual-teachings-of-a/) [Seyyed Hossein Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seyyed-hossein-nasr/) > [I have an intense dislike of doctrines, because you will always end up eating your words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yotam-ottolenghi/i-have-an-intense-dislike-of-doctrines-because-you-will-always-end-up/) [Yotam Ottolenghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yotam-ottolenghi/) > [The worst thing for me is to not taste what I'm eating, to not know what I'm eating. It upsets me to no avail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-robuchon/the-worst-thing-for-me-is-to-not-taste-what-i-m-eating-to-not-know/) [Joel Robuchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-robuchon/) > [The heaviest I've ever been is 65 kilos. That was during my Leaving Cert when I was just studying and eating chocolate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-taylor/the-heaviest-i-ve-ever-been-is-65-kilos-that-was-during-my-leaving/) [Katie Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-taylor/) > [For fear of causing terror to living beings, Mahamati, let the Bodhisattva who is disciplining himself to attain compassion, refrain from eating flesh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/for-fear-of-causing-terror-to-living-beings-mahamati-let-the/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [The good Bishop of Assisi expressed a sort of horror at the hard life which the Little Brothers lived at the Portiuncula, without comforts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-good-bishop-of-assisi-expressed-a-sort-of-horror-at-the-hard-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think the best Thanksgiving we ever had was one where we didn't even have a turkey. Mom and Dad sat us kids down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-think-the-best-thanksgiving-we-ever-had-was-one-where-we-didn-t/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [I have a great time cooking and eating Thai green chicken curry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-have-a-great-time-cooking-and-eating-thai-green-chicken-curry/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) [Browse all 4,153 Eating quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eating/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you can't pronounce it, you shouldn't be eating it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Pollan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/if-you-can-t-pronounce-it-you-shouldn-t-be-eating-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Eating" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/if-you-can-t-pronounce-it-you-shouldn-t-be-eating-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d18/michael-pollan-408_eating_if-you-can-t-pronounce-it-you-shouldn-t_1873233.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d18/michael-pollan-408_eating_if-you-can-t-pronounce-it-you-shouldn-t_1873233.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d18/michael-pollan-408_eating_if-you-can-t-pronounce-it-you-shouldn-t_1873233.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you can't pronounce it, you shouldn't be eating it.” — Michael Pollan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michael Pollan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you can't pronounce it, you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/if-you-can-t-pronounce-it-you-shouldn-t-be-eating-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/if-you-can-t-pronounce-it-you-shouldn-t-be-eating-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```