Funistrada is a fictitious food item. The term was allegedly (according to Bill Bryson) inserted in a U.S. Army survey of soldiers circa 1974 regarding their food preferences. The "food" scored higher in popularity than eggplant, lima beans, and cranberry juice. It is typical of the sorts of intentional "fake foods" since inserted into military surveys to establish a baseline for taste; it is thought that the word evokes a pasta dish. Other similar but less successful "menu items" include a vegetable dish called "buttered ermal" and a meat dish called "braised trake."