Cooking Glossary

A

Agedashi Tofu

Agedashi Tofu are deep fried tofu pieces that are dipped into a soya based sauce before being eaten.

Aioli

A mayonnaise made from garlic, egg, olive oil and lemon juice

Al dente

Meaning to the tooth - a slight resistance to the bite

Allspice berries

A dried berry of the Pimenta dioica,sometimes called Jamaican pepper.

Amaranth

Highly nutritional gluten free grain seed

Amaretto

Liquor made from an apricot kernel

Amuse - bouche

An amuse-bouche also called an amuse-gueule, is a single, bite-sized hors d’œuvre. Amuse-bouche are different from appetizers in that they are not ordered from a menu by patrons, but, when served, are according to the chef\'s selection alone. These, often accompanied by a complementing wine, are served as an excitement of taste buds to both prepare the guest for the meal and to offer a glimpse into the chef\'s approach to cooking. Translates roughly to a mouth pleaser.

Anaheim Chilli

Also known as Californian chili, pale green and mild

Arame

Mild, sweet tasting seaweed

Arborio

A short grain high starch rice that can absorb a lot of liquid - used in risotto

Arrowroot

A high starch flour from a canna variety used for thickening, sets clearer than cornflour

Artichoke, Globe

A vegetable bud from the thistle family

Artichoke, Jerusalem

A root vegetable from the sunflower family

Asafoetida

A strong flavoured gum resin used alot in Indian cooking.

Aspic

A savoury jelly made from stock

Au four

Baked in an oven

Australian Blood Lime

The Australian Blood Lime is a hybrid between Citrus australasica var. sanguinea (the red finger lime) and the Rangpur lime (Citrus x limonia).

B

Baby bok choy

A common Chinese green cabbage

back bacon

similar to Canadian bacon

Bain-marie

A hot water bath used for slow cooking or keeping food warm

Ballontine

A stuffed and boned leg of poultry

Balsamic vinegar

Originaly made in Modena in the north of Italy, Real balsamic vinegar, marked as Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena, has a sweet-sour taste and a rich syrupy consistency.Can be aged as long as 100 years, but is normally a few years old.

Balti

A paste made form tomatoes, coriander and chilli, Also known as a style of cooking

Bap

hamburger bun

Barberries

A sour, dried fruit that is rich in vitamin C. Barberries are also known as berberis.

Barder

To cover with slices of fatty bacon

Barley flour

A high-fibre, nutritious flour popular in Europe for puddings, soups and unleavened breads.

baron of beef

two sirloins in one roast

Basmati

Aromatic long grain rice used in Indian cooking

Baste

To spoon over food with a stock or fat to prevent drying out of food

Batons

Items cut into small stick like pieces

Batter

A raw mixture used to coat foods in prior to cooking

Bay Leaves

Leaves from the Bay Tree used to flavour stocks, sauces and Meats

Beetroot

beet

Besan Flour

A fine textured creamy yellow flour made from grinding chickpeas

Beurre Blanc

Known as white butter, made from whisking butter into a vinegar,wine and shallot reduction

Bi Metal

A copper serving platter lined with stainless steel

Biryani curry

A curry paste that is a mild blend that powers the classic Indian rice dish after which it\'s named, where aromatic basmati rice is topped with vegetables or chicken and dried fruit or nuts.

Biscotti

A hard porous Italian biscuit, twice baked, serve with coffee

Biscuit

cookie or cracker (sweet biscuit or savoury biscuit)

Blachan

Paste of ground, salted, fermanted shrimp.

Black Beans

Black dried beans usually used in the Americas, cream centre with a shiny black skin

Black glutinous rice

A black, short-grained rice used in Asian cuisines. It is also known as sticky rice because once it is cooked, the grains stick together. Black glutinous rice gets its colour because the rice\'s dark layer of bran is left intact.

Black pudding

A sausage of British origins made from cooked congealed animal blood, meat and fat, then chilled.

Blade mace

The rust-coloured fibrous coating on whole nutmeg.

Blanch

To plunge briefly into boiling water

Blind Bake

To bake a raw pastry case filled with weights or dried beans to prevent shape change

Blood oranges

A dark-red or blood-coloured orange, usually srtonger tatse than a normal variety of orange.

Boerewors

A spicy South African sausage made with minced meats, herbs, seasonings and spices.

Boil

Refers to cooking foods in boiling water 100c

Boiled sweet

Hard candy

Borlotti beans

Mild-flavoured, reddish-speckled bean, perfect for rice dishes and soups.

Bouillon powder

A stock cube made from dehydrated stock broth.

Bouquet Garni

Thyme,parsley stalks, bay leaf and crushed peppercorns tied into a leek leaf, used for flavouring a stock

Braise

To slowly cook in a liquid in a tight lidded vessel

Bread Flour

This is a high-gluten flour that has very small amounts of malted barley flour and vitamin C or potassium bromate added. The barley flour helps the yeast work, and the other additive increases the elasticity of the gluten and its ability to retain gas as the dough rises and bakes. The content varies from country to country but it is basically similar

Breadfruit uses

People in Jamaica and St. Vincent roast breadfruit. In Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada, the favorite way is \"oil down, that is steamed in coconut milk, while in the Leewards, they like it boiled. It can be turned into flour, which then can be used to make bread. Ripe breadfruit can be used to make breadfruit wine, patty, gizzada, pudding, cake, and punch.\'

Brider

To truss or sew

Brill

Something like a small turbot

Brine

A salted liquid used to preserve meats

Broad bean

Fava be

Broccoflower

A hybrid between cauliflower and broccoli.

Broccolini

This is a cross between broccoli and Chinese kale and its stalks are thinner than broccoli and have a slightly sweeter taste.

Broil

The ancient word for grilling

Brown stock

beef stock

Brule

French for burned as in cr�me brulee

Brunoise

Cut into very small even sized dice

Buckwheat flour

Is a milled flour made from the seeds of an ancient plant related to rhubarb and sorrel It\'s gluten-free, with a nutty, earthy flavour,(It is not wheat).

Buckwheat noodles

A Japanese and Korean noodle made with buckwheat flour.

Buffalo mozzarella

A curd cheese made from buffalo milk.

Bungwall Fern

A australian bush tuker plant, Botanical name: Blechnum indicum ,this tuberous root is soaked, roasted, and ground on grinding stones to make flour

Bunya Nut

these nuts can be eaten raw when fresh, or boiled to make it easier to extract the nut from the hard shell. The nuts can then be sliced or pureed and added to desserts and savoury dishes. The nuts\' flour can also be used to make breads and cakes.

Butter beans

large white beans that are mildflavoured, and best used in salads, soups and casseroles. A variety of lima beans.

Butterfly

To split open down a foods centre and then usually flattening the food

Buttermilk

Buttermilk was originally the slightly sour liquid left over after cream was churned into butter, therefor the name buttermilk. Now buttermilk is made by adding bacterial cultures to low-fat milk during the manufacturing process.

C

Cabernet sauvignon vinegar

As the name suggests, this vinigar is made from cabernet sauvignon grapes and features a berry type caramel taste.

Calasparra rice

A highly absorbent variety of Spanish rice that remains firm when it is cooked. It can be substituted with Arborio or short-grain rice.

Candle Nut

A nut found in australia and south east asia, used in native bush tucker.Botanical Name: Aleurites moluccana This plant is a large rainforest tree with a spreading crown. It has large leaves; the juveniles are lobed. Clusters of 50 mm brown fruit ripen in summer.

Candyfloss

Cotton candy

Canelle

A cut of fish cut across and through the backbone of a round fish

Cantaloupe

Also named as Rockmelon

Capers

The flower buds of a shrub originally from the Mediterranean

Carambola

Also called starfruit. It is a pale-yellow to green fruit with ribbed edges and firm flesh. When sliced horizontally, it has a star shape.

Carnitas

Carnitas are a very popular Mexican dish that consists of braised pork and can be eaten by itself or with tortillas, guacamole and salsa. It is a filling in tacos, taquitos and burritos. The pork is first simmered in boiling oil for a long time to make it really soft and then braised in the oven to make it crispy.

Carpaccio

Thin slices of raw beef fillet, named after a venetian painter

Carragheen

Seaweed used for thickening or jelly. Also known as Irish Moss

Cartouche

A covering of greaseproof paper to stop a sauce from forming a skin

Cavalo nero

black cabbage, commonly used sauted with garlic in pasta and rice dishes.

Cavolo nero

Means red cabbage , usually grown in Tuscany

Cedar Bay Cherry

The fruit is sweet tasting and can be eaten fresh. This is one of Australia\'s best fresh native fruits, Botanical Name: Eugenia reinwardtiana, Cedar Bay Cherry is also known as Beach Cherry

Champagne vinegar

A light mild variety of vinegar that can be substituted with white wine vinegar.

Chanko Nabe

Chanko nabe is traditionally the staple diet of sumo wrestlers. There are many varieties of chanko nabe. A few chanko nabe restaurants can be found around Ryogoku, the sumo district in Tokyo.

Chapattie

Unleavened Indian bread made from fine textured wholemeal flour

Chat potatoes

Also called baby coliban or baby potatoes.

Chawanmushi

Chawanmushi is savory steamed egg custard that usually contains pieces of chicken, shrimp, fish cake and a ginko nut mixed inside.

Chazuke

Chazuke Chazuke is a bowl of cooked rice with green tea and other ingredients, for example, salmon or tarako (cod roe) added to it. It is a suitable dish for using left over rice.

Chef De Cusine

This refers to the head chef in a kitchen brigade.

Chevre

A French goat\'s milk cheese with a texture ranging from soft but firm to very hard.

Chicory

Endive

Chinois sieve

Strainer for stock & to make fine purees

Chipolata

small pork sausage

Chips

French fries

Chocolate vermicelli

chocolate sprinkles

Chorizo

A spicy Sausage

Chou Paste

A pastry used for eclairs and profiteroles

Choy sum

Chinese flowering cabbage.

Cime di rapa

A turnip variety grown in Italy

Citrus Zester

A tool that peels zest only from citrus rind

Civet

A rich stew

Clarified Butter

To separate milk solids from clear butter by melting and skimming

Clarify

To clear a cloudy liquid

Clingfilm

plastic wrap

Clouter

To insert fat or other foods into meats or seafood

Coffee essence

An extract from coffee beans that is used as a flavouring in baking. Can be replaced with a shot of esspresso.

Comal

Comal is a large, round, flat, cast iron skillet used to blister chiles and make tortillas. Originated in the state of Oaxaca.

Concasser

A rough chop or dice

Consomm�

A clear , clarified soup or broth

Copp di Parma

A rolled, boned shoulder of pork cured with salt, pepper and nutmeg

Coriander leaves

cilantro

corned beef

canned pressed ham (see salt beef)

Cornflour

A wheat starch powder or a flour derived from Corn. Used for thickening.

Cornichons

Small crisp pickled gherkins

Cottage cheese

Itraditionally made from milk strained through muslin, which leaves a soft, moist cheese with masses of small curds.

Courgette

A smaller-sized zucchini

Court Bouillon

Aromatic cooking stock

Couscous

A North African dish made with semolina

Couscousier

A large steaming pot which stews in the bottom whilst steaming cous cous in the top section

Cracked wheat

Also called burgul, it is whole wheat which has been partially boiled, cracked and dried.

Cream (To)

To beat one ingredient into another resulting into a smooth mixture

Cr�me Anglaise

A light sweet egg custard

Cr�me Fraiche

A thick cream which is partially soured

Crepinette

The membrane that covers a pigs stomach

Crostini

Small slices of toasted bread brushed with oil

Cru

Raw

Cuisson

cooking liquor

Cuit

Cooked

Cumin seeds

seeds from the cumin plant used as a spice, often found used in Mexican and Indian cuisine\'s.

D

Daikon

A long white radish also known as moolie

Daikon

A large white radish with a sweet fresh flavour. Used in Asian cooking.

Darne

A cut of fish cut across and through the backbone of a round fish

Dashi

Japanese condiment used to replace soup stock

Date Sugar

Not sugar at all, but rather ground-up dried dates. It’s used by raw foodists to sweeten dishes, because it’s made without the use of high heat, and contains fiber and other vitamins and minerals present in the fruit. It tends to clump and not dissolve, so it’s not great for baking, but it will work for things like a crumble topping or sweetening a bowl of tart berries.

Decant

To pour from one container to another

Deglaze

To remove juices from a pan by added a liquid to a hot pan and letting it reduce

Degorger

To eliminate impurities in food by running under water

Diable

Deviled or spicy hot

Digestive biscuits

something like Graham crackers

Dinkel

German name for spelt

Domburi

A bowl of cooked rice with some other food put on top of the rice. Some of the most popular toppings are tempura (tendon), egg and chicken (oyakodon), tonkatsu (katsudon) and beef (gyudon).

Double Boiler

Two pots that sit on top of each other that allow steaming

Dragees

Sugar-coated confectionary used in cake decorating. Usually silver.

Drambuie

A aged malt whisky-based liqueur flavoured with honey and herbs.

Dredge

To cover lightly by hand usually with flour

Dress (to)

To prepare

Dulse

A dark red seaweed with a spicy flavour

Dulse

Dried purple seaweed sold in Atlantic Canada at convenience stores. Should have bits of green algae, small stones, flotsam, and so on, adhering. Eaten as is with relish by the locals. Grotequely disgusting. Probably poisonous. Possibly could be used with caution as a garden fertilizer.

Dust

To cover lightly using a sieve or sifter

Dutch Oven

Heavy cast iron pot with heavy lid used for slow stewing

E

Eau de vie

French for water of life, it is a colourless, brandy or spirit distilled from fermented fruit juice.

EFA

Essential Fatty Acids � a type of dietary fat that our body needs and must source from food

Egg Wash

Milk and egg mixed used to glaze pastry

Elderflowers

The white flowers of the elderberry tree. The flowers are commonly made into a cordial or juice.

Empanadas

Empanada is a pastry crust or meat pie with a filling of beef and vegetables, ham and cheese, or other stuff usually cooked in an oven, or sometimes fried. It\'s a popular snack food in South America and Mexico.

English spinach

English spinach has thick, soft oval leaves and green stems.

Enoki

Long, thin white mushrooms used in Asian cooking.

Enoki Mushroom

Enoki mushrooms are edible mushrooms which are very popular in Asian cuisine, especially in Japan. The delicately flavored, interesting looking mushrooms are also cultivated and sold in other parts of the world, although they are most widely used in Asian and fusion foods. Asian grocers and specialty stores often sell enoki mushrooms, and they are sometimes also available in regular markets, depending on the region of the world that one is in.

Enrich

Usually adding , cream, eggs or butter to something at the end of a cooking process

Essene Bread

A yeast free bread made from sprouted grains

F

Fairy cake

Cup Cake

Faro

Italian name for spelt

Feta

Originated form Greece as a way to preserve sheep or goat\'s milk, but these days is made commercially from cow\'s milk. Feta is stored in brine or oil to lengthen its shelf life and is often used in pastries, salads and pizzas.

Ficelle

A long thin-shaped French style bread that is about half the size of a baguette.

Fillet

To remove from bones or a choice cut of meat or fish

Fines Herbs

Finely chopped fresh herbs used to flavour

Flambes

To set a liqueur alight during the cooking process

Flour 00

A super-fine Italian flour grade, traditionally used for the making of pasta.

Fold in

A technique used to combine a light mixture with a heavier one, like in a sponge cake

Foncer

To line a dish or mould

Fontina

An Italian cow\'s milk cheese with a semi-soft texture and slightly nutty taste.

Fouet

A whisk

Fourre

To stuff

Framboise

A liqueur that is fermented using raspberries.

Fromage blanc

A soft unripened fresh cheese with texture that resembles yoghurt.

Fructose

Powdered fruit sugar twice as sweet as cane sugar

Fufu

Many West Africans have strong loyalty to their native fufu. It is made from pounded yam and is eaten in slimy balls without chewing, normally with a spicy peanut sauce. It is a strong identity issue, notably in Ghana.

G

Gai lan

A chinese broccoli from the same family as kale

Galangal

A flavoursome root also known as blue ginger used in asian cooking.

Garam Masala

Combination of hot spices garam means heat masala means mixture of various spices

Garnish

To decorate to improve appearance

Gelatine

Animal product used for thickening and jellies

GI

A rating given to food that reflects the effect they have on our blood sugar levels

GI Value

High is 70+ . Moderate is 56-69. Low less than 55. Low is the best choice for optimum health

Givre

Frosted

Glycerine

A sweet clear liquid used in cake icings to improve consistency.

Goanna

AN Australian lizard, used as food by australian aborigines

Gong bao

A Szechuan-style chicken seasoning mix.

Grapeseed oil

A good-quality, neutral vegetable oil pressed from grape seeds.

Gyoza

Gyoza are dumplings with a filling usually made of minced vegetables and ground meat. Gyoza were introduced to Japan from China. In Japan gyoza are usually prepared by frying them.

H

Habanero

Related to the Caribbean Scotch Bonnet, very hot, used in bottled sauces

Hacher

To Chop

Hachoir

Bowl and blade identically shaped for chopping ginger, garlic etc

Halo-Halo

A dessert served in a tall glass, like an Asian knickerbockers glory. The glass is filled with a mix of shaved ice, a lump or two of ice cream, carnation or liberty evaporated milk, and a mix of bottled chopped fruits in syrup, with mango, papaya, langka etc, and pulses in syrup, jellified coconut flesh [macapuno] or coco-jelly [nata de coco], sweet-corn [mais], various types of beans [navy beans etc], a blob of purple sweet-potato paste [ube]. The beans and nata de coco is often colored bright red, green etc.

Halva

A sweet of Turkish origin made from ground sesame seeds and honey, then flavoured with ingredients such as chocolate, vanilla or pistachio.

Hamubagu

Hamubagu is a Japanese style hamburger steak. It is typically served on a plate and usually with a demi-glace sauce, but without a bun.

Hatlet

A decorative skewer used on cold buffets

Haute Cuisine

Term used to describe finest of high class cooking

Hayashi Raisu

Hayashi rice is Japanese style hashed beef stew, thinly sliced beef and onions in a demi-glace sauce served over or along side cooked rice. It resembles kare raisu, and, like kare raisu, it is also eaten with a spoon.

Hibachi

Cast iron portable barbecue originating from Japan

Hijiki

Little black seaweed shoots very high in calcium

Hors d\'oeurve

Translated it just means the first course

http://www.weird-food.com/weird-food-vegetable.html

Passed around in a large \"salad bowl\" for all to share, this drink has a slight numbing effect, if you can get past the taste of wet cement. It is crushed kava root and water, strained which gives it a white, slightly milky appearance. Some say it is a drug, but you would have to drink so much of it to feel an effect past your tongue tingling, that you are probably better off just having a beer.

Hure

The head of a pig or boar

I

Ice wine

A German dessert wine made from grapes which have been picked frozen.

Infuse

To heat, steep or soak to extract a flavour

Irish Moss

See Carragheen

Irn Bru

Mustn\'t forget Irn Bru. Scotland\'s answer to the rest of the world\'s disgusting soft drinks. It\'s flourescent orange, tastes vaguely of bubble gum, and has the best non-beer adverts on the TV. From: Richard Caley.

J

Jalapeno

Left green, widely used outside Mexico vary from hot to mild

Jamon

Spanish air-dried ham.

Japanese Wasanbon.

Similar in look and texture to powdered sugar, only more cakey and crumbly, this Japanese sugar is considered a specialty item used mostly for classy sweets, like higashi, a confection served at Japanese teas. Wasanbon is refined using traditional techniques, from a species of sugarcane plant called chikuto, which only grows in a few areas of the Asan Mountains.

Julienne

To cut into thin matchstick batons

Jus

A gravy

K

Kaffir lime leaves

The fragrant oily leaves of the lime tree native to Southeast Asian countries.

Kalonji

Black seeds of the nigella plant used as a spice. It is often sprinkling over curries, naan bread and rice pilau.

Kamut

Ancient variety of wheat useful for wheat intolerance diets

Kanten

See Agar agar

Kare Raisu

Kare Raisu (Curry Rice) is cooked rice with a curry sauce. It can be served with additional toppings such as tonkatsu. Curry is not a native Japanese spice, but has been used in Japan for over a century. Kare Raisu is a very popular dish, and many inexpensive Kare Raisu restaurants can be found especially in and around train stations.

Kayu

Kayu is rice gruel, watery, soft cooked rice that resembles oatmeal. It is a suitable dish for using left over rice and is often served to sick people because it can be digested easily.

Kebab

Skewered meats or vegetables

Kecap manis

A sweet and thick Indonesian soy sauce.

Kelp powder

Usually made from a combination of Kombu varieties, used as a dietary supplement

Kim Chee

Fermented cabbage. The cabbage is soaked in a tub containing salt and red pepper. It is usually left for several weeks before serving, but can be stored for months in clay pots buried underground. Takes on a hot vinegar taste after fermentation

Kirsch

Cherry flavoured liquor

Kiwifruit

Also known as the chinese gooseberry. Distinctive tangy flavour and green flesh,

Knock back

To remove air from a rising dough using a kneading or punching process

Kombu

Brown strap-like seaweed used as a vegetable and flavouring

Korokke

Korokke has its origins in the croquettes which were introduced to Japan in the 19th century. Korokke are breaded and deep fried, and come in many varieties depending on the filling. The most common filling is a mix of minced meat and mashed potatoes

Kuzu

Root starch used like arrowroot

Kuzu/Kudzu

Root of a wild vine used as a wheat free gluten free thickener

Kvass

Beer-like beverage made by fermenting old bread in water. It\'s sold from tank-trailers on the street during the summer.

L

Larder

To insert strips of bacon fat into meats

Laver

See Nori

Lemon Myrtle

The leaves are used fresh or dried & ground and have a lemon & lime oil flavour. They can be used with baked fish, to make a lemon tea, breads and cheesecakes etc., chicken and rice dishes, and sauces. Botanical Name: Backhousia citriodora

M

Macedoine

Foods cut into a regular dice

Macerate

To soak in wine or liquor

Macerate

To soak in a liquid to ad flavour, often alcohol

Maitake Mushroom

This ruffled brown fungus grows at the base of trees, and can reach 50 pounds. Once considered the leading medicinal mushroom, it has gained culinary popularity because of its roasted chicken flavor and slightly meaty texture. It is rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium, along with amino acids. Its Asian name means “dancing mushroom,” because, the lore goes, whoever found it would dance for joy.

Mandolin

A hand held tool used for finely slicing vegetables thinly

Maple Syrup

is a sweetener made from the sap of maple trees. In Canada and the United States it is most often eaten with waffles and pancakes. It is sometimes used as an ingredient in baking, the making of candy, preparing desserts, or as a sugar source and flavoring agent in making beer. Sucrose is the most prevalent sugar in maple syrup.

Maraschino

Cherry flavoured liquor

Marinate

To place food into a liquid to tenderise or flavour

Marsala

A fortified wine, dry or sweet

Masa

Masa - Masa is made of dried corn kernels, ground and mixed with water and a little ground limestone. It is a thick dough that is then flattened into patties for tortillas, or stuffed with meat and spices or fruit to make tamales.

Mask

To cover with a sauce

Matelote

A fish stew

Medaillon

Describes a round flat piece of fish or meat

Mezzaluna

Two handled crescent blade used for chopping herbs

Midyim

The midyim fruits were gathered and eaten fresh by australian aborigines. They have a pleasant, slightly aromatic taste. Bushfood fans still relish the fruit today. The botanical name is Austromyrtus dulcis

Mie de pain

White breadcrumbs

Mirepoix

Usually vegetables cut into a rough dice

Mirin

A traditional sticky sweet rice wine made in Japan from fermented sweet rice.

Miso

Brown or white puree of soy beans

Miso Soup

A bowl of miso soup often accompanies breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is made by dissolving miso paste in hot water and adding additional ingredients such as wakame seaweed and small pieces of tofu

Molcajete

Molcajete is a stone mortar used mostly to grind chiles for salsa. Originated in the state of Oaxaca. Molcajetes come in different shapes, one very popular in central Mexico is Pig Molcajete.

Monjayaki

Monjayaki is a Kanto region specialty that is similar to Okonomiyaki, however, the dough used is much more liquid than the okonomiyaki dough.

Monte Au Beurre

To carefully blend butter into a sauce to thicken or enrich

Moreton Bay Chestnut

A nut used in australian bush tucker. The starchy seeds of this tree are poisonous, but were eaten by the aborigines after considerable preparation. The Moreton Bay Chestnut seeds were cracked and soaked in water, then pounded , and made into cakes, and finally roasted. The washing in water removes some of the soluble toxins, while roasting destroys other toxins.

Mortar & Pestle

From ceramic, stone or metal, used for grinding spices

Mortifier

To tenderise meat by hanging

Moule

A mould

Muscovado.

Made from sugarcane, muscovado is a darker, stickier, and hardier version of brown sugar. Unlike brown sugar, where the molasses content is added back in after first removing it, muscovado is minimally refined. Sugarcane is pressed and cooked, with impurities skimmed off the top, and the resulting dark liquid is dried, then crushed into sugar. You’ll find recipes for gingery cakes, puddings, and rich syrups calling for muscovado, but its increased moisture content makes it tricky to substitute in most other baked goods.

Muslin

A fine cotton fabric used to strain liquids and drain soft cheeses

N

Napper

To coat with a sauce

Native Autralian Ginger

AUstralian bush tucker plant The pith inside the fruit has a pleasant, refreshing, lemony taste. Young root tips are edible. The leaves were also used by aborigines to lay under meat cooked in an earth oven.

New Mexico Chilli

Simular to new Mexico but are allowed to ripen to a red colour

Nori

A black/green seaweed sold in square sheets. Also known as Laver

Nutrients

Proteins, fats, carbohydrates,water, minerals and vitamins.

O

Oden

A nabe dish prepared with various fish cakes, daikon, boiled eggs, konyaku and kombu seaweed, boiled over many hours in a soya sauce based soup.

Okara

Soybean residue left after making soy milk. Used in vegetarian dishes or as a filler

Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is a mix between pizza and pancake. Various ingredients such as seafood, vegetables and meat can be mixed with the dough and placed on the okonomiyaki as topping.

Omuraisu

Omuraisu (abbreviation for omelet rice) is cooked rice, wrapped in a thin omelet, and usually served with a gravy sauce or tomato ketchup.

Omuraisu

Omuraisu (abbreviation for omelet rice) is cooked rice, wrapped in a thin omelet, and usually served with a gravy sauce or tomato ketchup.

Onigiri

Onigiri are rice balls made of cooked rice and usually wrapped in nori seaweed. They are slightly salted and often contain some additional food in the center, for example an umeboshi (pickled Japanese plum), katsuobushi (dried bonito shavings), tuna or salmon. Rice balls are a popular and inexpensive snack available at convenience stores

Oroshigane

Japanese porcelain ginger grater

P

Palm Sugar

Used in Asian dishes it comes from sugar palms

Panacetta

Streaky bacon that comes from the belly of pork

Panacetta

Streaky bacon that comes from the belly of pork

Panache

To have been mixed

Paner

To coat in breadcrumbs using an egg wash

Papillotes

Parcels of food

Par Boil

To partly cook food in a liquid

Parmesan

A hard, grain cheese made from partially skimmed cows milk

Pass

To move something through

Patatje Oorlog

Patatje Oorlog = \"Chips War\". Fried potato chips with mayonaise, tomato ketchup, raw onions, and Indonesian peanut-sauce. When you eat this, war breaks out in your stomach.

Pepitas

Pumpkin seeds

Petits fours

Small sweet treats served at the end of a meal

Piloncillo

Unrefined blocks of dark caramel–colored sugarcane juice that’s been boiled and reduced. It’s often sold in cones at Mexican grocery stores near the cash register, and can be used in desserts, like flan, or boiled with cinnamon, anise, and coffee to make a delicious beverage called café de olla. (Panela is also the name of a type of Mexican cheese.) Southeast Asian jaggery, often called for in Indian and Thai recipes, is a similar product, although sometimes it is made with palm sap. In Burma, this sweetener is called htanyet.

Piquante

A sharp spicy flavour

Plier

To fold over

Plum duff

Plum pudding

Poach

To gently cook a food in simmering liquid

Poblano

Green black in colour wide at the top narrowing to to a point never eaten raw

Polenta

Cornmeal

Pont Neuf

The crisscrossing of food

Portobello Mushroom

( Portobella, Portabello, Portabella) A full-grown cremini, the portobello is much larger, with a fleshier texture and muskier flavor. Because of this, it is a popular substitute for meat.

Poutine

(poo-TEEN, or puh-TSIN) is a popular fast food in the French-speaking Canadian province of Québec. The name means \"mess\" in French, and that it is. Poutine\'s popularity has spread throughout Canada since the dish first appeared in the 1950s.

Profiteroles

Usually small party balls made from Chou paste

Prosciutto

A Parma ham

Puree

A smooth thick pulp after being processed

Q

Quandongs

Quandongs are an Australian native fruit like a peach—but not as sweet. They have a delicate acidic taste, seeded look like bright red coloured apricots. They are best stewed in castor sugar, water and orange juice. Left overnight to obtain the best flavour and served like pies or tarts.

Quenelle

An olive-shaped food shaped using two spoons

Quinoa

Ancient grain or the Incas, quick cooking and recommended for coeliacs

R

Ragout

A stew

Ramen

Ramen are Chinese style noodles prepared in a soup with various toppings. Ramen is one of the many popular dishes that were originally introduced from China but have become completely Japanized over time.

R�per

To grate

Rechauffer

To reheat

Reduce

To reduce a liquids consistency by boiling down or simmering

R�duire

To reduce

Refresh

To plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process

Rennet

A secretion from a cows stomach used in the production of cheese

Rest

To put aside for a period of time , usually referring to allow gluten to contract in the baking process

Riberry

The australian riberry fruits have a clove flavouring. The fruit can be used for making jam, and in tarts, meat sauce, and cakes. The whole fruit can be blended for use in icecream. Seedless varieties are favoured.

Rice Syrup

A syrup made from rice and barley malt

Ricer

Shaped like a large garlic press � for root vegetables and apples

Ricotta

A soft cheese made from the re-cooked whey of milk separated for cheese making

Risotto

Italian Dish made from aborio rice

Rissoler

To colour brown on all sides

Roccolo.

This is a unique cow’s milk, washed rind cheese from northern Italy.

Rocher

A scoop of ice cream

Rocket

A peppery salad leaf. The bigger the leaf the stronger the taste

Rolmops

Raw herring wrapped around a pickle and/or a cocktail onion and secured with a toothpick. Served cold.

S

Sabayon

A sauce made from whisking egg yolks with wine over a hot water bath

Saffron

Stamens of a crocus bulb is used for colouring and flavouring foods yellow

Saifun

Clear noodles made from green beans or mung beans.Also known as \'cellophane noodles\'

Salmis

A game stew

Salsa

A thick sauce accompaniment made with fresh fruit or vegetables

Sandpaper Fig

An Australian native fig used in bush tucker. This is a bushy tree with rough, sandpapery leaves. The 20 mm furry fruit are dark when ripe, and appear on the trunk and larger branches. The tree is often associated with creek banks.Botanical Name: Ficus coronata

Sashimi

Sashimi is raw seafood. A large number of fish can be enjoyed raw if they are fresh and prepared correctly. Most types of sashimi are enjoyed with soya sauce and wasabi.

Saut�

To cook in hot fat or oil quickly, literally means to jump.

Scotch bonnet

The Scotch bonnet (Capsicum chinense) is a variety of Chile Pepper, similar to, and of the same species as, the habanero. Habanero, which in Spanish means from Havana, is heavily cultivated in Mexico\'s Yucatan province, is the most intensely spicy chile pepper of the Capsicum genus. Unripe habaneros are green, but the color at maturity varies. Common colors are orange and red, but white, brown, purple, and pink are also seen. Typically a ripe habanero is 2–6 cm (1–2½ in) long. It is found mainly in the Caribbean islands, with a shape resembling a Scot\'s bonnet. Most Scotch bonnets have a heat rating of 150,000–325,000 Scoville Units.

Sea Salt

Sea salt that has not had its minerals stripped away through processing

Sear

Subjecting a meat or fish to a quick high heat to seal in juices

Seitan

A vegetarian food prepared from wheat gluten

Serrano

Generally hotter than the jalapeno, reddish-green, used in raw salsa\'s

Sesame Oil

Made from toasted sesame seeds, dark brown oil and has a strong nutty flavour

Shabu-Shabu

Shabu-shabu is Japanese style meat fondue. Thinly sliced meat, along with vegetables, mushrooms and tofu is dipped into a hot soup and then into ponzu vinegar or a sesame sauce before being eaten.

Shiitake Mushroom

The shiitake is native to East Asia, but its popularity has led to its cultivation worldwide. It is a good source of vitamin D, niacin, and potassium. Shiitakes are admired for their bold, savory, garlic flavor, and are so fleshy in texture that some people find them too chewy

Shitake Mushrooms

Intensely flavoured Asian mushrooms - great for elimination of animal fats from the body

Shoyu

A thicker soy sauce from fermented soy beans, wheat and salt

Sieve

To pass a product through a fine mess or perforations

Simmer

To cook gently in liquid at a low temperature, liquid bubbles gently

Slice

A bar cookie

Soba

Soba noodles are native Japanese noodles made of buckwheat flour or a mixture of buckwheat and wheat flour. Soba are about as thick as spaghetti. They can be served cold or hot and with various toppings.

Soba noodles are native Japanese noodles made of buckwheat flour or a mixture of buckwheat and wheat flour. Soba are about as thick as spaghetti. They can be served cold or hot and with various toppings.

Udon noodles are native Japanese noodles made of wheat flour. Udon are thicker than soba and can also be served either hot or cold and with various toppings.

Somen

Like Udon noodles, somen are Japanese noodles made of wheat flour, but they are much thinner than Udon and Soba. Somen are usually eaten cold and are considered a summer speciality.

Sourdough

A mixture of fermented grain, flour and water used as a natural yeast for the leavening process

Spaetzle

Spaetzle [SHPEHT-sluh; SHPEHT-sehl; SHPEHT-slee] Literally translated from German as \"little sparrow,\" spaetzle is a dish of tiny noodles or dumplings made with flour, eggs, water or milk, salt and sometimes nutmeg. The spaetzle dough can be firm enough to be rolled and cut into slivers or soft enough to be forced through a sieve, colander or spaetzle-maker with large holes. The small pieces of dough are usually boiled (poached) before being tossed with butter or added to soups or other dishes. In Germany, spaetzle is served as a side dish much like potatoes or rice, and is often accompanied by a sauce or gravy. The cooked spaetzle can also be pan-fried with a little butter and onions (usually a good left-over idea).

Spelt

Highly nutritious non-hybridised grain. Aka dinkel and faro

Stevia

Plant based sugar 200 � 300 times sweeter than cane sugar. Does not affect blood sugar levels

Stevia

Derived from the South American herb Stevia rebaudiana, stevia is a powdery white sweetener not approved as a food by the FDA; you’ll find it in the nutritional supplement section. It’s considered a healthy sugar substitute because compounds that make the plant intensely sweet (steviol glycosides) don’t raise blood sugar levels, nor do they cause tooth decay. Stevia has a slightly bitter flavor, and though it’s a natural product, it can taste synthetic to some. It’s also a lot sweeter than sucrose (up to 300 times as sweet!) and lingers in your mouth after you taste it. The Coca-Cola Company is apparently working on a diet soda that contains stevia

Stichelton.

This cheese is raw-milk Stilton, the classic cow’s milk blue cheese.

Stick of Butter

An american term for 125gms of butter.

Sugar Thermometer

A thermometer specific for measuring high temperatures for oil and melted sugar

Sukiyaki

A nabe dish prepared with thinly sliced meat, vegetables, mushrooms, tofu and shirataki (konyaku noodles). The pieces of food are dipped into a raw egg before eaten

Superfine Sugar

Granulated white sugar that’s been ground into very fine crystals. In British recipes it’s called castor sugar. It’s also sometimes called baker’s sugar, because it gives baked goods a denser, finer texture

Supreme

Choice pieces of poultry, game or fish. Usually referring to the breast.

Sushi

Sushi can be defined as a dish which contains sushi rice, cooked rice that is prepared with sushi vinegar. There are various kinds of sushi dishes.

Sweat (to)

To extract a liquid from a food through applying gentle heat

Swede

yellow turnip

T

Tahini

Paste made from raw, hulled ground sesame seeds, high in calcium and protein

Tajine

Traditional earthenware pot with conical lid used for top of stove slow cooking

Tamales

Tamale or Tamales are made from masa dough filled with meat, vegetables and spices, or fruit and wrapped in a corn husk or banana leaf and steamed until hot.

Tamari

Soy sauce made from fermented soy beans and salt

Tempeh

Fermented soy bean product rich in B12

Tempura

Tempura is seafood, vegetables, mushrooms and other pieces of food coated with tempura batter and deep fried. Tempura was introduced to Japan by the Portuguese in the 16th century, but has become one of Japan\'s most famous dishes internationally.

Terrine

Traditionally an oval earthenware pot used for cooking terrine or pate

Timbale

A deep round dish to serve in or used as a mould

Tire sur la Neige

Tire sur la neige (draw on the snow) is an old-fashioned treat in Québec, also known as tire d\'érable or la tire. It is made in the late winter and early spring as the maple syrup harvest begins and snow is still on the ground. Long wooden troughs are filled with snow over which is poured boiled and reduced maple syrup, chilling it to a taffy-like consistency. The taffy is then rolled up on wooden sticks and eaten. As the Québecois say, \"Attention aux dents!\"

Tobasco

A brand name pepper sauce

Tofu

A firm soybean curd, high in protein and low in fat

Tofu, Silken

Soft, Japanese style tofu

Tonkatsu

Tonkatsu are deep fried pork cutlets. Tonkatsu is usually served with shredded cabbage or on top of cooked rice (katsudon) or with Japanese style curry rice (katsu kare

Tortilla Press

Tortilla Press - Tortilla Press is a device used to flatten balls of masa into thin patties to be briefly cooked for tortillas.

Tranche

To slice or cut

Tree Oyster Mushroom

There are a few different varieties of edible oyster mushrooms, including some that are pink or yellow in color, but the tannish-brown tree oyster is widely cultivated and common in grocery stores. Velvety soft in texture, it has a slightly sharp flavor that blends well with chicken and fish dishes. Don’t cook tree oysters for more than four minutes.

Trevise

Another name for radicchio - long pointed leaves

Tsukemono

Tsukemono are Japanese pickles. There are many variety of pickles, and a small dish of tsukemono is usually served with Japanese meals

Turbinado Sugar.

Clear, tan-hued, refined cane sugar crystals with a higher molasses content than white sugar. Turbinado is sold under the Sugar in the Raw brand in the United States, and is referred to sometimes as Demerara sugar. Azúcar morena (from Mexico) is a similar product. All three can be substituted for light brown sugar when baking, with decent results.

U

Umeboshi Plums

Pickled salted plumbs - they have a sour salty taste great for digestive disturbances

V

Vanner

To stir a sauce occasionally while its cooling to prevent a skin from forming

Vegan

Person who eats no animal products at all.

Vegetarian

Person who choses not to eat meat

Vegetarian (Lacto)

Vegetarian who eats dairy products

Vegetarian (Ovo)

Vegetarian who eats eggs

Vinaigrette

3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar often with the addition of herbs and garlic

Vol-au-vont

A puff pastry case used to hold food

W

Wakame

A mild tasting seaweed that turns green when reconstituted. Often used for salad

Wakame

Undaria pinnatifida, is a type of edible kelp. Used mainly in japanese cooking.

Warrigal Greens

An australian bush simular to spinach in appearence.Warrigal Greens have a spinach flavour. Their uses are as for spinach & Asian greens. They are also used in quiches and stuffings.

Wasabi

Pungent green root similar in taste to horseradish. Leaves may also be eaten

Whisk

A looped wire instrument used for introducing air to a product like cream

Whitebait

A small silvery fish, usually deep-fried whole

Whole foods

Foods that have not been processed or refined in any way

Wilt

To just cook until limp. Usually referring to leafy vegetables

Witchetty/Witjuti Grubs

Australian tasty grubs are like borers and found in live wood in stems, trunks and roots of certain wattles. They are good sources of calcium and iron. Used in Bush Tucker recipes.

Wok

Rounded-bottom circular pot designed to cook food over high heat whilst moving constantly

X

Xanthan gum

Stabiliser and binder made from the cell coat of a microorganism. Used as a substitute for gluten

Xeres

Sherry

Xylitol.

An alternative clear-crystal sweetener made from a sugar alcohol that’s refined from botanicals like corn cobs and birch tree bark. It has fewer calories and carbohydrates than sugar, but has a bizarrely wet mouthfeel and tastes slightly synthetic on its own. It can be substituted for white sugar in recipes, and is often used in chewing gum, as it’s been shown to reduce plaque.

Y

Yacón

Typically sold in syrup form (unlike the other sweeteners here), yacón is an edible tuber that grows in the Andes. The sweet syrup is not highly refined or cooked, which makes it a good sweetener for raw foodists, and it’s lower in calories than sugar-based sweeteners. It tastes like a spicier, fruitier molasses, and can be substituted for it in recipes

Yakisoba

Yakisoba are fried or deep fried Chinese style noodles served with vegetables, meat and ginger.

Yakitori

Yakitori are grilled chicken pieces on skewers. Most parts of the chicken can be used for yakitori.

Yakizakana

Yakizakana means grilled fish. Many varieties of fish are enjoyed in this way.

Yuba

Dried sheets of the skin from heated soy milk. Good source of protein.

Yudofu

Yudofu are tofu pieces boiled in a clear, mild soup and dipped into a soya based sauce before being eaten.

Z

Zabaglione

A dessert made from whisking eggs, sugar,wine or liqueur

Zest

Outer skin usually of a citrus fruit that contains aromatic oils

Zucchini

A courgette