A Culinary Dictionary 1

A
CULINARY
DICTIONARY

Compiled by
S. K. Dwivedi
(February 02)
All right reserved by S. K. Dwivedi
 A Culinary Dictionary 2

Al dente – An Italian cooking term, literally Deleted: ¶

‘to the tooth’, which is used to describe food,

A
Abalone – A large sea snail with a shallow,
particularly pasta, that is cooked until firm to
the bite rather than soft.

Alfafa Sprouts – The fine, short sprouts of

alfafa seeds, with pale stalks and deep green
tips, used in salads and sandwiches. The
earshaped shell. It lives close to the shoreline, sprouts have a nutty taste and a particular
clinging to the underside of rocks, ledges with affinity for cheese. The alfafa (or lucerne)
a broad fleshy foot. Found throughout the plant was first grown by Arabs as food for
world, abalone at one time became so rare in their horses because its high protein and
California that it was not allowed to be canned, calcium content helped develop strong
dried or sent out of the state; the advent of animals.
farm–raised abalone eased these restrictions. In
the Channel Islands, when seasonal low tides Allemande, à l’ – A French term for food
temporarily exposed the abalone’s rocky cooked in the German style: traditionally,
haunts, the locals took part in a frenzied race to dishes containing smoked sausages or
gather as many as possible before the waters garnished with sauerkraut and pork. It is also
rolled back in, leading to a decline in abalone used to describe dishes served with allemande
numbers. In Australia, divers harvest them in sauce, a white sauce made with veal or poultry
southern waters. stock.
The flesh is tough and must be tenderized by
pounding before it can be eaten. Allspice – A spice made from the berries of a
tropical tree, which grows throughout Central
Abbacchio – The Italian term for meat from America and is especially abundant in Jamaica.
an unweaned baby lamb. Dishes based on it Its aroma and flavour is similar to a blend of
have been specialty of central and southern cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The berries are
Italy since the time of the ancient Romans with picked while green and dried in the sun until
garlic and rosemary, it is traditional Easter dark red. Whole berries are used to flavour
fare. stews, pot roasts, and chutney; the ground
spice is added to apple dishes, milk puddings,
Aberdeen Sausage – A beef sausage that is gingerbread, and tomato sauce. It is sometimes
wrapped in a cloth, boiled, and then coated in called pimento or Jamaica pepper.
dry breadcrumbs.
Almond – The oval shaped seeds of a tree
Acidulated Water – Water with a little closely related to the peach and apricot.
lemon juice or vinegar added, sprinkled on cut Originally from the Middle East, the almond is
raw fruits such as apples, bananas and pears to one of the most widely used and longest
prevent browning. cultivated nuts in the world. It was eaten in
ancient Babylon, is mentioned in Hittite
Agar–Agar – A white, semi–translucent, writings and in the bible, and by Minoan times
tasteless and odourless setting agent made had spread west as far as the island of Crete.
from various Asian seaweeds. Agar-agar sets The ancient Greeks mixed the crushed nut with
without refrigeration and is used in Asian honey to make marzipan and it was popular
cookery to thicken soups and to make jellies. with the Romans, who called it “the Greek
nut”. The prevalence of the almond in
Aïoli – A garlic mayonnaise from Provence, medieval cooking is thought to be connected to
which is sometimes, called the “butter of religious fast days when it replaced forbidden
Provence”. In Marseilles it is said that aïoli meat and milk. There are two types of almond:
should contain at least two cloves of garlic per the sweet almond, from a pink–flowering tree,
person. Traditionally associated with poached the form widely used; and the strongly
salt cod, aïoli is also served with other fish, flavoured bitter almond, from a white-
meat and vegetables, and is also added to soup. flowering tree, a broader and shorter nut which
contain prussic acid and is poisonous if
consumed in more than minute amounts. In
À la – French for ‘in the style of’, e.g. à la some styles of cooking the two are mixed, in
niçoise, typical of the cooking style of the Nice proportions of about one bitter to fifty sweet
region; à la vigneronne, prepared with grapes almonds.
(in the manner of the wine grower).
 A Culinary Dictionary 3

California is the world’s largest producer of kitchens of the early European settlers, where
almonds, followed by Italy and Spain, where the frying pan and cooking pot ruled (today
the trees grow well on the poor soils of the most dishes are still either stewed or fried). It
Mediterranean hills. Almonds are eaten raw, is characterized by numerous variations on a
roasted, or grilled and salted; pounded or simple theme–the apple pie, for example, has
ground, they are used in savoury stuffings and several distinct regional forms, each reflecting
a variety of desserts, cakes, and confectionery. local ingredients as well as cultural
backgrounds.
Almond Paste – A mixture of finely ground Americans like iced water on the table and a
almond, sugar and egg which is rolled out and salad (often with a choice of several dressings)
used to cover rich fruit cakes with a smooth before the main course which following the
and even surface before they are iced. It also British traditions, usually consist of a relatively
helps to preserve the cake and to stop it from plain meat dish with two vegetables. Corn,
discolouring the icing. It is used to make native to the continent, features prominently in
marzipan confectionery and filling for Danish its cuisine, as does squash and rice. America
pastries. gave the world the cocktail and is also the
home of convenience foods and fast foods such
Alum – An astringent mineral salt used in as popcorn, the hot dog, and fried chicken. It
pickling to maintain the crispness of has the highest per capita consumption of
cucumbers and onions and as a whitening hamburgers in the world.
agent in flour.
Anchovy – A small slender, herring-like
Amaretti – A crisp almond macaroon from saltwater fish with a slightly oily flesh and a
Italy, where it was originally made with bitter strong, sardine-like taste. Although anchovies
almonds. The name comes from the Italian are eaten fresh in the regions in which they
word amaro meaning bitter. occur, they are probably known to most in
their preserved form. Traditionally the whole
fish, packed in brine in kegs, was used for
Ambrosia – A semi-soft cows milk cheese, flavouring and salting meat dishes. In
originally from Sweden, with a slightly tart Renaissance Italy a dish of anchovy fillets
taste and a number of small irregular holes in marinated in olive oil and vinegar was a
the interior. popular first course, and for centuries-salted
Ambrosia is also the name of a chilled dessert anchovy fillets have been an important
made with layers of fruit, usually sliced ingredient in the cooking of Provence. Today it
orange, banana, and fresh pineapple, and a is widely available as salted fillets marinated in
mixture of desiccated (shredded) coconut and oil and sold in jars or cans.
icing sugar. Sadly, pollution has largely banished the
anchovy from its home in Mediterranean
Americaine, à l’ – A French term for meat, waters, although it is still netted off the coast
seafood, eggs or vegetables served with a of France and Spain in May. In the English
spicy, tomato-based sauce and often garnished Channel on moonless nights the artificial lights
with grilled bacon and tomatoes. The name lure large numbers. The anchovy is caught in
was originally applied to a dish, created in the the Atlantic, and off the Pacific coasts of the
1860s in Paris by a chef who had worked in Americas, and a similar species occurs in the
North America, in which a cut lobster cooked coastal waters of Australia.
in a tomato and wine mixture was served with Preserved anchovy fillets are used in hors
a sauce made from the stock. Some say the d’oeuvre, pizza toppings, in salads and as a
term ‘americaine’ is a mistranslation of garnish; boned anchovies are pounded into a
‘amoricaine’, referring to Armorica, the paste which is the basis for many sauces.
ancient name for Brittany, and that this style of
cooking originated there. Angel cake – a white-coloured cake with an
airy texture resulting from the high proportion
American Food – The cuisine of North of beaten egg white in the mixture. The angel
America marries the diversity and abundance cake originated in North America, where it has
of the ingredients harvested from its vast lands been known since the late nineteenth century.
(stretching from the tropics to the Arctic and
along the coasts of two oceans) with the Angelica – An herb best known for its
cooking styles and food habits of the many candied stalks, used to flavour and decorate
cultures from which its people are drawn. The cakes and desserts. It was once eaten raw, like
style which has emerged was born in the basic celery, and its fresh leaves can be used in
 A Culinary Dictionary 4

salads. In parts of Iceland of Norway the dried as hams and salamis and popular in northern
root is ground into a form of bread. and central Italy; antipasto misto, an
Angelica seeds are used in the preparation of assortment of dishes, often without meat,
vermouth and chartreuse. Originally from including mini pizzas, cheese and raw, cooked
northern Europe, angelica was brought to the and marinated vegetables such as eggplant
warmer south by Vikings in the tenth century. (aubergine); and antipasto misto mare, dishes
There, because it was found to flower on May of shellfish and small fish. [See also Canapés;
8-St. Michael the Archangel’s Day-it was Hors d’oeuvre]
believed to have supernatural powers and was
used for protection against witches. In the Anzac Biscuit – A biscuit (cookie) that
seventeenth century the root was chewed or originated in Australia during the years of
taken in a mixture called ‘angelica water’ in World War-1, when eggs were scarce. Made
futile attempts to ward off the plague. with oats, syrup, butter and desiccated coconut,
Preparations made from the root have been they were sent in food parcels to troops
used to relieve colic and tooth ache and to treat stationed in Europe.
deafness and bronchial disorders; a North
American species was used for similar Appetizers – Food eaten before the main
medicinal purposes by early European settlers. meal to simulate or excite the appetite. [See
To Native Americans, angelica root was also Canapés; Hors d’oeuvre]
known as ‘hunting or fishing root’ and was
rubbed onto the hands so the smell would
attract fish and game. Apple – The most widely cultivated of all
fruits. The tens of thousands of apple varieties
available today are believed to have descended
Angel on Horseback – A popular savoury from a tree native to the Middle East and the
consisting of oysters wrapped in thin rashers of Balkans. Where it was first cultivated is not
bacon and grilled or baked until the bacon is known, but apples were certainly familiar to
crisp. the ancient Egyptians who, by the middle of
the second millenium BC, had planted
Anglaise, à l’ – A French term for boiled orchards in the Nile delta. The Apple variety
vegetables served with butter and chopped (still available today, and known in the United
parsley, and for meat and poultry cooked in States as the Lady Apple), was developed by
white stock. It is also applied to grilled fish Etruscans more than 2000years ago.
served with melted butter. The apple was the first introduced crop to
flourish in North America, and during the
Anise – The European anise (from which eighteenth and nineteenth centuries was an
aniseed is derived) is a member of the parsley important staple for European settlers in the
family and has a distinctive licorice-like northwest. Nineteenth century folk hero
flavour and fragrance. The plant is native to Johnny Appleseed, credited with spreading the
Egypt, it is still grown wild, and to Greece and fruit across North America, did so by
parts of South-West Asia. The aromatic seeds establishing a chain of apple orchards from
are sprinkled on some types of bread, and are Pennsylvania west to Indiana, and not, as
used to flavour coffeecakes, fruit salads, popularly depicted, by randomly scattering
cooked cabbage, and chicken and veal dishes; seed. In Australia, Tasmania has long held the
oil extracted from them is used as a flavouring title ‘Apple Isle’. Orchards planted in the
in confectionery and some alcoholic drinks, southeast in the early 1840s supplied markets
such as pernod and anisette. in India and New Zealand. The 1850s
The Romans ate anise cakes at the end of a population boom caused by the gold rushes on
meal as an aid to digestion. They also hung the the Australian mainland meant an increased
plant near their beds in the belief that it would demand for the fruit, and at one time some 500
prevent bad dreams. varieties of apple were grown. Today this has
diminished to fewer than ten varieties.
Antipasti – The Italian term for appetizers, There are both eating and cooking varieties of
literally ‘before the meal’. The antipasto apple. They are cooked in a range of sweet and
course was probably created during the savoury dishes, can be dried, and are made into
Renaissance when it was customary to begin apple juice and cider.
and end a meal with a series of cold dishes
served from the sideboard. There are three Apricot – The apricot was first cultivated in
main categories of traditional antipasti: china more than 4000 years ago. It grew in
affettati, consisting of sliced cured meats such Nebuchadnezzar’s hanging gardens of Babylon
 A Culinary Dictionary 5

and was an expensive delicacy in ancient a taste somewhat like the heart of the European
Rome. The Persians called the soft golden fruit globe artichoke, hence the name.
‘eggs of the sun’. The apricot was taken to By 1620 the vegetable was available in the
Britain from Italy in the mid-1500s by the street markets of Paris. It was first grown and
gardener of Henry VIII. eaten in England at about the same time and
Fresh ripe apricots are eaten raw or cooked as not long afterwards appeared in Italy. Its
a dessert, made into jams, and in savoury reception was generally subdued, many
dishes teamed with lamb and with chicken. regarding it as fit only for swine, its role in
Dried, canned and glacé apricots are available Europe today.
year-round.
Arugula – See Rocket.
Arborio Rice – A variety of rice, originally
grown in the Po Valley in Italy. It has a short, Asafoetida – A bitter, garlic-smelling
plump, oval shape and is used in both sweet condiment, prepared since the time of ancient
and savoury dishes, notably in risotto. Rome, and now used mainly in Indian and
Middle Eastern cooking. The dried and
Arrowroot – A fine white powder obtained powdered resin of a plant native to
from the root of the maranta, a white-flowered Afghanistan and Iran, it has been used
plant of the Caribbean. An easily digestible medicinally for many centuries to treat
starch, it is used as a thickener in sweet and flatulence.
savoury sauces. Because it thickens at a lower
temperature than either flour or cornflour, Asparagus – The edible, delicately flavoured
arrowroot is often used in delicate sauces that young shoots of a member of the lily family.
should not be boiled. There are two basic types: the slender-stalked
green asparagus, harvested when the stems are
Arroz con Pollo – A Spanish or Mexican about 20 centimeters (8inches) above ground;
dish consisting of rice, chicken, garlic, olive and white asparagus, of the same variety as the
oil, and herbs and spices. Saffron gives it its green, but pale because it is harvested while
characteristic yellow. the stalk is still below ground. Although
asparagus has been known since ancient times-
Artichoke – Two vegetables carry the name the Egyptians thought it a suitable offering for
artichoke: the globe artichoke, which is the their gods and Julius Caesar liked his served
silvery-grey leafy bud of a large thistle-like with melted butter-it was not widely used until
plant: and the Jerusalem artichoke, the white- the seventeenth century, when it became
fleshed root of a relative of the sunflower. The popular in France. By the eighteenth century it
globe artichoke probably originated on the was well established in North America.
coasts of the western Mediterranean. It was not
widely eaten until the fifteenth century, when, Aspic – A clear, savoury jelly, prepared from
under the patronage of the Medicis of clarified stock made from the gelatinous parts
Florence, it emerged as a culinary aristocrat of meat, chicken, or fish and usually flavoured
with a reputation as an aphrodisiac. By the with vegetables and herbs. It is used to glaze
sixteenth century the globe artichoke was well cold dishes, and to coat savoury moulds.
established in Italy and France, where it
remains popular today. In North America it is Avgolemono – A soup made from chicken
not mentioned until the late 1800s when, stock flavoured with lemon juice and
introduced by Italian settlers in California, it thickened with egg yolk, popular in Greece
was called the French artichoke. Globe and the Balkans. The name also refers to a
artichoke can be pickled whole when small; sauce based on the same ingredients, which is
both heart and bases are sold canned or frozen. served with poached fish or steamed
Despite its name, the Jerusalem artichoke has vegetables.
nothing at all to do with the Middle Eastern
city: “Jerusalem” is a corruption of girasole, Avocado – A leathery-skinned fruit with a
the Italian word for sunflower, to which this large seed and pale, buttery flesh with a
plant is closely related. It comes in fact, from slightly nutty flavour. The avocado comes
North America, where it was cultivated by from a tree originating in Central America.
Native Americans (in that part of the world it Avocado was once called ‘midshipman’s
is also known as Canadian artichoke). In the butter’ by the English, a name probably dating
early 1600s Samuel de Champlain, the founder from its use as crew food on far flung sailing
of Quebec, noted in his diary that the roots had ships. Avocado is the main ingredient of
 A Culinary Dictionary 6

guacamole and is used in many other Mexican Bagna Cauda – A garlic and anchovy
dishes. Usually served raw in salads, flavoured sauce served hot as a dip for raw
sandwiches, and as a first course, it can be vegetables. Originally from Piedmont, in Italy,
cooked – it is mashed onto a piece of toast the sauce is associated with the grape harvest
with crumbled grilled bacon, sprinkled with and the rituals and celebrations that
grated cheddar and heated. accompany winemaking. Its name mean ‘hot
bath’.

Baguette (French bread) – A long thin

B crusty loaf of bread made of bleached white

flour. The baguette originated in Paris and is
the every day bread of France – it appears on
the table at every meal and its price is set by
law.

Baba (au Rhum) – A dessert cake made of Bake blind – To partially or fully bake a pie
yeast dough containing raisins, which is shell before filling with a mixture, which
soaked in rum or Kirsch syrup after cooking. would otherwise make the bottom soggy, or
The cake has its origin in the sweetened yeast with fruit that does not need to be cooked. The
cakes, called gugelhupf, of Central Europe. pastry should be weighted with dried beans,
The Polish King Stanislaus enlivened his cakes rice, or macaroni to prevent it from rising
with a liberal splash of rum and Malaga wine during baking.
and called his invention Baba, for the hero of
his favourite work of literature, The One Baking Powder – A raising agent consisting
Thousand and One Nights. of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), an acid
(usually cream of tartar) and starch or flour,
Baba Ghannouj – A dish from the Middle used for cooking cakes and biscuits. The
East, consisting of puréed eggplant (aubergine) bicarbonate of soda reacts with the acid to
flavoured with tahini, garlic, and lemon juice, produce bubbles of carbon dioxide, causing the
served as a dip. mixture to rise and become porous.

Babaco – The cylindrical fruit of a native to Baking Soda – See Bicarbonate of soda.
tropical America. It has soft yellow flesh that
tastes like a mixture of banana and pineapple. Baklava – A cake consisting of alternate
The babaco is related to (papaya) and is layers of filo pastry and chopped nuts, which is
similarly used to tenderize meat and aid doused in syrup while still hot and then cut
digestion. into triangular pieces. Of Greek origin, baklava
first appeared during the time of the Ottoman
Bacon – Fat and lean meat, from the side and Empire, about AD 1300. It is popular in the
back of the pig, which has been preserved by Middle East.
dry salting (curing) and is usually, smoked as
well. Bacon is sold in thin slices called rashers. Balsamic Vinegar – A richly flavoured,
Middle cut or prime bacon is cut from the dark-coloured vinegar. It has a bittersweet
middle rib area and contain a large eye lean taste, is almost syrupy in consistency, and is
meat; streaky bacon, with alternating strips of used in salads, on berries, or as a meat
lean and fat, is cut from the tail end of the loin. marinade. The vinegar is made from
Canadian bacon, in England called back bacon, unfermented sweet Trebbiano grapes, which
is cut from the loin and is leaner than other are slowly boiled to thick syrup, to which
cuts. [See also Gammon; Speck.] strong wine vinegar is added. The mixture is
aged in a series of aromatic hardwood casks
Bagel – A ring of non-sweet, baked yeast for atleast five years and sometimes a century
dough with a characteristic shiny, hard crust, or more. It is a specialty of the Italian Modena
the result of being boiled in water before region. Less expensive products attempt to
baking. The bagel originated in Eastern Europe imitate the flavour by adding caramel to red
in the sixteenth or seventeenth century, and wine vinegar.
became popular with the Jewish community in
Vienna, which began producing it Bamboo Shoots – The young, tender and
commercially. The name comes from a slightly crunchy cone-shaped shoots of an
Yiddish word meaning ‘ring’. edible bamboo plant found throughout tropical
 A Culinary Dictionary 7

Asia. Their use as food dates from sixth and milked until they resemble small pearls,
century China and they are also an important has been used in cooking since ancient times,
ingredient in Japanese and Korean cooking. probably moistened with oil and water and
flavoured with the juices from cooked poultry
Banana – The yellow-skinned, crescent- or lamb, it is still used in soups and stews.
shaped fruit of a tall, long-leafed plant Barley water, prepared from the grain, was a
(actually a giant herb, not a tree) cultivated favourite beverage of the Greek physician
throughout the tropics and probably native to Hippocrates and is still a popular health drink.
the region between India and the island of New Today, barley is mostly used to make malt for
Guinea. By the fourteenth century they grew beer brewing and as a stock food.
in Africa. Bananas have been grown in
tropical America since their introduction by Barley Sugar - A brittle confectionery
the Spanish and Portuguese in the sixteenth (candy), traditionally made with water in
century. However, only with improved which barley has been simmered for several
transport methods in the mid-twentieth century hours (barley water) and sugar. Today it is
did the fruit become common in Europe and made of boiled sugar, without barley and with
North America. various flavourings.
As a general rule, the smaller the banana
variety, the sweeter the flesh. The fruit can be Barquette – A small, boat shaped tart made
eaten raw or used in a variety of cooked of either shortcrust or puff pastry, shaped in a
dishes. A relative the green skinned plantain, small tin mould and baked blind before being
contain less sugar and more starch and is filled with sweet or savoury ingredients.
cooked as a vegetable accompaniment of West
Indian, South American and African dishes. Basil – A pungent herb related to mint. Its
flavour combines particularly well with
Banbury Tart – A small tart consisting of tomatoes, zucchini (courgettes) and spinach, it
puff or flaky pastry filled with mincemeat is also used in salads, sauces and stuffing’s and
(finely chopped dried and fresh fruit) and as a garnish for pasta. The Greeks, who used it
sometimes flavoured with rum and grated for cooking in the third century BC, regarded
nutmeg. The cake originated in the basil as a royal herb, as reflected in the specific
seventeenth century in the English market scientific name for sweet basil, basilicum,
town of Banburry. derived from the Greek word for king. Basil
originated in tropical Asia.
Bannock – A flat cake originated in
Scotland, make with oatmeal, barley or wheat Basmati – An aromatic, long-grained
flour and cooked on a griddle or in a frying textured rice much used in India. It has been
pan. grown for thousand of years in the Himalayan
foothills.
Bap – A light, white bread roll with a soft,
floury crust. It is split open and spread with Baste – To moisten food while it is cooking
butter and a filling while still hot. The bap by spooning over or brushing with pan juices
originated in Scotland where it has been melted fat or a marinade.
known since the sixteenth century.
Batter – A mixture of flour and liquid, which
Barbecue Cookery – Roasting or grilling can be cooked by it-self, in pancakes, waffles,
(broiling) food over an open fire is the oldest doughnuts an Yorkshire pudding, or used to
form of cookery. Meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, coat foods such as fritters and battered fish
vegetables, and even fruit can be cooked in this before they are fried. The practice of dipping
way. Flavour can be enhanced by basting with fish in batter before deep frying probably
marinades and sauces during cooking, and by originated in china. In North America the term
the fragrant smoke from aromatic woods and is also used for a cake mixture. The word
herbs thrown on the coals. comes from the French battre, to beat.

Barley – A grain related to wheat, barley Bavarois (Bavarian Cream) – A dessert

originated in the hilly areas of the Middle East. made from egg custard and whipped cream,
It was the chief grain of the ancient Greeks and flavoured with pureed fruit, chocolate, coffee
in Rome was used to make bread as well as or liqueur. Its name may be linked to the
being the main food of the gladiators. Pear numbers of French chefs who worked at the
barley, the shiny grains that have been hulled
 A Culinary Dictionary 8

Bavarian (German) court during the time of the (called haricot verte in France and string-bean
Wittelsbach kings (1806 to 1918). in North America), the yellow wax bean, and
the runner bean, which has purple pods that
Bay – The bay tree, also known as the laurel, turn green when cooked. Green beans can be
is a native of the Mediterranean region. In steamed boiled, stir fried (on their own or with
ancient Greece, wreaths of its aromatic leaves other food) or cooked for salads.
crowned victors in both cultural and sporting The green bean in native to tropical America
endeavours (the term ‘laureate’ comes from where it has been cultivated for many thousand
this practice) In the Middle Ages bay leaves of years. By the time of European
were used as a strewing herb to banish stale Contact it had spread both north and south, and
odours and it is only in later centuries that their was often found planted with corn. At first
culinary qualities have bee appreciated, the only its seeds were used, but by the late
leaves can be used fresh or dried, crushed or eighteenth century whole pods were eaten.
powdered, to enliven soups an casseroles, they The long, deep green Chinese or snake bean
are always a component of a bouquet garni. has been cultivated and eaten since ancient-
times and features in South – East Asian
Bean curd – A processed extract of the soy Cooking.
bean obtained by soaking boiling an sieving
the beans to produce a liquid which, after the Béarnaise Sauce – A creamy sauce made of
addition of a coagulant, is similar in butter and egg yolk with tarragon vinegar that
appearance and texture to fresh cheese. It is served hot with grilled and roast meat, fish
takes on the flavour of what it is cooked with, and chicken. It appeared in France during the
and is valued for its high nutritional content. reign of Henri IV and is named after his
The use of bean curd is believed to date from birthplace, Béarn, in the Pyrenees.
the dynasty in china (about 206 BC to about
AD 220), it was introduced into Japan by Béchamel Sauce – A creamy sauce made
Buddhist priests in the eight century. Bean with flour, butter and milk and served hot. The
curd is also known by its Japanese name, tofu. original Béchamel sauce was named for the
In Japan, it is added to sweet and sauces, used Marquis de Béchameil, a French financier,
in soups, sukiyaki, and seafood dishes and noted art lover and gourmet, who in the late
diced or crumbled with noodles and other 1600s became chief steward in the household
vegetables. of Louis XIV. The sauce was a marked
departure from the coarse mixtures in use at
Bean Sprouts – The sprouts of the mung the time, and has since become the basis of
bean and less commonly, the soy bean, used in many other sauces. Béchamel is also known as
salads or as a stir fry vegetable. Bean sprouts white sauce.
are very low in kilojoules (calories).
Beef – The meat from cattle raised for food.
Beans, Dried – The dried seeds of various Although the domestication of cattle began
beans, which, with dried peas and lentils, are some 10,000 years ago, they were bred
usually classified as pulses. There are many primarily as working animals (in India the cow
varieties of dried beans – haricot, cannellini, is sacred and its meet is not eaten). In the
lima, borlotti, red kidney beans, mung beans Middle Ages roast beef made its appearance in
and soya beans. All are highly nutritious, all the banquet halls of England, the term
contain soluble dietary fibre which helps to ‘Beefeater’, now used for the Yeomen of the
control the level of cholesterol in the blood. guard in the Tower of London, originally
The Romans made cakes from ground dried described a well-fed live-in servant. In France,
beans in times of cereal shortage, as did the the eating of grilled beef seems to date from
peasants of Western Europe in later centuries. when English troops crossed the channel for
Traditionally dried beans have played an the Battle of Waterloo. The French today are
important role in the dirt of the peoples of the greatest per capita eaters of beef in Europe,
central and South America and Middle East, while the Americans hold the world record for
providing low-cost high protein meals, Dried both production and consumption.
beans require slow cooking. Good quality beef has a rich red colour, a
fairly fine texture, shiny appearance, is firm to
Beans, Green – Green beans are the edible the touch and in the thicker parts has flecks of
pods of a number of bean varieties which fat (marbling). Cuts vary from country to
actually range in colour from pale yellow to country. In general, the most tender meat
deep purple. They include the French bean comes from the upper-back, and cuts requiring
 A Culinary Dictionary 9

longer cooking come from the more heavily Besan Flour – A pale yellow colour flour
muscled areas of the legs and rear. make from dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
and used in Indian cooking. Besan flour is a
Beef Tea – A nutritious drink prepared by source of protein and is most often used to
slowly heating minced (ground) lean beef in make a batter for pakoras, the Indian vegetable
water then straining off the juice. fritters.

Beef Wellington – A cut of tender beef that Beurre Manié – A paste of butter and flour,
is browned, topped with pate, wrapped in kneaded together, used to thicken soups, stews
pastry and baked. A popular dish for dinner and sauces by whisking it in pellets into
parties. simmering liquid.

Beer – An alcoholic drink obtained from the Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking Soda) – A
fermentation of extracts of malted cereals, fine white powder that is the alkaline
mainly barley, and flavoured with hops. A component of baking powder. When used on
form of beer was known to the Sumerians an its own it has no leavening properties, but
ancient Babylonians, who brewed a cloudy when combined with an acid or acid salt (such
version from barley or wheat, or a mixture of as cream of tartar, the other main ingredient of
the two. In the Middle Ages almost all baking powder) and then moistened, it
monasteries had breweries and the ale they produces carbon dioxide.
make provided income for the orders (the
monks were most likely the first to add hops, Bigarade, Sauce – An orange flavoured
which turned thick brown ale into clear beer). sauce served with roast duck. Bigarade is
Millet and rice beers are made in Africa an French for the bitter Seville orange.
Asia, and cassava is used in South America.
Beer is used in cooking to add flavour to Bind- To make a dry mixture hold together by
marinades stews and sauces and to make a moistening it with egg, milk, cream or sauce.
light batter.
Biryani (Biriani) – A Mongol dish from
Beer Bread - Bread made using beer, instead India consisting of layers pilaf rice and spicy
of yeast, as a raising agent. lamb or chicken.

Beetroot (Beet) – A bulbous root vegetable Biscuit (cookie) – A dry, flake cake, either
with sweet, purple-red flesh. It is native to the sweet or savoury. The name comes from the
region between the Mediterranean and the French bis twice, cuit cooked, because they
Caspian seas, and originally it was the leaves, were originally returned to the oven to make
and not the root, that were eaten (they can be them crisper and thus improve this keeping
cooked in the same way as spinach). The properties, in the United States the term biscuit
present varieties are thought to have been is used for small, light, bread-like cakes
developed by German gardeners. By the (similar to plain scones) which are served
fifteenth century it was known in France and warm, split open and spread with butter.
England. It is the chief ingredient in the Savoury biscuits are called crackers in United
eastern European soup borscht and is also used States and other parts of the world. Biscuits
as a salad vegetable. have come a long way since their dearly use as
a staple (but apparently barely edible) item in
Beignet Soufflé – Small, fluffy fritter made the provisions of soldiers and sailors (Pliny felt
of deep-fried choux pastry, usually served with that those issued to the Roman legions would
a sweet sauce. The term ‘beignet’ also refers last for centuries and in the army of Louis XIV
to food that has been coated in batter and fried, biscuit rations were called pain de pierre ‘stone
such as beignets d’aubergines, eggplant bread’.)
fritters, and beignets de pommes, apple fritters.
Bisque – A rich, thick soup make of pureed
Bel Paese – A soft creamy, mild-tasting, shellfish, stock and cream. Originally bisques
cow’s milk cheese first made in the Lombardy were made of boiled game or fowl, and it was
area of Italy in the1920’s and now produced in only after the seventeenth century than
other European countries and in North shellfish became the principal ingredient of the
America. The name comes from the Italian for dish. The most popular bisques are crabs,
‘beautiful country’. lobster, prawn (shrimp) and especially in the
 A Culinary Dictionary 10

United States, clam. They are served as a first Blend – To combine two or more ingredients
course, not a main meal. into a smooth mixture.

Bitter Melon – A cucumber like melon with Blini – A small, thick pancake made from a
wrinkled shin that is native to South-East Asia. yeast dough containing buckwheat flour.
In India it is usually pickled, in Chinese Originating in Russia, traditionally it is served
cooking it is peeled and sometimes parboiled topped with sour cream and caviar or smoked
before being added to stir-fry dishes, it is often salmon.
cooked with beans or meat to off-set its
somewhat bitter flavour. Blintz – A pancake with either a savoury or
sweet filling. It is first cooked on one side
Blackberry – The black, juicy berry of a until just set, the filling is placed in the centre,
prickly shrub. Freshly picked they can be and the pancake is folded over the edges
eaten with a dusting of sugar and a little cream, pressed together, the whole is refried. Blintzes
or can be cooked as jams, jellies, preserves and are a traditional Jewish food.
fillings for tarts and pies. The blackberry is
also known as a bramble. Blueberry – The small dark, purplish-blue
berry of an evergreen shrub related to heather,
Black Bread – See Rye Bread. native to North America. It is also known as a
huckleberry can still be collected in the wild.
Blackcurrant – The black, rather sour juicy North America produces some 75 percent of
fruit of a northern European shrub. The the world’s blue berry crop. They can be eaten
blackcurrant is the basis of the French liqueur raw, cooked as a pie filling or added to muffin
cassis, flavours cordials and syrups, and is batter.
cooked as jams, jellies and fillings for tarts.
Blue Vein Cheese – A soft, usually cow’s
Black Forest Cake – A rich chocolate cake milk, cheese with veins of blue-green mould
moistened with Kirsch, filled and topped with culture criss-crossing the interior. It is made
whipped cream and decorate with cherries and by adding mould spores to maturing curds, and
shaved chocolate. then aiding their spread by salting an
perforating the curds. This type of cheese was
Black pudding (Blood Sausage) – A first made in the tiny French village of
sausage traditionally make of seasoned pig’s Roquefort some two thousand years ago. The
blood and fat mixed with finely ground many varieties include Gorgonzola, Danish
cereals, cooked, and then either re-boiled or Blue, Roquefort, and Stilton.
sliced and grilled (broiler), or fried. It dates
from the time of ancient Greece. Bok-Choy – A leafy vegetable with thick,
fleshy white stalks. It is native to southern
Blanch – To lightly cook food in boiling China, where it has been cultivated for more
water. This is done to preserve the colour of than 3000 years. Bok-Choy is used there as the
green vegetables before home freezing, to staple green accompaniment for meat, poultry
remove excess salt, fat, strong tastes and and bean curd dishes. Its name comes from
odours, or to remove bacteria, the term is also the Chinese words Bok, white, and Choy,
used for the process of covering fruit and nuts vegetable, it is also known as Chinese white
with boiling water in order to loosen skins for cabbage.
peeling.
Bolognaise Sauce – A thick meat and
Blancmange – A dessert made form a tomato sauce, served with pasta (usually
mixture of cornflour (corn starch) and milk spaghetti), originally from the city of Bologna
that has been cooked, sweetened and in the Northern Italy. In Italy the sauce is
flavoured, and set in a mould. known as ragii and traditionally contains
chopped ham, beef, lean pork, chicken livers,
Blanquette – A stew, usually of veal, lamb, several vegetables, and white wine.
or chicken, in which braised meat is covered in
a white sauce and enriched with milk or cream Bombay Duck – A variety of fish found in
and egg yolk. the Arabian Sea, particularly in the waters off
Mumbai. It is a predatory shoal fish caught in
larger numbers during the monsoon season,
when it swims close to the surface (a habit said
 A Culinary Dictionary 11

to be the origin of the ‘duck’ in its name). In Bouillir, to boil, and abaisser, to reduce: ‘when
India it is eaten fresh, in the west it is best it boils, lower the heat’. It was originally
known in its dried and salted form deep-fried served as two courses, first the broth, usually
and served as a curry accompaniment. poured over dried homemade bread, than the
seafood.
Bombe – A frozen dessert set in a mould,
usually consisting of an outer layer of ice- Bouillon – An unclarified stock or broth
cream and a centre of custard, mousse, fruit made by simmering meat, chicken, fish, or
puree, or cream. It is named after the spherical vegetables in water. The strained liquid may
mould in which the dessert was originally be served as is, or used as a base for soups and
made. sauces.

Borage – A herb with long, pointed, grayish- Bouquet Garni – A bundle of herbs, either
green leaves, native to the Middle East and the tied together or enclosed in a small muslin
Mediterranean region, where it still grows (cheesecloth) bag, used to flavour soups,
wild. Borage has a cucumber-like taste. stews, and casseroles and removed after
Young leaves are added to drinks and used in cooking. It usually contains thyme, bay leaf,
spring salads, more mature leaves are cooked and parsley, other ingredients can include
like spinach. The blue, star-shaped flowers are rosemary, garlic, leek, fennel or sage.
often used as garnish.
Bourguignonne, á la – French term for a
Bordelaise, á La – A French term for a dish dish slowly cooked with red wine, onions and
of roasted or grilled (broiled) meat served with mushrooms, as boeuf bourguigninne.
a sauce made from a reduction of red wine,
bone marrow, chopped shallots, thyme, bay Boysenberry – The large, juicy, purplish-
leaf and pepper, a sauce made with white wine black fruit of a hybrid of the blackberry,
is served with seafood. The cooking style loganberry and raspberry developed in
originated in the Bordeaux region of France. California in the 1920s by Rudolph Boysen. It
is cultivated in North America, Australia, and
Borek – A pastry with a savoury filling, New Zealand. Boysenberries can be eaten
traditionally a cheese mixture, served hot as an fresh, cooked jam or as a filling for pies and
appetizer, Boreks are usually in small cigar tarts.
shapes and tiny half moons, and are originally
from Turkey. Brains – A white offal or variety meat,
usually lamb and calf brains, which provide a
Borlotti Bean – A dried bean, slightly soft pale meat with a high fat content.
kidney-shaped and pale brown in colour with
darker speckled markings. It has a smooth Bran – The husk or inner casing of wheat and
texture and ham-like flavour when cooked, and other cereal grains, removed during the
is used in soups, stews or casseroles or cooled, refining of white flour. Bran is a source of
dressed and mixed with onion rings or tuna dietary fibre and has a high vitamin B and
and served as a salad. phosphorous content.

Borscht – A beetroot (beet) soup, originally Brandade – A puree of salt cod, olive oil and
from Eastern Europe, which became popular in milk, eaten hot, it was a specialty of the town
France following the arrival of Russian of Nîmes, is southern France. Garlic added to
émigrés in 1920s. Served hot or chilled, the mixture in some regions. Its name comes
traditionally it is topped with sour cream. from a Provençal word, brandar, to stir.

Bouchée – A small round, puff or choux Brandy – A spirit distilled from wine and
pastry case, filled shortly before serving with a used in cooking to flavour a variety of sweet
hot or cold savoury or sweet mixture. and savoury dishes including sauces,
casseroles, pâtés and terrines, consommés,
Bouillabaisse – A soup made from a variety fruit cakes and fruit desserts, and in flambés.
of fish (traditionally white-fleshed rock fish)
and shellfish and usually containing tomato, Brawn – A mixture of stewed boned meat
onion, garlic, herbs, wine, and saffron. The flavoured with seasonings and spices, and set
name of the dish refers to the rapid cooking in aspic, prepared from the cooking liquid. It
method used and comes from the French
 A Culinary Dictionary 12

is sliced and served cold. Brawn was dishes were eaten as part of the funeral
originally made solely from the meat from a ceremony. During the middle ages when grain
pig’s head (excluding the brain) – hence its was scarce the beans were ground into flour to
French name fromage de tête, headcheese. make bread. The broad bean has been grown
in china for more than 4000 years and china is
Brazil Nut – The hard-shelled, creamy- now the main producer.
fleshed, nut of a tall tree native to tropical
South America. Most of the world’s supply Broccoli – A member of the cabbage and
comes from trees growing in the wild along the cauliflower family. The most common variety,
Amazon. Brazil nuts can be eaten fresh sprouting, or heading broccoli has deep green
cooked in fruitcakes or coated in chocolate or heads of tightly clustered buds and thick, juicy
toffee. stalks. It was known to the ancient Romans,
and was taken to France in the sixteenth
Bread – A food made of a kneaded mixture of century by Catherine de Medici. The name
flour and water, usually with the addition of comes from the Italian world broccoli, sprout
leaven (raising agent), which is then baked. or arm.
Flat cakes of grain pastes cooked on hot stones
(unleavened bread) are the oldest known form Broth – The clear liquid in which meat, fish,
of prepared food, dating from more than or vegetables have been cooked. It can be
10,000 years ago, varieties of unleavened eaten as clear soup or thickened with
bread are still made in India and the Middle vegetables, meat, and grain.
East. The Egyptians are thought to have been
the first to make leavened bread, discovering Brownie – A rich chocolate cookie popular
the aerating effects of fermentation on dough. in North America. It ranges in texture from
In the Middle Ages became common heavy and chewy to light and cake-like.
throughout Europe.
Brown Sauce – A sauce made from meat
Brie – A soft creamy yellow whole cow’s stock thickened with flour and butter and
milk cheese with a thin white, edible skin. It is flavoured with onions, mushroom, and
aged from the outside in by moulds and tomatoes. Also known as sauce Espagnole, it
bacteria that grows on the rind. Brie is made is the basis of a number of sauces such as
in a large flat wheel shape and is cut into Bordelaise, Madeira and Périgeaux.
wedges for serving. The cheese has been made
since the eighth century when Charlemagne ate Brussels Sprouts – A green vegetable that
it in the priory of Reuil-en-Brie and resembles a tiny cabbage. Although its name
pronounced it one of the most marvelous of suggests a Belgian origin, the Belgians
foods. themselves believe it was brought to their
country in ancient times by the Romans. In
Brine – A strong salt solution used for Britain it was not widely grown or eaten until
pickling and preserving meat, fish, and the mid nineteenth century.
vegetables.
Bubble and Squeak – A dish made from
Brioche – A slightly sweet bread roll with a cooked leftover meat and vegetables named for
soft, spongy texture made from a yeast dough the sound it makes while sizzling in the pan.
enriched with butter and eggs. Brioche is a
popular breakfast in France, where it is eaten Buckwheat – The triangular seeds of a plant
warm, spread with butter and jam. It is often native to Central Asia. It id not appear in
baked in the shaped of a plump cup-cake with Europe until the Middle Ages, probably
a smaller ‘head’ on top-the brioche à tête of introduced by the Arabs, for in many regions it
Paris. was known as ‘Saracen Wheat’. The seeds are
roasted and made into flour used in pancakes
Broad Bean – A bean with a flat green pod (especially the Russian Blini), crisp thin cakes,
containing large, pale green seeds. The broad and Asian soba noodles.
bean was a staple of the poor in ancient Egypt.
Usually as a bean cake called tamia, forerunner Bun – A small, rounds yeast roll, usually
of the tamiya of Egypt today, the ancient slightly sweetened and sometimes containing
Greeks ate the beans green, in the pod, and spices and dried fruit. Typically are the hot
also used the large dried seeds as voting tokens cross buns traditionally eaten on Good Friday.
in the election of magistrates, in Italy bean
 A Culinary Dictionary 13

Burghul – Cracked wheat, made by cooking orange flesh and is widely used as a cooked
wheat then drying and cracking to it absorbs vegetable.
twice its volume in water when soaked or
briefly re-cooked before use. Burghul includes Butterscotch – A slightly cloudy boiled
the wheat germ, and so is rich in protein. It is sweet (candy) made with water, sugar and
much used in Middle Eastern cooking, notably butter.
in the salad dish tabouli.

Burrito – A dish consisting of a flat bread

(tortilla) made of wheat flour, wrapped around
a filling of shredded meat, beans and
sometimes cheese, which after the ends have
been turned in to seal it, is either eaten
immediately or baked. The burrito is of
C
Cabanossi – A thin spicy, precooked sausage
Mexican origin, its name comes from burro, a made from seasoned minced (ground) pork or
small pack donkey, because the modest tortilla beef, or a mixture of the two, Cabanossi
wrapping can accommodate a generous load of originated in Poland as a snack for hunters far
filling. A deep-fried burrito is called a from home. It can be served as finger food and
chimichanga. packed in lunches.

Butter – A dairy product made by churning Cabbage – A vegetable with pale green
cream into a solid fat. In most countries, by leaves formed into a tightly packed head. It can
law, butter must contain at least 80 percent fat be eaten raw finely chopped in salads, or thinly
and more than 16 percent water. Butter is used sliced and steamed, boiled or micro waved and
as a cooking medium and as an ingredient in a served as a vegetable, or added to soups, stews,
wide range of savoury and sweet dishes. It is and casseroles; the smooth, curved outer leaves
salted to improve its keeping qualities. are used as wrappings for savoury fillings.
Unsalted (sweet) butter is also available. Native to Europe and Western Asia, cabbage is
Clarified butter has been heated to remove the one of the oldest cultivated vegetables. Ancient
water content by evaporation and then strained Greeks and Romans believed it could prevent
to remove any non-fat solids. drunkenness. Cabbages were first eaten for the
The first to make butter from cow’s milk were stems, rather than the leaves; from the Middle
probably the Sumerians, although most early Ages cabbage leaf dressing were applied to
butter was made from the milk of goats and wounds and open fractures. The high vitamin
sheep, as cattle which were worked hard as C content of cabbage was recognized by
draught animals gave little milk. The ancient eighteenth-century navigators, who carried
Greeks and Romans did not use butter in their crates of cabbage on board to prevent scurvy
cooking, preferring olive oil, but appreciated among their crews.
its medicinal properties as an ointment. Butter
was produced by the Gaul’s, and its use was Cabécou – A soft textured goat’s milk cheese
spread throughout northern Europe by the made in small cakes, originally produced on
Norman’s. farms in the Quercy region of the western
France. It can be eaten fresh, or at varying
Butter Bean- See Lima Bean. stages of ripening. Its flavour becomes more
intense with age.
Buttermilk – Originally the thin liquid left
over cream has been churned into butter. Cabinet Pudding – A pudding made from
Today buttermilk is make from pasteurized cubed bread or cake, and butter and raisins. It
skim milk, to which a culture has been added is either steamed in a mould or baked, and
to thicken it and increase its lactic acid content. served hot with custard.
It is used as a drink (usually mixed with fruit
juice), in baking and confectionery, and it can Caerphilly – A crumbly, semi-hard, cow’s
be added to hot sups and casseroles or used as milk cheese with a mild, slightly flavour. It is
a low fat substitute for oil or cream in salad almost white in colour and takes only two
dressings. weeks to mature. Caerphilly takes its name
from the Welsh town and, perhaps because of
Butternut Pumpkin (squash) – A member its easy digestibility or because it stayed fresh
of marrow family, shaped like a long pear. It and moist, it was a popular ingredient in the
has smooth buff-coloured skin and bright packed lunches of local coal miners.
 A Culinary Dictionary 14

Caesar Salad – A salad of cos or romaine made. Many cakes have a ceremonial or
lettuce, croutons, Parmesan cheese and symbolic significance, such as that of the rich
sometimes anchovies, dressed with olive oil, Christmas cake (originally part of a religious
vinegar and coddled egg. The salad is named feast), the wedding cake (which gates from the
after its inventor, Caesar Cardini, who served it time of ancient Greece), christening cakes and
in his Tijuana, Mexico, restaurant in the 1920s. birthday cakes.
It became popular with the fashionable
Hollywood set and soon appeared on menus in Cake Decorating – The technique of
Los Angeles. It is now considered a classic covering cakes with icing (frosting) and other
American dish. sweet, edible trimmings, usually for festive
occasions such as a wedding, birthday or
Café au Lait – Hot black coffee mixed with Christening.
scalded milk, usually in equal proportions. A
traditional breakfast beverage in many other Calamari – The Italian name for squid, a
European countries, it came to France in the saltwater mollusk related to the octopus and
seventeenth century. It was reputedly the cuttlefish and prized for its delicately
favourite drink of Marie Antoinette. flavoured flesh.

Caffè Latte – An Italian style of coffee in Camembert – A cow’s milk cheese,

which very strong espresso coffee is combined produced in small, flat disc shapes with a
in a glass with very hot milk. It is generally tangy, creamy flavour. Like Brie, Camembert
drunk at breakfast. is ripened from the outside by surface moulds
that form a soft white skin encasing the creamy
Cajun Food – Cajun country takes in the center. Originally from Normandy, it has been
bays, bayous and hinterland of southern known since the seventeenth century, but the
Louisiana. In the mid 1750s it was refuge of modern cheese is credited to Marie Harrell, a
the French Huguenots expelled by the English farm-woman who during the French
from Arcadia, in Nova Scotia, Canada (‘Cajun’ Revolution is said to have sheltered a fugitive
is derived from ‘Arcadian’). Cajun food is priest from the Brie region and learned cheese-
earthy and robust; its roots are in the peasant making methods, which she combined with
cooking of rural France, but its distinctive style local techniques to produce an improved
comes from a combination of Native American version. In the 1890s the cheese came to a
uses of local herbs and roots, ingredients wider audience when packaging in small
introduced by African slaves (okra, sesame wooden boxes allowed it to be sent without the
seeds, melons and hot spices) and the culinary risk of spoilage into new markets for a field.
legacy of earlier Spanish settlers. Cajun
cooking features simple, one-pot meals using Camomile (Chamomile) – A plant of the
fresh farm produce – onion, peppers daisy family, native to Western Europe. It has
(capsicum), both hot and sweet, okra, celery, been used since the days of ancient Egypt
chicken and pork, bacon and ham (pigs were either eaten or applied, to treat sprains, muscle
easier to raise than sheep or cattle), as well as strain, cramps, and colic. In the Middle Ages
the bounty of both the backish bayous and the the aroma of its crushed leaves was used to rid
waters of the Gulf of Mexico – crayfish homes of foul odours. Camomile tea, made
(always called crawfish in Louisiana), prawns, from flower heads, is a soothing drink.
lobster, crab, oyster and fish. Many dishes are
based on a brown roux; rice or beans are Canapé – A bite-sized piece of bread,
served at most meals. Filé powder, made from covered with a savoury butter or spread to
dried sassafras leaves, adds a distinctive which is added a topping such as crab, caviar,
flavour. Cajun specialties include spicy smoked salmon, ham, or asparagus tips and a
gumbos, peppery jambalayas (fragrant rice, garnish such as stuffed olives, pimento, capers,
pork, sausage, ham and shellfish) étouffée or gherkin. Canapés are served either hot or
(shellfish cooked in a seasoned sauce and cold as finger food. The name comes from the
served over rice) and custard tarts. French word for couch, because canapés were
originally eaten before the evening meal, while
Cake – A term that covers a variety of sweet, sitting in the drawing room.
baked, usually made from flour, sugar, eggs
and a liquid. Cakes are grouped according to Cannellini Bean – A dried bean, white
the relative proportions of these basic slightly kidney-shaped and larger than the
ingredients and the method by which they are haricot. It is mildly flavoured and fluffy when
 A Culinary Dictionary 15

cooked and used in soups, stews, casseroles or higher proportion of white breast meat to
cooled for salads. The cannellini bean is from darken meat.
tropical America; it was taken to Europe by the
Spanish in the sixteenth century and is now the Cappuccino – Espresso coffee topped with
most popular white bean in Italy. It is available which has been frothed by passing steam
dried or canned. through it.

Cannelloni – An Italian dish consisting of Capsicum – See Sweet Pepper.

long tubes of pasta filled with meat,
vegetables, or cheese and served topped with Carambola – The fruit of a tree originally
cheese or a sauce. from Indonesia and Malaysia and now grown
throughout South East Asia, China, India, the
Canola Oil – also known as rapeseed or Caribbean and parts of South America. The
colza oil, the pale yellow, almost colourless small, oval, golden-yellow fruit has five
and odourless oil extracted from the seed of prominent ribs which result in star shaped
the rape or colza plant. It is used as a salad oil, slices when the carambola is cut crosswise-
a cooking oil and in the manufacture of table hence its common names, star fruit and five
margarine. Canola oil is mainly corner fruit. it has a sharp, sour-sweet taste,
monounsaturated fat and a source of vitamin E. and can be eaten fresh, added to fruit and
savoury salads, served with cheese, used as a
Cantaloupe – Another name for rockmelon, garnish, pureed for use in sorbets and ice-
derived from Cantaloupo, near Rome, the creams, or cooked in South-East Asian dishes.
summer residence of the popes, whose monks
developed the melon in Renaissance times. Caramel – Sugar heated until it melts into a
brown syrup. It is used in cakes, sweet sauces
Cape Gooseberry – The edible berry of a and puddings, to line moulds for puddings and
tropical plant native to Peru, but widely grown custards, as a sweet, brittle coating for fruit
in warm countries throughout the world, such as strawberries, and to colour soups,
especially in the Cape region of South Africa, stews and gravies.
hence its common name. Golden in colour, the The term caramel is also used for a rich, chewy
fruit is the size of a cherry and is encased in a confectionery (candy) made from sugar, butter,
gauzy sac, which must be removed before use. and cream or milk.
The Cape gooseberry has a tart flavour and
may be eaten as a fresh fruit, pureed and added Caraway – A plant related to parsley and
to sorbets and ice-creams, or cooked in syrups native to southern Europe, the Mediterranean,
and jams. It is also known as golden berry, and parts of western Asia. Its highly aromatic,
strawberry tomato, winter cherry, and ground hard, brown, crescent shaped seeds were used
cherry. by the ancient Egyptians to treat stomach
complaints and flatulence; they were first used
Caper – The unopened, olive-green flower as a flavouring by the Arabs, and for centuries
bud of a prickly shrub native to the have been added to cakes, rye bread, cheeses,
Mediterranean, the Middle East and northern casseroles, potatoes, salads and sauerkraut. Oil
Africa, preserved in jars of seasoned vinegar or from the seed flavours the liqueur known as
packed in salt in wooden boxes. The buds Kümmel.
range in size from very tiny to pea size and,
because the flower will open with the sun, Carbonnade de Boeuf – Thin slices of
must be gathered before sunrise. Capers have beef, browned quickly over a high heat, then
been used as a condiment since the time of cooked with bear and onions. The dish is
ancient Greece. Their sharp, sour taste adds originally from Belgium, but its name comes
flavour to fish, cheese and creamed dishes as from Italian word carbonata, charcoal-grilled.
well as white sauces, salads and mayonnaise. In France the name carbonnade is also given to
They are also used as a garnish on appetizers, grilled (broiled) pork loin and in the south of
pizzas, and open sandwiches. Salted capers France to a beef stew prepared with red wine.
must be rinsed thoroughly in cold water before
use. Cardamom – The aromatic, rounded seed
pod from a shrub native to tropical Asia, but
Capon – A male chicken that has been also present from ancient times in parts of
neutered to produce tender flesh. It has a Europe, used as a spice. The pods, containing
tiny black seeds, are picked before they ripen,
 A Culinary Dictionary 16

and dried. They should be stored, unopened in shaped, fleshy fruit (used to make a liquor) and
airtight container, and the seed ground as protrudes from the end of the fruit when ripe.
required. Cardamom is one of the ingredients The shell contains caustic oils, which must be
in curry powder and is also used in pickles, rendered harmless by heating before the nut
rice, and sweet dishes. Seeds have been found can be extracted. Cashew nuts are sold shelled.
in Neolithic Lake settlements in Switzerland. They are eaten roasted and salted, and used to
In Arab countries, seeds are often added to make cashew nut butter. The raw nuts are
coffee beans before grinding. As each pod has added to curries dishes. They can also be used
to be picked by hand, it is the most expensive in stuffings for chicken, or as a salad
spice in the world after saffron. ingredient. The cashew nut has a high fat
content (46 percent).
Cardoon – Native to southern Europe and
related to the artichoke, cardoon’s celery-like Cassata – An iced dessert of Italian origin
stalk is eaten as a vegetable, boiled, steamed or usually consisting of ice-cream, at least one of
fried, usually served with a sauce. Most tender which contains chopped nuts and glazed fruit,
and delicate in flavour are those that have been and sometimes also a layer of sweetened,
wrapped in paper as they grow, to produce whipped cream. Sicilian cassata consists of
white stalks. strips of sponge cake soaked in a liqueur or
sweet dessert wine, encasing ricotta cheese
Carob – The fruit of the carob tree, native to mixed with nuts and glazed fruit and then
the Mediterranean region. The long, leathery chilled. Both types are traditionally made in a
pod contains hard, reddish seeds in a brown rectangular mould-hence the name, which is
pulp. Both the fresh pods and pulp can be derived from the Italian word for ‘little brick’.
eaten raw and have a sweet, chocolate-like
taste. A powder made from the dried and Cassava (Manioc) – A plant native to
ground pod and pulp can be used in cooking in tropical America and grown throughout the
the same way as cocoa powder. Pacific Islands, Indonesia, the Philippines and
Parts of Africa. The starchy, tuberous roots can
Carpaccio – A dish of paper-thin slices of be prepared and cooked in the same way as the
raw meat, usually beef, dressed with oil and potato, the tender leaves cooked like spinach
lemon juice or a creamy vinaigrette made with and the larger tougher ones used as wrappings
olive oil, and served as a first course. It was for food to be baked. A powder prepared from
named by its inventor the proprietor of Harry’s the dried root is used as a thickener in the
Bar in Venice, after Vittore Carpaccio, a cooking of South-East Asia.
fifteenth-century Venetian painter.
Casserole – A selection of meat, poultry or
Carpetbag Steak – A thick piece of tender fish, and vegetables, herbs, seasonings and
steak with a pocket cut into it which is filled liquid, cooked slowly in a covered dish in the
with raw oysters. The steak is then pan-fried or oven. It is usually served from the dish at the
grilled (broiled). table. The term is also used both for the
covered utensil and for the cooking method. It
Carrot – A root vegetable, related to parsley, becomes from the French casse, meaning pan
parsnip, and celery, with crisp, orange flesh, or ladle.
that is eaten raw in salads or cooked in both
savoury and sweet dishes. Its ancestor was a Cassoulet – A hearty bean and meat stew
wild plant. It was introduced to Europe by the originally from Languedoc in Southern France.
Dutch during the Middle Ages. Baby carrots Recipes vary, but the essential ingredient is a
(sometimes known as Dutch carrots) and haricot bean, to which various meats are
young carrots need only to be scrubbed clean added.
with a stiff brush before use. Tiny carrots can
be cooked whole. Older carrots should be Cauliflower – A member of the cabbage
scraped or peeled and then sliced, diced or cut family with a large head of tight flower buds
into julienne strips for cooking. If carrots are to that range in colour from creamy white, to
be used raw, grate for salads and sandwiches green and purple. Cauliflower can be eaten
or cut into strips for dips. raw, cut into small sprigs and dipped in various
dressings, or it can be steamed, boiled, or stir-
Cashew Nut – The creamy, kidney shaped fried. It was first grown in western Asia.
nut of a tall tree native to South America. The
hard-shelled nut develops inside an apple-
 A Culinary Dictionary 17

Caviar – The roe (eggs) of the sturgeon fish, they are the basic food of most of the world’s
salted and served as a delicacy. Caviar ranges people.
in colour from grey to yellow-brown to shiny
black, and in size from eggs as small as Ceviche – A dish of raw fish or raw scallops
pinheads (Sevruga) to the highly prized seed marinated in lemon or lime juice until the flesh
pearl sized eggs of the Beluga sturgeon. becomes opaque. It is often served with raw
Pressed caviar is made from ripe eggs, salted onion rings and tomatoes. Ceviche is popular
and pressed into a block. in South Pacific.
Commercial quantities of caviar are harvested
in the Caspian Sea. Salmon and lumpfish roe Champignon – The cultivated common
are sometimes called ‘red caviar’. It should be mushroom, picked when very young before the
well chilled and served on a bed of crushed ice gills are visible. Also known as button
for spreading on thin triangles of toast. mushroom, the champignon is valued for its
delicate flavour. It is available throughout the
Cayenne Pepper – A fiery spice made from year. Champignons can be eaten raw, in salads
the dried and powdered pods and seeds of or with dips; or sliced or whole, they can be
several varieties of small red chilli peppers, fried, stir-fried, grilled (broiled), baked or
used exceedingly sparingly to flavour cheese microwaved.
and fish dishes.
Chapatti – A flat unleavened bread from
Celeriac – The bulbous white-fleshed root of India. It is made from whole-wheat flour and
a variety of celery. It became popular in Italy cooked on a hot griddle. Chapattis are served
in Renaissance times, and by the eighteenth with curries and other savoury dishes, and are
century had spread to France, Germany, and sometimes used like edible plates to hold the
Italy. Peeled like a potato, it can be served in food eaten with them.
salads (raw, grated and mixed with dressing),
or steamed or boiled and served hot with a Charlotte – A dessert consisting of pureed
sauce. fruit (usually apple) cooked in a mould lined
with thin slices of buttered bread. It is served
Celery – A vegetable valued primarily for its warm with cold custard. Charlotte russe is a
long, juicy stem, although the leaves and seeds cold dessert made by living a mould with
are also eaten. The ancient Egyptians gathered sponge fingers, then filling it with bavarois
shoots of wild celery from seaside marshes; the (bavarian cream), creamy mousse or whipped
Greeks used it as a seasoning. In seventeenth- cream.
century France, celery was used to flavour
soups and stews; the technique of ‘blanching’ Chateaubriand – A thick slice of beef steak,
(heaping earth against growing stems to make grilled (broiled) or sautéed, and served with
them paler) dates from the time of Louis XIV sauces, traditionally béarnaise. It was reputedly
and was first used in the royal garden at the favourite dish of the eighteenth century
Versailles, outside Paris. The stringless salad French statesman, writer, and gourmet,
vegetable popular today was developed in Vicomte Francois René de Chateaubriand, for
Utah, in the United States. whom it is named.
Celery can be eaten raw, cooked in soups,
stews, and casseroles, or boiled, steamed or Chayote – See Choko.
braised to be served as a vegetable.
Cheddar – A semi-hard cow’s milk cheese
Cep –A large, wild, edible mushroom of with a close, creamy texture and rich, nutty
southwestern Europe. It has a bulbous stalk flavour that can range from mild to very sharp,
and fleshy brown cap, and is gathered in depending on the age of the cheese. It varies in
autumn from the leaf litter around oak and from near white for young cheeses, to deep
chestnut trees. Highly prized in France for its yellow for mature, full flavoured cheddars.
subtle, earthy flavour, it is available dried or Traditionally made in a large cylindrical shape,
canned. cheddar takes it name from the Somerset
village of Cheddar where it was first made;
Cereal – Plants cultivated for their edible today it is duplicated in factories around the
grains and seeds, such as wheat, rye, oats, corn world; most of the cheese produced in the
(maize) and barley. Cereals provide protein, United States is of the cheddar type. Cheddar
vitamins, and minerals and have a high is in all-purpose cheese, used for cooking, in
carbohydrate content. In one form or another sandwiches and snacks.
 A Culinary Dictionary 18

Cheese – A nutritious food prepared from Raw, they are eaten as fresh as possible.
curdled milk that has separated into curds Cherries are available for a very short season
(milky white solids) and whey (a cloudy in early summer.
liquid). Most of the world’s cheese is made
from cow’s milk, but it can be made from the Chervil – A small herb, similar in appearance
milk of sheep, goats, buffaloes, reindeer, to parsley, with lacy, bright green leaves and a
camels, and other domesticated grazing delicate aniseed flavour. In ancient Rome it
animals. The type of milk used (skimmed, was valued not only as a remedy for
partly skimmed, whole or enriched with hiccoughs. An important ingredient in fine
cream) is the main determinant of texture and herbes, it flavours many sauces, such as
flavour; other factors include the additive used béarnaise. Chopped chervil leaves are added to
to curdle the milk, the culture used in the egg dishes, poultry, fish, salads, mashed
fermentation process, and the methods of potatoes, sauces, soups are mornays. Best used
processing the curd. It categorized by texture, fresh; it loses its flavour if cooked.
cheese falls into four types: fresh, unripened
cheeses (cottage cheese, cream cheese, Cheshire Cheese – A hard, crumbly,
mozzarella and ricotta); soft briefly ripened slightly salty cow’s milk cheese, similar to
cheeses, spread-able and with a high moisture cheddar. It can be either red, white or blue in
and fat content (brie, camembert, feta and the colour. The oldest of the English cheeses, it
blue cheeses); semi-hard or firm cheeses has been made in Cheshire since the twelfth
matured with less moisture (cheddar, colby and century.
gruyère); and hard cheeses, dry, long matured
and sharp tasting (Parmesan, Pecorino, and Chestnut – A round, heavy, whitish-fleshed
Romano). nut covered with a thin brown skin and
Curd cheese has been made for thousands of encased in a glossy brown shell. When cooked
years. Nomadic peoples in the Middle East the nut has a sweet, floury taste. The chestnut
may have discovered the cheese-making tree is thought to be native to southern Europe
process when the milk carried in containers and western Asia, and since prehistoric times
made of animal stomachs turned to curds. In the easily gathered nutritious nuts have been
Europe until the Middle Ages, curd were valued as a food. Unlike most nuts, which are
drained in wicker baskets and then compressed rich in fat and low in starch, the chestnut
into a wooden box (the mould was called a kernel contains less than 3 percent fat and has
forma, the origin of fromage, the French word a high carbohydrate content. Roasted in the
for cheese). shell, they are a traditional winter snack. The
shelled kernels can be simmered in stock and
Cheesecake – A rich dessert in the form of served as vegetable, puréed and used in soups,
an open pie. The sweet, crumbly pastry shell is stuffings and cakes, or sweetened and mixed
filled with a custard-like mixture based on a with cream as a dessert. They are also used for
fresh, unripened cheese, such as cottage the French dish marrons glacés (glazed or
cheese, ricotta, or cream cheese. There are two candied chestnuts. Available dried and canned.
types of cheesecake: in one the cheese mixture
is baked in a cool oven; in the other the cheese Chèvres – The French term for cheese made
mixture is chilled in the refrigerator. from goat’s milk. Fresh chèvres is soft and
mild in flavour; more mature cheeses are
Chelsea Bun – A bun made from rich yeast harder and have a sharp, biting taste.
dough rolled out, spread with butter, sprinkled
with currants and sugar, then rolled up, and cut Chickpea (Garbanzo Bean) – The round,
into slices. pale-golden, pea-like seed of a bushy plant of
southern Europe and western Asia. The
Cherimoya – See Custard Apple. chickpea has a nutty flavour and is much used
in soups and stews. Boiled and then ground to
Cherry – The small, juicy fruit with a single a paste, it is the basic ingredient in the Middle
stone (pit) of several species of tree related to Eastern dip, hummus. In India it is ground to
the plum. It probably originated in Asia, but in make besan flour, or dry roasted and seasoned
prehistoric times spread to Europe and North with spices as a snack food. The Phoenicians
America and was introduced to Britain by the are said to have introduced it to Spain where it
Romans. From medieval times the cherry fair has been stable food ever since. Chickpeas can
marked the start of summer and was a time of be added to stews or cooled, tossed in salad.
general merry-making.
 A Culinary Dictionary 19

Chicken – The flesh of the domestic hen, one were aware of the preservative properties of
of the most widely used of meats, featuring in hot peppers on meat. Today it is popular dish,
national cuisines around the world. All breeds especially when served with corn chips.
are descended from the red jungle fowl of
India (where the bird is still found in the wild). Chilli Powder – A blend of dried chilli
It was domesticated some 5000years ago and peppers and seasonings. It has a hot, spicy,
taken by humans to every part of the world, peppery taste, and is most commonly used to
first to China and the Pacific Islands and then flavour chilli con carne. Available
to the Mediterranean. At first it was kept for its commercially, it is best purchased in small
eggs rather than its flesh, which was quantities as it rapidly loses its flavour and
considered tough, but the Romans discovered becomes unusable. Chilli powder should not be
that hand-fed birds had tender and tasty meat. confused with paprika, which looks similar but
The basic cuts are breast, thigh, drumstick, and is mild in flavour.
wing. The breast contains the most tender
meat; breast fillet is the thin strip of meat next Chinese Broccoli – A vegetable related to
to the breast bone. Thigh meat, although more the broccoli of Europe and the Middle East,
fatty, can sometimes be used as a substitute for with long, smooth stems, large leaves then its
breast. The drumstick is the upper part of the western cousins and cluster of small, white
leg; a Maryland is the thigh and drumstick. flowers. Stem, leaves, and flower heads are
eaten, either steamed or boiled until they are
Chicken Kiev – A boned and flattened only just tender and served with oyster sauce;
chicken breast wrapped around a mixture of or used in stir-fry dishes.
butter and chives, dipped in egg and
breadcrumbs, and then fried until crisp and Chinese Food – The cooking and
golden. presentation of food is a central part of
Chinese culture. It requires a harmonious
Chicory – Also known as Belgian endive and combination of colour, aroma, flavour, and
witloof, chicory (cichorium intybus) is a texture, and the balancing of the five basic
vegetable with compact, cone-shaped heads of flavours – sweet, sour, salty, bitter and piquant.
long, pale, yellow-tipped leaves which are A Chinese meal starts with a soup course,
eaten cooked, or raw and sliced as a salad followed by dishes of rice, meat, fish, poultry
vegetable. It was first cultivated for its roots and vegetables all placed on the table at the
which when roasted and ground are used as a time; each diner has a small eating bowl and a
coffee substitute. There is much confusion pair of chopsticks.
attached to the use of the terms ‘endive’ and Dessert is usually fruit; dairy products are
‘chicory’ in different parts of the world. In rarely eaten. Tea is the main drink.
Belgium and Australia, chicory or Belgium Regional cuisines have been shaped by the
endive is often called witloof. In the United diversity in terrain and climate over the vast
States the term chicory is used for salad lands, dictating not only local ingredients but
vegetable, curly endive. See Endive, curly. also, because of a general lack of fuel, cooking
techniques: most food is chopped into small
Chilli – The small smooth-skinned, elongated pieces and quickly cooked, either stir-fried in a
pods of a plant of the capsicum family. Chillies wok or steamed.
are smaller and far hotter in taste than sweet Cantonese cooking, the style best known
peppers; the hundreds of species vary greatly outside China uses stir-fried pork, fish or
in size, shape, colour, and most importantly, in shellfish, crisp vegetables, steamed dumplings
their fieriness. Domesticated chillies were with fragrant dipping sauces and rice as an
present in Peru from 8000 BC. They are an accompaniment to every meal.
important ingredient in the cooking of Mexico,
and following their introduction to Africa and Chinese Gooseberry – See Kiwi Fruit.
Asia in the late sixteenth century are now also
closely identified with the dishes of those Chinese Parsley – See Coriander.
regions.
Chiplota – A small sausage, about finger
Chilli Con Carne – A spicy dish of cubed length, made from pork or a mixture pork and
or minced (ground) meat, red kidney beans and beef. It is often served as a garnish for roast
thinly sliced onions, seasoned with chilli meat or poultry, or as a cocktail snack.
peppers. Chilli con carne has its origins in the Chive – An herb related to the onion and leek
cooking of the Incas, Mayas, and Aztecs, who with hollow, grass-like stems, thought to have
 A Culinary Dictionary 20

originated in north-eastern Asia. Chives are produces a smooth, shiny paste; the mixture is
used fresh and finely chopped to impart a piped onto greased trays and cooked for a
delicate onion flavour to vegetable, cheese and second time in the oven. The egg causes the
egg dishes, to salads and savoury dips; they are mixture to swell, resulting in almost hollow
also an ingredient in fines herbes. Chopped logs or balls. When cool, they are split open
chives freeze well and can be used in the same and filled with custard or cream.
way as fresh chives. Chives are available fresh
and freeze dried. Chow Mein – A Chinese dish consisting of
strips of meat (usually chicken, pork or
Chocolate – A food made from the seeds of seafood) and vegetables, stir-fried and served
the cacao tree native to Central America. The with fried noodles. The name comes from the
white seeds grow in a pod and are fermented to Cantonese dialect and means ‘fried noodles’.
develop the flavour, dried, roasted and ground
to a dark brown paste which is solidified into Chowder – A thick soup, usually milk-based,
blocks of pure chocolate, also called bitter or made with seafood, fish, vegetables or chicken.
unsweetened chocolate. More than half of the The name comes from the French chaudière, a
weight of pure chocolate is the vegetable fat as copper pot in which fisherman’s wife cooked a
cacao butter; cocoa powder is ground from the communal soup from the share of each man’s
solids left if this fat is extracted. catch to celebrate the safe return of the fishing
The Maya people of Central America were fleet from the sea.
first to cultivate the cacao tree and to process
its seeds. Columbus knew of the beans but not Churro – A fritter made of deep-fried choux
the preparation methods needed to rid of its pastry, sprinkled with sugar and served as a
bitterness. The Spanish explorer Cortez dessert. The churros originated in Spain where
brought back the beans as well as the it is often also served at breakfast with a large
knowledge of how to treat them. They were cup of hot chocolate or coffee.
ground to a paste and mixed with cane sugar to
produce a food quickly appreciated in Spain,
and latter in the rest of Europe. The main types Chutney – A sweet and sour condiment of
of chocolate are pure, dark and milk. fruits and vegetables cooked with sugar,
spices, and vinegar until thick. Chutney is
served as an accompaniment to hot and cold
Choko (Chayote) – The pale green, pear- meat, with cheese platters, with fish dishes and
shaped fruit of a climbing vine related to the with Indian curries.
gourd. It is peeled and boiled as a vegetable or
used as an ingredient in chutney. The plant
originated in Central America. Cider – An alcoholic drink made from the
fermented juice of apples (sometimes pears); it
can be still or sparkling. Cider is used in
Chop Suey – A dish developed by immigrant cooking to flavour meat, poultry and fish
Chinese cooks in the United States and often dishes, and in desserts.
served in Chinese restaurants in Western
countries. It consist of a mixture of bean
sprouts and finely sliced vegetables and meat Cilantro – See Coriander.
(usually chicken or pork), stir-fried then
simmered in sauce. The name is from the Cinnamon – The light brown, aromatic,
Chinese and means ‘mixed bits’. flaky bark of a small, evergreen tree native to
Sri Lanka. The inner bark is taken from thin
Chorizo – A coarse textured, dried, spicy branches and dried in the sun to form curled
sausage of Spanish origin, heavily flavoured tubes called ‘quills’. The palest, from young
with garlic and chilli. It is added to many shoots, are superior.
Spanish dishes, such as cocido (Spanish stew)
and paella. Any spicy salami may be used in Cinnamon Sugar – A combination of equal
its place. parts of sugar and cinnamon sprinkled on
coffeecakes and buttered toast.
Choux Pastry – Also called chou paste, a
light pastry used for making éclairs, cream Citron – A pear-shaped citrus fruit
puffs, profitroles and croquembouche. It is resembling a lemon, but larger and with
cooked twice: first in the saucepan, where thicker, fragrant rind. A native of china, it is
water, flour, butter and sugar for sweet choux grown mainly for its peel, which is candied or
– are mixed before the eggs are whisked into
 A Culinary Dictionary 21

preserved and used in the making of fruitcakes. America. The seeds are roasted and ground
It is the traditional topping to Madeira cake. into a paste of pure chocolate. Cocoa powder is
ground from the dry solids left when the
Citrus Fruit – A family of tropical fruits that vegetable fat known as cacao butter is
includes the orange, lemon, grapefruit, lime, removed.
tangerine, mandarin, clementine and cumquat.
Coconut – A large nut, the fruit of the
Clam –A saltwater shellfish with edible flesh coconut palm. Grown throughout the tropics, it
protected by two large hinged shells marked by is an important food, providing oil-rich white
fine circular ridges. Clams are opened like flesh, and a refreshing liquid. The soft pulp of
oysters, and, like oysters, the flesh can be eaten a young coconut can be eaten with a spoon and
fresh on the half shell, dressed with a squeeze in some areas is the first solid food given to an
of lemon juice. The East Coast of North infant. The coconut probably originated in
America is famous for its summer clambakes Melanesia but this is uncertain because the
and its New England clam chowder. In Italy, huge nut can float across oceans and then take
tiny clams (vongole) are often part of pasta root wherever it beached. Desiccated coconut
sauces; in Japan clam broth is served at is used in cakes, biscuits (cookies) and
wedding banquets. confectionery (candy).

Clarify – To clear a liquid from impurities or Coconut Milk – The liquid pressed from
sediments. Stocks and broths are clarified for coconut flesh. It is used in many Asian dishes,
use as clear soups by whisking egg white into especially curries. Coconut cream is obtained
the cold liquid: as the mixture is heated the egg by chilling coconut milk then scooping off the
white coagulates, trapping any opaque oily surface ‘cream’ and is used similarly.
particles in a scum on the top which can then Both are available canned.
be strained off.
Cod – A fish with moist, creamy-white, firm
Clove – The fragrant, sundried flower bud of flesh that when cooked separates into large
an aromatic evergreen tree native to the flakes. An inhabitant of cold waters, it is
Moluccas, of Spice Islands, of Indonesia. known especially in the northern Atlantic. Cod
Cloves have a sweet, peppery aroma and a has been eaten since prehistoric times; in its
warm, fruity, slightly bitter flavour. Its use, dried form it provisioned the Vikings on their
both medicinal (it was believed to ward off the sea voyages. It was the first fish to be caught
plaque) and culinary (as a preservative of meat and salted commercially.
and a flavouring for a wide range of dishes),
was widespread in the Middle Ages. Cloves Coddle – To cook an egg in the shell just
are used in stewed fruit, spiced cakes, and below boiling point until the white turn’s
breads, in pork and ham dishes, and sauces, opaque and the yolk is heated.
pickles, chutneys, marinades, wines, and
liqueurs. They are available whole or ground Coeur à la Crème – A dessert of unripened
as a powder. fresh cheese, such as cream cheese or fromage
blanc, mixed with fresh cream and sometimes
Cock-a-Leekie – A thick Scottish soup sugar, and drained in a perforated mould,
consisting of chicken pieces simmered in stock traditionally heart shaped-hence its name. It is
with chopped leek, thickened with barley and served chilled with fresh fruit.
traditionally served with stewed prunes.
Coffee – The roasted and ground beans of a
Cocktail – An alcoholic drink usually made tropical tree, made into a beverage and also
from a mixture of spirits and liqueurs, often used as a flavouring. The ‘beans’ are the seeds
with fruit or vegetable juice, sometimes of a red berry (two of each fruit); when roasted
sweetened, and blended either by shaking the they develop the characteristic coffee aroma
ingredients in a closed container or by stirring. and flavour. The coffee tree, native to Ethiopia
A cocktail is usually served chilled as a pre- and the Sudan, is now cultivated in New
dinner drink. Non-alcoholic versions combine Guinea, the Americas, and Africa. Drinking
juices and aerated drinks. The cocktail is coffee did not become fashionable in Europe
American invention. until the seventeenth century. Coffee is
available as whole or ground beans and as
Cocoa – A dark brown, powder made from instant powder or granules.
seeds of the cacao, a tree native to tropical
 A Culinary Dictionary 22

Colby – A soft-textured cow’s milk cheese China, Central America, and the Middle East.
similar to cheddar. It has a mild, sweetish The roasted and ground seeds are used in
flavour, is yellow in colour, and has tiny holes. curries; in northern Europe coriander seeds are
used in pickling, chutneys and marinades.
Colcannon – A dish of Irish origin consisting
of chopped cooked cabbage, chopped onion Corn (Maize, Sweet Corn) – The round,
and mashed potato, beaten together with butter yellow kernels borne on long, cone-shaped
and hot milk. ‘ears’, encased in a green husk and growing on
a plant native to the Americas. First
Coleslaw – A salad of finely shredded domesticated more than 7000 years ago in
cabbage and other vegetables, such as carrot, Mexico, it was a staple throughout the
celery, capsicum, and onion, dressed with Americans showed English settlers in North
mayonnaise. America how to plant and use it.

Compote – A preparation of fresh, canned or Corn Bread – A bread, leavened with

dried fruits, poached in syrup to preserve their baking, made from cornmeal (polenta) and
shape and serve hot or cold in the syrup as a flour.
dessert.
Corned Beef – A cut of beef, which has
Confectioners Sugar – Name used in the been preserved (cured) by soaking and
US for icing sugar. injecting it with brine. The treatment causes
the flesh to turn pink. Cooked corned beef can
be served hot, with vegetables and an onion
Confit – A portion of duck, goose, or pork sauce; or cold, sliced as a salad meat.
which has been preserved by simmering in its
own fat. A specialty of southwest France,
confit was traditionally stored in sealed jars. Cornflour (Cornstarch) – A fine, white
powder obtained from corn kernels. It is used
as a thickening agent for sauces, gravies and
Conserve – Whole berries or sliced fruit puddings, and is the main ingredient in
preserved by boiling with sugar. It is richer and blancmange.
sweeter than jam, the pieces of fruit have
retained their shape. It is used as a spread or
filling. Cornish Hen – A specially bred small
chicken valued for its tender meat.
Consommé – A rich, clear soup made of
meat or chicken stock which has been reduced Cornish Pastry – A mixture of finely
and clarified. It can be served hot or cold, often chopped meat and vegetables in a turnover of
with the addition of finely sliced meat or short crust pastry. It originated in Cornwall as
vegetables or paste shapes. a meal for tin miners.

Coq au Vin – Chicken cooked in red wine. Cornmeal – A yellow-white flour made from
As the dish was traditionally made with a finely ground dried corn kernels. Cornmeal is
rooster which was at least twelve months old, an important food in northern Italy, where it is
the wine was needed to tenderize the meat; called polenta, and in the United States and
nowadays a chicken or boiling fowl may be Latin America. It is used to make cornbread,
substituted. muffins and as a coating for fried food.

Coquilles St. Jacques – A dish in which Cornstarch – See Cornflour.

scallops poached in white wine are returned to
their shells and served topped with a rich Corn Syrup – See Syrup.
sauce.
Cottage Cheese – A soft, fresh, usually low-
Coriander – An annual herb, member of the fat cheese made from milk curds. It was first
carrot family, which has green, lacy leaves and made using soured milk. Creamed cottage
a pungent aroma and flavour. The leaves also cheese is made from washed curds.
known as cilantro and Chinese parsley are used
fresh; the roots finely chopped have a similar, Cottage Pie – See Shepherd’s Pie.
but stronger flavour. Both are important
ingredients in the cooking of Southeast Asia,
 A Culinary Dictionary 23

Coulibac – A pie of Russian origin filled volume when whipped. Reduced or light cream
with salmon, rice, mushroom, eggs, and (known in Britain as Single Cream) has a fat
seasonings. content of between 18 and 25 percent and
cannot be whipped; it is used in coffee and
Coulis – A liquid puree of cooked vegetables with desserts.
or of cooked or fresh fruit.
Cream Cheese – A soft, white, fresh cheese
Courgette – See Zucchini. or a mixture of milk and cream. It is smoother
in texture and has a higher fat content than
cottage cheese.
Court Bouillon – An aromatic mixture of
water or stock, and a dash of vinegar, wine or
lemon juice and spices, herbs and chopped Cream of Tartar – A white powder obtained
vegetables, in which fish or shellfish is by the fermentation of grape juice and used as
poached. one of the raising agents in baking powder.
Cream of tartar is often added when whipping
egg whites.
Couscous – A cereal made from semolina
and wheat flour pressed into tiny grains. It is
cooked in water or stock until soft, butter is Crème Brûlée – A rich baked custard
added and it is served hot as a side dish (in topped with a shell of hard, caramelized sugar.
much the same way as steamed or boiled), or
as part of a dish of stews meat. Couscous is a
staple in the cooking of North Africa. Crème Caramel – A vanilla-flavoured
baked custard coated with thick caramel sauce.
Crab – Species vary in colour when alive, but
when cooked all turn red-orange; the flesh is Crème Chantilly – Sweetened whipped
white, moist, and sweet. Found in sheltered fresh cream, which has been flavoured with
coastal waters around the world, crabs can be vanilla.
purchased fresh, frozen or in cans.
Crème Fraîche – A mature cream with a
Crabapple – A small, sour tasting apple, nutty, slightly sour flavour. It is available in
grown mainly for its ornamental qualities. cartons or can be made by mixing pure fresh
Crabapples are used to make jellies and cream with sour cream, yoghurt, or cultured
preserves. buttermilk. Crème fraîche is used in savoury
sauces for game, poultry, fish, and vegetables;
Cracked Wheat – Whole-wheat grains that in salad dressings; as a garnish for soups; and
have been soaked, cooked, dried, and then in confectionery (candy).
crushed into small pieces.
Crème Pâtissière – A stirred custard
Cranberry – A small, round, red berry too lightened with whipped egg whites. Flavoured
tart to eat raw, but best known for cranberry with coffee or chocolate, it is the traditional
sauce, the traditional accompaniment to roast filling for éclairs; flavoured with vanilla or
turkey. orange, it is used to fill cream puffs.

Crayfish – A freshwater crustacean that looks Crêpe – A light, thin pancakes made with a
like a miniature lobster. Most of the meat is in batter of milk, eggs, and flour on each side
the tail and when cooked is white, sweet and until golden. They can be eaten with a topping
moist. of lemon juice and sugar, or rolled around
sweet and savoury fillings or topped with
sauces.
Cream – The fatty part of milk rises to the top
when milk is allowed to stand. It is made into
butter and many varieties of cheese, and used Cress – Any of several plants of the mustard
on its own as an accompaniment to fruits and family. Eaten while still seedlings, their tiny
desserts, as a filling for cakes and pastries, or leaves and slender stems give a peppery
to add richness to sauces, soups and custards. flavour to a salad, and sandwich fillings, and
Whipping, double or heavy cream is the richest can be used as a garnish for meat.
form, with a fat content of 48 percent; it is
used as a rich pouring cream has a minimum Croissant – A soft, flaky, buttery, crescent-
fat content of 35 percent and will double its shaped roll of yeast milk dough, baked until
 A Culinary Dictionary 24

crisp and golden and served warm as part of a Cumberland Sauce – A sauce, made with
traditional French breakfast. Croissants can be redcurrant jelly and port, which is served cold
eaten either on their own or split open and with ham, lamb, beef or game.
spread with butter and jam or preserves. They
can also filled with ham, cheese, mushroom or
chicken. Cumin – A spice made from the seeds of a
plant, similar in appearance to parsley; the
long, aromatic, yellow-brown seeds have a
Croque Monsieur – A hot sandwich of pungent flavour (similar to caraway) and are
gruyère or emmenthal cheese and ham used whole or ground in a range of savoury
between slices of toasted bread. Middle Eastern or Indian dishes.

Croquembouche – An elaborate pastry Cumquat – A berry-sized, orange-coloured

made up of a number of individual choux puff citrus fruit with bitter flesh and sweet tasting,
pastries, each filled with cream piled into a edible, thin skin. Native to China it is used to
cone shape, glazed with toffee and topped with make marmalade, or preserved in sugar syrup
sugar. or brandy.

Croquette – A small patty of minced Currant – A small, round, smooth-skinned,

(ground) meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish, tart berry; there are red, white (rare) and black
bound with a thick white sauce, coated with varieties. Red currants can be eaten fresh, with
breadcrumbs and deep-fried until crisp. sugar and cream or in salads; red currants and
blackcurrants are used in jams, jellies, and
Crostini – Slices of bread that have been sauces; blackcurrants are used in cordials and
toasted, fried, or quickly dipped in broth, and the liqueur cassis. They are not related to dried
then spread with a savoury topping such as currants.
pâté.
Currant, Dried – The dried fruit of a small,
Croustade – A case made out of fried, purple, seedless grape; used in cake, biscuit
hollowed bread, puff pastry, or duchess potato, (cookie) and pastry mixtures; for stuffings in
which is used to hold preparations of, cooked game or fish; and in savoury sauces and rice
meat or vegetables. dishes.

Croûte – A small, thick slice of bread, fried in Curry – A savoury dish of meat, poultry, fish,
butter or oil or dried in the oven, which is or vegetables, flavoured with tangy spices and
served with soup, casseroles or mornays. served with rice, pappadams or Indian bread
and a variety of accompaniments. Curries,
Croûte, en – A French term for food cooked, most strongly identified with India, are also
wrapped or encased in pastry or dough. part of the cooking of Thailand, Malaysia,
Indonesia, and the West Indies.
Croûtons – Small cubes of bread, fried or
toasted and served as crisp accompaniment to Curry Leaves – The small, shiny, aromatics
soup or salads. leaves from a tree native to South-East Asia,
used whole in cooking in much the same way
Crown Roast – Two racks of lamb curved as bay leaves. Available fresh, dried or fried in
around and secured in the shape of a crown. oil, they add a curry-like flavour.
The centre is usually filled with stuffing.
Curry Paste and Curry Powder – Blends
Crudités – Raw vegetables cut into strips or of ground spices used to flavour savoury
grated, served as finger food accompanied by dishes. A basic Indian curry powder includes
dips and cold sauces. ground dried red chillies, coriander, mustard,
black peppercorns, fenugreek, cumin, and
Cucumber – The crisp, juicy, pale-fleshed turmeric; other spices that can be included are
fruit of a vine of the melon family. Cucumbers cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, ginger,
can be used raw, as a salad vegetable, as well and garlic. The addition of oil, vinegar, or
as cooked or pickled. water gives a curry paste, or wet massala. The
green and red curry pastes of Thai cooking are
both based on a blend of fresh coriander
 A Culinary Dictionary 25

leaves, chillies, garlic and other spices and powder and powdered milk were added to the
fresh herbs. mixture. Today the term damper refers to
leavened bread, round in shape, with a crunchy
Custard – A mixture of egg and milk, crust and a taste, and texture similar to white
sweetened, cooked and served hot or cold as a bread. The name comes from a British dialect
dessert. Baked custard is cooked in the oven; word meaning ‘something that takes the edge
stirred custard, cooked over simmering water, off the appetite’.
is often used as a sweet sauce and is also the
basis of many other desserts. Damson- a small, dark purple variety of
European plum with a thick skin. It is also
Custard Apple – Also known as cherimoya, known as a prune plum. The fruit is too tart to
the large, round, green-skinned fruit of a tree eat raw but is delicious cooked in compotes,
native to Peru and now cultivated in many jams, and jellies and as a pie filling. The name
tropical regions. Its sweet-scented, creamy- is a contraction of Damascus, ‘from
white flesh taste likes a combination of Damascus’.
banana, pineapple, and strawberry and is
scooped out and eaten with a spoon. Dandelion – A flowering plant well known
as a weed. Its young leaves can be added to
Cuttle Fish – A saltwater mollusk closely mixed green salad; their peppery bite also
related to squid, but with a broader, thicker combines well with beet root and with bacon.
oval body. It has been eaten for centuries The leaves should be picked before the plant
around the shores of the Mediterranean, either flowers (otherwise they can be tough and
stuffed or cut into rings and fried in batter. bitter), cut them off at the root crown.
Dandelions can also be blanched by covering
the growing plant with an invested flowerpot;
the result is a crisp pale leaf with a milder

D
flavour.

Danish Blue – A soft creamy white, cow’s

milk cheese with fine blue veining, and a
sharp, sometimes salty, taste. It has a buttery
Daikon – A variety of radish grown in Japan texture and can be either spread or sliced.
with a long, almost cylindrical, fleshy root and Modelled on the blue-veined Roquefort cheese
a mild, peppery taste. It is eaten raw/either of France, it was developed in Denmark in the
grated or sliced in salads), cooked (steamed or early 1900s to compete in the United States
stir-fried) as a vegetable and, in its pickled with Roquefort sales. The cheese is also
form (takuan) is served with almost every known as Danablu.
meal. Spicy tasting daikon sprouts (Kaiware)
are used in salads and as a garnish. Daikon is Danish Open Sandwich – A thin slice of
also known as Japanese radish and mooli. bread, buttered right to the edge to seal the
bread from the topping which can include
Daiquiri – A cocktail made from white rum, generous mounds of fresh salad vegetables,
lemon or lime-juice and sugar, served in a cold meats, smoked fish, cheese, mayonnaise,
chilled glass. The drink is named after a small pickles, gherkins, and relishes, garnished with
village near Santiago, on the Cuban coast. fresh herbs such as parsley, dill, chervil and
Fruits such as peaches, strawberries or Kiwi cress. A Danish Open Sandwich is best eaten
fruit are sometimes added. with a knife and fork. The Danish word is
Smørrebrød, meaning buttered bread.
Damper – Unleavened bread made from
simple dough of flour and water. It was a Danish Pastry – A sweet, light pastry
staple food for early European settlers in consisting of a buttery yeast dough encasing a
outback Australia. Traditionally the dough was filling such as stewed fruits, custards,
cooked directly in the hot ashes of an open fire preserves, nuts and cheese. The dough is
(with this method the encrusting ashes must be shaped into rolls and twists, then glazed with
knocked off before the bread can be eaten), or spices and sprinkled with coarse sugar before
wound around a green stick, which was placed being baled. Danish pastries are usually served
over the fire (the result was known as a with coffee.
Johnnycake). In later years camp ovens were
used and, after they became available, baking
 A Culinary Dictionary 26

Dariole – The name given to both a small, corn (maize) oils have a high smoking point
steep – sided mould and the preparation and so are most suitable for deep-frying.
cooked in it. Dariole moulds are used to make
pastries, individual fruit cakes and puddings. Deglaze – To add water, stock, or wine to the
They can also be lined with aspic jelly, filled cooking juices and cooked on sediments left in
with a savoury mixture and topped with more the pan after roasting or frying meat. The
jelly. When the mixture has set, it is turned out mixture is then heated, stirred, and reduced to
onto a platter for serving. make a sauce or gravy. The name comes from
the French déglacer, to dissolve into liquid.
Dashi – A fish and Kelp stock, which gives
Japanese cooking its distinctive ‘sea’, flavour. Dégorger – A French term (meaning
It is made by heating konbu (large leaf kelp) in ‘disgorge’) for the process of soaking meat,
water to boiling point then removing the kelp poultry, offal or fish in cold water to free it of
and adding hans – katsuo (flakes of dried impurities and blood, or to eliminate any
bonito, a member of the mackerel family never ‘muddy’ flavour from freshwater fish. The
used fresh) the mixture is stirred until the term is also used for the process of removing
flakes sink and then strained. Dashi is also excess water and strong flavours from certain
eaten as clear soup and is used as a dipping vegetables.
sauce and marinade. It is available from Asian
food stores in small, ready-to-use infusion bags Demarara Sugar – A white cane sugar
(dashi-no-moto), as a liquid concentrate, and in treated with molasses to produce large, slightly
granule form. sticky, pale brown crystals. It is often served
with coffee and is used for making biscuits
Date – The oblong amber to dark brown, (cookies), cakes, and confectionery. Brown
sweet-fleshed fruit of the date palm. A French sugar or raw sugar can be substituted. It was
author described it as being ‘to the people of first produced in the Demarara region of
the Sahara what wheat is to the French and rice Guyana, West Indies.
to the Chinese’. In the hot deserts of western
Asia and northern Africa, the date palm is the Demi-Glaze – A basic brown or espagnole
tree of life, fringing every oasis and thriving in sauce reduced to rich, thick, glossy syrup. It is
conditions where virtually nothing else can used to coat meat and game dishes as well as
grow. Date palms have been known to bear to enrich other sauces.
fruit for up to a century.
Dates travel well and were exported (mostly Dessert – A sweet course eaten at the end of
from Egypt) to ancient Greece and Rome a meal. It can range from simple compote of
where they were sold on the streets and in the fresh fruit to ice-creams, jellies, custards,
theatres as a sweet snack food, as they were sweet pies, steamed puddings, and elaborate
again fifteen hundred years later in medieval cakes. In ancient times a meal was likely to
Europe. have been rounded off with fruit, honey, or
The fruit is available fresh or dried. Iraq is the cheese. In medieval Europe it was customary
main exporter of dried dates; Israel, Lebanon at banquets to serve jellies and sweet tarts
and the United States export ‘fresh’ frozen between meat courses. In the seventeenth
dates. The name comes from the Greek century, sweet ices and sherbets (which
daktylos, meaning finger. originated in Spain and Sicily) made an
appearance, as did chocolate, brought back
Daube, en – A French Term for a method of from the Americas. Ideally, a light, fruit-based
cooking meat by braising it in red wine dessert should follow a heavy meal, while a
seasoned with herbs. sweet pie or rich pudding is appropriate often a
light meal. Nowadays, a dessert can also mean
Deep Fry – To cook pieces of food by cheese and biscuits. The word comes from the
immersing them in very hot fat or oil. Deep- French desservir, to remove all that has been
frying creates a crust around the food, which served: at a formal dinner, everything,
seals in the flavour and juices. Food should be including the tablecloth, was removed and the
cooked in small batches so as not to lower the table re-laid for dessert.
temperature of the frying medium. Fish,
chicken, croquettes, or soft vegetables should Dessert wine – A sweet, full-bodied wine
be protected with a coating of batter or served at the end of a meal and with the
breadcrumbs before being fried. Peanut and dessert. Dessert wines include Muscat,
 A Culinary Dictionary 27

Madeira, Sauternes, and Tokay; champagne for lamb and to add a tart sweetness to soups
can also be served with the dessert course. and stews. It is also the basis of a drink. The
name is derived from the Arabic word for
Devilled – The term applied to food, such as ‘pomegranate sugar’.
meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish, with a sharp
flavour that has been imparted by using Dijonnaise – French term for a dish prepared
seasonings or marinades before grilling with Dijon mustard, one of the traditional
(broiling) or frying. Flavourings (which are French mustards. This creamy condiment,
often brushed on during cooking) can include paler than some mustard seeds that have been
mustard, Tabasco, or Worcestershire sauce, soaked in the acidic, fermented juice of
cayenne pepper, and lemon juice unripened grapes. Dijonnaise is also the name
. given to a mustard-flavoured mayonnaise
Deviled Butter – Softened butter mashed served with cold meats. Both are called after
with Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce or Dijon, capital of the Burgundy region of
dry mustard, and chopped onion and parsley, France, an ancient city famous for its castles
formed into a roll and then chilled. Serve and museums, an annual International Food
sliced on grilled (broiled) meat or fish. Fair, and the blackcurrant syrup cassis.

Devil on Horseback – An hors d’oeuvre Dill – An aromatic herb, similar in appearance

consisting of stoned prunes wrapped in bacon, and related to fennel, that is a native of
which is grilled until the bacon is crisp. southern Europe and western Asia. Both its
feathery green leaves and small brown seeds
Devonshire Tea – Scones, jam, and clotted are used as flavouring (the leaves in soups, egg
cream served with a pot of tea as a light mid- dishes, salads, soft cheeses, and sauces to
morning or mid-afternoon meal. Clotted accompany fish; the seeds in breads, pickles
cream, also known as Devonshire cream, was and for flavouring vinegar and cooked
originally made by slowly warming fresh cabbage). Dill is widely used in the cooking of
cream in an earthenware bowl which was then northern Europe, where it flavours sauerkraut
left on a cold stone floor to cool, allowing the and potato salad, fish and vegetable dishes and
cream to thicken. The process originated in the pickled gherkins. Dill water was for many
country of Devon, in Southwestern England. years given to babies to soothe them to sleep.
The leaves are also known as dillweed.
Dal – An Indian dish of lentils cooked with
garlic, ginger, and seasonings and then pureed. Dim Sim – A tiny parcel of finely chopped
It has a consistency similar to porridge and can meat and cabbage wrapped in a wonton
be eaten on its own, served with boiled rice or wrapper (a thin sheet of dry pasta dough) and
Indian breads, or as an accompaniment to a then either deep fried until crisp and golden, or
meat dish. steamed. The name from the Cantonese word
tim-sam, little snack, and is sometimes applied
to a range of similar bite sized morsels such as
Diable – A cooking vessel containing of two gow gee and spring rolls.
unglazed clay pots, one of which fits the other
as a lid. It is used for cooking foods such as
potatoes, onions, beetroot, and chestnuts Dip – A dish of pureed or finely chopped food
without water; halfway through cooking the blended with a moist or oily base to form a
Diable is turned upside down. The vessel can creamy mixture; it is served as a snack or
be used in the oven or, with a heat diffuser, on appetizer. Bread, crackers, corn chips, or crisp
an electric hotplate or gas ring. A Diable raw vegetables cut into pieces are eaten with
should never be washed. dips. Popular for entertaining, dips are often
thought of as recent invention; however the
practice of using a firm food to scoop up a
Dibs – A chocolate flavoured syrup made softer food is far from new and is found in all
from the carob pod. In Syria and Lebanon it is parts of the world. The ancient Romans
mixed with tahini and used as a spread. snacked on pieces of coarse bread dipped in
goat’s milk; the chick pea mixture hummus has
Dibs Roman – Also known as grenadine been made for thousand of years in the Middle
molasses, a thick, dark, purple-red syrup with a East; taramasalata, a paste of mullet roe, has a
strong, sour-sweet flavour. Made from long history around the Aegean; the Mayas of
concentrated pomegranate juice, it is used in the Central America enjoyed guacamole for
the cooking of the Middle East to sharpen the many centuries before the arrival of the
flavour of lamb fillings for pies as a marinade
 A Culinary Dictionary 28

Spanish in the Sixteenth century; and in India, was able to instruct cheese factory workers in
dal, made from pureed lentils, is often eaten the craft and so keep the cheese alive.
with chapattis, roti or one of the many other
types of flat bread. Dough – A mixture of flour and liquid,
Nowadays a variety of commercially prepared usually water, to which other ingredients
dips can be found on the shelves of most (butter, margarine, seasonings, or sweeteners)
supermarkets. are often added before it is baked into bread or
poultry. Although the ingredients are basically
Dolmades – Small cylindrical packages the same as for batter, the proportions are
consisting of rice, minced (ground) lamb, different (dough has far less liquid and is thick
finely chopped onion, nuts and seasonings enough to be kneaded). There are two main
wrapped in partially cooked grapevine leaves, types of dough: soft dough, with a slightly
braised in a little stock or wine and then higher liquid content, is used for scones and
sprinkled with olive oil and lemon juice. The doughnuts; stiff dough, with less liquid, is used
mixture can also be wrapped in cabbage for pastry, pie crusts and biscuits (cookies).
leaves. Dolmades are usually eaten cold as a Fermented dough, called sourdough, called
first course. Of Middle Eastern origin, the dish sourdough, was originally used instead of yeast
is served throughout Greece, Turkey, and as a raising agent when baking bread. The
Lebanon. The name comes from the Persian word probably comes from the Anglo-Saxon
dolmeh, meaning stuffed. deawain, meaning to wet or moisten.

Doner Kebab – Lamb slices and salad Doughnut – A small usually ring-shaped
sprinkled with a tahini-based sauce and cake, made of deep-fried yeast dough, which is
wrapped in a piece of unleavened bread to dusted with spiced sugar or iced (frosted). It
form a meal that can be eaten in the hand. has a moist, bread-like texture. Doughnuts can
Even sized rounds of boneless lamb, marinated be made in twisted and round shapes, and are
for up to 24 hrs in a mixture of olive oil, salt, sometimes filled with jam or custard. The ring
pepper, onion, rigani (a variety of oregano), doughnut is of modern North American origin
thyme, parsley and sometimes mint, are and is attributed to John Blondel, who in the
threaded, tightly packed and interspersed with 1870s patented a doughnut cutter, which cut a
fat from the tail, onto a heavy spit. hole in the centre.
Traditionally the spit was turned over a
charcoal fire; today it is usually a vertical Drambuie – A liqueur, made from whisky
mortar driven rotisserie. When the surface of and honey, which originated in Scotland.
the lamb cooks to a warm brown it is removed
in thin slices; the remaining meat continues to Dredge – To coat food (by dusting,
cook. The salad usually consists of tabouli, raw sprinkling or rolling) with a dry ingredient,
onion rings, lettuce, and tomato; the sauce can such as flour or sugar.
be hummus bi tahini, chilli, or barbecue sauce.
The doner kebab originated in Turkey and is
very popular throughout the Middle East; it is Dresden Sauce – A cold sauce made from
known as chawarma in Lebanon and grass in sour cream, mustard, and horseradish. It is
Iraq. generally served with smoked or boiled fish.

Double Gloucester – A firm-textured, Dressing – A liquid used to moisten and

straw yellow cows milk cheese, with a mellow flavour a variety of foods, from salads or
cheddar-like flavour. It is also available cooked vegetables to raw meat or fish dishes.
layered with Stilton cheese. Originally made in Dressings can be based on olive oil, lemon
England from the milk of the cow virtually juice, wine, or vinegars, with various
extinct. Gloucester cattle, it has more recently flavourings, or contain richer ingredients such
been made with full cream milk from the herds as eggs (as in mayonnaise), cream, or yoghurt.
of adjoining countries such as Somerset,
Dorset, and Wiltshire. The cheese almost Dripping – The fat that drips from beef or
becomes a casualty of the disruption caused in lamb during roasting. Dripping should be
Britain by World War II. When peace returned strained from the roasting pan and left to set so
it seemed that traditional methods of making that the jellied meat juices can be removed
Double Gloucester had been lost, and the from the bottom. Dripping can also be
situation was saved only by the appearance of purchased, packaged in solid blocks, from the
an ancient farm woman who before her death butcher or supermarket.
 A Culinary Dictionary 29

Duchess Potatoes – A puree of potatoes Dumpling – A small ball of dough, either

blended with butter, egg-yolk, and seasonings savoury or sweet, poached and served as an
and piped into various individual shapes. Used accompaniment to meat dishes and desserts.
as a garnish for roasts or as a decorative border Savoury dumplings simmered in meat stock or
for fish and savoury dishes, the mixture is stew are traditionally served with roast or
glazed with beaten egg yolk, then browned in a boiled beef. In Asian cooking, mixtures of
hot oven or under the grill. It is said to have finely chopped pork or beef and vegetables
been created especially for the Duchess of wrapped in dough and steamed are called
Bedford. dumplings. Sweet dumplings are simmered in
either a dessert sauce or fruit juice. The name
Duck – A large, long bodied water bird with is also given to a piece of fruit encased in
dark, moist, richly flavoured flesh. Duck has sweet pastry dough and baked.
been part of the human diet since the time of
the earliest hunters. Always in plentiful supply Dundee Cake – A butter cake flavoured
on rivers, lakes, ponds, and marshlands around with dried fruit and nuts. Before baking the top
the world, the bird and its eggs were there for is closely covered with blanched and halved
the taking. It was the first to be domesticated, almonds. The cake is named for Dundee, a
probably by the Chinese some 4000 years ago, seaport on the East Coast of Scotland.
although some claim the first duck farmers
were the Incas of South America. Durian – A large, ovoid fruit covered with an
Domesticated breeds are now kept in all parts armour of close-set, short, hard spikes. The
of the world; even so, some of the duck eaten durian is native to Southeast Asia, where it is
today is, by preference, still taken from the grown mainly in Malaysia, the Philippines, and
wild. Ducks bred for the table include the large Vietnam. In Thailand it is so highly regarded
and lean Barbary duck of Europe; the English that some orchardists employ security guards
Aylesbury and Gladwell; the French Nantais, to delete fruit thieves. The sticky, cream-
which is often reared semi-wild, and the coloured pulp of the durian is noted especially
Rouenais; and the Peking duck of China. In for the contrast between its putrid odour and
Australia the most common breed is a cross delicious taste. In this respect its appeal has
between the Peking and the Aylesbury. been compared by both the French and English
The ancient Egyptians ate the ducks of the to that of cheese. The flesh of the durian is
Nile. The Romans feasted on the breast and eaten raw, as a dessert, either on its own or
brains of wild duck and throughout Europe with sugar and cream or ice-cream. Chilling
until medieval times the bird, although eaten the fruit reduces its small. In Java the durian is
regularly, seems always to have been caught in made into fruit jelly. The seeds can be roasted
the wild and not reared in the fowl yard. and eaten like nuts. Canned durian pulp is also
Duck is a favourite in the cooking of France available.
and china. The art of drying duck meat (to
preserve the flesh and intensify its flavour) has Durum Wheat – A variety of wheat milled
been practiced in China for more than to produce semolina flour, amore durable
2000years (traditionally the flattened, de- flour, then that used to make bread. It is ideal
boned, salted, and seasoned carcass were for pasta making. The wheat is noted for its
suspended from bamboo racks to dry in the extreme hardness and yellow colour.
sun).
Because of its fattiness (it has more fat and, for
weight less meat than chicken) duck should be Duxelles – The French name for a mixture of
roasted or braised. It is often served with fruit mushrooms finely chopped with a little spring
to offset its greasiness, as in the famous French onion (scallion), then sautéed in butter until
disk, duck à l’orange. Very little of the bird soft and dry. Duxelles add a strong mushroom
need go to waste. The carcass can be used to flavour to stuffings, gravies and sauces and
make stock and the liver to make pâté. In they can also be used as a garnish.
France there is an increasing market for foie
gras made from duck liver to supplement the
traditional product made from goose liver.
Duckling, a young duck aged between six
weeks and two months, is best grilled (broiled)
or roasted and does not need stuffing. Older
ducks are more strongly flavoured. Duck is
available fresh or frozen.
 A Culinary Dictionary 30

30% of the total weight of the egg, contains

more than 80% of its protein.

E
Eccles Cake – A traditional English small
Most eggs are from hens caged in large,
temperature – controlled and artificially lit
sheds. Free-range eggs are from birds with
access to outside runs and are reckoned by
many to have a better flavour.
Eggs are best used as fresh as possible. Two
simple, age-old methods of testing freshness
cake of currants, chopped peel, brown sugar
and spices encased in puff pastry. The cakes are based on the fact that the little weight and
were originally made to sell during the Eccles moisture lost each day by evaporation through
wakes, festival days once held in the the porous shell is replaced by air in the sac at
Lancashire town of Eccles. the round end of the egg. To assess the
freshness of egg either put it in a bowl of water
(a fresh egg will sink to the bottom) or hold it
Éclair – A finger-shaped bun made by piping up to a strong light (the larger the air sac the
lengths of choux pastry onto greased baking older the egg). Alternatively, a fresh egg
trays and baking them until crisp. The cooked broken onto a plate will have a well-rounded
pastry is split open and filled with cream or yolk centered in a thick, sticky white; in an
custard and topped with chocolate or coffee older egg the white is runny and the yolk
icing (frosting). flattened.
Other eggs besides that of the hen are also
Edam – A semi-hard cow’s milk cheese of used. The more richly flavoured duck egg is
mellow flavour, made from a combination of eaten in England, Holland, and Belgium and in
full cream and skim milk. Edam is made in parts of Asia. The famous ‘thousand-year’ or
shape of a sphere and coated in red wax. In hundred-years’ eggs of China are usually raw
Holland ripening cheeses are assessed by duck eggs, kept for several months buried in a
rapping knuckles against the sphere (a dull mixture of salt, lime, ash and tea leaves until
thump is the sign of a well-cured cheese ready the shell is marbled black, the white firm and
for eating). pale brown, and the yolk-veined with a texture
of creamy cheese.
Eel – A long, snake-like fish with a smooth, The Egyptians ate both ostrich (a single ostrich
slippery, olive green or silvery skin, found egg, about twenty times the size of a hen egg,
throughout the world. Most commons eaten are can make an omelette for ten people) and
fresh-water varieties; saltwater eels are larger pelican eggs. Peahen eggs were eaten in
and include the moray and the conger. The eel ancient Rome. In modern time’s pheasant,
has firm, white, fatty flesh, which deteriorates quail, partridge and plover eggs are used hard-
rapidly and so must be cooked as quickly as boiled in salads, pickled in brine or preserved
possible after killing. For this reason, in many in aspic.
parts of the world, eels are kept in large tanks Many rites are associated with the egg. From
and sold live. Smoked eel is also available, and the time of ancient Rome eggshells were
in Britain and northern Europe is a popular crushed to prevent evil spirits from hiding in
appetizer, served either in thin slices or as them. The egg has long been a symbol of
fillets lifted off the bone, dressed with lemon fertility and renewal. The brightly wrapped
juice on a round of rye bread. The matchstick- Easter egg of modern times has its origins in
thin finger-length, transparent young are called the coloured eggs that were a feature of spring
elvers or glass eels and are a delicacy in parts festivals of medieval Europe.
of Italy, France, and Belgium.
Egg Noodle – A type of pasta made from
Egg – A roundish reproductive body enclosed wheat flour, egg and water and cut into long
in a protective shell. Most commonly eaten by strips.
humans is the egg of the domestic hen, but
duck, goose, quail, pheasant, guinea fowl, Eggplant (Aubergine) – A fruit used with
partridge, plover, ostrich, and emu eggs are smooth shiny, purple skin and creamy white,
also used. In some parts of the world the fish- pithy flesh studded with numerous tiny, soft,
flavoured, soft-skinned egg of the sea turtle is pale brown edible seeds. It may be egg-shaped
an important food. The egg is a highly (from which it takes it common name), round,
nutritious and well-balanced package: two or long and thin; some varieties are white-
eggs provide half of the body’s total daily skinned.
protein and vitamin needs. The yolk, about
 A Culinary Dictionary 31

The eggplant originated in Southeast Asia, salads in the same way as lettuce, or cooked
where varieties still grow wild, and in antiquity like spinach. In the United States and France
was cultivated in India, China, and Turkey. By curly endive is called chicory (the term used in
the fifteenth century it was known in Italy and England and some parts of Europe for the cone
by the seventeenth century had reached France. shaped, pale-leaved winter vegetable also
The Eggplant is widely used in Mediterranean known as Belgium endive and witloof).
cookery and in the Middle East, particularly by
the Syrians and Turks. It can be steamed, English Food – The food of England has a
boiled, grilled (broiled), sautéed or stuffed, reputation for being stodgy and uninteresting,
added to salads or made into dips. It is the but the best English food is peerless. Poached
basic ingredient in classic dishes such as the salmon with cucumber salad and mayonnaise,
French Ratatouille and Greek moussaka. steak and kidney pie, baked ham, summer
pudding, and Chelsea buns are a few examples.
Eggs Benedict – A dish consisting of a An English breakfast has always meant bacon
poached egg, a slice of ham, and a dollop of and eggs with grilled tomato, and perhaps
Hollandaise sauce, all perched on an English sausage or kippers, with toast and marmalade
muffin. and a cup of tea. The ploughman’s lunch,
another famous English meal, consists of good
Eggs Florentine – A light luncheon dish country breed, a piece of cheddar or local
consisting of two soft poached eggs in a nest of cheese, and some pickled onions. Tea is an
cooked spinach topped with mornay sauce and English institution and usually takes place at
grated cheese. 4p.m. A ‘proper’ tea starts with bread and
butter and homemade jam, or little sandwiches.
Emmenthal – A hard, pale yellow, cow’s A fruitcake or rich gateaux, an iced teacake, or
milk cheese, with mild, nutty flavour. Made in little cakes may also be served, with plenty of
huge, flat wheels and characteristic, large, hot tea.
regularly spaced, spherical holes. It is the Nowadays, eating a ‘proper’ tea would
cheese most identified with Switzerland. probably eliminate the need for dinner. The
English dinner often starts with soup, followed
by a main course of meat or fish with
Empanada – A pie or pastry shell filled with vegetables, a dessert, and then cheese. (The
meat or fish. The dish originated in Spain English, in contrast to the French, eat cheese at
where empanadas are now usually made with the end of the meal, rather than before the
flaky pastry and are often eaten cold. The dish dessert.) A ‘ savoury’ – anchovy toast or devils
is now also popular in parts of Central and on horseback – often finishes a meal, although
South America, where it often features spicy they are generally offered nowadays at old
meat filling and is served hot as an appetizer. fashioned cables.

Enchilada – A dish of Mexican origin English Muffin – A round, flat,

consisting of a corn or wheat flour tortilla, unsweetened yeast bun served split and
dipped in a chilli and tomato sauce, wrapped toasted, buttered and spread with jam or honey
around a meat, vegetable or cheese filling and or a savoury topping.
then with more sauce. In Mexico they are
sometimes served at breakfast. The name
comes from enchilar, to cover, wrap or coat Entrecôte – A piece of beef from between
with chilli. the ribs, a tender and flavoursome cut.

Endive, Belgian – Also known as chicory Entrée – Generally regarded as the first
(in England and some other parts of Europe) course of a meal, traditionally a dish served
and witloof (in Belgium and Australia), with sauce. In the United States the term refers
Belgian endive (Cichorium intybus) is a to the main course of a meal.
vegetable with compact, cone shaped heads of
long, pale leaves which are eaten cooked Escabèche – A spicy marinade used to
(steamed or boiled) or raw (either whole leaves preserve fish.
or thinly sliced) as a salad vegetable.
Escalope – A thin piece of boneless white
Endive, Curly – Curly endive (Cichorium meat, usually from veal or pork. Slices are
endiva) is a salad vegetable with frilly, dark beaten until thin, then usually coated with
green leaves and a mildly bitter taste. It is a breadcrumbs before frying. Known in Italy as
native of the Mediterranean. It can be used in scallopine, and in Germany as schnitzel.
 A Culinary Dictionary 32

Fenugreek – A small plant of the pea family.

Its tiny, squarish, brown, aromatic seeds have a
Escargot – The French term for snail. spicy, slightly bitter flavour; they are very hard
and can only be ground with a mortar and
Escarole – A vegetable with long, flat, pestle or a special grinder. Lightly roasted and
irregularly shaped, pale green leaves. It has a powdered, they are an essential ingredient in
slightly bitter taste and is used either in salads, curry powders and pastes.
mixed with milder flavoured lettuces; warmed
and served in wilted salads; or as a cooked Feta – A soft, white, crumbly cheese
vegetable. It is part of the endive family and is originally made from ewe or goat’s milk, but
also known as broadleaf endive and Batavian now often made from cow’s milk. Feta has
endive. been known in Greece since ancient times, and
was probably first made by shepherds in the
Espagnole, Sauce – Another name for mountain region outside Athens. It is an
brown sauce. important ingredient in Greek salads and
Espresso Coffee – Made by forcing steam savoury pastries.
under pressure through finely-ground coffee Fettuccine – Pasta cut into long flat ribbons.
beans; served in small cups. It can be made at home from egg-rich pasta
dough or bought fresh, frozen or dried.
Estouffade – A dish which is slowly stewed, Sometimes coloured and flavoured with
most usually applied to beef in wine sauce. tomato or spinach, fettuccine is especially
The name is also used for beef stock. identified with Rome and the surrounding
region; name is the roman word for ‘noodles’.

Fig – A small, soft, pear-shaped fruit with

F
sweet pulpy flesh studded with small, edible
seeds. Varieties of fig tree grow in warm
climate throughout the world. Fig is the
sweetest of all fruits. When in season, in
summer, it is served raw wrapped in prosciutto
slices as a first course, in fruit salad, on cheese
boards or baked as a dessert. The dried fruit, its
Falafel – Deep-fried balls of ground and sugar concentrated and sweetness intensified
spiced chickpea, a snack of Middle Eastern by the preservation process, can be stewed or
origin. used in cakes and puddings. The fig probably
originated in the Middle East, where it has
Feijoa – An oval, green-skinned, egg-sized been eaten for 5,000 years or more. Figs were
tropical fruit. The pale yellow flesh is similar grown in the hanging gardens of Babylon; ripe
in flavour to a mixture of pineapple and figs were covered with hot dessert sands to dry
strawberry. Some times called pineapple and preserve them. Dried figs were sold in the
guava, the feijoa is now cultivated in New markets of Paris from the fourteenth century.
Zealand, California and Australia. It can be
eaten raw (when fully ripe, scooped from the Filé Powder – The ground dried leaves of
skin with a teaspoon or served with cheese the sassafras shrub used in Cajun cooking as a
boards; poached for use in fruit salads; or used thickener and to add a thyme-like flavour to
to make jellies, jams and sorbets. gumbos. Filé should not be cooked in the pot
(as it will turn stringy), but added at the table
Fennel – A tall, feathery, aromatic plant; its or just before serving.
finely divided, blue-green leaves have a
slightly bitter anise taste and are similar in Filet Mignon – A small, tender steak cut
appearance to dill. Fresh leaves can be used as from the narrow end of a fillet of beef. It is
stuffing for baked fish, or wrapped around often cut thick and then gently beaten to the
seafood to be grilled (broiled), or added to required thickness and width. The name comes
court bouillon. Chopped leaves are used in from the French for ‘little fillet’.
sauces, stuffings, dressings, and seafood
salads. The small brown seeds, also tasting of
anise, are also used. Fillet – A piece of boneless meat, poultry, or
fish, with little or no fat. Beef fillet, also
known as tenderloin, is prized for its
tenderness and delicate flavour. A chicken
 A Culinary Dictionary 33

fillet is the small strip of flesh near the smoking is a slow process performed at low
breastbone. A fish fillet in the side of the fish temperatures; the smoke has cooled down
cut along the length of the body; it contains before it reaches the fish at temperatures high
few if any bones. enough to cook it. Salt cured fish are split and
gutted and packed in coarse salt. Unsalted
Filo Pastry – Also known as phyllo, pastry dried fish are gutted and hung in an air current
made with dough of high gluten flour, water for about six weeks.
and oil that is stretched until tissue thin, then
cut into sheets. Filo is widely used in the Fish Sauce – See Nuoc Mam.
cooking of the Middle East, Turkey, Greece,
Austria, and Hungary. Each sheet is lightly Five Spice Powder – A fragrant spice
brushed with oil or melted butter before being mixture used in Chinese and Vietnamese
topped with another. The layered sheets can be cooking, consisting of ground star anise,
twisted or wrapped around a sweet or savoury Szechwan pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and
filling; baking results in light, crisp, flaky fennel seeds.
layers. Filo can be made at home, but as it
requires skill and time, commercially made Flambé – To ignite a spirit, such as brandy to
filo, available chilled or frozen, is most often burn off its alcohol content and at the same
used. time create delicate flavours. The spirit must
be warmed to release sufficient fumes to set
Fines Herbes – A mixture of finely chopped, alight; then ignite with a taper and poured over
subtly flavoured fresh herbs, usually parsley, the food. Alternatively, cooking juices
tarragon, chives and chervil, used to flavour containing a spirit can be flambéed in a
omelettes, sauces, and fish. Fines herbes shallow pan. Sometimes fresh fruit is sautéed
mixtures are commercially available in dried in butter and sugar, then flambéed in a shallow
form. pan. Sometimes fresh fruit is sautéed in butter
and sugar, then flambéed with brandy or rum.
Finger Food – Small portions of hot or cold
savoury food that can easily be eaten held in Flan – A shallow, open, round pastry case.
one hand. Finger food is served at drinks and The pastry, usually short-crust, can be either
cocktail parties. (Hors d’oeuvre) baked blind or with a filling (sweet or savoury)
or served hot or cold. Flan tins, with fluted
Finnan Haddie – Haddock that has been sides and a removable base, are available.
gutted, split, flattened and immersed in brine
before being smoked (traditionally over peat Flapjack – A thin pancake. Buttered, stacked
smoke) until the flesh is pale golden. Finnan in a pile, and topped with maple syrup,
Haddie can be grilled (broiled), poached, or flapjacks are a popular breakfast food in North
baked before being baked with a rich egg America. They are also known as griddlecakes,
sauce, or flaked and used as an omelette flannel cakes, hot cakes, and wheat cakes. In
filling; it is also an ingredient of the fish and Britain the term is also used for a mixture of
rice dish, kedgeree. rolled oats, brown sugar and melted butter
pressed into a shallow tin, baked, and while
Fish – Fish is valued especially for its low still warm, then cut into fingers or squares.
kilojoule (calorie) and cholesterol counts, its
high protein content and its easy digestibility. Fleuron – Small pieces of puff pastry,
Fresh fish deteriorates quickly and is best traditionally crescent-shaped but also made in
cooked on the day of purchase. It can be oval or diamond shapes, used as decoration on
grilled (broiled) and baked; poached in water pie crusts or to garnish fish and chicken dishes
or stock; battered and deep fried; steamed; served in a rich sauce. The shapes are cut from
cooked wrapped in foil or buttered paper; or thinly rolled trimmings of puff pastry, glazed
microwaved. Fish is cooked when the flesh and baked or fried.
becomes opaque and flakes easily and the
juices are milky white. Some dishes, such as Florentine – Very thin biscuits (cookies)
ceviche (from Mexico and the South Pacific) containing dried fruit and nuts and coated on
and sashimi (from Japan) features raw fish. one side with melted chocolate that has been
Fish is preserved in several ways. Smoked fish decorated with the lines of a fork to create
is first soaked in brine and then hung or put on wavy lines on its surface.
a rack in a compartment filled with smoke
produced by smouldering sawdust. Cold
 A Culinary Dictionary 34

Florentine, à la – A French term for a dish studded with truffles, is served cold at the
featuring fish, poultry, or eggs, served on a bed beginning of a meal or is made into a smooth
of spinach, sometimes with a mornay sauce. paste, Pâté de Foie Gras.

Flour – Finely ground cereals, seeds, or roots. Fondant – A sweet, smooth confectionery
Cereals commonly ground into flour include (candy) made from sugar, water, and a pinch
wheat, corn (maize), barley, oats, rye, and rice; of cream of tartar. Fondants, with flavourings
in Western countries the term generally refers added is used for many chocolate centres and
to wheat flour. Dried chickpeas are ground into to make moulded fruits, flowers, and icings.
besan flour; arrowroot is ground from the tuber
of a plant; and soybeans are also ground into Fondue – Food that is cooked at the table by
flour. being immersed in simmering sauce or oil kept
hot in a specially designed fondue pot. Diners
Flower, Edible – Fresh whole flowers or using individuals long-handled forks dip or
petals bring touch to salads, sorbets, and retrieve the food from the communal pot.
drinks; when crystallized (candied) they are There are several types of fondue: cheese
used to decorate cakes and desserts. fondue (originally from Switzerland), a
Not all flowers are edible; if in doubt, check mixture of melted cheeses and white wine into
with the local poisons centre or agriculture which pieces of crusty bread are dipped; meat
department. Make sure that flowers have not fondue, in which cubes of meat, poultry, or
been treated with pesticides or other harmful fish, as well as vegetables, are cooked in oil or
chemicals. Flowers commonly added to salads stock; and dessert fondue, where pieces of
include the petals of yellow and white cake, pastries, fruit, or marshmallow are
chrysanthemums, whole nasturtiums, marigold dipped into a sweet sauce, often made from
and calendula petals, whole blooms of violet, chocolate.
heartsease, pansy, honeysuckle and
cornflower, and herb flowers such as borage Fool – A dessert of fresh or cooked fruit,
and chive. A salad dressing light in vinegar or which has been puréed, sweetened, chilled, and
lemon juice should be used, and the flowers just before serving, mixed with, whipped
strewn across the top after the greens have cream or custard.
been tossed, as the dressing will affect their
colour. Pumpkin, zucchini (courgette) and Forcemeat – A mixture of finely chopped or
squash flowers can be stuffed or dipped in minced (ground) meat, herbs and seasonings,
batter and fried. Crystallized candied petals used as stuffing.
(rose and violet are most commonly used) can
be made by dipping (use tweezers) clean dry Four Spices (Quatre Épices) – A spice
petals into beaten egg white and then into mixture of ground white peppercorns, nutmeg,
sugar until evenly coated; dry on a cake rack cloves, and ginger, used to flavour pâtés,
and store in an airtight containers. terrines and some slowly cooked meat and
poultry dishes.
Flummery – A dessert of fruit, fruit juice and
cream or milk, thickened with gelatin and Frankfurter – A lightly smoked sausage
whipped until fluffy, then poured into a wetted made from spiced meat, either pork, a beef and
mould and chilled until set. It is of Welsh pork mixture, or poultry meat. Frankfurters are
origin and was originally thickened with sold contained in a casing, or skinless; they are
oatmeal. pre cooked and need only to be reheated in
simmering water (boiling may split them), or
Focaccia – A flat bread made from yeasted by making several slashes in the skin and
dough, sprinkled with coarse salt and baked in grilling (broiling), or barbecuing until they are
a shallow, well-oiled pan. It is originally from lightly browned. Frankfurters range from the
Italy. Flavourings and baked toppings (such as tiny cocktail to bun-length hot dog franks.
herbs, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and olives)
vary according to the region. Warmed and Frappé – The French term for ‘iced’. It is
filled with salads and cheese or meat, focaccia used to describe both a drinks that is poured
is popular as a snack or light meal. over crushed ice and a refreshing dessert made
of partially frozen sweetened fruit juice.
Foie Gras – Literally ‘fat liver’, the enlarged
liver of a specially fattened goose or duck. Freezing – A method of preserving food by
Foie Gras, seasoned, poached, and often storing it at or below the freezing point.
 A Culinary Dictionary 35

Freezing halts the growth of bacteria, yeast, seafood) is stirred into the egg mixture before
and moulds. it is cooked.

French Dressing – Also called vinaigrette, a Fritter – Food dipped in or mixed with a
salad dressing consisting of one part vinegar to batter of flour, egg, and liquid and then deep-
three parts olive oil, seasoned with salt and fried until crisp and golden.
freshly ground black pepper.
Fritto Misto – Literally ‘mixed fry’, a dish
French Food – French cooking is still of Italian origin consisting of assorted
considered by many to be the finest in the vegetables, seafood or meat, dipped in a light
world. It has become so universally accepted batter, deep-fried, served piping hot. Perhaps
that many dishes we take for granted are best known is the mixed seafood fritto misto, a
French in origin: the humble omelette, pâté, Neapolitan specialty, which usually includes
mayonnaise, quiche, fruit tart, beef stews, fish baby squid and calamari rings; a version of the
soups, and soufflés. Over the past decade, dish from Florence consist of chicken rabbit
classic French food has given way to a more and vegetables such as artichokes and zucchini
casual style of eating. Conscious of weight and (courgette); in the Piedmont region of northern
health, people are eschewing rich egg-and Italy savoury fritters (brain, sweetbreads and
cream-based sauces in favour of simpler veal) are popular.
French food, brasserie style. The essence of
French food has not changed, but a cheese Fromage Blanc – A soft, white, unripened
soufflé is now more likely to be served as a fresh cheese. It has a slightly sour, tangy taste
main course with a salad and a chunk of bread and in France is widely used in sauces, as a
than as a first course to a big dinner. There will topping for steamed or boiled vegetables, a
always be a place for French desserts such as dressing for salad vegetables, a dip for crudités
profitroles, tarts, crêpes, and gateaux. and a topping for fresh fruit.
Croissants, served with café au lait, are fast
becoming an international breakfast food; in Frosting – A cooked topping for cakes,
some countries they’re served for lunch with consisting of water, sugar, cream of tartar, and
ham and cheese. egg white. In North America the term covers
all sweet cooked and uncooked toppings for
French-Fries – Also known as potato chips, cakes and cookies.
thin strips of potato, which are deep-fried until,
pale golden. They are a very popular vegetable Fruit – Botanically, a fruit is the pulp that
accompaniment in France, where they are covers the seeds of various flowering plants.
known as pommes frites. This includes nuts and some fruits principally
eaten as vegetables, such as the eggplant
French Toast – Slices or fingers of bread, (aubergine), tomato, corn, olive, and avocado.
dipped in an egg and milk mixture and fried in In general usage the term is restricted to fruits
butter until crisp and golden-brown on both that are fleshy, sweet and sometimes juicy.
sides. French toast is served hot, topped with Low in fat and high in fibre, fruit is an
sugar and cinnamon, syrup or jam for breakfast essential part of a healthy diet. It is eaten fresh,
or dessert. but can also be cooked.

Fricassée – A dish of meat or poultry

(usually veal or chicken) first fried in butter Fruit, Diced – Fruit that is preserved by
without browning, then cooked slowly in white having its natural water content reduced by
stock thickened with flour; cream is added just exposure to the sun in the open air or by
before serving. A fricassée is usually garnished heating. Such dehydration slows the growth of
with small onions and lightly cooked bacteria, allowing most dried fruit to be stored
mushrooms. for up to a year. Fruits most commonly dried
include apples, apricots, bananas, dates, figs,
Frikadell – A small fried meatball, usually grapes (as currants, raisins, and sultanas), and
served hot, garnished with sour cream or as a peaches, pears and plums (as prunes). Dried
tomato-based sauce. fruit mixtures, for use in rich fruitcakes, fruit
minces and boiled fruit puddings are also
Frittata – A dish using beaten eggs, frittata is available.
similar to an omelette but the filling (diced
vegetables, cheese, meat, chicken, and
 A Culinary Dictionary 36

Fruit Cake – A rich moist cake containing or oil to cover the bottom of a shallow pan and
dried and crystallized (candied) fruit, is often used for foods coated with batter. Pan-
crystallized fruit peel, nuts and spices. Well frying uses less fat again, and is suitable for
wrapped in muslin (cheesecloth), soaked in foods that have a light coating of flour or
brandy, rum or fruit juice and stored in an breadcrumbs.
airtight container, a fruit cake will keep for
several months, its flavour deepening and Fudge – A soft, sweet confectionery (candy)
maturing with each passing day. Fruit cakes made with sugar and milk or cream to which
are traditional holiday and celebration fare dried fruits, nuts, and other flavourings, such
(weddings, christenings and Christmas). Forms as chocolate and coffee are added. The mixture
of fruit cake have been made since ancient is poured into a shallow tin and when cold, it is
times, when the Greeks and Romans baked cut into squares. Fudge originated in the
cakes containing honey, walnuts, pine nuts and nineteenth century.
dried figs.

Fruit Cocktail – A mixture of fruit chunks

doused with lemon juice and sprinkled with a
little sugar, chilled and served as a first course
or dessert. Use fruits that contrast in colour and
texture, such as grapes and rockmelon
(cantaloupe), strawberries and orange.
G
Gado-Gado – A salad from Indonesia
consisting of a mixture of cooked and raw
Fruit Cup – A refreshing drink made of a vegetables garnished with sliced hard-boiled
mixture of fresh fruit juices, sometimes mixed eggs and dressed with a thick, spicy peanut
with iced water, soda, lemonade, or alcohol sauce.
and sweetened to taste. Serve in a stemmed
glass garnished with a slice of lemon and a Galangal – the spicy root of two plants
sprig of mint. closely related to ginger and used in the
cooking of South-East Asia. Greater galangal,
Fruit Leather – A chewy confectionery the more delicately flavoured, is a knobby root
(candy) made by boiling down pureed fruit with creamy white flesh. The lesser galangal
(such as apricot, peach, apple, plum, has orangered flesh a stronger flavour and is
strawberry, or raspberry) and sugar until it cooked as a vegetable.
forms a thick paste. This is spread on a lightly
greased flat surface to dry and then cut into Game – Animals traditionally hunted for their
strips. Fruit leather has a sweet, tangy taste; it meat, though many are now bred for the table.
can be served after a meal with coffee or Often classified as: game birds (wild duck,
included in a packed lunch. grouse, partridge, pheasant, and quail); small
game (rabbit and hare); and large game
Fruit Salad – A combination of chopped, (buffalo, deer, wild boar, kangaroo, and emu).
sliced or small whole fruits served as a dessert In general game meat has a darker colour,
accompanied by cream, ice-cream, or custard. stronger flavour and less fat than the meat
Fresh fruit (raw or poached and cooled), dried from domesticated animals. Cuts of large game
fruit (soaked, poached, and cooked) or canned are often marinated before cooking, otherwise
fruit can be used. The fruit is generally first methods are the same as for similar cuts of
sprinkled with sugar (for canned fruit use the beef or poultry. Tougher older game is braised,
syrup instead of sugar) and steeped in fruit stewed or casseroled and made into pies and
juice, liqueur or sweet wine, and is served pâtés. Young game birds can be roasted; small
chilled with the flavoured juices poured over. game is braised, stewed, or casseroled.
Fruit salad as a dessert was developed in
France, in the early nineteenth century, Gammon – The lower end of a cured side of
prompted by the appearance in the Paris bacon. Gammon is eaten hot, either boiled and
markets of numbers of new, exotic fruits. served with parsley sauce, or sliced into thick
steaks and grilled (broiled) or gently fried.
Fry – To cook a food in very hot vegetable oil
or fat over a direct heat. This cooking method Garam Masala – A spice mixture of
usually results in a crisp, golden-brown crust. northern Indian origin used to flavour curies
Deep-frying requires sufficient fat to immerse and other dishes. The basic ingredients are
the food. Shallow frying involves enough fat
 A Culinary Dictionary 37

cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, savoury dishes, and can be used with almost all
pepper, and cloves. foods apart from some raw fruits, which
contain an enzyme, which prevents setting.
Garlic – A member of the onion family. Its These include pineapple, Kiwi fruit (Chinese
strongly scented bulb provides a distinctive gooseberry) and pawpaw (papaya).
flavouring integral to the cooking of Asia, the
Middle East, and the Mediterranean. Each bulb Gelato – Italian ice-cream, made with
is made up of a number of segments called sweetened milk or cream, egg yolks and
cloves. The pungent flavour is released when a flavourings. It is firmer and thus less sweet
clove is cut; if it is crushed or pounded greater than British and American ice-creams.
quantities are released and the flavour is even
more powerful. Gennoise Cake – A light sponge cake. Eggs
and sugar are whisked over a low heat until
Garnish – An edible trimming added to a dish warm and thick; and melted butter is added
before serving to enhance its visual appeal and after the mixture has cooled. Gennoise cake is
complement its flavour. Garnishes used on used for layered cakes, sponge fingers and
savoury dishes include sprigs of parsley (fresh, bombe Alaska.
fried or chopped) and coriander; dill and fennel
(in sprigs or finely chopped); small bunches of Ghee – Clarified butter, much used in the
watercress; leaves of basil; celery curls and northern India. Because the milk solids have
young leaves; raw carrot in long, fine strips; been removed, it can be heated to a higher
onion rings, curls of spring onion (scallion) temperature than butter without burning. To
and finely chopped chives; slices of hard make ghee, melt butter until frothy, scoop off
boiled egg; small wedges of tomato; edible the foam, then gently pour the liquid butter
flowers, such as nasturtiums; slices of lemon, into a heatproof glass container, leaving milk
orange or cucumber. Croûtons and small solids in the pan. When set, discard any solids
pastries often garnish soups and stews, as do from the base, reheat and repeat the process,
bits of bacon. Crystallized (candied) flower straining through fine muslin (cheese cloth).
petals, fruit, and fruit rind are used on sweet
dishes. Gherkins – The small rough-skinned fruit of
a variety of cucumber pickled for use as a
Gâteau – A rich, elaborately decorated cake, condiment to accompany hot boiled beef, cold
often a liqueur-flavoured sponge layered with meats, pâtés and cheese, and as a cocktail
cream. A gâteau can be served as dessert, for a savoury.
special celebration or with coffee. Gâteau is
the French word for ‘cake’. Giblets – The edible inner parts of poultry
(the heart, liver, and gizzard, sometimes also
Gazpacho – A spicy chilled soup of Spanish the neck). Giblets can be used for stock, gravy,
origin. It varies from region to region, but soup, or stuffings.
usually contains ripe tomatoes, red peppers
(capsicum), cucumber, olive oil, and Ginger – A spicy tasting root much used in
breadcrumbs or garlic croûtons. Asian cooking in both savoury and sweet
dishes. The length of the root indicate its
Gelfitte Fish – Poached fish balls, a maturity (older roots tend to be hotter and
traditional Jewish dish made from chopped more fibrous). Fresh ginger root is peeled, then
fish fillets, finely diced onion, breadcrumbs or grated, finely sliced, or crushed to season
matzo meal, egg and seasonings. The mixture meat, poultry, fish, and vegetable dishes.
is formed into balls and cooked in simmering Ground dried ginger is used in desserts. Ginger
fish stock. Gelfitte fish can be eaten warm or is also available pickled, preserved and
chilled. crystallized.

Gelatin – A setting agent prepared from a Ginger Beer – A sweet aerated drink made
natural animal protein, collagen, extracted by fermenting sugar, water, ginger and yeast.
from the bones and cartilage of animals.
Available as powdered granules or thin leaves, Ginger Bread – An aromatic, sticky cake
gelatin is odourless, virtually tasteless and flavoured with ginger, treacle (light molasses)
creamy white in colour. When mixed with hot and cinnamon.
water it forms a viscous liquid, which sets as a
jelly, as it cools. Gelatin is used in sweet and
 A Culinary Dictionary 38

Glacé – A term applied to food that has been Gooseberry – A small, firm, tart-flavoured
coated with sugar syrup that hardens into a fruit; skin colour can be yellow, green or red-
hard, glossy surface. Glacé cakes, such as petit black, depending on the variety. The
fours, have smooth, thin layer of shiny icing. gooseberry originated in the cooler part of
northern Europe. The American gooseberry
Glacé Fruit – Fruit that has been preserved comes from the East Coast of North America.
in syrup; it is moist and sticky on the inside Gooseberries can be served fresh or stewed;
and has a glazed surface achieved by a final they are also available frozen and canned.
dipping in a very strong syrup. Glacé fruit has
four times as many kilojoules (calories) as its Gorgonzola – A semisoft, creamy textured,
fresh equivalent. blue-veined cow’s milk cheese with a rich,
strong flavour; its veining is more green than
Glaze – A thin glossy surface on a food, blue. Named after the northern Italian village
which enhances its visual appeal and stops it where it was first produced more than a
from drying out. Glazes are used on both sweet thousand years ago, Gorgonzola can be served
and savoury dishes; some are applied before with fresh fruit (especially apples or pears) or
cooking, others are brushed onto cold food. used in cooking.
Pastry can be glazed with egg white before
cooking and biscuits (cookies), cakes, and Gouda – A semi-hard Dutch cow’s milk
breads are often sprinkled with a sugar and cheese with a mild, buttery flavour that
milk mixture before going into the oven. Hot depends as the cheese matures. Gouda is made
vegetables are glazed with sugar and melted in wheel shapes, which are coated, with red or
butter. Cold savoury food can be brushed with yellow wax; the interior of the cheese is dotted
aspic jelly, and fruit sauce can serve as a glaze with small unevenly shaped holes.
for ham. Fruit tarts and flans are coated with a
glaze made of jam or jelly. Gougère – Choux pastry flavoured with
cheese, baked in a ring shape and served either
Globe Artichoke – See Artichoke. sliced as a finger food with drinks (in
Burgundy it is traditional in wine-tasting
Gnocchi – Small savoury dumplings made cellars) or, with a chicken or meat mixture, as
with potato, semolina flour, or puff pastry. a first course or light luncheon dish.
Gnocchi are poached and served with a sauce
or melted butter and grated cheese as a first Goulash – A rich meat stew of Hungarian
course, accompanied by a salad as a main origin containing beef or veal and onions and
course or served as a side dish to roast meat or seasoned with paprika. It is served topped
grilled (broiled) chicken. The word is Italian with chopped parsley and accompanied by
for ‘lumps’; similar dumplings knödel, noques, sour cream.
and knepfe are found in the cooking of Austria,
Hungary and northeastern France. Granadilla – See Passion fruit.
Goats Cheese – See Chèvres. Granita – A sorbet made with fruit juices,
soft fruit, coffee, wine, or liqueur, sweetened
Goats Milk – Milk from goats is whiter and with a little sugar, and frozen until grainy
sweeter than cow’s milk and can be used by crystals form. It is served between courses or
those allergic to cow’s milk. as a dessert.

Golden Syrup (Light Corn Syrup) – A Grape – A small, sweet-fleshed, smooth-

smooth clear syrup derived from the skinned fruit that grows in tight cluster on
processing of sugar cane, used in cooking and vines. Varieties range in colour from pale
as a sweetener for porridge and desserts. green to dark purple-black, some with seeds,
others seedless. Grapes are eaten fresh as a
Goose – A large water bird with sweet-tasting dessert fruit or with cheese; dried as raisins,
garney flesh; compared with other poultry, sultanas, and currants, and used in wine
goose has a lot of fat and a low meat yield. making.
Gosling (young goose) is usually roasted; older
birds are best braised or casseroled. Goose Grapefruit – A large round citrus fruit with
liver is used to make pâté de foie gras. juicy segmented flesh and yellow to golden-
pink skin. It is a popular breakfast fruit, cut in
 A Culinary Dictionary 39

half crossways, and served in the skin (the Green Goddess – An anchovy-flavoured
segments can be loosened from the membrane mayonnaise used on fish and shellfish. It gets
with a special knife). It is cooked as its green colour from the addition of finely
marmalade and grapefruit juice is used in chopped parsley.
cooking and as a drink.
Green Peppers – See Peppers.
Gratin – The crisp golden crust formed when
breadcrumbs and /or grated cheese are spread Gremolata – A mixture of finely chopped
over already cooked food, dotted with butter, parsley, finely grated lemon zest, crushed
and then browned. garlic and sometimes chopped anchovy,
traditionally sprinkled over the veal dish Osso
Gravlax – Salmon fillets cured in a marinade Bucco just before serving; a specialty of the
of sugar, salt, and dill. Traditionally served Italian city of Milan.
with caraway Scandinavian spirit aquavit (Gin,
Vodka, or Brandy can be substituted). Gribiche Sauce – a cold sauce similar to
mayonnaise, but using the yolk of a hard-
Gravy – A sauce made in the pan from the boiled egg instead of a raw yolk; Capers,
juices released by roasting meat or poultry, gherkin, chopped egg white and fines herbes
thickened with flour, diluted with stock, wine can be added; serve with fish and cold meat.
or water and served over meat, poultry or
vegetables. Griddle Cake – Small flat cakes, either
sweet or savoury, cooked on a griddle (a thick,
Grecque, à la – A French term for food flat iron plate), but now also cooked on a hot
cooked in a marinade flavoured with olive oil plate or on a frying pan.
and lemon juice and served cold.
Grill (Broil) – To cook food quickly by
Greek Food – In the early evening, sitting in direct heat, either under a griller (broiler) or on
outdoor cafes, the Greeks enjoy a glass of ouzo a barbecue; only on one side of the food at a
and a selection of little morsels, collectively time is exposed to the heat source.
called mezze. The selection may include
taramasalata, tsatziki (a mixture of yoghurt, Grissini – Long, thin sticks of crisp, rusk-like
cucumber, and garlic), dolmades, marinated bread. In Italy bread sticks are served along
vegetables, cold meats, octopus and fish. It is with bread at meal; they are often to be seen
served with pitta bread. Greek yoghurt, thick bunched in tumblers on restaurant tables.
and creamy, is often eaten for breakfast with
honey. And feta, the famous goats’ milk
cheese, is crumbled over many dishes, not just Grouse – A small, mostly ground dwelling
the familiar Greek salad. Lamb (or more often game bird. Young birds can be roasted or
mutton) plays an important role in Greek grilled (broiled); older birds are best casseroled
cooking, especially in the north of the country. or braised. In Scotland roast grouse is
It is slowly roasted until very tender and traditionally served with bread sauce and red
served with baked potatoes. The Greeks like to currant jelly.
serve their food tepid rather than hot. Greek
vegetables are often marinated: the most Gruel – A thin porridge made by boiling
common are eggplant (aubergine), zucchini meal, usually oatmeal, in water, vegetable
(courgette) and artichokes. Vegetable à la broth or milk. It is one of the oldest forms of
grecque are among the most delicious of cooked food – the Egyptians made millet,
summer vegetable dishes. Greek desserts are barley and wheat gruel.
rich and sticky. Pastries filled with nuts and
honey (baklava) are traditionally served with a Gruyère – A Swiss hard cow’s milk cheese,
glass of cold water and a cup of very strong pale in colour and with a sharp but creamy
sweet coffee. nutty flavour. The curd is ‘cooked’ in heated
whey and then pressed into wheel-shaped
Greengage – A variety of plum with pale moulds to mature; its interior is dotted with
yellowy green skin and sweet, fragrant yellow small holes. Gruyère is served on the
flesh. It is eaten fresh, cooked as jam or stewed cheeseboard at the end of a meal or is cooked
as a filling for tarts. in fondues and quiches.
 A Culinary Dictionary 40

Guacamole – A Mexican dish consisting of mutton, suet and oats, seasoned with cayenne
mashed ripe avocado, finely chopped onion, pepper and finely chopped onion, and boiled in
lime or lemon juice, coriander and sometimes the stomach of the sheep. It is served hot,
tomato, and seasoned with chilli. It is served scooped out of its casing, and accompanied by
with corn chips or as a dip. pureed turnips and potatoes. Made from animal
parts, which might otherwise be discarded,
Guava – The fruit of a tree native to Central haggis is nevertheless enjoyed by many as a
America and the Caribbean. It is about the size great delicacy.
and shape of a small apple with a thin green to
yellow skin and a pulpy flesh that ranges in Haloumi – A sheep’s milk cheese with a firm
colour from off-white to red, is studded with texture and a sharp, creamy taste similar to
tiny edible seeds and has a flavour reminiscent feta. Made in Cyprus, Syria and Lebanon for at
of pineapple and lemon. Guavas can be eaten least 2000 years, haloumi is available fresh or
fresh (scooped from the skin with a teaspoon), vacuum-packed.
added to fruit salad, pureed for use in ice-
creams and sorbets or cooked as jam and jelly. Halvah – A sweetmeat from the Middle East
Guava juice is a popular drink in Hawaii. made with tahini, butter, sugar, honey, and
nuts and flavoured with rosewater or saffron.
Gugelhopf (Kugelhupf) – A yeast cake
containing almonds with sultanas, currants or Ham – Meat from the hind leg of a pig, salted,
raisins, and the cherry liqueur Kirsch, and usually smoked and sometimes aged to
baked in a high fluted ring mold. intensify the flavour. The many forms include:
the strongly flavoured, salt-cured raw ham
Gumbo – A thick, spicy soup-stew. It is made such as Parma, Prosciutto and Westphalian,
from vegetables and seafood, meat, poultry or which are often served thinly sliced as a first
sausage and is often served with rice. The dish course; and the cooked hams which can be
is named for the gumbo, or okra (ladies baked and served hot, but are also served cold
fingers), an African vegetable introduced into in salads, sandwiches or cooked in a variety of
the Americas in the days of slavery. Okra other dishes. York ham, lightly smoked, is a
thickens and gives a distinctive, slightly British specialty; also known as country hams,
gelatinous texture to the stew, but is not used Virginia (sugar-cured and smoked) and
in all gumbos; filé powder is also frequently Kentucky (smoked over hickory and apple
added. The gumbo is a specialty of the wood) are firmer than other hams and very
Loisiana region. salty and need to be soaked and simmered
before they are baked.

Hamburger – A flat round cake of minced

H (ground) meat, usually beef, seasoned, fried

and served with salad vegetables and
condiments on a soft bun, usually lightly
toasted. The hamburger evolves in the United
States in the early years of the twentieth
century.
Haddock – A fish of northern Atlantic
waters, related to the cod. Fresh haddock has Hare – An animal similar to rabbit, but darker
firm, white, delicately flavoured flesh. It can flesh and a rich and gamey flavour. Young
be baked whole or its fillets braised, poached, hare can be roasted. Older meat is usually
grilled (broiled) or fried. Smoked haddock is ‘jugged’ (marinated overnight in red wine then
usually poached in milk (this is a traditional slowly casseroled with bacon and mushrooms).
breakfast dish in Britain) but can also be
baked, grilled or gently fried. Haddock is the Haricot Bean – (Navy Bean) Fresh haricot
main ingredient in the Anglo-Indian classic beans are eaten green, pod, and all. The small,
kedgeree. white dried seed is used in casseroles, soups,
and stews and is processed into canned baked
Haggis – A traditional Scottish dish, served beans.
on Burns Night and Hogmanay, and
considered by many to be the national dish of Harissa – A fiery paste from Morocco served
Scotland. The minced (ground) heart, liver and as an accompaniment for couscous and
lungs of a sheep are mixed with minced beef or saffron-flavoured soups; used as a marinade
 A Culinary Dictionary 41

for chicken, lamb, or fish. Available from

specialty shops. The main ingredients are Hominy – Dried corn kernels that has been
chillies and olive oil. hulled and the germ removed – this is done by
soaking in slaked lime or lye. Ground hominy
Hash – A fried mixture of diced vegetables is called grits or hominy grits; coarsely ground
and meat, originally a way to use up leftovers. hominy is sometimes called pearl hominy.
Hominy can be served as a vegetable, added to
Havarti – A semi-hard cow’s milk cheese casseroles, soups and stews or mixed with egg
with a tangy flavour that deepens with age; and flour, fried as cakes.
usually made in a loaf shape; the interior has
small, irregular shaped holes. Honey – a sweet viscous fluid made by the
bees from flower nectar and stored sealed in
Hazelnut – A small round hard-shelled nut wax honeycombs. Colour and flavour depends
and mild sweet flavour; it can be eaten fresh, upon the species of flower the nectar came
or roasted and salted. The filbert is a large from – in general, the darker the colour, the
cultivated hazelnut. stronger the flavour.
Thyme honey is clear and dark golden and
ranked by some as the finest in the world;
Head Cheese – See Brawn. orange blossom yields an amber – coloured
citrus flavoured honey. Clover honey, the most
Heart – Dark red lean muscle surrounded by common in North America, is pale, clear and
fatty tissue. Lamb and calf hearts are preferred. mild.
Heart requires long slow cooking such as Liquid honey is the honey as extracted from
stewing or braising. the honeycomb. Candied, creamed or whipped
honey has some of the moisture removed and
Heart of Palm – The tender, pale-coloured is finely crystallized (all honey will crystallize
interior of certain palm trees. and harden with age).
Honey is used as a spread, in baking, as a
Herb – The leaves and stems of various sweetener for beverages and cereals and in the
aromatic plants used in cooking to enhance the making of confectionery.
flavour and colour of food. Among the most
often used herbs are parsley, mint, thyme, Honeycomb – A waxy structure made by
rosemary, sage, basil, dill, marjoram, tarragon, bees consisting of rows of adjacent hexagonal
oregano and bay leaf. Some herbs have a cells in which they store honey, lay eggs and
particular affinity with certain foods. allow larvae to develop. Resembling this in its
structure is a brittle confection (candy) with an
Herring – A saltwater fish of the north aerated interior made by adding bicarbonate of
Atlantic with dark, richly flavoured, soft- soda (baking soda) to boiling syrup of honey
textured, oily flesh. Fresh herring, sold whole and sugar.
or in fillets, is best grilled (broiled) or fried,
but can also be baked and poached. Because of Honeydew Melon – A round, pale skinned
its high fat content the herring is well suited to melon with honey-scented, juicy, pale green
smoking and pickling. flesh and slender, pale seeds. The flesh can be
eaten raw on its own, added to fruit salads or
Hoisin Sauce – A sweet and spicy, red served with prosciutto as a first course.
brown sauce made from a paste of fermented
soy beans, flour, salt, sugar, garlic, and red Hors D’oeuvre – A French term meaning
rice, a natural colouring responsible for the red ‘outside the main body of work’, used to
glaze of many meat dishes in Chinese cooking. describe small portions of hot cold savoury
Hoisin is used when cooking pork and chicken, foods served with drinks prior to meal. Cold
as a seasoning for braised dishes and, hors d’oeuvres can range from olives and nuts
sparingly, in stir-fried dishes. to pâtés, spreads, dips and crudités, vegetable à
la grecque, marinated and smoked seafood and
Hollandaise Sauce – A rich, golden yellow caviar. Hors d’oeuvres include croquettes, vol-
sauce made with butter, egg yolk, lemon juice au-vents, tiny pizzas, and bacon-wrapped
or vinegar and seasonings, it is served warm tidbits.
with poached or steamed chicken and fish,
with egg dishes and with steamed or boiled Horseradish – A plant of mustard family
vegetables. native to eastern Europe and now cultivated
 A Culinary Dictionary 42

around the world for its pungent hot-flavoured

root, which is grated to flavour sauces (such as Hushpuppy – A deep-fried dumpling or
those served with roast beef and seafood fritter made from a cornmeal batter, often
dishes) and soups. Grate horseradish just served with fried fish. It is said to have
before use, as it quickly loses its bite. Fresh originated in the in the south of the United
horseradish is available from specialist States, from the practice of tossing fried batter
greengrocers and is also sold preserved as a to the dogs to keep them from barking.
relish. Horseradish cream is a preparation of
grated horseradish root, oil, and white vinegar

I
and sugar. The young leaves of the horseradish
plant can be added to salads.

Hot Cross Bun – A small bun made with a

yeast dough flavoured with spices and dried
fruits. It is slashed on top with a cross and Ice-Cream – A frozen dessert made of
glazed with a sugar syrup. Nowadays it is sweetened cream or rich milk, sometimes
traditionally eaten on Good Friday, but the hot thickened with egg or gelatin, variously
cross bun was originally baked to honour the flavoured and churned while partially frozen
pagan goddess of spring – the round shape until of a smooth consistency. Ice-cream is
representing the moon and the cross the four available commercially in many forms and
seasons. flavours (include low-fat versions) or it can be
made at home. It can be flavoured with vanilla,
Hot dog – A hot frankfurter served on a split chocolate, caramel, honey, coffee, spirits, or
soft bread roll of the same length and liqueurs; chopped nuts, pieces of honeycomb
garnished with mustard, sauce, pickles, relish, or pureed fruit can be stirred through.
chopped onion, or cheese (or a mixture of any A home made ice-cream will freeze harder
of these). The frankfurter is said to have been than commercial one; if too hard, move it from
brought to St. Louis, in the United States, in the freezer to the refrigerator half an hour
the 1880s where it was served on a bread bun before serving; home made ice-cream is best
for the first time at the 1904 St. Louis World eaten within 48 hours of being made.
Fair. Ice-cream is descended from the flavoured ices
eaten in China some 3000 years ago, the semi-
Hotwater Pastry – A pastry made with hot solid iced fruit drinks of ancient Persia (the
water, lard, flour and salt that even before word ‘sherbet’ comes from sharbia, the Arab
baking sets into a shell firm enough to stand by word for ‘drink’) and the ice sorbets of the
itself. The pastry must be used while still Moghul emperors of the sixteenth century
warm, as it becomes brittle when cold. Hot India. Thirteenth-century Venetian traveler
water pastry is used for traditional English Marco Polo returned from China with tales of
raised pies such as game, veal, and ham, and frozen sweet cream dish; kulfi is an ancient
pork pies, all usually served cold. Indian dish made with milk boiled until thick
and then frozen. In sixteenth century the
Huckleberry – See Blueberry. Florentine cooks of Catherine de’ Medici,
bride of France’s Henri II, introduced the
Huevos Rancheros – Eggs served on French to the frozen cream confection gelati; it
tortillas topped with a tomato salsa, a was quickly taken up by fashionable Parisian
traditional breakfast throughout the Southwest cafés who served it in small silver bowls. The
of the United States. Traditionally, the eggs ice-cream churn invented by American Nancy
poached in the salsa; they can also be fried or Johnson in 1846 enabled good quality ice-
scrambled. The name is Spanish for ‘ranch- cream to be made at home; it also made it
style’ or country-style eggs, possible to mass produce ice-cream and sell it
commercially. The best ice-cream churns are
electric or hand operated with salt and ice
Hummus bi Tahini – A dip of Middle placed around the outside of the bucket
Eastern origin made from cooked and ground containing the ice-cream. When the paddle
chick peas (garbanzo beans), tahini (a paste of stop, the ice-cream is ready.
ground roasted sesame seeds), garlic and
lemon juice. Hummus can be served with pitta
bread or chopped vegetables as a dip, topped Iced Coffee – Strong black coffee,
with olive oil mixed with paprika or cayenne sweetened, chilled and served in a tall glass
pepper. with milk or topped with Chantilly cream. If
 A Culinary Dictionary 43

required, the coffee can be sweetened before Curry powder is never used in traditional
being chilled; alternatively, a small jug of Indian cooking: fresh spices are ground into a
cooled sugar syrup (made by dissolving sugar powder, mixed together and fried. Nearly
in an equal quantity of hot water) can be every family cherishes its own recipes for
served with it. Iced coffee is said to have been spice mixtures. In India, meals are eaten with
first concocted in Vienna in the seventeenth the fingers – of the right hand only. Chapattis
century, following a windfall booty of coffee are always torn with fingers and used to scoop
beans left behind by the vanquished Turkish up small quantities of food. When serving an
army which had unsuccessfully besieged the Indian meal, be generous with the rice – an
city. Indian meal uses a lot more rice and less meat
or vegetables than a western meal would.
Iced Tea – Tea brewed strong, stirred, Snacks are popular especially fried dishes.
sweetened to taste, strained and chilled. Serve They are served as a first course or sometimes
in a tall glass, pour over ice cubes, and garnish at tea-time.
with a slice of lemon and a sprig of mint. For a
stronger mint taste, add bruised mint leaves to Indonesian Food – In an Indonesian meal,
the brewing tea, sweeten, strain and chill; serve all the food is laid out at once. The soup, if
with ice cubes in a tall glass. Iced tea there is one, is not eaten first, but sipped
originated in St. Louis, in the United States, as between mouthfuls of the other food. Rice is
a cool and refreshing drinks for patrons of the the most important part of the Indonesian diet;
1904 World Fair. it is eaten with every meal. Indonesians make
good use of fresh, aromatic seasonings such as
Icing – A sweet coating usually made with chillies, galangal, lemongrass, turmeric (both
icing (confectioners’) sugar and butter, used to root and leaves), basil, mint, and curry leaves.
decorate cakes and biscuits (cookies). The food is ready mixture of spicy and salty,
pungent and sweet. The sweetness of the
Icing Sugar (Confectioners’ Sugar) – finely dishes comes from limes and tamarinds, and
powdered granulated sugar use to make icings texture from candlenuts and peanuts.
and frostings and in confectionery. Icing sugar Indonesian dishes the most famous are
mixture has a small amount of cornflour added rijsttafel and nasi goreng. Tempeh is a
to prevent it from drying out and turning typically Indonesian ingredient, which is
lumpy during storage. gaining popularity in the west. Made from
soybeans, it is cut into thin matchsticks and
fried with peanuts, onions, chillies, and
Île Flottante (Floating Island) – A dessert tamarind. Tempeh is used in the same way as
consisting of rich custard topped with an island tofu and added to many dishes – vegetable,
of baked meringue coated in toffee or caramel. meat, and fish.
It is some times decorated with crushed praline Satay is made by threading small pieces of
(a confection of nuts and caramelized sugar) or meat onto a skewer, cooking them over coals
toasted slivered almonds. and serving with a peanut sauce. Sambal, a
fiery mixture of ground fresh chillies, salt and
Indian Food – Although most people think sometimes lime juice, tomatoes or brown
of hot curries when they think of Indian food, sugar, is served with almost every meal. In
many Indian dishes are not hot at all (although poor families a meal might consist of just rice
those from the south generally are). Some and sambal.
curries and rice dishes, especially from the
northern regions, have a rich deep flavour and Irish Coffee – A mixture of Irish Whiskey
are spicy but not at all pungent. and freshly brewed coffee, sweetened with
Indian food differs according the region it sugar, topped with a layer of chilled cream and
originates from and according to the religious served at the end of an evening meal. It should
practices of its people. Hindus will not eat be served in a tall coffee cup or a heatproof
beef; Muslims will not eat pork. Southern glass. Do not stir once the cream has been
Indians are the most part vegetarians this is added: the hot beverage should be sipped
partly because vegetables grow very well in through the layer of cream. The drink is said to
the hot climate. have been invented in the 1950s by a barman
Rice is eaten in the south, chapattis (made at Dublin’s Shannon Airport. Irish food – The
from wheat flour) in the north. Delhi is famous traditional cooking of Ireland is more
for its tandoori dishes, Kashmiri for its lamb, functional than fancy and is intended to sustain
Madras for its vegetarian dishes and Bombay rather than excite. The style is straightforward
for its fish. and has been little influenced by the cuisines
 A Culinary Dictionary 44

of France or other European countries. None Ireland, in the fifth century; it seems certain
the less, the sheer quality of many of its that Irish monks were busy at their skills long
ingredients (salmon fresh from the streams, before they began selling the warming spirit
high quality dairy products, succulent lamb, outside the monasteries in the eleventh
and excellent bacon) are a delicious century.
compensation for any lack of culinary
sophistication. In Ireland the day begins with a Irish Soda Bread – Bread made with
substantial cooked breakfast of porridge, bacon buttermilk or sour milk and leavened with
and eggs or fish, followed by toast and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda). Currants,
marmalade and tea and coffee. The midday raisins, and caraway seed are often added.
meal, known as diner, is the main meal of the Soda bread is a specialty of Ireland and is
day. A light supper is eaten in the evening. The baked in homes and bakeries throughout the
history of Ireland has been greatly influenced country.
by the potato, the humble ‘pratie’, said to have
been introduced to the island by Sir Walter Irish Stew – A hearty stew in which mutton
Raleigh in the late sixteenth century. It was a or lamb is arranged in alternate layers with
godsend to a country constantly on the edge of sliced potatoes and onions, moistened with
famine, for when planted with potato, Ireland’s water and simmered. It is called a ‘white stew’
poor soil yielded upto six times as much because the meat is not browned before being
nourishment as when sown with grain. Ireland cooked with vegetables. There should be more
became one crop country, with both people potato than meat; during the long, slow
and stock dependent for substance upon the cooking the potatoes break up and thicken the
vegetable. The failure of the blight infested gravy. To serve, first lift out the potatoes, place
1845 potato harvest triggered a national the meat on top, cover with the gravy, and
disaster, and families across the land faced garnished with chopped parsley.
starvation. It was time when many of Ireland’s
people, her greatest export, were forced to flee
to move fruitful soils. Potatoes remain a staple Italian Food – Italy produces some of the
throughout rural Ireland. There are many best-loved food in the world. The culinary
traditional potato dishes – pratie cakes are difference between northern and southern Italy
scones made from mashed potato cooked on a have become hazier – with pizza napolitana
griddle and served, buttered, for supper; champ eaten not only in Naples but also in the north
is fluffy mashed potatoes enriched with milk and all over the world, and risotto à la
and butter and sprinkled with chopped spring Milanese being enjoyed in Sicily as well as
onions (scallions). The potato is also a basic Milan. But it is the fact that Italian food is
ingredient in soups, stews, breads and pastry, regional – and it is uses fresh local produce –
and is predominant in Irish stew, traditionally which has made it so popular. From the south
made from a neck of mutton or lamb, onions come olive oil, olives, tomatoes, and wheat.
and potatoes. Soda bread, made with The cooking reflects this: pizza with tomato
buttermilk and raised with bicarbonate of soda, sauce, mozzarella, olives, anchovies; pasta
is found throughout Ireland. A fine array of with rich tomato sauce, olives, and fresh
seafood can be had in the fishing villages and oregano. Eggplant (aubergine) dishes are
the fish markets of the towns; delicious popular, as are red peppers (capsicum) and
smoked mackerel is available throughout the artichokes. Seafood is prepared simply, usually
year. Regional specialties include crubeen, grilled, or fried. The food of the north is more
pig’s feet, from Cork and coddle, pork sausage sophisticated. More meat is eaten, especially
and potato, from Dublin. beef, – the charcoal-grilled bistecca of
Ireland is also known for its black stout, Florence is thought to be the best beef dish in
introduced to the world in 1759 by Arthur Italy – and while pasta is popular all over Italy,
Guinness. A favourite in the pub, it also rice in the form of risotto is a northern
features in the kitchen as a slightly bitter specialty. In northern Italy butter is used in
flavouring for beef stew and a rich fruitcake. preference to olive oil, and many cheeses are
Irish Whiskey, made from barley malt and made there, notably Gorgonzola, mascarpone,
wheat or oats and matured for seven years, is and bel paese. The most famous cheese of the
the secret to a successful Irish coffee. The Irish south, mozzarella is made from ewe’s milk.
were the first to make whiskey, which they Polenta is a batter made from cornmeal and is
called uisge breatha, ‘blessed water’. Legend one of the favourite accompaniments of
has it they were taught the art of distilling, in northern Italy. It is cooked, cooled, cut into
which alcohol is produced from cereal grain squares, fried and served with quail and other
instead of grapes, by St. Patric, patron saint of meat and poultry dishes.
 A Culinary Dictionary 45

Jambalaya – A peppery Cajun dishes

featuring rice, chicken, prawns (shrimp) and

J
Jackfruit – A large, barrel-shaped fruit with
ham and derived from the Spanish paella. It is
a specialty of Louisiana; the name is thought to
come from jamón, the Spanish word for ‘ham’.

Japanese Food – Rice is the staple food and

a meal without rice is not considered a meal –
yellow-green knobbly skin and sweet, it is a snack.
pungent- smelling creamy white flesh and The three major ingredients used in Japanese
numerous large white seeds. cooking are fish stock, rice, and soybean
A relative of the breadfruit and native to the products.
rainforests of tropical India and Malaysia, it is Sashimi (raw fish) is a delicacy considered the
new grown throughout tropical Asia and high point of any Japanese meal. The fish must
Africa. The crunchy flesh can be eaten flesh on be absolutely fresh, it is sliced, and served with
its own, added to fruit salad or pureed for use a dipping sauce into which a little wasabi
in ice- cream; it can also be boiled, deep-fried, (green horseradish paste) is mixed.
or added to curries. The seeds can be cooked in Sushi are little rolls of vinegared rice wrapped
the same way as chestnuts; in Africa they are in seaweed with a filling of fish and
ground into flour. Jackfruit is in season in vegetables.
summer; it is also available canned or Tempura is probably the best – loved Japanese
preserved. food in the West. It is made by dipping prawns
(shrimps) and vegetables in a very light batter,
Jalapeño Chilli – A small, tapered, thick- deep-frying and serving immediately. Miso
fleshed, fiery- tasting chilli, the most common soup can be sipped through the meal or eaten
variety in North America. Fresh Jalapeño at the beginning or the end. One-pot dishes
chillies are usually sold green, but bright red, such as sukiyaki are favourite restaurant
fully ripe and slightly sweeter tasting forms dishes, where everyone cooks their own meat
can also be found; both green and red are and vegetables in a central pot of stock. Food
available pickled in brine. cooked on a teppan is also popular in the west.
In teppan bars you sit at the bar and watch the
Jalousie – A pastry dessert of French origin chef cook the food for you on a hot griddle. He
consisting of a layer of thinly rolled puff pastry usually shows wonderful skill with his knife as
spread with a sweet filling such as marzipan he slices through vegetables and omelette rolls,
(almond paste), stewed fruit or jam, then so it’s a bit of a show as well as a feast.
topped with a second layer of pastry which is Japanese food is among the most visually
glazed with beaten egg yolk and milk and cut beautiful in the world. Appearance is rated as
into fine slats before baking. highly as taste.

Jam (Jelly) – A sweet spread made by Jarlsberg – A deep yellow, semi-hard, cow’s
cooking fruit in sugar and water until set. The milk cheese with a sweet nutty flavour. It is
setting power depends on the pectin content of made by the hard cooked process (curd
the fruit (pectin occurs naturally in many ripe ‘cooked’ in heated whey is poured into a
fruits, but commercial pectin can be added if wheel-shaped mould to mature). The interior is
there is insufficient in the mixture). The fruits dotted with large irregularly shaped holes
that are abundant in pectin include apples, sometimes called ‘eyes’; the rind is covered
blackberries, lemons, oranges, quinces, and with yellow wax. Jarlsberg is good eating
redcurrants. One of these can be combined cheese (let it reach room temperature before
with a strong-flavoured fruit, which is low in serving) and can be used on cheeseboards, in
pectin to produce a good-setting jam. Jam is sandwiches and salads; it is also cooked in
made from whole fruit that is either crushed or fondness and sauces. The cheese was
chopped and so differs from conserve, in developed in the late 1950s at the Jarlsberg
which the fruit pieces remain intact, and from estate in Norway.
fruit jelly, which is made from fruit juice
strained to remove all other matter and then Jelly – A clear or semi-clear food preparation
boiled with sugar, Marmalade is similar in with a soft elastic consistency due to the
preparation to other jams, but only citrus fruit presence of gelatin or pectin.
(either a single fruit or a mixture) is used. There are several types of jelly; a spread made
from fruit juice boiled with sugar to which
 A Culinary Dictionary 46

commercial pectin is often added; a cold courses. Cooked meat for salads can be cut the
dessert made with sugar and fruit juice and same way, as can citrus peel.
sometimes flavoured with a liqueur, then set
with gelatin, often in a mould; aspic, made Juniper Berry – The aromatic, slightly
from meat, fish or vegetable stock set with resinous-flavoured dark berry of a small
gelatin and used as a garnish and glaze; and evergreen tree. Juniper berries are used to
jellied confectioneries (candies) such as flavour gin (the word ‘gin’ comes from the
marshmallow, Turkish delight and jujubes, Dutch jenever, ‘juniper’) and other spirits.
made from thick syrup set with gelatin. Dried berries are added to marinades for wild
boar, pork, and venison; used in stuffings for
Jerky – Meat, usually beef, which is cut into poultry and game birds and in the curing of
thin strips, salted and then cured by smoked or hams; and often add flavours to slowly cooked
dried. It is one of the earliest methods of meat dishes and sauerkraut. Crush berries
transforming meat into a non-perishable and before cooking to release the spicy pine aroma.
easily transportable food. Juniper berries are sold in small jars.

Jerusalem Artichoke – See Artichoke. Junket – A sweet milk pudding, often

flavoured with chocolate or vanilla, that is set
Jewish Food – Although Jewish food comes by the curdling action of the enzyme rennet
from many different countries and has been and served topped with grated nutmeg or
influenced by the local produce of these cinnamon or garnished with crystallized
diverse regions, a surprising number of the (candied) lemon rinds. Junket is easily digested
dishes are quite similar. Jewish cooking is and is often served to invalids.
closely linked to religious feast days. Plaited
bread (challah), honey and eggs are all parts of Jus, au – A French term applied to meat
feast day food, and they all have biblical served in its own juices and it is boiled until
connotations. reduced and concentrated. Au jus means ‘with
All fruits and vegetables are kosher (permitted) the juice’.
but there are strict rules regarding meat, fish,
and dairy products. Pork is forbidden, as is
game, shellfish and fish without scales. Dairy
products may not be eaten in the same meal as
meat dishes, nor prepared using the equipment.
Many Jewish traditions have been taken up by
non-Jews. For example the cooking of fish in
olive oil. The oil must be fresh and hot, the
fish is dusted with flour and cooked until
brown on both sides. Even non-orthodox Jews
K
Kale – A strong flavoured leaf vegetable
eat traditional dishes on feast days: soup with native to the Mediterranean. It is prepared and
matzo balls and charoseth (fruit and nut with cooked in the same way as silver beet (Swiss
red wine) at Passover and teiglach (honey chard).
cake) at Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year).
Kangaroo – A lean, dark, high-protein meat
Johnny Cake – In North America the term similar in taste to venison. Kangaroo meat can
refers to a flat, round unleavened bread made be pan fried, roasted, barbecued, or casseroled.
from a dough of cornmeal, water or milk and
salt and cooked on a griddle; eggs and butter
are sometimes added. In Australia, Johnny Kasha – An Eastern European dish made
cakes are made from a flour, water and salt from buckwheat, butter, and milk.
dough either cooked as small flat cakes on the
embers of a camp fire or formed into strips, Kebab – Small pieces of meat, poultry or
wound around a green stick and cooked over seafood often marinated), threaded on a skewer
the fire. and grilled (broiled) or barbecued.

Julienne – Food, especially vegetables such Kedgeree – A mixture of rice and flaked
as carrot, turnip, celery, leek cut into thin, white or smoked fish. Of Indian origin.
matchstick-sized pieces; they can be used in
raw in salads or lightly cooked to serve as a
garnish in soup or as a vegetable with main
 A Culinary Dictionary 47

Kibbi – A Middle Eastern dish made from many countries. In Greece it is slow roasted in
lean lamb, burghul (cracked wheat), and kleftico; in the Middle East kebabs are cubes
minced onion. of lamb marinated and grilled and the feast
dish mansaaf in lamb simmered in a spicy
Kidney – Classed as offal, the kidney of yoghurt sauce; mechoui, eaten in North Africa
lamb, calf, beefs, and pig vary in colour from and the Middle East, is whole lamb roasted on
light to deep red-brown. Lamb kidney can be the spit; in France roasting joints of lamb are
cut in half and grilled (broiled); calf kidney basted with buttery stock; in Iran lamb is
can be cubed and braised; pork kidney is best stewed; spicy-sauced Mongolian lamb is a
slowly casseroled. Chinese favourite; and in the British Isles lamb
is the essential ingredient in the Irish stew and
Lancashire hot pot. In India lamb is the main
Kidney Bean – Dried, red-brown, kidney meat.
shaped seed of the haricot bean used in
Mexican cooking and salads.
Lamington – A small cube of sponge or
butter cake dipped in the thin chocolate icing
Kipper – A herring, split, gutted, and soaked and then coated in desiccated coconut. The
in brine then dried and smoked. They are a Lamington originated in Australia and is said
favourite British breakfast. to be named often after Lord Lamington,
governor of Queensland from 1895 to 1901,
Kiwi Fruit – Also known as Chinese
gooseberry, an egg-shaped hairy fruit with Lancashire Hot Pot – A warming stew of
sweet, juicy flesh and tiny black seeds. Eat lamb, onions, and potatoes, topped with a crust
fresh, peeled and sliced or cut in half; add to of overlapping potato slices. It originally also
fruit salads or puree, ice-creams and sorbets. contained mushrooms and oysters and was
cooked in a special earthenware pot.
Kofta – A dish popular in Asia and the
Middle East consisting of ground meat or Langue de Chat – A crisp, flat oblong
chicken balls cooked in a spicy sauce. biscuit (cookie) served with iced desserts, fruit
salad, dessert wines and champagne. Its name
Korma – An Indian dish consisting of lean in French for ‘cat’s tongue’, a reference to its
neat or chicken braised in a spicy yoghurt or shape.
cram sauce.
Lard – Rendered pork fat, pure white in
colour and virtually odourless, used to make

L
pie – crusts and biscuits or as a frying and
roasting medium.

Larding – The process of inserting strips of

pork or bacon fat into cuts of lean meat and
game it additional juiciness and flavour during
Ladies’ Fingers – A term used for several cooking. The strips, called lardoons, are
different foods, all slender and finger-shaped. inserted with a larding needle, a hollow
Okra, a vegetable much used in North Africa stainless steel skewer.
and Caribbean dishes is known in some places
as ladies’ fingers, as are a small variety of Lasagne – A variety of Italian pasta. It is flat
bananas. A small, finger-shaped, crisp sponge and wide with either straight or wavy edges.
biscuit (cookie) also carries the name. In Lasagne sheets are boiled in water, drained,
Middle Eastern cooking the name can refer to then combined with cheese, and baked. There
thin rolls of filo pastry filled with either a spicy is a pre-cooked Lasagne, which does not need
meat mixture or crushed nuts and honey. boiling.

Lamb – Meat from a sheep under one year Lassi – A refreshing yoghurt drink popular in
old; milk fed or baby lamb is under 3-months India and the Middle East. It is made by
old; spring lamb, 3-9 months. Lamb should be blending plain yoghurt with iced water and
firm with fine-grained, reddish-pink meat with traditionally is seasoned to taste with salt and
an edge of white fat; it is generally succulent pepper, although for a sweetened version this
and is suitable for roasting, grilling (broiling) can be replaced by sugar. Serve in a tall glass
and barbecuing. It features in the cuisines of with ice cubes.
 A Culinary Dictionary 48

Lebanese Food – The ingredients that flavour; its deep orange colour comes from
predominate in Lebanese cooking are sesame Annatto dye. A good snack and sandwich
seeds, pistachios, burghul (cracked wheat), filo cheese, it goes well with fruits and salad
pastry, chickpeas, and yoghurt. Outside of the vegetables and is an excellent cooking cheese.
country, the most famous Lebanese dishes are It originated near the village of Melton
tabouli – a salad made from burghul, parsley, Mowbray, in Leicestershire, England.
mint, and tomatoes; falafel – little balls of
crushed chickpeas; and hummus, a dip made Lemon – An oval yellow-skinned citrus fruit
from pureed chickpeas, sometimes with tahini with pale yellow, tart tasting flesh. Although
(sesame seed paste) added. These three are not usually eaten on its own, it is the most
often rolled into a round of pitta bread, the versatile and widely used of all fruits as its
result of which is universally known as a juice and fragrant rind are used to flavour a
falafel sandwich. In fact, like the food of many wide range of sweet and savoury dishes, and in
Middle Eastern countries, it is a subtle and drinks, marinades, sauces and icings. Slices
elegant cuisine. Kibbeh, one of Lebanon’s and wedges of lemon is a common garnish. Its
most famous meat dishes, is made from lamb juice stops cut fruit from turning brown when
and there are many varieties of lamb pastries exposed to the air. The lemon is a good source
too. The most common vegetables in Lebanese of vitamin C. fresh lemons are available
cooking are those of the Mediterranean throughout the years; lemon juice can be tough
eggplant (aubergine), zucchini (courgette, and frozen or as a concentrate. The lemon probably
tomatoes. But okra features as well, as do originated in northern India, from it spread to
broad beans (fava beans) and cucumbers. The China and to the Middle East.
Lebanese are fond of sweet, fragrant desserts
and use orange flower water and rose water, Lemon Balm – A member of the mint
honey, nuts and spices. family with crinkle edged, heart-shaped,
lemon-scented leaves. The leaves can be added
Leek – A member of the onion family valued to almost any dish using lemon juice. They are
for its fleshy, mild-flavoured stem. When also used to make a soothing tea. The sweet
preparing leeks, remove the outer layers, cut scented flowers are the basis of the cordial eau
off roots and base and tough dark green tops; des Carmes. Lemon balm is easy to grow and
thoroughly wash to remove all dirt and grit. is best-used fresh.
Leeks can be steamed, boiled or braised as a
hot vegetable; cooked in soups, pies, tarts and Lemon Butter – Also known as lemon curd
stir-fries; or served cold, as a salad with a and lemon cheese, a sweet spread made from
mayonnaise or vinaigrette dressing. They are lemon juice, lemon rind, egg, butter and sugar.
in season in winter. The leek was grown in It is also used as filling for tarts cakes and
ancient Egypt, and 3500 years ago was biscuits (cookies).
mentioned in a Chinese food guide. The
emperor Nero is said to have supped daily on Lemon Grass – A tall, tufted, sharp-edged
leek soup, believing it would strengthen his grass with a strong citrus flavour, common in
voice for delivering orations. In Celtic Britain tropical South-East Asia. The whitish, slightly
the vegetable patch was called a leactun, ‘leek bulbous base of the stem is used especially in
enclosure’; it has a particular association with the cooking of Thailand and Vietnam; it
Wales and is that country’s national emblem. flavours curries, soups, stews, and casseroles,
On St. David’s Day, pieces of leek are worn in particularly those made with chicken and
the buttonhole to commemorate the famous seafood. To prepare lemon grass for adding
seventh century victory over the Saxons by the fragrant juices, or make cuts down the stem,
Welsh warriors of king Cadwallader. leaving the bottom intact remove the stalk
before serving. Lemon grass is available fresh.
Legumes – A group of plants which bear Dried ground and shredded stalks are also
their seeds in pods, especially beans, peas, and available (ground stalks can be added directly
lentils. Legumes are a good source of protein to the dish, shredded stalks must first be
in meatless diets. They have been used since soaked). Lemon grass is very easy to grow.
the earliest times, from the soybean of Asia to Grated lemon rind and a pinch of finely
the lentils of ancient Egypt and the beans of shredded ginger can be substituted for fresh
the Americas. lemon grass.

Leicester – A semi-hard cow’s milk cheese Lentil – The tiny, flat disc-shaped seed of an
with a moist, crumbly texture and mellow annual plant of the legume (pod bearing)
 A Culinary Dictionary 49

family. Lentils are a good source of vegetable soups and casseroles or served in salads),
protein and have been used as a food since although they can also be cooked fresh as a
prehistoric times. The brown lentil (sometimes vegetable. The lima bean does not come from
called the continental lentil) has a bland, nutty Lima (in Peru) but from Guatemala. It is
flavour when cooked; it is often added to stews available fresh, dried, canned, and frozen.
and casseroles, and can be used in salads. Red
lentils (which can be yellow or orange and are Limburger – A semi soft cow’s milk cheese
also known as split lentils) are much used in with a powerful aroma, distinctive, tangy taste,
Asian cooking; they have a subtle spicy and a yellow, creamy textured interior covered
flavour and are used for the Indian dish dal. by a thin, red brown rind. It should be served
Both brown and red lentils are used to make at room temperature on the cheeseboard,
vegetarian loaves and patties. Lentils are sold accompanied by dark bread and strong
in dried form or pre-cooked in cans; they are flavoured vegetables such as onion and radish.
also processed into flour. In ancient Egypt,
lentils were grown, eaten and exported in large Lime – A green skinned citrus fruit about the
quantities, mainly to Greece and Rome, where size of a small lemon with tart greenish-yellow
they provided protein in the diets of the poor. pulp. Its juice and grated zest adds a piquant
flavour to both sweet dishes (ice-creams,
Lettuce – A plant valued for its large, sorbets, mousses, soufflés and pie fillings) and
succulent leaves which are mainly used in savoury dishes (curries and stews, especially
salads, although they are sometimes braised or chicken and fish), it is cooked as marmalade
steamed and served as a hot vegetable. and its juice is used in cordial and other drinks.
Today’s lettuces descend from loose-leaved The lime is native to the tropics and is much
plants native to the Middle East and they have used in the cooking of those regions; the
been cultivated there since ancient times. Spanish introduced it to the Caribbean in the
Lettuce was eaten by the Greeks, Persians and sixteenth century. In South America and the
Egyptians; by 500BC it was one of the most Pacific Islands lime juice is used to ‘cook’ raw
popular vegetables in Italy and remained a fish in the dish ceviche. Its sharpness is the key
favourite with the Romans over the following lime pie (named for the lime variety that grows
centuries. In its wild form it spread into semi-wild or the Florida Keys) gives an
northern and western Europe, where it was agreeable bite to the sweet creamy filling.
gathered but, until the ninth century, not Pickled lime is served with meat and fish
cultivated. In China lettuce has been cultivated dishes; the peel can be crystallized (candied)
since the fifth century; Christopher Columbus for a garnish. Fresh limes are in season in
introduced it into the Americas. spring and autumn.
There are three main types of lettuce:
butterhead (including the mignonette and Linzer Torte – A rich jam tart consisting of
butter) with soft-textured, loosely packed a cinnamon and nut flavoured shortbread base
leaves; crisphead (including the iceberg and filled with raspberry jam and covered with a
bibb) with crisp, tightly packed leaves; and cos lattice of pastry strips. It is served in thin
(romaine), with long dark green leaves. wedges. The Linzer torte takes its name from
Lettuce, either a single variety or a mixture, the Austrian town of Linz.
can be made into a green salad or can be made
into a green salad or can be used as the basis of
a number of other salad dishes. Liqueur – An alcoholic syrup distilled from
wine or brandy and flavoured with fruit, herbs
or spices. Liqueurs are available in a wide
Leyden – A semi-hard cow’s milk cheese variety of flavours and alcoholic content.
with a tangy taste and a dark-yellow, dryish Crème de cacao is made from the cocoa bean;
texture. It is usually spiced with caraway Kümmel is flavoured with caraway seed and
seeds; varieties flavoured with cumin and Ouzo with aniseed. Cointreau gets its strong
cloves or a mixture of the three spices are also orange tang from orange peel, while many
available. Leyden is made in cylinder shapes, other fruit liqueurs are made by macerating the
is coloured with annatto dye, and has a dark fruit with spirit and adding sugar. Some
yellow rind covered in red wax stamped with liqueurs are flavoured with herbs or spices.
two crossed keys, the symbol of the Dutch City Liqueurs are used to flavour a range of sweet
of Leyden. dishes and savoury dishes; they are also served
in special small glasses to be sipped with
Lima-Bean – A bean with pale green or coffee after a meal.
white slightly kidney-shaped seeds. They are
mainly used in their dried form (added to
 A Culinary Dictionary 50

Liver – Classed as offal, the liver of lamb cream, ice-cream or liqueur; pureed for use in
sheep, calf, ox (beef), pig, poultry, and game ice-cream, sorbets, soufflés, mousses or fools;
are eaten. Liver is the organ that purifies the or cooked as a filling for pies and tarts or as
blood of an animal. It is red brown meat with a jam.
distinctive flavour. To prepare liver for
cooking, first wash and pat dry; remove the Longan – An oval-shaped fruit of Asian
thin outer skin and cut away any fat, gristle origin. It is similar to the lychee, but smaller,
and veining. Slice thinly and uniformly and and has a dull, red brown skin and sweet, firm,
cook until the pink colour disappears (care translucent flesh surrounding a dark brown
should be taken not to overcook as the meat stone. The Longan can be eaten fresh, added to
toughens easily). Liver can be fried, grilled fruit salad or savoury salad, or poached for use
(broiled), braised or casseroled. Calf liver or in sweet and savoury dishes. Longan is in
lamb’s liver (sometimes called lamb’s fry) season in late summer and early autumn; it is
sautéed with bacon is a popular breakfast. also available canned preserved in syrup) and
Goose and chicken liver are used to make pâté. dried. Dried longan can be eaten as it is, as you
would other dried fruit, or added to braised and
Liverwurst – A soft sausage containing a sweet and sour Chinese dishes. The fruit’s
smooth mixture of liver, ground pork, onion, Chinese name is lung-yen means ‘dragons –
and seasonings. Liverwurst is used as a spread eye’.
on bread or savoury biscuit (crackers) and can
be added to stuffings. It has a long history in Loquat – The pear shaped fruit of a small
many regions of Europe and was often used to evergreen tree native to Asia and nowadays
garnish roast meats on festive occasions. grows in the lands of the Mediterranean. It is
the size of a small plum with glossy yellow-
Lobster – A large saltwater crustacean related orange skin and crisp, juicy, tart-sweet yellow
to the crayfish and crab. The shelf of the living flesh. It can be eaten fresh on its own, added to
lobster is bluish green to pinkish-brown, fruit salads or other desserts (in Asia it is often
depending on the species; the shell of the set in a jelly of agar-agar) or cooked as jellies
cooked lobster is bright red. The lobster has a and jam.
huge pincers or claws (actually modified legs)
and uses its tail to move through the water in Lotus – A type of water lily native to China
quick, backward movements. Lobster can be and India. All parts of the plants are edible, but
boiled or grilled (broiled). The cooked meat is it is the crunchy, reddish – coloured root that is
firm-textured, white, sweet, and moist; it is most widely used: stir-fried, braised, coated in
usually served in the shell with various sauces. batter and deep-fried or simmered in stock.
The coral-coloured roe (sometimes called coral The root is perforated with holes and when
butter) present in the female lobster is sliced in cross-section makes an attractive
considered a delicacy and should either be garnish, much utilized in Japanese cooking.
served with the meat or added to the sauce. Lotus seeds can be eaten raw, boiled or grilled
Most of the meat is in the claws and tail; use a (broiled) or, cooked, sweetened and mashed,
nutcracker to break open the claws. Live used as a filling for Japanese and Chinese
lobsters are available throughout the year pastries and cakes. Dried lotus leaves are used
(keep live lobster in a damp hessian bag until as food wrappers (they impart a leafy flavour
ready to use) or frozen and uncooked either to food, but are tough and not meant to be
whole or as tails. Precooked whole lobsters eaten). Lotus root is available fresh and
should have bright eyes, a curled tail that canned; lotus seeds are available dried and
springs back when raised and all limbs intact; canned.
pre-cooked tails are also available. Cooked
meat is available frozen or in cans. Lychee (litchi) – A small oval fruit about
the size of a large cherry with sweet, pale pink
Loganberry – A large, soft, pink to red berry flesh similar in flavour to a grape, and thin,
fruit. The loganberry is a hybrid between the knobbly, reddish skin. The flesh surrounds a
blackberry (from which it takes its shape) and shiny brown stone. The flesh surrounds a shiny
raspberry (from which it takes its flavour). It brown stone. Lychees can be eaten fresh on
was developed in the 1880s by Scottish-born their own, added to fruit salads and to savoury
Californian judge and amateur horticulturist salads or served as a dessert with cream or ice-
James H. Logan and was first exhibited in cream; poached, they can be added to both
England in 1897. The loganberry can be eaten sweet and savoury dishes. Lychees are in
fresh, served whole as a dessert topped with season in summer; the fruit is also available
 A Culinary Dictionary 51

canned and dried. The lychee is native to powdered sugar. They are a specialty of the
southern China and has been cultivated there town of Commercy, is northeastern France.
for some 4,000years.
Madrilène – A clear soup (chicken or
Lyonnaise, à la – A French term for food vegetable) thickened and flavoured with
cooked with chopped and sautéed onions, a tomato pulp and usually served chilled.
style characteristic of the Lyonnaise region of
eastern France. Maître d’hôtel Butter – Softened butter
mixed with chopped parsley, lemon juice and
freshly ground white pepper, then chilled until
firm. It is served on top of grilled (broiled)

M steak and fish.

Maize – See Corn.

Malt – The term given to a grain, usually

barley, which has been soaked, sprouted,
Macadamia Nut – The round, hard-shelled, roasted, and crushed. During this process the
creamy-fleshed nut of a tree native to starch content of the grain is converted by
Australia. Fresh or roasted nuts are eaten as a partial fermentation into sugar. Further
snack; crushed nuts can be added to ice-cream processing of malt produces beer; distillation
or used in biscuits (cookie), cakes or breads; results in whisky. Malt extract, which comes in
whole nuts are coated with chocolate as a syrup or dried form, can be added to drinks,
confectionery (candy). cakes, puddings, and bread dough.

Macaroni – Pasta in the form of short, dried, Mandarin – A small, loose-skinned citrus
hollow tubes. fruit with sweet, juicy, easily separated
segments. It can be eaten as a fruit, used in
Macaroon – A small, flat, round biscuit fruit salad, or made into marmalade. The fruit
(cookie), crunchy on the outside and soft and is also known as the tangerine, after the seaport
moist on the inside, made from ground of Tangier in Morocco where it has long been
almonds mixed with sugar and egg white. grown.
Macaroons originated in France and are a
specialty of the Nancy region. Mange Tout – See Snow Pea.
Mace – The fibrous, lacy skin that envelopes Mango – A tropical fruit with juicy, sweet,
the nutmeg, but which has its own distinctive golden flesh clinging to a large seed. Mangoes
flavour and is used as aspic. It is made up of are delicious eaten fresh; perhaps the least
numerous tendrils called blades; the spice is messy way into slice a cheek from each side of
also sold in ground form. Blade mace is used the seed, score the flesh into small squares then
to flavour clear soups, jellies, and pale sauces; push the skin upwards so that the cubes bristle
ground mace is used to season English potted like a porcupine.
meats, pork dishes, and béchamel sauce. Mango is sometimes cooked in curries and
other savoury dishes (it goes well with
Mackerel – A saltwater fish with oily, dark, chicken). It is also made into chutney and
firm-textured flesh. It is suitable for baking, pickles, which are often served with curries.
grilling (broiling), pan-frying, and poaching. Mango pulp can be used in ice-cream, mousse,
and sorbet. Mangoes are in season in summer;
they are also available canned.
Madeira Cake – A rich cake flavoured with
lemon or orange juice and baked with a slice Mangosteen – A tropical fruit, about the size
citron peel on top. In Victorian England the and shape of an apple, with a shiny, thick,
cake was traditionally served with a glass of purple skin containing four to six segments of
Madeira wine. soft, white, lychee-like flesh. It is eaten fresh
as a fruit. To prepare, cut in half, then scoop
Madeleine – Small cake baked in shell- out the flesh with a tea spoon.
shaped mould and served dusted with finely
 A Culinary Dictionary 52

Manioc – See Cassava. as a combination). It is usually eaten at

breakfast, on hot buttered toast.
Maple Syrup – The sap of various species of
maple tree, boiled down into a syrup that Marrow, Bone – A fatty tissue found in the
varies in colour from pale amber (considered centre of animal bones. It is pale-coloured and
the finest) to dark amber (used mainly in when cooked and cooled, has a smooth, jelly
cooking). Maple syrup is poured over like texture. Raw marrow extracted from larger
pancakes, waffles, ice-cream, and other beef bones may be chopped and added to
desserts. Maple-flavoured syrup is a blend of stuffings; cooked marrow is spread on toast as
puree maple syrup and corn syrup. an hors d’oeuvre or cooked in dishes such as
Milanese risotto.
Maraschino – A liqueur made from a bitter
black cherry called marasca. Maraschino Marrow, Vegetable – A sausage-shaped
cherries are sweet cherries that have been vegetable belonging to the same family as the
bleached, stoned, then steeped in a sugar zucchini (courgette). Young marrows have the
flavoured with maraschino liqueur; they are best flavour and most delicate flesh and can be
used in baking and as a garnish for cocktails. cooked in the same way as zucchini. Large
older marrows have a high water content and
Marble Cake – A cake which, when sliced, bland flavour and are best stuffed with a
has a marble-like appearance, achieved by savoury filling and baked, or cooked gently in
colouring the portions of the batter (pink, butter and their own juice.
chocolate and plain) then mixing them in the
pan before baking. Marshmallow – A whipped confectionery
(candy) with a springy, puff texture made from
Marengo – A dish of chicken cooked with gelatin, sugar, flavouring, and colouring. It is
tomato, mushroom, garlic, and wine. It was commercially available in bite-sized, sugar-
created for Napoleon in 1800, following his dusted portions or can be made at home.
victory over the Austrians at the battle of
Marengo, and cooked for him on the Marzipan – A confectionery (candy) made
battlefield. from a sugar and water syrup, almond paste,
and sometimes egg white cooked, cooled, and
Margarine – A butter-like spread made from then kneaded into a smooth firm paste. It is cut
vegetable oil or a combination of vegetable or moulded into small shapes, which are used
and animal oils. In most recipes margarine can to decorate cakes, or it is boxed as gift
be substituted for butter. Polyunsaturated and confectionery; it is used as a coating under the
monounsaturated margarines are made from a top icing of rich fruitcakes.
refined and purified vegetable oil and have a
smooth, easy-to-spread consistency. Cooking Mascarpone – A fresh unripened, soft,
or block (stick) margarine is firmer, contains creamy cheese, made from cow’s milk cream,
saturated animal fats and vegetable oils, and is with a high fat content and a rich, buttery taste.
used like butter for frying and baking. It is usually served as a dessert with sweetened
fruit or mixed with brandy or liqueurs.
Marinade – A seasoned mixture in which
raw meat, poultry, fish or seafood is steeped Matzo – A thin sheet of unleavened bread,
(or marinated) before cooking, both to usually made with wheat flour, and only. It is
tenderize by softening the fibres and to add traditionally eaten during the Jewish Passover
flavour. when only unleavened products are eaten.
Matzo meal, made from ground matzo
Marjoram – Also known as sweet marjoram, crackers, is used in place of breadcrumbs at
an aromatic herb with spicy flavoured, small Passover.
grey-green leaves, which are, used in meat,
poultry, egg, cheese, cabbage, green bean, and Mayonnaise – A cold uncooked sauce made
tomato dishes. Oregano, a similar but more by whisking oil and egg yolk into an emulsion.
strongly flavoured herb, is also known as wild It is flavoured with lemon juice, vinegar, or
marjoram. mustard and seasonings.
Mayonnaise is served as a salad dressing and
Marmalade – A thick, jam-like spread made accompaniment to cold meat, fish, and egg
from citrus fruit and peel (either a single fruit dishes; it is the basis of many other cold
sauces.
 A Culinary Dictionary 53

Meat – The flesh of animals used for food. powdered sugar or glazed with icing (frosting).
The term often refers only to lamb, beef, pork Savoury mille-feuille, with a filling of creamy
and some game and not to poultry, fish, and salmon or shellfish, may be served as a first
seafood. course or as a buffet or luncheon dish.

Meatballs – small balls made of minced Mincemeat – Finely chopped dried fruit and
(ground) beef, lamb, veal, or pork seasoned fresh apple, mixed with suet or butter and
and bound with beaten egg or breadcrumbs. sweet spices and soaked with brandy, rum or
Meatballs can be steamed, simmered, shallow- Madeira; used as a filling for tarts and pies,
fried or deep-fried and served either as finger traditionally served at Christmas.
food (with a dipping sauce) or as a first or
main course. Minestrone – A hearty soup of Italian origin.
Minestrone varies from region to region, but
Meatloaf – A mixture of minced (ground) basically contains fresh vegetables and dried
beef, pork or veal (or a combination of these), beans, simmered slowly in beef stock and
seasoned, bound together with beaten egg, thickened with pasta or rice.
breadcrumbs or rice, formed into a loaf shape
and baked; it can be eaten hot or cold end is Mint – A herb with a strong fresh scent and
usually served with sauce or gravy. flavour. There are many varieties. Most used in
cooking is spearmint, which is made into jelly
Medlar – A plum-sized fruit with yellowish- and sauce to accompany lamb, goes well with
brown skin and firm greyish flesh borne on a peas, and boiled potatoes, is finely, chopped as
tree native to Central Asia. Edible only when an ingredient in Middle Eastern salads and
over-ripe it has a wine like flavour. It can be dips, and flavours drink. Apple mint, lemon
made into preserves. mint and pineapple mint are often added to
fruit salads. Peppermint oil is used in the
Melba Toast – Thin crisp slices of crust less confectionery (candy) industry.
bread served with dips, pâtés, and creamy
soups. It was originally created for the Miso – A thick, salty, nutty-flavoured paste
Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba. made from mashed and salted soybeans mixed
with rice, barley, or wheat grains, then
Melon – Large fruit with a thick rind and fermented. Light or yellow miso, made with
juicy flesh. The many varieties fall into three rice, is sweet and creamy and is used as
main groups: round with netted, bark-like skin, flavouring for soups, casseroles, and general
fragrant orange flesh and a cluster of pale cooking. When using miso in hot dishes, add
seeds in the centre, such as the cantaloupe just before serving and do not allow to boil.
(rockmelon), gallia melon and Persian melon;
oval and smooth-skinned with creamy white to Mixed Grill – A dish consisting of several
dark green sweet flesh and a central cluster of varieties of grilled (broiled) meat and
seeds such as the honeydew, casaba, vegetables, such as lamb chops, steak,
charentais, crenshaw, ogen melon sausages, kidney, liver, bacon, tomato, onion,
and mushroom.
Microwave – These ovens produce
microwaves which are absorbed by food Mixed Spice – Also known as pudding
molecules; they cause the molecule to vibrate spice, a traditional English blend of sweet
rapidly, creating friction which provides the spices, generally nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves
heat that cooks the food. Microwave cooking and ginger, but sometimes also including
is much faster than conventional cooking. It is allspice and coriander, used in rich fruit cakes,
best used for foods that are usually boiled, puddings and biscuits (cookies).
steamed, or poached and is particularly
successful with vegetables, fruit, and fish. The Mocha – A strongly flavoured Arabian coffee
microwave oven is an excellent way to defrost bean, originally grown near the Red Sea
or reheat food. named after the Yemenite seaport from which
it was exported. In cooking, ‘mocha’ refers to
Mille-Feuille – A pastry consisting of layers food (such as ice-cream or cakes) flavoured
of crisp puff pastry interspersed with layers of with coffee or a chocolate mixture.
whipped cream or crème pâtissière and jam
(usually strawberry or raspberry). The top Mock Cream – A fresh cream substituted
pastry layer is glazed or dusted with finely used as a filling for cakes and buns. It is
 A Culinary Dictionary 54

generally made by beating together icing throughout the Middle East and, despite its
(confectioners) sugar and butter until stiff and Arabic name, most likely originated in Greece.
fluffy.
Mousse – A rich, light sweet or savoury dish
Molasses – A thick, dark syrup produced in that derives its smooth, foamy texture from
the manufacture of cane sugar. whisked egg white, whipped cream, or both. It
may be served hot or cold. The name comes
Monosodium Glutamate – A sodium salt from the French word for froth or foam.
with little flavour of its own. It occurs
naturally in many foods and is manufactured Mousseline – A mousse like dish in which
for use as an additive (mainly in Asian meat, seafood, or poultry is folded into a
cooking) to enhance the natural flavour of a beaten cream and egg white mixture and
dish. cooked in small moulds.

Monetary Jack – A cheddar-style, cow’s Mozzarella – A rind less, unripened curd

milk cheese, and pale yellow in colour. cheese, with a soft, plastic texture and a mild
slightly sweet, milky taste. It was originally
Mornay Sauce – A béchamel sauce made from buffalo milk; for two three days
flavoured with gruyère or parmesan cheese and only, it should be used within a few days of
used to coat seafood, egg and vegetable dishes purchase. Mozzarella is primarily a cooking
to be browned under the griller (broiler) or in cheese, used in pizza and pasta, and melted as
the oven. a topping.

Moroccan Food – Unlike its North African Muesli – A breakfast food of mixed raw
neighbours Moroccan food is spiced with cereals, bran, wheat germ, nuts, and dried fruit
subtlety. Lemon is a favourite flavour and eaten with milk or yoghurt.
preserved lemon peel is used in many of its
most famous dishes. Cinnamon, coriander, and Muffin – also known as American muffin, a
orange flower water are also common. The light, sweet, soft bread baked in small, deep,
exception to this subtle flavouring is harissa, a round moulds. Basic muffins are made from a
fiery condiment used in Algeria and Tunisia as batter of egg, milk, flour, and sugar. Sweet or
well. Its main ingredients are chillies, garlic, savoury flavouring can be added.
and coriander and it is served with couscous
and soups. Mulberry – A juicy berry, similar in
Couscous is probably the most famous dish appearance to a blackberry. Mulberries may be
from North Africa. It is made from semolina eaten fresh dusted with sugar and accompanied
and steamed over a rich stew of meat and by cream, can be pureed for sorbets and ice-
vegetables traditionally in a couscousier, a cream, stewed as a pie filling or made into jam.
metal pan topped with a steamer. The meat and They are not usually commercially available
vegetables cook in the bottom while the cook (the berries are easily crushed), but the tree is
in the top. In Morocco couscous is sometimes common in gardens and bears a copious crop
served as a sweet dish, flavoured with each summer.
cinnamon. An example of the Moroccans’
penchant for sweet dishes is Tangine. It is a Mulligatawny – A spicy, soup like dish of
slow-cooked stew, often made with lamb or boiled rice topped with peppery, curry-
mutton flavoured with quinces and honey. In flavoured chicken or meat broth. The dish
Morocco, food is eaten with the fingers. dates from the days of British Raj in India.

Mortadella – A large, lightly smoked Münster – A soft cow’s milk cheese with a
sausage made of pork or mixtures of either texture that varies from smooth and waxy to
pork and beef or veal and ham, mixed with dry and crumbly. It has a distinctive pungent
coarsely diced pork fat, seasoned, flavoured taste and aroma.
with parsley and studded with green olives and
pistachio nuts. It is served, thinly sliced, as an
hors d’oeuvre, salad meat, or sandwich filling. Mushroom – Edible fungus found in a
variety of shapes and sizes and ranging in taste
from mild and nutty too strong and meaty. The
Moussaka – A baked dish consisting of may be eaten raw, in salads, or cooked. The
eggplant (aubergine), minced (ground) lamb or most widely cultivated is the common
beef and a topping of cheese sauce. It is
 A Culinary Dictionary 55

mushroom with an umbrella-shaped cap that

opens out as the mushroom grows. The
youngest are sold as button mushroom or
champignons; next in size are cups (popular
for stuffing); largest and with the most
developed flavour are flats. The cap is a round-
capped and stalked mushroom valued for its
earthy flavours. The chanterelle or girolle, an
apricot coloured, firm-fleshed, trumpet-shaped
N
Naan – A tear-shaped, flat leavened Indian
bread, traditionally baked plastered onto the
mushroom has a meaty flavour. The morel has inside walls of the Tandoor, an urn-shaped
a pointed, spongy, golden brown cap with a clay oven.
meaty flavour. Asian mushroom varieties
include the matsutake or pine mushroom,
which has a dark brown cap and a thick meaty Nam Pla – See Nuoc Mam.
stem and, lightly grilled, is considered a great
delicacy in Japan. Also used in Japanese Napoleon – A small pastry consisting of
cooking is the Enokitake or Enoki, a tiny three layers of puff pastry filled with crème
mushroom with a round cap atop a slender pâtissière or sweetened whipped cream, and
stem. Mild-flavoured and crisp in texture, the topped with glacé icing decorated with lines of
Enokitake is used in soups and stews. The melted chocolate.
large floppy cap of the shiitake mushroom,
usually sold dried, is used in Chinese and Nashi – A golden green peas the shape and
Japanese cooking. size of an apple. The translucent flesh is crisp,
juicy and sweet and the fruit may be eaten on
Mussel – A mollusk with a smooth almond its own or served with cheese. The nashi is
shaped shell. Like oysters, mussels are filter also known as Asian pear, apple pear, and
feeders, and so are subject to contamination. Chinese pear. It is in autumn and early winter.
They should not be collected from areas where
pollution is suspected. Mussels are available Nasi Goreng – An Indonesian dish
live in the shell or canned (cooked, smoked or consisting of fried rice garnished with chillies,
in various sauces). thinly sliced meat, fried onions and slices of
omelette.
Mustard – A pungently flavoured spice
derived from the seeds of three members of the Navarin – A French term for a rich stew of
cabbage family and usually prepared as a lamb or mutton cooked with root vegetables,
condiment. White mustard, the mildest in usually small onions and potatoes. It can also
flavour, is used in American mustards; brown be the name given to a ragout garnished with
and black mustard have more pungent seeds turnips.
than white mustard. Black mustard seeds are
used in Indian cooking and in pickles and Nectarine – A round shiny, reddish skinned
chutneys. Brown or black mustard seeds (alone fruit with fragrant juicy flesh surrounding a
or in combination) are ground into mustard large stone; it is a variety of peach. Nectarines
powder (used to make English mustard) or can be eaten fresh, added to fruit salads,
made into French-style mustards. Prepared stewed or baked; they are in season in late
mustard is made by macerating mustard seeds summer.
in a liquid (grape juice, wine, vinegar, or
water) and then pounding them to a paste. It is Nesselrode Pudding – A chilled custard
as an accompaniment to meats, poultry, and dessert made from chestnut puree, egg yolk,
fish and as flavouring in vinaigrettes, sauces, cream and sometimes glacé (candied) fruit.
and some hot dishes.
Neufchâtel Cheese – A fresh unripened,
Mutton – The meat of a mature sheep, best soft, white cow’s milk cheese made from
suited to moist cooking. whole or partly skimmed milk. In taste and
appearance it is similar to cream cheese, but is
softer in texture, more moist and has a lower
fat content. Neufchâtel can be eaten fresh with
fruit or used for cheesecakes, mousses, icings,
and cake toppings.
 A Culinary Dictionary 56

Newburg – Shellfish, usually lobster, sautéed

and served with a rich sauce of cream, sherry,
and egg yolk.

Niçoise, à la – A French term for dishes

which have tomato, garlic, black olives,
anchovy and olive oil in the sauce. This style
of cooking originated around Nice, in southern
O
Oat Bran – The coarse outer layer of the oat,
France. removed in the milling process. Oat bran is
used in cooking and is regarded as a good
Noisette – A French term for dishes source of soluble fibre. It can be added to
flavoured with or made of hazelnuts. It is also bread, muffin, and biscuit (cookie) dough’s, to
used to describe a thick slice from a boned loin hamburgers, rissoles and meat loaves, and is
of lamb, rolled, and secured with a thin band of often eaten at breakfast sprinkled on cereal or
fat, like a tournedos. chopped fruit.

Noisette Butter – A sauce made by slowly Oat Cake – A cake of unleavened bread
heating butter until foaming and nut-brown, made from oatmeal, water, and a small amount
adding lemon juice, then immediately pouring of fat. Traditionally in northern England
over fish, brains or cooked vegetables. dallops of dough were cooked on a hot griddle
until firm, then hung up until crisp and dry. In
Noodle –A dough of flour and water Scotland and Wales thin rounds of oatmeal
(sometimes made with egg yolk or whole egg) paste were cooked slowly in a cool oven.
cut into long, ribbon like strips and fried or
boiled. Noodles originated in Asia and also Oatmeal – Ground oats used as a breakfast
feature in the cooking of the Mediterranean, cereal and in baking. Coarse and medium
particularly Italy, and northern Europe. The oatmeal is used for porridge (as is rolled oats)
name comes from the German Nudel. and in sausage mixture, such as the Scottish
haggis. Fine oatmeal is used in pancakes,
Nougat – A chewy confectionery (candy) muffins, and other baked goods.
traditionally made of honey, sugar, egg white,
and nuts. Octopus – A tender fleshed saltwater mollusk
with eight tentacles, a large head with a strong
Nouvelle Cuisine – A style of cooking beak, a small sac like body and no internal
which emphasizes fresh, natural ingredients backbone; best for eating are the small
and flavours, simple cooking based on reduced varieties. Octopus should be either cooked
stocks and purees rather than fats and flour. slowly – simmered in wine or its juices or
stuffed and baked – or cooked rapidly over a
high heat. Popular in Mediterranean countries,
Nuoc Mam – Also called nam pla; literally Asia and especially in Japan. Fresh octopus is
‘fish water’, a clear, amber-coloured seasoning usually sold whole and already by beating; it is
sauce with a pungent, salty flavour. It is used also available frozen, dried and pre-cooked in
in Vietnamese and Thai cooking to bring out cans.
the flavour in other foods. Vietnamese nuoc
mam is darker in colour and has a stronger
fishy taste than other types. Oeufs à la Neige (Eggs in the Snow) –
A dessert of French origin consisting of egg-
sized spoonfuls of meringue poached in
Nut – A hard-shelled seed, particularly one vanilla-flavoured sweetened milk, drained and
with an edible kernel. They are among the placed on top of a rich custard sauce made
earliest of human foods. Nuts are at home in from the poaching milk.
cakes, desserts, and confectionery (candy) as
well as in curries and stir-fries; roasted nuts are
a popular snack food. Offal – Also called variety meats, the general
term used to describe the edible internal organs
of an animal – heart, liver, tripe, kidneys,
Nutmeg – A hard, brown oval seed which is sweetbreads and brains – as well as the tongue,
ground into a pungent spice; it a most fragrant tail, feet, and head.
when freshly grated.
Oil Vegetable – The clear liquid extracted
from various seeds, nuts and fruit, including
 A Culinary Dictionary 57

almond, avocado, canola, coconut, cottonseed, Olive Oil – A pale yellow to deep green,
hazelnut, maize, olive, peanut, pumpkin seed, mono-saturated vegetable oil pressed from the
sunflower seed, sesame seed, soybean and pulp of ripe olives. It has a fruity flavour and
walnut. Fine-flavoured oils, such as olive, in cooking adds both flavour and nutrition to
walnut, hazelnut, almond and pumpkin seed, any dish in which it is an ingredient. Cold-
are generally used to flavour cold foods (such pressed olive oil is produced by pressure only.
as salads) and are added to hot foods (pasta, Heat allows more oil to the extracted, but
fish or cooked vegetables) just before serving affects the flavour. Olive oil is graded
to preserve the oil’s aroma and taste. Oils used according to its level of acidity: the finest,
primarily for cooking include maize, peanut, extra virgin, with less than 1% acid and deep
coconut (high in saturated fats), cottonseed, green in colour has the fullest flavour – use it
sunflower, and vegetable (a blend of oils sold drizzled on pasta, salads, and vegetables; next
as an all-purpose cooking oil). are fine virgin olive oil (less than 3 %). Pure
olive oil, made from a blend of virgin oil and
Okra – Also known as ladies’ fingers, a long, refined olive oil, has the same acid content as
rigid, five-sided, green seedpod, pointed at one virgin olive oil. Refined olive oil is made by
end and containing numerous small white removing impurities from oils that do not meet
seeds. Okra has a gelatinous quality when the standards for extra virgin or virgin oil: such
cooked and its role in a dish is often that of a blends have a milder flavour and are often
thickener. In Middle Eastern and Greek labeled as ‘light’.
cooking the pod is usually left whole; in Cajun Spain and Italy lead in the production of fine
cooking it is cut into wheel-like disc and is olive oil. It is available in bottles or large cans.
often partnered with tomato. Okra is native to
tropical Africa; its introduction into America Omelette – A dish of beaten eggs cooked in a
dates from the slave trade days and it is the frying pan and often folded over a filling.
characteristic ingredient in many soups and Omelette can be served at breakfast or as a
stews in the south of the United States and the light luncheon or supper dish; a sweet filling
Caribbean. Okra is in season from summer to transforms it into a dessert. Omelettes have
autumn and is also sold frozen, dried and in been known in France since the Middle Ages.
cans.
Onion – The bulb of a member of the lily
Olive – The small, oval, oil-rich fruit of an family, related to garlic and leek, with
evergreen tree native to the Mediterranean pungently flavour flesh encased in thin, close
region. Olives are picked unripe (green) and outer layers. There are many varieties, varying
ripe (black). The flesh is treated to remove its in colour, shape, and intensity of taste, but in
bitterness and is then soaked in brine. Oil general the onion is sharp in flavour when raw
pressed from the ripe fruit has cosmetic and and mellow when cooked. Onions can be used
medicinal uses as well as an acclaimed as an ingredient in salads or added as a
culinary role. Green olives have a tart and garnish; they can be boiled, fried or baked as a
come from fruit picked before fully mature. vegetable; or cooked in a wide variety of
Olives are served as a finger food with drinks dishes. Simmered slowly in butter, they
(a practice that goes back to Roman times), provide an almost sweet filling for the classic
and in cooking sauces, stuffings, pizzas, French onion tart and are also made into a
breads, salads and as a garnish. famous French soup; onion rings dipped in
The olive is the oldest tree in continuous batter and deep-fried are a popular first course
cultivation and has been grown in the eastern in India cooking; and studded with cloves, the
Mediterranean for some 6,000 years. Egyptian onion flavour sauces and casseroles. The
painting shows olives being picked; ancient birthplace of the ancestor of today’s onion was
Crete, about 3,800 years ago, became the probably central Asia. It was a food of the poor
centre of an export trade shipping olive oil to in ancient Greece and Rome and since the
Egypt and Asia Minor. The olive was virtually Middle Ages has been adopted throughout
indispensable in ancient times, valued for its Europe.
fruit and the multi-purpose oil it provided, as Fresh onions are available throughout the year,
well as for its close-grained hardwood. Olives but are best from early autumn to late spring;
are sometimes available fresh but more usually onions are also frozen and pickled. Spring
are sold pickled whole (either loose or in jars onions (scallions) are onions when immature.
or cans), pitted and stuffed with pimiento or
almonds or salted and dried (either loose or in Orange – A round citrus fruit with a bright
vacuum-sealed packs). orange skin and juicy, orange-coloured,
 A Culinary Dictionary 58

segmented flesh. Orange is eaten fresh as a Oven Fry – To bake food in a hot oven so
fruit, chopped and added to fruit salads, that it has the appearance and taste of fried
cooked in both sweet and savoury dishes and food, but not the fat content. The food is
made into marmalade; its juice is a favourite at brushed lightly with oil, butter, or margarine or
breakfast; and its rind is used fresh or dried to coated with seasoned flour or breadcrumbs
flavour desserts, cakes and savoury sauces. before cooking.
There are three main types of orange: sweet
oranges, including the large, thick-skinned Oxtail – A flavoursome cut of meat
navel (named for the navel-like growth at the consisting of the skinned tail of an ox or cow,
blossom end) and the smaller, thin-skinned which requires long, slow cooking and is used
Valencia, are used for juicing and as a snack to make soups and stews. Oxtail soup is
and dessert fruit; bitter oranges, including the regarded as a traditional British dish although
Seville, which used to make marmalade and some claim it crossed the English Channel
tangy sauces; and blood oranges, with sweet, with French émigrés at the time of revolution.
juicy, blood-red flesh, eaten as a dessert fruit
and used for juicing.
The orange originated in southern Asia and has Oyster – A marine mollusk with a soft
been cultivated in China for at least creamy-grey to creamy-tan body, encased in
4,000years. The fruit was known to the rough, blue-grey irregularly shaped hinged
Romans and grew in the ancient Middle East, shell. It is found adhering to rocks in shallow
where bitter oranges preserved in their skins in tidal waters around the world. Oyster are eaten
sugar may well be the forerunner of today’s raw, with a squeeze of lemon juice, bread and
marmalade. The Moors planted orange butter and a touch of freshly grated black
orchards in Spain from the eighth century on. pepper or they can be fried, grilled (broiled) or
The Spanish planted oranges in America in poached or incorporated in soups, stuffings and
Florida in the sixteenth century. The fruit is sauces. Oysters have been gathered and eaten
now grown in tropical and subtropical region since the time of the earliest humans. There are
worldwide. Oranges are available fresh all ancient mounds on the coasts of North
year-round, and are also sold canned; orange America (where the Native Americans seem to
juice can be bought freshly squeezed or as a have always cooked them) and Australia; the
concentrated; orange peel is sold dried and shellfish was abundant along the European
candied. coastline from Scandinavia to the
Mediterranean. Oysters are filter feeders, and
so are subject to contamination; they should
Orange Flower Water – A fragrant liquid not be collected from where pollution is
made from neroli, an essential oil extracted suspected. Fresh oysters are available from
from sweet-scented blossom of the bitter September to April (months with ‘r’ in the
orange tree. Intensely flavoured, it is added name) in the Northern Hemisphere and all year
sparingly to sponge cakes and confectionery round in the Southern Hemisphere. They are
(candy) and is popular in the Middle Eastern sold unshelled on the half shell or bottled in
cooking in pastries and syrups. fresh water; oysters are also available canned,
either plain or smoked.
Oregano – Also known as wild marjoram,
oregano is a hardy perennial herb similar in Oyster Sauce – A thick dark brown sauce
appearance and related to marjoram, but with a originally made from oysters fermented in
more robust flavour. It is used to flavour pizza brine and then ground to a paste, but now
toppings, tomato-based sauces, zucchini usually thickened with cornflour (cornstarch)
(courgette), eggplant (aubergine) and stuffings. and darkened with caramel colouring. It has a
Its name comes from the Greek for ‘joy of the strong, salty, slightly fishy flavour and is used
mountain’, for the Mediterranean slopes where as an all-purpose seasoning in Chinese
it still grows wild. Oregano is a popular garden cooking, especially stir-fries and braised
herb; it is also available fresh and dried. dishes. It is a popular dressing on steamed
Chinese vegetables, and is often used with
Osso Buco – A dish of braised veal shin, other sauces, particularly soy. Oyster sauce
with bone and marrow intact, which before originated in Canton (now Guangzhou), a
serving is sprinkled with gremolata (a mixture seaport in southeastern China and was traded
o chopped parsley, garlic and grated lemon far inland, taking the taste of the sea to towns
rind). The tasty bone marrow can be taken out far from the coast. It is available in bottles, jars
with a toothpick. Osso bucco is a specialty of and cans (transfer to glass jar after opening).
Milan, in northern Italy. The name means
‘bone with a hole’.
 A Culinary Dictionary 59

Papaya – Also known as pawpaw, a large,

oval-shaped tropical fruit smooth green to

P
Paella – A dish of Spanish origin consisting
yellow skin, juicy golden flesh with a melon
like texture and a central cavity filled with
small black seeds. Serve fresh and fully ripe
with a sprinkle of lime juice for breakfast or
add cubes to fruit salad (it combines especially
well with passion fruit). Under-ripe papaya can
of short-grained rice, olive oil, shellfish, be cooked as a vegetable. The fruit is native to
chicken or rabbit and vegetables, seasoned the Americans and is thought to have been
with garlic and coloured with saffron. It is taken to Europe by Portuguese explorers; it
traditionally cooked. Paella originated in the now grows in tropical regions throughout the
Valencia region of eastern Spain. world. Its name comes from the Caribbean
name ababai. Papaya is in season in early
Palm Heart – A thin, flat cake made from a summer.
batter of flour, egg and milk cooked quickly on
each side in a greased frying pan or on a Papillote, en – A French term for a cooking
griddle and then served hot, usually folded method in which individual portions of food –
over or rolled around a filling which can be meat, fish, poultry or vegetables – are wrapped
either sweet or savoury. Pancakes are similar in strong, greased paper or aluminium foil
to, but thicker than crêpes. In North America (often cut into a heart shape) and then baked or
pancakes stacked one upon the other and grilled (broiled). This technique preserves
covered with maple syrup are a popular juices and flavour. Papillote is also the name of
breakfast dish. Pancakes were traditionally the paper frill used to decorate the bone end of
cooked and eaten on Shrove Tuesday, also a lamb or veal chop or a chicken drumstick.
known as Pancake Day, a day of revelry and
merrymaking before the fasting of lent. Pappadam – A thin, crisp wafers of Indian
origin made from lentils, potato or rice flour.
Pancetta – Un-smoked bacon from the belly Fry in hot vegetable oil one at a time; hold
of the pig, cured with spiced, salt and pepper. down with tongs for 3 seconds, then turn over
It is usually sold rolled into a sausage shape, and cook for another 3 seconds; the pappadam
and is served cut into thin slices. will swell, bubble, and turn golden brown. Lift
out and drain on absorbent paper. Pappadams
Panettone – A cake made from sweet yeast are best served hot, as an accompaniment to
dough enriched with egg yolks (which give it Indian meals. They are sold dried in packets.
its colour), candied fruits and raisins. It is
usually in the shape of a tall, round loaf. Paprika – A savoury made from the dried,
Panettone is a specialty of Milan, in northern ground flesh of a variety of sweet red peppers
Italy, where it is now made commercially for (capsicum). It is piquant, rather than hot, and is
sale around the world. It is served with coffee used to flavour goulashes, ragoûts, stuffings,
for breakfast and is traditional Christmas fare. and sauces and is sprinkled on dips and egg,
cheese and seafood dishes. The red pepper
Panforte – A flat, very rich cake with nougat comes from a shrub native to Central America
like texture containing nuts, honey, candied and has been known in Europe since the time
fruit, and spices. It is a specialty of Sienna, in of Columbus. The form used to make paprika
Italy and, because of its energy-giving developed in Hungary and is smaller and more
properties is said to have been carried by the pungently flavoured than Spanish paprika,
Crusaders on military expeditions. which is made from a milder red pepper. The
name comes from the Hungarian word for
‘sweet pepper’.
Pan- Fry – To cook food in a pan smeared
with a little fat.
Parantha – An unleavened, rich, flaky Indian
bread made from a dough of whole meal flour,
Pan-Grill (Pan-Broil) – Also called dry ghee, salt, and water, formed into a disc shape
frying. To cook food in an un-greased pan. Fat and fried on both sides; the dough can be
released from the food is poured off as it folded around a vegetable mixture to make a
accumulated. This method is used for fatty stuffed version. Paranthas are usually reserved
foods such as bacon or sausages and in low-fat for special occasions; they are generally made
diets.
 A Culinary Dictionary 60

at home but are sometimes available from flavouring bouquet garni and the seasonings
Indian restaurants. gremolata and persillade. The herb originated
in southern Europe and has been cultivated
Parfait – A chilled dessert served in a tall since ancient times. Long valued for its
glass and eaten with a long-handled spoon. It medicinal as well as its culinary properties, it
usually consists of layers of custard, jelly, and is rich in vitamin C and minerals and is
ice-cream and whipped cream. The term also sometimes called the herb of health. The
refers to a frozen rich custard dessert. ancient Romans wore wreaths of parsley to
ward off the effects of alcohol.
Parma Ham – Fine quality ham also known
as prosciutto made from the hind legs of a Parsnip – A root vegetable with a carrot like
variety of pig raised on controlled foods in the shape and creamy white flesh. When cooked it
Parma region of the northern Italy and cured in has a strong, slightly sweet flavour, which goes
the traditional manner. Hams are rubbed with well with roast meats. The parsnip originated
salt, left in a cool place for several weeks, then in Eastern Europe and was developed in
washed and allowed to dry out and mature in a Germany; for many centuries it was the food
cool, well-ventilated atmosphere for ten to of the poor in Europe. The vegetable was
twelve months. Rosy pink, marbled with lines introduced into North America in the early
of white fat, and only mildly salty, Parma ham years of the seventeenth century.
sliced wafer thin and served with melon or
fresh figs is a popular antipasto not only in Partridge – A ground-dwelling game bird
Italy but around the world. Hannibal, on his related to the pheasant and native to Europe
way from Carthage to Rome is said to have and the British Isles. Partridge is hung un-
been served salt-cured ham at a banquet in plucked and un-cleaned for three to four days
Parma in 217 BC. after killing to develop its flavour and to
tenderize the flesh. Young birds can be grilled
Parmesan – A very hard cow’s milk cheese (broiled) or roasted in the same way as
with a strong taste and grainy texture, famous chicken; older birds are best slowly casseroled.
as a grating cheese. Parmesan is made by the
cooked curd method (the curd is ‘cooked’ in Passion Fruit – Also called granadilla, the
heated whey) and is matured for up to three egg-shaped fruit of the passionflower vine with
years. Because of its extremely low moisture sharp-sweet, juicy, fragrant orange pulp
content Parmesan can be stored at low studded with small black edible seeds. The
temperatures almost indefinitely. It is used, leathery skin varies in colour from pale
grated, in cooking (it does not become stringy yellow-green to pink, to deep purple-brown; it
as most cheeses do) and as garnish; young is smooth and shiny when immature and
Parmesan can also be served as a table cheese deeply dimpled when ripe. Passion fruit can be
with fruit. The cheese has been made in Parma, eaten fresh (scooped from the shell with a
in northern Italy, for some eight hundred years spoon) or the pulp can be added to fruit salads,
and now is made around the world by the same yoghurt and ice-cream, mousse and dessert
method. Cheese carrying the stamp sauces, it is the traditional topping for pavlova.
‘parmigiano reggiano’ comes from a select The passion fruit vine is native to tropical
area of northern Italy. Parmesan is available in America. It was named by Spanish Jesuit
black and is best used freshly grated; it is also priests in South America for its large flower in
sold grated in vacuum-sealed packs. whose form they saw all aspect of the
crucifixion of Christ (the three nails, the five
Parsley – A herb with bright green, fern-like wounds, the crown of thorns and the apostles).
leaves and a mild, celery-like flavour, widely Passion fruit is in season in late summer but
used as a seasoning and as a garnish. There are can usually be found fresh through the year;
two main varieties – curly leaf and the flat leaf passion fruit pulp is available canned.
or Italian parsley. Curly leaf is best used as a
garnish, either in sprigs or sprinkled, finely Pasta – A dough or paste made of wheat
chopped, on food. The more flavoursome flat flour, water, salt, and sometimes egg, cooked
leaf is preferable for cooking; it is the main in boiling water and served with many
ingredient in the Middle Eastern salad tabouli. different sauces. Pasta is cut and shaped into a
Parsley combines particularly well with salads, wide variety of shapes – ribbons, bows,
egg dishes, stews, vegetables, rice, and pasta; strings, rings, tubes, spirals, and shells – each
deep-fried sprigs are used to garnish grilled one known by a particular name. It can be
meats and fish. Parsley is an ingredient in the home-made or bought either fresh (pasta
 A Culinary Dictionary 61

freshca) or dried (pasta secca). There are two other ingredients such as spiced and marinated
main forms of fresh pasta; pasta liscia (strips bird’s tongues.
of smooth or flat pasta) and pasta is often
regarded as the national food of Italy. Simple Pâté Brisée – A shortcrust pastry made from
to make and to cook, economical, healthy, and a dough of flour, butter, margarine, or lard (or
versatile, it has been the food of rich and poor a mixture of these), sugar, egg, and water. It is
like. Roman writer Horace was fond of a type mixed directly on the surface by placing the
of lasagne seasoned with leek and chickpeas (a wet ingredients in a well formed in the centre
similar dish is still made in southern Italy); of the dry ingredients and, using the fingertips,
medieval manuscripts have many references to first mixing together the wet ingredients, then
macaroni, including mention of macaroni gradually drawing in the dry ingredients. It is
cooked with cheese; a fifteenth-century called pâté brisée, literally ‘broken dough’,
cookbook gives instruction for sun-drying because the ingredients are ‘broken’ into one
vermicelli; and tagliatelle has been cooked another. Pâté brisée is used in French cooking
from at least the sixteenth century. From the for both sweet and savoury dishes.
end of the eighteenth century street stalls Pâté Sucrée – Literally ‘sugar dough’, a
selling pasta were common; pasta was cooked sweet, crisp, shortcrust pastry made from
on the spot and eaten hot with the fingers. The butter or margarine (lard is never used), sugar
first pasta factories date from the nineteenth and egg yolk and used in French cooking for
century. Egg pasta is associated with northern flan cases and tartlets. It is mixed in the same
Italy; pasta made with durum wheat flour is way as pâté brisée.
from the south.
Paupiette – A thin fillet of meat, poultry, or
Pastrami – Lean beef, cured, spiced and fish spread with a stuffing mixture of finely
rubbed with dried chilli and black peppercorns. chopped meat, herbs, and seasonings and then
It is deep red in colour and is served sliced as a rolled up, secured with string or toothpicks and
cold meat or sandwich filling. braised. Beef paupiettes are usually referred to
as beef olives.
Pastry – An unleavened dough made from fat
(butter, margarine or lard), flour and Pavlova – A dessert consisting of a meringue
sometimes sugar, and bound with water. case filled with whipped cream and topped
Different types of pastry result from the kind with fresh fruit (usually including strawberries
of fat used and variation in the proportions of and passion fruit pulp). The dish is attributed
the ingredients. Shortcrust pastry forms the to Herbert Sachse, chef at a leading hotel in
containers for sweet and savoury pies, flans Perth, Western Australia, who created it in
and tarts; crisp, filo pastry and flaky puff 1935 and named it in memory of the 1929 visit
pastry are used for dishes ranging from to the city, by the ballerina Anna Pavlova.
sausage rolls to delicate desserts; hot water
crust pastry is used particularly for English
game pies. Pastry is also a general term for Pawpaw – See papaya.
sweet baked foods made with pastry dough.
Peach – A round, yellow to rosy pink, downy
Pastry Cream – See Crème Pâtissière. skinned, stone fruit with pale, fragrant, sweet,
juicy flesh. There are two main types: slipstone
or freestone (the flesh of which separates,
Pâté and Terrine – Preparations of minced easily from the stone), and clingstone (the
(ground) meat, poultry, game, fish, or flesh clings to the stone). The name comes
vegetables. In general, pâté is a fine-textured through the French from the Latin Persicum
paste or spread; the name ‘pâté’ comes from malum, Persian apple. Peaches are in season
the French pâté en croûte, a rich savoury meat, from summer to autumn; they are also
poultry or game mixtures that have been baked available canned, in syrup.
or sautéed, then pureed to a creamy
consistency. A terrine is usually coarser in
texture and is served sliced. Pâté is usually Peanut – Also called groundnut, the edible
served at room temperature, either spread on seed of a legume encased in brittle, pale brown
bread or dry biscuits (crackers) as finger food, pods that develop and ripen below ground.
or cut into thick slices as a first course. A type Peanuts can be eaten raw, roasted and salted as
of pâté was made in the days of ancient Rome, a savoury snack, or coated in toffee or
chiefly with pork, but sometimes including chocolate as a confectionery (candy). Peanuts
are important in the cooking of South East
Asia as satay sauces are added whole to dishes.
 A Culinary Dictionary 62

Peanuts are made into peanut butter and peanut whole. Petits pois, a variety of tiny, sweet
oil is extracted from them. tasting green peas popular in France, are
shelled before use. Peas may be boiled,
Peanut Butter – A spread made from roasted braised, steamed or microwaved and served
peanuts and used in sandwiches (it combines hot as a vegetable or added to soups,
well with celery, crisp bacon, raisins, honey casseroles, and salads. The familiar green peas
and jam), on toast or as an ingredient in grown to be eaten fresh was developed in Italy
homemade satay sauce. It is available as either in the seventeenth century; from there it was
a smooth, creamy paste or a crunchy version introduced into France. Christopher Columbus
containing pieces of crushed nut. Peanut butter is said to have planted the first peas in
was popularized in North America in the America. Fresh green peas are available for
twentieth Century. most of the year; green peas are also sold
frozen and freeze dried.
Peanut Oil – An oil made from peanut
kernels, used for frying and to make salad Pease Pudding – Split peas, soaked, boiled,
dressings. Mildest in flavour is the European mashed, and traditionally served with boiled
version; it is almost flavourless and used for salt pork. In bygone day’s butchers in the north
dressing delicately flavoured salads. American of England sold slabs of pease pudding along
peanut oil has a more nutty taste. Asian oil is with pork for reheating at home.
darker and more flavoured. It can be heated to
a very high temperature, so is good for frying.
Pecan Nut – An elliptical smooth-shelled nut
Pear – A tear-drop shaped fruit with yellow, containing a ridged kernel (similar in
green or light brown skin and juicy flesh. It appearance to a walnut kernel) with a sweet
can be eaten fresh, added to both fruit salads (it buttery flavour. Whole pecan kernels can be
blends particularly well with raspberries and eaten as a snack (either raw or roasted and
black currants) and savoury salads poached in salted) and are used whole in biscuit (cookies),
syrup or wine and used in many other desserts cakes, breads and the American favourite,
such as mousses, soufflés, and tarts. The pear pecan pie; chopped and ground nuts may be
originated in Asia. It was introduced into sprinkled on ice-cream, used in pastry fillings
Europe by the ancient Greeks and was popular are added to confectionery (candy). The pecan
fruit in ancient Rome. tree is native to Central North America. The
nuts are available in the shell or shelled in
Peas, Dried – The seeds of several varieties airtight packs.
of the common garden pea grown specifically
to be dried. They were an important vegetable
before peas become commonly available. Pêche Melba – A dessert consisting of
Dried peas may be whole with wrinkled skins peaches poached in vanilla syrup, chilled, then
intact, or husked and split in two at the natural served with vanilla ice-cream and fresh
division (split peas). In India whole dried peas raspberry puree. The dish was created for
are roasted and spiced as a snack food; in Australian diva Dame Nellie Melba by the
England, where they are known as ‘mushy esteemed French Chef Auguste Escoffier. It
peas’, they are soaked, simmered and served was inspired by Melba’s performance in the
either with fish and chips or poured over hot opera Lohengrin. The peaches and ice-cream
meat pies. Split peas are prepared from the were originally served between the wings of an
green and yellow field pea varieties of the ice-carved swan and covered with spun sugar.
common garden pea; they are sweeter and less
starchy than whole dried peas. Split peas are Pecorina – A sheep’s milk cheese made by
used for pea soup, pease pudding and in the cooked curd method (curd in ‘cooked’ in
Germany they are often baked with sauerkraut heated whey). There are two varieties,
and sour cream. pecorino romano, a hard, grating cheese (first
made near Rome), similar in taste and texture
Peas, Green – Small round, juicy green to parmesan and used mostly in cooking; and
seeds encased in a green pod, a popular pecorino fresco, a young, soft and mild-tasting
vegetable throughout the world. In most version that can be used as a table cheese.
varieties the pod is discarded, although it can Pecorino originated in southern Italy nearly
be used to make pea soup; some varieties such 2,000years ago and was traditionally made by
as the snow pea (mange tout) have very tender shepherds; the name comes from the Italian
pods that need only to be tailed before cooking word pecora, ewe.
 A Culinary Dictionary 63

Pectin – A natural gelling agent that occurs in crème the menthe. The leaves can also be
some fruits. When pectin-containing fruits are made into herb tea or chopped and sprinkled
cooked with sugar they set into a firm jam and over fruit salad. Rats are said to detest
jelly. Blackcurrant, red currants, citrus fruits, peppermint.
cooking apples, quinces, gooseberries, and
plums are high in pectin; strawberries and Pepper, Sweet – Also called Bell Pepper or
pears have very little. Under ripe or just capsicum. A large, mostly hollow, shiny
contains more pectin than over-ripe fruit. skinned fruit of a shrub native to tropical South
Commercial pectin is available in powdered America. Although a member of the same
form. family as the fiery chilli pepper, its crisp, moist
flesh is mild in flavour and is used as both a
Pepperoni – A sausage of Italian origin made salad and a cooked vegetable. Varieties include
from ground fat and flavoured with ground the red (the sweetest), green, yellow, orange,
chilli pepper and other spices. Pepperoni is and black. The stalk, white membrane, and
ready to eat without further cooking; its most seeds should be removed before use. Sweet
common use is as a pizza topping. pepper is used raw and thinly sliced in salads
and crudités, is cooked in casseroles, grilled
Pepino – Also known as melon pear and tree (broiled) or filled with various stuffings. It is
melon, an apple-sized, melon-shaped vine fruit an important ingredient in the cooking of
with smooth yellow-green skin streaked with Central America, the Mediterranean, and the
purple and pale juicy with a central cluster of Middle east and Asia. Sweet peppers are
edible seeds. Pepino can be eaten fresh in the available fresh throughout the year; sun-dried
same way as melon, diced and added to fruit peppers in oil are sometimes available. Paprika
salad, or lightly sautéed and served as an is the ground and dried flesh of a variety of
accompaniment to fish and meat. The fruit is sweet peppers.
native to Peru and Chile and was introduced
into Florida in the late nineteenth century. It is Persimmon – A smooth-skinned, tomato
in season from autumn to spring. shaped fruit with yellow to orange coloured
flesh that is soft, sweet and jelly-like when
Pepper – A pungent spice derived from the fully ripe, but otherwise has a sharp astringent
dried berry like fruit (peppercorn) of a tropical taste. Ripe persimmon pulp can be eaten plain,
climbing vine. Both white and black pepper as a fruit, added to fruit salad, mousses, and
come from the same plant but are picked at custards, or used to top ice-cream; it is also
different stages of maturity. Black pepper is made into jam. The persimmon is native to
pickled while the berries are still unripe; white Japan and china, where it has been cultivated
pepper comes from the berries that are allowed for more than a thousand years. Sharon fruit, a
to ripen before being harvested. They are then persimmon variety developed in Israel, can be
soaked in water to remove their skins. Black eaten raw, even when firm and under ripe.
and white pepper is used to flavour all types of Persimmon is in season in late autumn and
savoury food. early winter; it is also available dried.
For the best flavour ground pepper should be
added to hot dishes towards the end of cooking Pesto – A thick, uncooked sauce made by
time; in long cooking dishes tie peppercorns in blending together basil leaves olive oil, garlic,
a muslin (cheesecloth) bag and remove before pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese. Traditionally
serving. Green peppercorns are the berries it was made with a mortar and pestle, but can
picked while still green; they are usually also be made in a food processor. It is usually
preserved in brine and are used, sparingly, to served over pasta, although in Genoa, where it
flavour soups, stews, pâtés, and sauces. Pink originated (the sauce is also known as Pesto
peppercorns are the soft, almost ripe, berries of alla Genovese), it is also added to minestrone.
an unrelated South American tree; they are Pesto is the Italian word for paste.
used more for their colour than their flavour.
Pepper is best used freshly ground, as it goes Petits Fours – Fancy bite sized biscuit
stale very quickly. (cookies), cakes, or confectionery (candy)
usually served with coffee at the end of a meal.
Peppermint – A herb of the mint family
grown mainly for the oil distilled from its Pheasant – A game bird with delicately
leaves and flowers. Peppermint essence, it is flavoured white flesh, now raised
used to flavour confectionery (candy), commercially in many parts of the world.
chocolate filling, cake icings, and the liqueur Young birds can be roasted (baste frequently to
 A Culinary Dictionary 64

prevent the flesh from drying out). Pheasant Pimiento – A sweet pepper, long and thin in
can also be larded or covered with a layer of form and with mild-flavoured flesh that is cut
fat or bacon strips to keep the meat moist. into strips and used to add colour to a range of
Older birds should be casseroled or pot- foods. Skinned strips are used to add colour to
roasted. a range of foods. Skinned pimiento strips are
used in salads as an accompaniment to cold
Pickles and Relish – Preserves made of meats, as a garnish and as stuffing for pitted
vegetables such as onions, cucumber, olives. Pimiento ranges in colour from green to
cauliflower and sweet pepper, sliced if red, depending upon the ripeness of the fruit
necessary, soaked in brine, then rinsed, put when picked; it is available bottled or canned
into jars and covered with spiced vinegar. Eggs in oil or brine. Its dried and ground flesh,
and walnuts can also be picked. pimentón, is a spice similar to paprika, much
used in Spanish cooking.

Pie – A sweet or savoury mixture topped with Pineapple – A large, cylindrical tropical fruit
a pastry crust and baked; quite often pies have with thick skin, a crown of cactus-like leaves
a bottom crusted as well – these completely and fragrant, sharply sweet, juicy, yellow
enclosed pies are called double-crusted pies in flesh. Peeled, cored, and sliced, pineapple can
North America. The term ‘pie’ is also used in be eaten fresh, as a fruit; diced, it is added to
North America for a bottom crust with a fruit salad, savoury salad and is an ingredient
filling; in Britain this is usually called a tart. in sweet and sour dishes; chopped pineapple is
used in cakes; grilled (broiled) pineapple rings
Pigeon – A small game bird with rich dark are a traditional accompaniment for ham steaks
meat; a squab is a baby pigeon with milder (pineapple also combines well with chicken,
flavoured meat. Commercially raised squab pork and duck); pureed pineapple can be used
can be grilled (broiled) or roasted and the in drinks and sorbets; and pineapple can also
breast meat served rare, thinly sliced, topped be made into jam. Raw pineapple contains an
with a sauce; the flesh of a older birds and wild enzyme similar that found in papaya (pawpaw)
pigeons or dove birds tends to be tougher and which means it will not set in gelatin
long, slow cooking is best, either casseroled or preparations; however, the enzyme is not
roasted wrapped in brown fat or stuffed with present in the cooked or canned fruit.
sausage. Pigeons have been a popular food Pineapple is in peak season in spring, but can
since medieval times, when dovecots on the be usually be bought fresh throughout the year;
top of large houses provided meat throughout it is also available canned, juiced and glacéed
winter. (candied). The fruit was named for its
resemblance to a large pinecone.

Pikelet – Also known as Scottish pancake, a Pine Nut – The small, slender, soft, pale seed
small, thick, sweet pancake served warm or shed by the fully mature cone of certain types
cold with butter and jam or honey. of pine tree. Pine nuts add richness to
stuffings, sauces (such as Pesto), salads,
Pilaf (Pilau) – Rice lightly browned in oil, or vegetable dishes, stews, cakes and biscuits
butter then cooked in spiced stock; vegetables, (cookies) and are often used to garnish rice
meat, poultry or fish may be added halfway dishes.
through the cooking process. The rice is served
either fluffed with a fork and piled onto the Piroshki – Tiny filled Russian savoury
plate or pressed into an oiled ring mould, pastries, served hot as a finger food, as a first
which is turned onto a serving plate. Pilaf can course or as an accompaniment to soup. They
be main dish or an accompaniment. The dish is can be made with yeast dough, choux pastry,
of Middle Eastern origin (the name is derived short crust or puff pastry, and are filled with
from Persian word for ‘boiled rice’); rice is cream cheese, smoked pork, fish, chopped
prepared in a similar way in India & Pakistan. vegetables, game or poultry. They can be
baked or deep-fried.
Pimento – Also known as allspice and
Jamaica pepper, the dried and ground berries Pissaladière – A savoury flan with a filling
of a tree related to the myrtle and native to of onions simmered in olive oil, garnished with
Jamaica. The term is sometimes also applied to anchovy fillets and black olives, and then
the dried and ground flesh of the pimento, a baked. Pissaladière is a specialty of the Nice
sweet pepper grown in Spain. region of southern France and it is similar to
 A Culinary Dictionary 65

the Italian Pizza – the cooked onions are with each other to attract customers to their
placed on a circle of bread dough and coated tasty fare – the classic Neapolitan pizza has a
with a paste made of anchovy puree, olive oil, thin, crisp crust with a topping of tomato and
cloves, thyme, bayleaf and pepper. mozzarella cheese. In Rome pizza is made in
large, rectangular pans, cut into pieces and sold
Pistachio Nut – A small, oval nut with a by weight. Sicily is the home of the thick-crust
brown shell and a green kernel with a mild, or pan pizza, rolled thicker than the Neapolitan
slightly sweet taste. The nuts may be eaten original and baked in a greased pan.
from the shell, salted or unsalted as a snack;
shelled pistachio nuts are added to pâtés, Plantain – A tropical fruit closely related to
terrines, stuffings and spiced sausages and are the banana, but plumper and longer, with thick
used to garnish rice dishes; they are also used green skin and firmer, more fibrous flesh.
in confectionery (candy), ice-creams, cakes, Plantain is grilled (broiled), fried or barbecued
sweet pastry fillings and biscuits (cookies). and served as a vegetable, or it can be diced
The shells are sometimes dyed red, a practice and added to curries, soups, casseroles and
that began in the United States in the 1930s to omelettes; it can become bitter if overcooked.
cover blemishes. The pistachio nut is the fruit Raw plantain is never sweet, even when fully
of a tree native to the Middle East which is ripe. Young leaves can be used in soups and
now cultivated widely in the lands of the salads.
Mediterranean and in the south of United
States. Plum – A round fruit with smooth shiny skin
that ranges in colour from deep purple to
Pistou – A vegetable and pasta soup, similar green, yellow or red, depending on the variety;
to minestrone. It is seasoned just before it has sweet, juicy flesh and a flat stone. Raw
serving with a condiment of pounded basil plums can be eaten un-skinned as a snack;
leaves, mixed with oil and Parmesan cheese. A stoned, sliced and added to fruit salad; or
specialty of Provence, in southern France, pureed for use in sauces, ice-creams, and
pistou is closely related to the minestrone with deserts. Plums may be stewed or poached,
Pesto alla Genovese served across the made into fillings for pies and tarts, cooked in
Lingurian Sea in Northern Italy. The name fruit puddings and cakes or made into jam;
pistou is derived from the Italian word for spicy plum sauce combines well with roast
‘pestle’, and the soup is traditionally served meats (especially pork) and poultry. The plum
with the basil sauce in a mortar in the centre of is thought to have originated in western Asia.
the table to allow to diners to season their soup They grew in the Hanging Gardens of
to taste. Babylon; the Romans imported plum trees
from Damascus and improved the quality of
Pitta Bread – A slightly leavened soft, flat, the fruit by grafting and cross-fertilization.
and wheat flour bread baked until puffed and Plums are in season in summer and early
hollow. Pitta can be either cut in half across autumn; they are also available canned and
the middle or slit open at the edges; either way dried as prunes.
a pocket is formed which can then be filled
with hot meat (such as lamb cubes), vegetable Plum Pudding – A rich steamed or boiled
mixtures (such as falafel) or with salad. Cut or pudding made with dried fruit (prunes, raisins,
torn into smaller portions, pitta bread is the sultanas and glacé cherries), nuts, suet and rum
traditional accompaniment to dips such as or whisky. It has a dense, moist, cake-like
hummus bi tahini and baba ghannouj. It can texture. Plum pudding, decorated with holly
also be used as a pizza base. Pitta is of Middle flamed with brandy and served with brandy
Eastern origin. butter, traditional Christmas fare. Ice-creams,
whipped cream, or custard can also accompany
Pizza – A flat base of bread dough spread the pudding.
with various savoury toppings (tomato puree,
cheese, salami, ham, seafood, chopped Poach – To cook food by gently simmering it
vegetables, anchovy and olives), seasoned with in liquid in a shallow pan.
herbs and garlic, brushed with olive oil and
baked, traditionally in a wood fired oven. Pizza Polenta – Cornmeal (maize flour) cooked in
is eaten hot, as first course; small portions or butter until the consistency of thick of thick
miniature pizzas can be served as finger food. porridge. It can be eaten hot, on its own, or
Pizza originated in Naples, in southern Italy, mixed with Parmesan cheese and baked,
where nineteenth century street vendors vied grilled (broiled) or fried and served in wedges
 A Culinary Dictionary 66

as a vegetable dish. The mixture can be varied meat or vegetables; herbs, grated cheese, or
with the addition of chopped meat or sugar may be added to the batter.
vegetables; slices of cold polenta are often
fried in butter and served topped with tomato Poppy seed – The fine grey-blue seeds of the
sauce. Polenta has been a staple food in poppy plant. Poppy seeds have a strong, nutty
northern Italy since the arrival of corn from the flavour. They are often sprinkled on bread and
Americas in the sixteenth comes from puls, the savoury crackers, before baking; are added to
boiled grains (usually millet) fed to the early pasta and potato dishes, and are used to make
Roman soldiers. the traditional Jewish poppy seed cake. The
poppy is native to Asia.
Pomegranate – A round, reddish-golden
skinned fruit about the size of an orange. It is Pork – The meat of the domestic pig. Pale and
divided by walls of bitter-tasting pith into succulent, it has long been prized for its
several chambers, each containing numerous richness and flavour. Suckling or sucking pig
seeds embedded in sacs of sweet, deep pink, is an animal slaughtered at two months of age.
jelly-like pulp. The seeds and pulp can be Top quality pork should be pale pink, smooth
scooped from the shell and eaten or may be and finely grained with fat and smooth thin
added to fruit salad; pomegranate juice is used skin. Pork is suitable for roasting, grilling
to make grenadine syrup (a bright red, non- (broiling), barbecuing, pan-frying, and
alcoholic drink used as a colouring and casseroling; pork joints can also be pickled. It
flavouring for cocktails, ice-cream, fruit salad is healthiest to choose lean cuts and trim off
and other desserts). The pomegranate is of excess fat.
Asian origin and spread west to the African Pork is the main meat in the cooking of China
shores of the Mediterranean many thousand of and South East Asia. In China and Vietnam the
years ago. It was cultivated by the ancient plump pig is a symbol of prosperity. The
Hittites, Persians, and Egyptians. It has long animals also known for their fecundity – a sow
been regarded as a symbol of fertility. In Greek can have up to a dozen young litter. For
mythology Persephone, Goddess of spring, centuries pork was virtually the only meat
was condemned to spend half of each year in eaten by the communities of Europe – nothing
Hades for eating six forbidden pomegranate of the carcass was wasted, from the ears to the
seeds – when she emerged from the shades the trotters.
land quickened with the first sign of spring Nineteenth-century gastronomic writer Charles
and, on her return to the underworld, stilled Monselet described the pig as ‘nothing but an
with autumn. The pomegranate is in season in immense dish that walks while waiting to be
late autumn. served’. Pork is available fresh, cured in brine
or pickling solution or cured and smoked. It is
Popcorn – A snack made by heating the complemented by the flavours of sage and
kernels of a type of corn known as popping juniper berries.
corn. The moisture in the kernels changes to
steam, swelling the soft starchy interior until it Porridge – Oatmeal or rolled oats cooked in
bursts through the skin as a puffy white ball. water or milk until thick and creamy. Porridge
Popcorn is eaten as a snack, either with melted is usually served hot with milk and sugar, for
butter and salt or with a sweet coating. Packs breakfast, but it can also be eaten cold, with
of popping corn for cooking on the stovetop salt. Porridge is descended from gruel – which
(add to a little heated oil in a heavy lidded pan: was a staple of peasant diets.
it should start to pop in a minute or so and be
ready in another minute) and a special pop-in- Port – A rich, sweet, fortified wine used to
the-bag product for microwave ovens is flavour duck and game dishes, sauces (such as
available. Cumberland sauce), Pâtés, and desserts such as
jellies, creams and syrups for poached fruit.
Popover – An airy batter pudding or quick True port is made from a variety of grapes
bread made from a batter of flour, egg, and grown in northern Portugal and shipped
milk (very similar to the mixture used to make through the town of Oporto.
Yorkshire pudding). Popovers are baked in
greased muffin tins or cups in a very hot oven Port Salut – A semi-soft, pasteurized cow’s
so they rise quickly, forming a crisp, golden milk cheese with a smooth, savoury taste, a
shell while the inside remains moist and creamy texture, a reddish-orange rind and a
mostly hollow. Popovers should be eaten hot, golden interior with a few tiny holes. Port
either with butter and jam or honey, or split Salut (literally '‘Port of salvation'’) originated
open and filled with a savoury preparation of
 A Culinary Dictionary 67

in Brittany, north-western France, created by Praline – A confectionery (candy) made from

Trappist monks who found haven in a local almonds cooked in caramel, then cooled and
abbey after years of exile in Switzerland crushed to a powder and used as a decoration
following the French revolution. The cheese for desserts. Praline can also be sprinkled over
found instant popularity when it reached the ice-cream or custard, or baked into biscuits
markets of Paris in the 1870s. In the years (cookies), slices, and cakes.
following World War II the monks, unable to
keep pace with demand, sold the brand name Prawns (Shrimps) – A small claw-less
Saint Paulin to commercial dairies to produce a crustaceans with long antennae, slender legs
similar cheese. Port Salut should be served at and a long plump body. Prawns vary in size
room temperature on cheese boards with fresh and colour (from yellow, green, bluish-brown
or dried fruit, as a snack cheese and in to pale grey) according to species, but most
sandwiches; it is also cooked in savouries. become reddish-orange when cooked.
Varieties are found from the tropics to the
Potato – A starchy, tuberous root vegetable temperate and cold water, in both fresh and salt
with crisp white or yellow flesh and smooth water. The most widely eaten of all shellfish,
brown, russet, yellow or purple skin. A their firm, moist, sweet flesh forms the basis of
remarkably versatile vegetable, it can be numerous dishes in the cooking of many lands.
boiled, roasted, fried, baked or barbecued it is They are eaten boiled and cold with dipping
the classic accompaniment to fish and meat sauce as finger food and in salads; they are
courses or can itself form the basis of a main barbecued, battered and deep-fried, made into
course. New potatoes are small, young soups, curries, and stews, added to omelette,
potatoes; they have pearly translucent skin served with a variety of sauces and used as a
(which need not be removed and slightly waxy garnish. Prawns are available raw, cooked
flesh and are boiled whole and served with (either in their shells or with shells removed),
melted butter or used for making potato salad. frozen and canned.
Old potatoes are floury and are best for boiling
and mashing or for baking in their skins; they Pretzel – A savoury snack made with a yeast-
can also be used in soups and as pie topping. leavened dough that is formed into the shape
Slightly waxy potatoes roast well and are also of a loose knot, boiled in water, drained and
made into chips and French fries. Very waxy then brushed with egg and sprinkled with
potatoes are ideal for potato salad. The potato coarse salt before baking. It may be either
is native to South America and was first crusty, soft centered bread or a crunchy biscuit
cultivated high in the Andes as early as 5,000 (cracker). The pretzel originated in the Alsace
years ago. When introduced into England by region on the German borders where it was
Sir Francis Drake in the sixteenth century it traditionally served with beer. Commercially
soon found favour in Ireland, where it available pretzels are sometimes also made in
flourished in the poor soils where other food the form of long sticks.
crops failed; Sir Walter Raleigh is said to have
planted the first potatoes in Ireland in 1586.
Early in the eighteenth century the potato re Profitroles –A small, choux pastry puff with
crossed the Atlantic to the American colonies. a sweet or savoury filling. Profitroles are
However the acceptance was slower in probably best known as a dessert filled with
continental Europe. The French regarded it as crème pâtissière or Chantilly cream and topped
‘unsuitable for food’ and the vegetable was with chocolate, caramel, or coffee sauce.
shunned until the work of French agronomist
Auguste Parmentier in the late eighteenth Prosciutto – An Italian ham from the hind
century promoted it in a more favourable light leg of the pig, rubbed with salt and other dry
– it is now a staple food in France. Fresh seasonings and matured for eight to ten
potatoes are available throughout the year; months. It is deep pink, has a slight sheen, and
they are also available frozen, dehydrated and is usually served sliced wafer thin as a first
canned. course, although it may also be cooked as part
of another dish. Best known varieties are
Poultry – Domestic birds bred for their meat Parma Ham (this particular curing process
and eggs, such as chicken, duck, goose, guinea originated in Parma, in northern Italy) and
fowl, and turkey. Chicken is the most widely Daniele ham from the friuli region in the
eaten of all poultry, next is turkey. Poultry are north-east, reckoned by many to be the finest.
available whole or in portions, fresh, frozen or
cooked. Provençale, à la – A French term for dishes,
sauces and garnishes containing olive oil,
 A Culinary Dictionary 68

garlic and tomatoes, typical of the Provence dough. They are served hot with butter, golden
region of southern France. syrup or light corn syrup, or honey.

Provolone – A soft yellow, cow’s milk

cheese with a mild to sharp taste (depending Pulses – The edible seeds, usually dried, of
on age) and a smooth-textured interior free of pod bearing plants; they include lentils, beans,
holes. Provolone is made by the pasta filata or and peas. They are a rich source of protein,
stretched curd method in which the curd is vitamins, and minerals, making them important
kneaded and manipulated under hot water or in a vegetarian diet. Pulses have been a staple
whey. The cheese originated in Campania, in food in many parts of the world for thousands
southern Italy, and is descended from similar of years and today feature in the cooking of
cheeses made in Roman times. Provolone can many regions – China, the Middle East, Egypt,
be served with fruit and on cheese boards, and Africa and Central and South America.
is also a good cooking cheese.
Pumpernickel – A solid, dark-coloured,
Prune – The dried fruit of certain varieties of strongly flavoured bread made from a mixture
plum tree. Prunes have a dark, wrinkled of rye flour, rye meal and cracked rye grains.
appearance and sweet, rich flavour. They are
generally soaked and then gently stewed, and
served as a dessert or with breakfast cereal or Pumpkin – In north America called winter
as a filling for tarts and pastries. Prunes can be squash, the large, hard skinned fruit of a
wrapped with bacon and grilled to serve as trailing vine with golden, nutty-flavoured flesh
finger food or can accompany main course and a central cavity filled with flat, oval seeds.
savoury dishes, such as pork, rabbit, and game. There are many varieties ranging from small,
They can also be eaten as a snack (without the round golden nuggets, to bell-shaped
need to soak first). Sun-dried prunes have been butternuts, pear-shaped hubbards, cylindrical
known since the times of the ancient Romans; banana pumpkins and plump, ribbed
today dehydration is usually by artificial heat. Queensland blues. Pumpkin can be served as a
Prunes are sold (either pitted or un pitted) in vegetable-steamed, boiled (and mashed) or
vacuum-sealed packs and cans. baked; it can be stuffed, made into soups,
scones (biscuits), pancakes, sweet pies,
Puddings – A hot, sweet dish, traditionally cheesecake, bread and chutney. The fragrant,
steamed or baked, eaten at the end meal. trumpet-shaped blossoms can be chopped into
Puddings are many and varied and range from salads, fried in batter or stuffed; pumpkinseeds
the rich fruit puddings eaten on festive can be toasted, tossed in salt, and eaten as a
occasions to rice pudding and bread and butter snack. Pumpkins are native to the Americas
pudding. The term originally referred to all and were cultivated perhaps as early as 10,000
boiled dishes, and this tradition lives on in the years ago, predating by several thousands of
name of several savoury mixtures such as steak years the domestication of corn (maize) and
and kidney pudding and black pudding. beans. They reached Europe in the seventeenth
and nineteenth centuries when their properties
Puff Pastry – A rich, crisp, flaky pastry used of easy cultivation and long storage life made
for both sweet and savoury dishes. Its airiness them valuable as winter fare.
is achieved by a lengthy procedure of
repeatedly rolling and folding the dough to Punch – A hot or cold beverage consisting of
give it a multi-layered form. During baking the a mixture of fruit juice, water, often carbonated
pastry rises up four to five times its original liquid and sometimes alcohol. Apart from fruit
thickness. Although its invention is widely juices, ingredients can include champagne,
attributed to seventeenth century French wine, spirits, lemonade, soda, and mineral
landscape painter Claude Lorrain (who in his water.
youth trained as a pastry cook), it seems that
pastry was made in the fourteenth century (the Puree – A thick, creamy liquid or paste made
Bishop of Amiens listed puff pastry cakes in by processing a solid food in a blender or food
1311) and may even have been known in processor or pushing it through a sieve.
ancient Greece. Puff pastry is commercially
available frozen in sheets. Puri – A flat, unleavened deep-fried whole
meal Indian bread. The dough is rolled thin,
Puftaloon – Small cakes made by deep- cut into rounds and then deep-fried until puffed
frying rounds of a type of scone (biscuit) and golden brown.
 A Culinary Dictionary 69

quiche is a popular picnic food. The quiche

originated in Nancy, in Lorraine, on the

Q
Quail – A small game bird with mottled
French-German border, where it has been
known since the sixteenth century and was
originally made with bread dough Quiche
Lorraine, with a filling of egg and ham or
bacon, is a specialty of the region; true Quiche
Lorraine should never contain cheese, which is
thought to be Persian addition. The name
brown plumage found in flat open country in
Europe, Asia, North America, Africa, and comes from the German Kuchen, cake.
Australia. Quail can be roasted with a veal – or
pork-based stuffing, split, flattened and grilled Quince – A large, fragrant, yellow-skinned
(broiled), barbecued, pan-fried with grapes), or fruit, round to pear-shaped and usually too
casseroled. It has delicate flesh and care should hard and sour to eat raw, but which when
be taken not to dry it out-cover with bacon fat, cooked has soft, pink, delicately sweet flesh
wrap in vine leaves or baste frequently to keep with the slightly grainy texture of stewed pear.
the flesh moist. In northern Italy quail is often It is related to the apple and the pear. Quince is
marinated in wine, sage, rosemary, and pepper, stewed slowly as a filling for pies and taste,
then simmered in the marinade and served on baked whole as a dessert, made into quince
slices of grilled (broiled) polenta. Quail is best paste to serve with soft ripe cheese, roasted
in autumn, when the bird is plump, and the whole as an accompaniment for game; and,
flesh is full-flavoured. pectin-rich, is often into jellies, jams and
Quail eggs are plump shaped, greenish-beige conserves (the pectin level is highest if fruit is
with dark brown marking, and about one-third picked when greenish-yellow). Quinces
the size of hen’s eggs. They may be served preserved in syrup are an old-time dessert
hard-boiled in salads or in aspic, and are favourite in northern Italy. In Middle Eastern
available pickled. cooking it is often stuffed with pears, beans or
minced (ground) beef and spices.
Quark – Low fat curd cheese made in Austria The quince originated in Asia, and reached the
and Germany. It can have a smooth eastern Mediterranean in ancient times. It was
consistency or be in the form of small curds, popular with the ancient Greeks, who ate it
like cottage cheese. hollowed out and baked with honey. As fruit
traveled north and west, so its name changed –
in southern France kydonia became cydonia, in
Quatre Épices – See Four Spices. northern France, coing, and across the channel,
quince.
Queen of Puddings – A baked dessert In Greek mythology the quince was the famous
popular in nineteenth-century England golden apple awarded by Paris to Aphrodite,
consistency of a layer of breadcrumbs, milk goddess of love. Since the time of the ancients
and egg yolks, spread with strawberry jam, the fruit has been a symbol of love, marriage
cooked and cooled, then topped with meringue and fertility and in medieval Europe a gift of
made from the egg white and returned to the quinces was regarded as a declaration of some
oven until meringue is crisp. ardour.

Quenelle – A small, light, savoury dumpling

made from finely chopped or pureed fish, meat
or poultry, bound with egg and flour, formed
into an egg or sausage shape and poached.
Quenelles are usually served with a rich sauce
as a first course; small quenelles can also
garnish soup. The name comes from knödel,
dumpling.
R
Rabbit – A small, furred animal of the hare
family. Young rabbit bred for the table has
Quiche – An open tart with a thin pastry shell lean and tender white flesh similar to chicken;
(usually short crust) filled with a rich savoury wild rabbit has darker and more stringy meat.
egg custard flavoured with ham, cheese, onion, Rabbit is often marinated in wine seasoned
leek, spinach, mushroom, asparagus or with shallots, garlic and thyme before being
seafood. Quiche is usually served warm as a sautéed, stewed or casseroled; it can also be
first or a light main course; miniature versions roasted (care should be taken during cooking
are often served as finger food; and cold that the flesh does not dry out).
 A Culinary Dictionary 70

Radicchio – A salad vegetable with white raspberry originated in the cold climate of
stalks and crisp, reddish-purple, peppery northern Europe, Asia, and America.
flavoured leaves; the two main varieties are Raspberries are available fresh from mid
Verona (small and round with compact summer to autumn, and can also be bought
wrinkly leaves) and Treviso (long leaves). frozen.
Radicchio adds an interesting bitter bite to
mixed-leaf salads or it may be braised or Ratatouille – A stew of summer vegetables
grilled and served with meat or poultry. A originally from the Provence region of
variety of chicory (endive), radicchio is southern France and traditionally consisting of
available fresh throughout the year. eggplant (aubergine), zucchini (courgette),
onion, tomato and garlic. Sometimes red
Radish – A root vegetable with peppery pepper (capsicum) is added and the mixture is
tasting crunchy white flesh. The roots range in simmered in olive oil.
size, shape, and skin colour from small, round
and red to long, thin, and white. Radish is Ravigote Sauce – A seasoned spicy sauce.
eaten raw with dips, in salads and as a garnish; Cold ravigote, a vinaigrette mixed with capers,
it can be boiled or steamed as a vegetable. chopped herbs and onion, is served with cold
Daikon, a giant white radish, is an important meat and fish. Hot ravigote is made by cooking
ingredient in the cooking of Japan and China. chopped shallots in wine vinegar, then adding
The radish has been grown in China more than veal velouté sauce, and chopped parsley,
3,000 years; it was a favourite of the ancient tarragon, chives, and chervil. Ravigote butter is
world. Radish is available fresh throughout the flavoured with chopped shallots, herbs, and
year; Daikon is sold pickled. sometimes mustard.

Ragoût – A French term for a stew from Ravioli – Small squares of pasta dough filled
cubes of meat, poultry, fish, game or with meat, cheese, or vegetable mixtures then
vegetables cooked in a thickened, well- boiled in water and served with a sauce
seasoned broth. (usually sprinkled with grated Parmesan
cheese) as a first course or main dish. Ravioli
Raisin – A group of a sweet variety dried can be made at home or bought fresh or frozen.
either naturally in the sun or artificially.
Raisins are sprinkled on breakfast cereal, can Red Cabbage – A red-leafed cabbage,
be added to rice and salads, are used in similar in taste to green cabbage. Stewed with
fruitcakes, biscuits, and puddings, and can be apples, bacon, sugar, and nutmeg it is
served with cheese at the end of a meal. There traditionally served with game and roast beef.
are varieties with or without seeds. It is also pickled or served raw in salads.

Rambutan – A small oval fruit encased in a Red Currant – See Currant.

thick red skin covered with soft spines. Its pale
coloured translucent flesh has a similar taste to Reduce – To boil down a sauce or gravy in
a grape. Peeled and stoned, the rambutan is order to concentrate its flavour and thicken its
added to fruit-salad, green salad or fish salad, consistency.
and can also be served on a cheese board. The
rambutan is related to the lychee and longan Refresh – To plunge lightly boiled vegetables
and is available canned (in syrup). into cold water to halt the cooking process and
maintain their colour.
Rapeseed Oil – See Canola Oil.
Rémoulade Sauce – A mayonnaise-based
Rarebit – Also known as Welsh rarebit, a hot cold sauce flavoured with chopped tarragon,
snack consisting of cheese melted with beer, chervil, parsley, gherkin, capers, and
seasoned with mustard or Worcestershire sometimes anchovies. Rémoulade is served
sauce, spread on toast and browned under a with cold poultry, fish, shellfish (particularly
griller. crab and lobster), meat and eggs.

Raspberry – The soft, fragrant, juicy fruit of

a thorny plant related to the rose. Raspberries Rendang – A hot and spicy curry of
can be served fresh, with cream or ice-cream, Indonesian origin consisting of cubed beef,
added to fruit salad, pureed for use in desserts mutton or chicken fried with spices and then
and sauces or cooked as a filling in tarts. The
 A Culinary Dictionary 71

cooked slowly in coconut milk until the meat Rice Paper – A thin, almost transparent
is tender and the gravy thick and paste-like. edible paper made from the straw of rice. It is
used to wrap sweet and savoury foods;
Rennet – A substance made from the stomach macaroons are often baked on rice paper, as it
lining of unweaned calves. It is used to doesn’t need to be removed before the cakes
coagulate milk in the making of junket and are served.
hard cheese. Rennet is available in tablet form
(often in a variety of flavours) for junket Rice Vinegar – A mild flavoured, pale
making. yellow liquid distilled from fermented rice and
used in Chinese and Japanese cooking, and
Rhubarb – The pink, fleshy stalks of a leafy sometimes in salads dressings. It is sold in
vegetable cooked, sweetened, and eaten as a small bottles.
dessert or breakfast dish. The trimmed stalks
are cut into short lengths and stewed, poached Ricotta – A soft, smooth moist, white cheese
or baked in a sugar syrup until tender; serve with a bland, sweetish flavour. Traditionally
warm or cold or use as a filling for pies, tarts ricotta is made from whey, which when heated
and crumbles. The leaves contain poisonous coagulated in the same way as the white of an
oxalic acid and must not be eaten. Rhubarb is egg; sometimes skimmed or whole cow’s milk
sold fresh but is best in autumn and winter. is added, giving the cheese a creamier
consistency and a fuller flavour. Ricotta can be
served as a dessert with fruit or warm honey,
Rice – The small oval grain from a semi- used as filling for cheesecake, or mixed with a
aquatic grass cultivated in warm climates. An sharp-tasting soft cheese as a savoury spread or
important food (it is the staple of more than filling for cannelloni. Ricotta is bought fresh
half the world’s people), it is always eaten and must be used quickly.
cooked, either hot or cold. Brown rice is the
whole kernel with just the inedible husk Rigani – A variety of the herb oregano, which
removed; it has a chewy texture and a slightly is mostly used, dried rather than fresh. Much
nutty flavour. White (polished) rice is the inner used in Greek cooking, rigani is available dried
kernel. Types of rice include long grain, with in bunches or as crumbled leaves in small
long narrow kernels; sometimes called Indian packages.
rice (it includes aromatics varieties such as
basmati), this is the variety used in China and Rillettes – Also known as potted pork, a
South East Asia – when cooked the grains spread made from pork (or sometimes rabbit,
remain separate and it is used for plain boiled goose or poultry), seasoned with garlic, onions
rice, rice salads and in stuffings. Medium-grain and herbs, cooked slowly in lard and then
rice has plump oval kernels which when pounded to a paste. It is served spread on bread
cooked are moist enough to hold together yet or toast.
are still distinct; it can be used in place of
long-grain rice. Short-grain rice, also called
pearl, round or pudding rice, has almost round Risotto – Short-grained rice (arborio is best)
kernels that become sticky and cling together sautéed in butter or oil and then simmered
when cooked; it is the rice grown in Italy, and gently in stock until thick and creamy. A range
includes arborio, used to make risotto; in Spain of ingredients (especially shellfish, chicken
it is used in paella. It is suitable for puddings liver, beef marrow, savoury sausages and
and moulded rings and an Asian short-grained vegetables) can be added. Risotto with
variety called glutinous or sticky rice is the Parmesan cheese and extra butter is served in
preferred rice for sweet dishes in Asia. Italy as an alternative to pasta. Risotto means
Converted rice has been parboiled and then ‘little rice’.
dried; the starch content is reduced and the
cooked grain is especially fluffy. Wild rice is Rissole – A small ball of minced meat,
the seed of an aquatic grass native to the poultry, fish, or shellfish, coated in
Minnesota lakes of North America. breadcrumbs and fried or baked.

Roast – To cook food in the dry heat of an

Rice Flour – Also called rice powder, a flour oven, a method most often used for larger cuts
ground from milled rice; used in Asia to make of meat, poultry, or game. Roasting results in a
rice noodles and used commercially as a browned, crunchy crust and a moist interior.
thickening agent in cakes and puddings. Spit roasting involves rotating the food over a
naked flame.
 A Culinary Dictionary 72

Rock cake – A small individual cake with southeastern France. It is best served at room
firm texture and rough, rock like appearance temperature.
containing dried fruit. Rock cakes are eaten
warm or cold, buttered or plain. Rose Water – A liquid distilled from
fragrant rose petals and used particularly in the
Rockefeller Oyster – Oyster in the shell cooking of India and the Middle East. It
topped with a sauce of pureed spinach, onion, flavours Indian desserts such as gulabjamun
and celery, flavoured with a dash of either (rich, fried dumplings soaked in rose water
pernod or Tabasco, sprinkled with syrup) as well as creams, jellies and ices. Rose
breadcrumbs and cooked under a griller until water essence is much stronger than rose water
the top begins to brown. The Rockefeller and should be used sparingly.
oyster was created at Antoine’s a famous New
Orleans restaurant, and allegedly came by its Rosemary – The long, thin, aromatic, grey-
name when a customer described the dish ‘as green leaves of a perennial shrub used fresh or
rich as Rockefeller’. dry as a herb. Rosemary combines well with
lamb, veal, pig, poultry, and rabbit dishes.
Rocket (Arugula) – A salad green with Fresh young leaves can be chopped and added
slender deep green leaves similar in shape to to stuffings or leafy twigs can be placed in the
radish tops. Its spicy, bitter flavour roasting pan or thrown on the barbecue fire, a
complements other leaves in a mixed green sprig in a bottle of vinegar gives flavour to
salad. The older (and larger) the leaf, the more salad dressings; and the tiny, star-shaped, blue
pungent the flavour. flowers can be added to salads or crystallized.
Rosemary is easily grown.
Rockmelon – See Melon.
Rough Puff Pastry – A variation of puff
Roe – Hard roe is the massed eggs of the pastry, faster to prepare, which has crisp layers
female and includes sturgeon roe (better of flaky pastry but does not rise as much as
known as caviar), lump fish roe and salmon puff pastry. It is used for sausage rolls, pasties
roe. Milt or soft roe is the sperm of the male and meat pies.
fish; soft herring roe has a creamy, smooth
texture and is often fried in butter and served Rouille – A fiery sauce made from dried red
with lemon juice; the soft roe of cod and chilli pepper, olive oil, breadcrumbs and
mullet is blended with cooked potato, olive oil saffron pounded together. Rouille is served
and lemon juice to make the Greek dip with bouillabaisse or grilled fish.
taramasalata.
Roulade – A food rolled around a filling. It
Rollmop – A boned herring fillet rolled can be meat, poultry or fish rolled around
around a slice of onion or a gherkin, secured vegetables or other stuffing, a lightly cooked
with a wooden toothpick and pickled in spiced savoury or sweet soufflé mixture baked, spread
vinegar. Rollmops are available in jars. with a filling and rolled; or sponge cake
wrapped around a sweet filling.
Romaine Lettuce – Also known as cos, a
lettuce with long, crisp leaves; the outer leaves Roux – A mixture of butter and flour cooked
are dark and pungent, the inner leaves pale and over a low heat and used to thicken many
mild in taste. Romaine lettuce is the favoured sauces. Blended with milk it forms the basis of
variety used to make Caesar salad and is béchamel sauce; blended with veal or chicken
valued for its crispness. stock it makes - velouté sauce. Brown roux,
used to thicken espagnole and demi-glace
Romano – A hard grating cheese, usually sauces, is made by cooking the flour and butter
made from cow’s milk, similar in taste and mixture until it turns brown.
texture to Parmesan. When made with sheep’s
milk the cheese is called pecorino Romano. Rum – A spirit distilled from sugarcane and
used in cooking to flavour sweet foods such as
Roquefort – A creamy-textured, blue-vein, rich fruit cakes, pancake batters, dessert
ewe’s milk cheese with a pronounced aroma creams and mousses. Rum combines well with
and a pungent, salty flavour. The cheese is vegetable such as sweet potato & plantain.
matured for three months in the damp
limestone caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in Rum Baba – See Baba au Rhum
 A Culinary Dictionary 73

Rutabaga – See Swede. originally used medicinally but now used in

cooking especially in stuffings for poultry and
Rye – A cereal grain used to make bread pork and as a traditional flavouring for cottage
cakes and crisp breads. Cracked rye is cooked cheese. In Italian cooking it flavours veal and
with milk or water as a breakfast food. other meat dishes; in Germany it is used in eel
dishes; and in Greece sage tea is a popular
beverage. Sage is native to the northern shores
Rye Bread – A dark-coloured, dense- of the Mediterranean. It is available fresh or
textured bread with a slightly sour taste. It is dried.
commonly served with shellfish.
Sage Derby – A close textured cow’s milk
cheese flavoured with fresh sage leaves, which

S
give it a green hue with darker green streaks. It
is a variant of the English cheese, Derby. Serve
at room temperature on a cheese platter and as
a snack cheese.

Sago – tiny balls of starch prepared from the

starchy inner bark of the sago palm, a tree
Sabayon Sauce – A light, foamy sauce native to the swamps of Malaysia, the
made with whipped egg yolks, sugar and a Philippines, and India which, just before
liquid (usually dry or sweet white wine or flowering at 15 years of age, builds up a large
champagne) and served warm and foaming reserve of starch. Sago is used mainly as a
with puddings, cakes or fruit; it is a French dessert, cooked until transparent in sweetened
variation of the Italian dessert Zabaglione. milk, flavoured water, or coconut milk.

Sacher Torte – A dense chocolate cake with Saint Paulin – A pasteurized cow’s milk
two layers separated by a thin filling of apricot pressed curd cheese with a semi-soft texture
jam and the whole covered with smooth and a flavour ranging from buttery and slightly
chocolate. Created by Franz Sacher, chief sweet to tangy. Now factory-made all over
pastry cook to the Austrian statesman France, it is derived from Port Salut, a cheese
Metternich during the congress of Vienna first made in the early nineteenth century in the
(1814-15), the cake was later the cause of a Port-du-Salut monastery in Brittany.
protracted argument between Sacher’s
descendants and Vienna’s famous Demel
patisserie as to whether in its true form it had Sake – A Japanese alcoholic drink made from
two layers or was simply a cake spread with fermented rice. A sweet sake, mirin, is an
jam and then iced. important flavouring in Japanese cooking;
sweet sherry can be substituted.
Saffron – A spice made from the dried,
threadlike stamens of the saffron crocus. It is Salad – A mixture of foods, either savoury or
strongly fragrant and dark orange in colour. sweet, such as vegetables (raw or cooked) and
Saffron is very expensive – the small crocus salad greens, fresh fruits, seafood, poultry,
flower has only three stamens and each must meats, egg, pasta, and grains. Savoury salads
be plucked by hand; it takes more than are usually served with a dressing. In North
1,50,000 fresh flowers to produce 1 kilogram America a green salad is often served after the
(2.2 pounds) of dried saffron. Fortunately only first course and before the main course; in
scant amounts are needed to impart its unique many parts of Europe it is served with the main
flavour and colour. Saffron is used in fish course; in France it is served after the main
dishes, such as bouillabaisse, with rice (as in course. Salads featuring green beans, corn,
the Spanish dish, paella, and saffron rice, rice, tomato, potato or cabbage are often
popular in Indian and Asian cooking), in served as side dishes, while first and main
poultry and beef stews, in curries, tomato- course salads include Caesar salad, and salads
based sauces, sweet breads and biscuits of cheese, seafood, chicken, pasta, and meats.
(cookies). Saffron is best purchased as threads Fruit such as grapefruit segments, grapes, and
(to use, pound in a mortar and steep in warm cantaloupe (rockmelon) are added to savoury
liquid to bring out the flavour). salads.

Sage – A herb with grey-green aromatic Salad Dressing – A flavoured liquid used to
leaves with a pungent, slightly bitter flavour, moisten and flavour a salad; it can be a
 A Culinary Dictionary 74

sprinkling of lemon juice, or can be a mixture Salsify – A long, thin root vegetable with a
of olive oil and vinegar or a cold sauce such as delicate, oyster-like flavour. The most
mayonnaise. The dressing can be served mixed common variety has pale, almost white, flesh
through the salad or as an accompaniment. and light brown skin. A black-skinned variety,
known also as scorzonera, has cream-coloured
flesh. Salsify is usually boiled or sautéed and
Salami – A cured dry sausage made from served tossed in butter and parsley or with a
minced (ground pork and seasoned with garlic béchamel or cream sauce.
and other herbs and spices; it is sometimes
smoked and can be flavoured with red wine. Salt – A white odourless and sharp-tasting
Salami is served thinly sliced as finger food, in crystalline powder, sodium chloride, used as a
salads and sandwiches and as a pizza topping. seasoning and preserving agent. Salt can be
The sausage is thought to have originated in mined from seams of rock salt trapped
the ancient city of Salamis, in Cyprus, but is underground (it is then boiled down and
now commonly associated with Italy; crystallized) or obtained through the
distinctive types of salami are also made in evaporation of seawater or from inland salt
Denmark, Hungary, Austria, Spain, and pans. Table salt is finely ground rock salt with
Germany. additives to make it free flowing. Kosher salt is
an evaporated salt with large, irregularly
shaped crystals free from additives and iodine.
Salmon – A large fish that depends most of Bay and sea salt, in the form of small, brittle
the year in Cooler Ocean waters, but swims up chunks and flakes, is produced by evaporation
rivers to spawn in fresh water. It has delicately and has an intensely salty taste; it should be
flavoured fatty pink flesh. Salmon may be crushed in a mortar or mill before use. In
grilled (broiled), baked or poached; the flesh North America ‘rock salt’ refers to non-edible
may also be smoked or salted. It is used in salt used for ice-cream machines.
many traditional dishes such as the
Scandinavian gravlax (raw salmon salted and Saltimbocca – A dish consisting of thin
marinated with dill and pepper) and the slices of veal sautéed in butter, then topped
Russian Koulibiac (a fish and vegetable pie). with ham or prosciutto and sage and gently
Smoked salmon is served cold, thinly sliced, braised in white wine (rolled up or left flat,
with lemon and capers, or with cream cheese either way secured with a toothpick).
or horseradish sauce, and often accompanied
by bread, toast or blinis, it can also be Sambal – An accompaniment to an
incorporated in various hot and cold dishes; Indonesian curry or rice meal. Sambals are
including mousses, dips, crêpes, omelettes and made with chilli peppers; minced onion, oil
scrambled eggs, and tossed through steaming and lime juice and they are often varied by the
pasta. addition of other ingredients such as shrimp
paste or tomato.
Salmon was once abundant in northern
Atlantic waters; it was the most commonly
eaten fish in the medieval Europe and by the Sambal Oelek – A hot chilli relish used in
seventeenth century the fish was still so Indonesian cooking. Sambal Oelek is
plentiful in Scottish streams that employers commercially available; it can also be made at
were forbidden by law from feeding it to their home in a food processor by blending about 20
servants more than three times a week. Salmon fresh chillies, roughly chopped, with 1-2
is now formed in many parts of the world. tablespoon vinegar. Place in a sterilized jar and
Fresh salmon can be bought whole, or as store in the refrigerator for up to one month.
cutlets or fillets; it is also available smoked You can use it to replace fresh chillies in
and in cans. almost ant dish. Take care when handling
chillies – wear plastic gloves and keep hands
away from the eyes.
Salsa – A highly seasoned, chunky sauce
based on tomato, chilli, garlic, and onion,
served as an accompaniment to Mexican and Samosa – A small savoury snack of Indian
Tex-Mex dishes. Salsas can be fresh or cooked origin consisting of a spiced and seasoned
and range in flavour from mild to fiery. mixture of minced (ground) meat and chopped
Commercially made varieties are available vegetables encased in a semi-circle of pastry
from supermarkets and specialist food stores. and fried in ghee or oil. Samosa should be
Salsa is now often used as a generic word served hot, accompanied by mint or coriander
sauce. chutney.
 A Culinary Dictionary 75

Sandwich – In its simplest form a sandwich (flounder and sea bream), garnished with
is a savoury or sweet filling or spread grated daikon (giant white radish), shredded
contained between two slices of bread to make lettuce, cucumber, thin strips of carrot or finely
an eat-in-the-hand meal. There are many chopped ginger and accompanied by a dipping
variations, including Danish or open sauce of wasabi (a pungent horseradish sauce),
sandwiches, with substantial toppings piled dark soy sauce and sweet cooking wine.
high; rolled sandwiches, with the bread rolled Sashimi is generally served as a first course.
around a filling; ribbon sandwiches made from
three layers of bread (alternate slices of white
and brown bread; and sandwiches with hot Satay – Small morsels of marinated beef,
filling (bacon, roast beef, grilled steak). In lamb, pork, poultry, or seafood, threaded on
France the name has been adopted for a length bamboo or wooden skewers and grilled. Satays
of crusty baguette, split and opened and filled are served hot, accompanied by peanut sauce
with pâté, ham or cheese. The sandwich takes and cubes of cucumber as a first course. Satays
its name from the Earl of Sandwich (1718-92) are found in the cooking of South East Asia,
who, during a long gambling session, asked his especially Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore,
servant to keep him supplied with sliced beef where they are often cooked on small charcoal
between two pieces of bread. braziers by street vendors.

Sapodilla – a round fruit with thin, leathery Sauce – A hot or cold seasoned liquid served
green to brown skin and pale, sweet flesh with with a dish to add flavour to it. A sauce may be
a custard-like texture tasting somewhat like thick or thin, strained or chunky Classic
soft brown sugar. It can be eaten scooped from French sauces may be based on a roux of
the shell, chopped into fruit salad, or pureed butter and flour (béchamel, brown sauce), on a
and added to ice-cream. The sapodilla tree is butter emulsion (béarnaise, hollandaise), or on
native to Central America and the Caribbean a cold emulsion of oil and egg yolks
and was taken to the Philippines by the (mayonnaise); all can be varied with addition
Spanish. A milky latex obtained from its bark of a great variety of other ingredients. Other
is used as the basis for chewing gum. sauces are based on puréed vegetables or fruit
(coulis), groundnuts (satay sauce), cooked
Sapote – A tropical fruit from Central tomato (ketchup), cream, yoghurt, cream
America. The black sapote, also known as the cheeses and oils. Sweet sauces include
pudding fruit, is similar in size and shape to a custards, rich cream sauces and fruit purees.
persimmon. It has green skin and soft, sweet, Many sauces are commercially available,
dark brown flesh. It can be eaten scooped either bottled, canned or dry in packets, to be
straight from the skin, puréed as a sauce or mixed with water, milk or stock.
added to ice-cream. The white sapote, also
green-skinned, has pale yellow, buttery- Sauerbraten – A dish of German origin
textured sweet flesh. consisting of beef or pork marinated (for one
to three days) in a spiced vinegar or red wine
Sardine – A small, silvery, saltwater fish with mixture, then cooked slowly in the mixture. It
tender, strong-flavoured, dark, oily flesh. Fresh is served hot and thinly sliced, traditionally
sardines are best grilled (broiled) or dusted accompanied by the thickened marinade,
with flour, quickly pan-fried and served hot dumplings, and red cabbage.
with boiled potatoes and wedge of lemon. The
sardine is a member of the herring family. Sauerkraut – White cabbage, sliced wafer
From ancient times in southern Europe it was thin, salted to draw out moisture then
salted for use in inland areas. In medieval fermented in brine for four to six weeks.
France, sardines preserved in oil or vinegar Braised or stewed (sometimes with additional
were packed into earthenware jars distribution ingredients such as sliced apple, onion or
in areas far from the sea. The fish is named juniper berries) sauerkraut is the classic
after the Mediterranean Island of Sardinia, accompaniment to roast goose, boiled pork,
once centre of a fishing industry based on this frankfurter and smoked sausage. Workers on
small fish. Sardines are available fresh, frozen the Great Wall of China ate fermented cabbage
and canned. more than 2,000 years ago. In ancient Gaul,
food, including cabbage, was salted for the
Sashimi – A dish of Japanese origin winter and by medieval times salted fermented
consisting of slices of raw, very fresh fish cut cabbage was a staple throughout central and
into cubes (tuna or salmon) or sliced paper thin Eastern Europe.
 A Culinary Dictionary 76

Sausage – Minced meat or poultry, seasoned Schnitzel, used in the famous dish
and mixed with a little ground cereal or Wienerschnitzel). The term ‘scaloppine’ is
crumbled bread and usually stuffed into a tube- often extended to include a dish of northern
like casing. Sausages are an ancient way of Italian origin in which the slices are coated in
making sure that every edible part of the flour, fried in butter or oil and served with a
carcass was used (including the cleaned tomato or wine sauce.
intestine, traditionally used as casing). The
mixture was often preserved by salting – the Scampi – The Italian name for a large marine
word ‘sausage’ comes from the Latin salsus, Prawn (shrimp) with long, thin claws. When
salted. cooked they have delicately flavoured white
Sausage Roll – A roll of minced meat, flesh and are often served cooked in butter,
seasoned with herbs and spices, encased in garlic, white wine, and herbs or fried in batter
puff or flaky pastry and baked. Sausage rolls (scampi fritti). The French name is
are eaten hot as a snack or finger food. They Langoustine.
originated as a way of using up leftovers.
Schnitzel – See Scaloppine.
Sauté – To cook food in a frying pan in a
small amount of hot butter or oil until brown. Scone – A small plain cake made from a
simple flour and milk dough raised with
Savarin – A large ring-shaped cake made of baking powder or bicarbonate of soda (baking
baba dough without raisins. After cooking it is soda); in North America such a cake is known
soaked with rum-flavoured syrup and the by the term ‘biscuit’, and the term ‘scone’
centre filled with crème pâtissière refers to a plain or sweet quick bread made
(confectioners custard) or Chantilly cream and from a richer dough that usually contains egg.
fruit. Scones are served freshly baked, split in half,
with butter or cream and jam or honey as a
Saveloy – A small, plump sausage made with light mid-morning or mid-afternoon meal;
pork, seasoned with pepper and garlic and scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam
sometimes smoked. are the basis of Devonshire tea. Dried fruit can
be added to the dough or, for a savoury scones
(biscuits) are often served as an
Savory, Summer and Winter – Two accompaniment to a meal or may be split open
similar aromatic herbs with a delicate, peppery to sandwich fillings such as smoked turkey and
flavour slightly reminiscent of sage and mint. ham.
They are used in stuffings and often added to Scones originated in Scotland and were
cooked broad beans. Summer savory, an originally cooked on a griddle (a thick flat iron
annual, has silvery green leaves and a sweeter with a handle).
taste. Winter savoury is a perennial with stiffer
leaves.
Score – To make incisions on the outer
surface of a food in order to decorate it to
Scald – To heat a liquid, especially milk, to allow the penetration of a marinade, or in the
the temperature when tiny bubbles appear at case of some fruits (such as an apple) to
the edge of the pan. The term also means to prevent the skin from splitting during baking.
plunge fruit or vegetables into boiling water to
remove impurities or make peeling easier.
Scotch Egg – A hard-boiled egg, shelled and
encased in sausage mince, coated with
Scallop – A mollusk with a distinctive, breadcrumbs and deep-fried. Scotch eggs may
ribbed, fan shaped, hinged shell. It propels be eaten hot or cold.
itself by using a large muscle to successively
open and shut its shell; it is this muscle,
creamy-white to creamy pink in colour, that is Scottish Food – Scotland is popularly
eaten – the pinky-orange roe, also edible, is identified with the uncomplicated and
sometimes discarded. Scallops are generally sustaining foods needed before facing its
cooked and served on the shell. Cold poached bracing air. Steaming porridge, warming
scallops can feature in a seafood salad. broths, oatmeal cakes and haggis – traditional
fare of Highland crofting communities – are a
response to the climate, which, although
Scaloppine – A small thin slice of boneless inhospitable in so many ways, is ideal for
veal cut across the grain and flattened (in growing the staple oats. The region is also the
France known as escalope, in Germany as home of some exceptionally fine food, based
 A Culinary Dictionary 77

on high quality local ingredients and in its radiating needle-sharp spines; it is an

preparation showing the influence of the old echinoderm, not a mollusk. The edible part is
alliance between Scotland and France – for the bright red-orange roe, which has a salty
centuries the kitchens of Highland landed taste and the consistency of raw egg.
gentry have produced dishes such as cream
soups, game braised in wine, rich sauces and Semolina – A food made by coarsely
pastries; estate streams teem with salmon and grinding hard durum wheat. Semolina is used
trout, the heaths supply grouse and the forests to make milk puddings, cakes, custards, and
and fields venison and hare. In the Lowlands biscuits (cookies). Semolina flour, milled from
and the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, the heart of durum wheat, is used to make
where wheat flour has always been more pasta.
widely used, there are delicious breads, buns,
scones (small cakes known as biscuit in North Sesame Oil – A strongly flavoured amber-
America) and cakes. In Scotland the day coloured oil pressed from roasted sesame
begins with a nourishing cooked breakfast of seeds. It is used in Chinese cooking, mainly as
oatmeal porridge (traditionally eaten without a flavouring; in Japan sesame oil is blended
sugar), fried ham and eggs, or fresh fish, with other oils to fry tempura. When heated
kippers or perhaps finnan haddie (smoked sesame oil loses much of its flavour. Cleopatra
haddock, a specialty of the north-eastern coast is said to have used it as a skin oil; thirteenth-
and delicious poached in milk), followed by century Venetian traveler Marco Polo praised
toast, oat cakes or warm baps with marmalade it as the best oil he tasted during his journeys.
and tea or coffee. The main meal of the day is Sesame oil is available from supermarkets and
taken at midday and usually includes soup Asian food stores.
(which, if it is thick broth or a meat soup, may
be served over a boiled potato as the main
course) and fish (such as trout, salmon, Sesame Seeds – Also known as benne seeds
haddock, halibut or cod), meat (beef or lamb), the small oval seeds of a semi-tropical plant.
game or meats prepared in sausages (such as Lightly toasted seeds can be tossed through
haggis), pies or black puddings. Steamed and salads, vegetable dishes, stuffings, and stews;
baked puddings or fruit (especially berry) tarts raw seeds are often sprinkled on bread, buns,
complete the meal. A light supper called ‘high and biscuits (cookies) before baking. In the
tea’, of foods such as cold meats, shepherd’s Middle East ground sesame seeds are used to
pie, fish and chips or bacon and eggs is eaten make the confectionery (candy) halva and the
in the evening. Cakes, scones, buns, and dressing tahini. In Africa the seeds are roasted
biscuits (cookies) are always on hand, and and eaten like peanuts and are also ground into
specialties include butter rich shortbread and a flour. In Japan and Korea freshly roasted
the almond encrusted Dundee cake. The then lightly crushed seeds are added to dips
national drink, of course is whisky. and dressings; in China whole roasted seeds
are used as a garnish and are ground into a
brown and nutty flavoured paste.
Seafood – A collective term for edible fish
and shellfish. A mixture of seafood, usually
including squid (calamari), peeled prawns Shallot – A small onion, similar in shape to a
(shrimp), crab meat and baby octopus is often clove of garlic, with a reddish-brown skin and
sold under the name ‘marinara mix’ and is purple-tinged white flesh with a mild flavour.
used for adding to a tomato sauce for spaghetti Shallots bulbs and leaves are used raw, finely
marinara or sprinkling on a dough to make a chopped in salads, and are cooked; they are
seafood pizza. A mixture of two or three types widely used in the cooking of northern France
of seafood is often served accompanied by a to flavour sauces to flavour sauces and
mayonnaise-based sauce and bread and butter. casseroles.

Sear – To quickly brown the surface of a Shashlik – The Russian name for cubes of
food, usually meat, using a very high heat. It is mutton or lamb marinated in vinegar and oil
done to seal in the juices. flavoured with thyme, nutmeg, onion, and
bayleaf, then grilled (broiled). Shaslik is
similar to the Middle – Eastern kebab.
Seasonings – An ingredient added to a food
to heighten its natural flavour.
Shellfish – An edible water animal with a
shell or carapace. There are three main classes:
Sea Urchin – A marine animal with a soft crustaceans, including lobsters, crabs, prawns
body encased in a hard, spherical shell with (shrimps) and crayfish; mollusk, including
 A Culinary Dictionary 78

oysters, scallops, mussels, clams and whelks; blueberries or peaches); the top is also spread
and caphalopods (with a reduced internal shell with cream and fruit. Shortcake is American in
and technically classed as mollusks) namely, origin and gets its name from the ‘short’ (rich
squid, cuttle fish and octopus. and crumbly) dough used in its preparation.

Shepherd’s Pie – A dish consisting of finely

chopped or minced (ground) cooked lamb, Shortcrust Pastry – A simple, rich, crumbly
fried onion and stock, seasoned with pastry made by rubbing fat (butter, margarine
worcestershire sauce, thickened with flour and or lard) into flour, then stirring in just enough
simmered, the mixture is transferred to a pie liquid – usually water – to hold the mixture
dish, topped with mashed potato and then together; the dough should be chilled before
browned under a grill (broiler). Cottage pie is a use. Shortcrust is used for pie crusts and tart
similar dish using beef. Both were created to bases. It can be sweetened with sugar, enriched
use leftover roast meat. with egg or made into a savoury crust by the
addition of herbs or grated cheese. Readymade
Sherbet – A smooth, iced dessert consisting frozen shortcrust pastry is available.
of milk, sugar, sometimes gelatin or egg white
and a sharp-tasting fruit flavouring, usually Shortening – A fat used for frying and
citrus. Sherbet is softer and less rich than ice- baking, usually made from vegetable oils
cream and although similar, lacks the biting although animal fat is sometimes added.
fruity tang of sherbet (which does not include Shortening is used in doughs, pastries
milk. It can be served topped with a few (especially to make crisp shortcrust pie crusts),
spoonfuls of champagne or liqueur and breads and cakes.
accompanied by sliced fresh fruit. Both sherbet
and sorbet have their origins in ancient Persia - Short Soup – Also known as wonton soup, a
–the word ‘sherbet’ comes from sharbia, the Chinese soup consisting of chicken stock,
Arabic word for ‘drink’. Sherbet is noodle dumplings filled with minced (ground)
commercially available or can be made at meat mixtures and sometimes garnished with
home. chopped spring onion (scallion).

Sherry – A fortified wine produced in Spain Shrimp – A small prawn; pink shrimps are
and usually taken as a pre-dinner drink. Both found on the Atlantic coasts of northern
dry sherry and sweet sherry are used in the Europe as well as the West Coast of North
cooking of savoury dishes (especially sauces, America; grey shrimps are caught off Britain
game stews, and chicken dishes – usually and northern France. Both are used in bisques
added just before serving), and sweet dishes and salads. In North America the term is used
(such as trifle and other cold desserts). Sherry for all prawns, whatever the size.
was imported into England after the sixteenth
century from the Spanish port of Jerez de la Shrimp Paste – An extremely pungent
Frontera – the name sherry derives from seasoning paste made from sun-dried, salted
attempts to render jerez into English. prawns (shrimps). In the cooking of South-East
Asia in flavours curries and dipping sauces;
Shish Kebab – See Kebab. use sparingly.

Shortbread –A rich buttery, slightly sweet, Siena Cake – See Panforte.

thick biscuit (cookie) made from flour, sugar
and butter only. Shortbread originated in Silver Beat – Also known as Swiss Chard, a
Scotland; it is usually baked in a round pan, leaf vegetable with large bubble – textured,
scored into segments before baking but can spinach-flavoured leaves and fleshy white
also be cut in rectangular fingers. In Britain it celery like stems. The green leaves are cooked
is a traditional Christmas fare. and eaten like spinach, or finely chopped may
be added to salads.
Shortcake – A cake made from a dough
similar to that used for scones (biscuits) but
enriched with butter, sugar and milk or cream. Silverside – A large cut of beef, the boneless
Sponge cake can also be used. Shortcake is outer part of the top of the hind-leg (butt).
usually served as a dessert, split horizontally Silverside is usually prepared as corned beef,
and filled with sweetened whipped cream and but fresh cuts can be roasted or pot-roasted.
sliced fruit (usually strawberries, but also
 A Culinary Dictionary 79

Simmer – To cook food in a liquid that is just Sorbets can be served in a tall glass or shallow
below boiling point. When a liquid is dish, and topped with a few spoonfuls of
simmering bubbles form but usually burst liqueur or champagne, garnished with frosted
before they reach the surface. fruits or accompanied by a pureed fruit juice.
Sometimes a small scoop is served between
Simmel cake – A rich fruit cake sandwiched courses to refresh the palate; a savoury sorbet
and coated with almond paste and now (such as thyme, rosemary, avocado, or olive)
traditionally associated with Easter, although it can be served as an accompaniment to a meat
was originally made for Mothering Sunday, in course.
May. Both sorbet and sherbet reached Europe
through ancient Persia – the word sherbet
Sirloin – A cut of beef from between the comes from sharbia, the Arabic word for
rump and the ribs. Sirloin, porterhouse and T- ‘drink’ – although iced fruit drinks may have
bone steaks are taken from it; it may also be originated in ancient China. ‘Sorbet’ is the
divided into roasting pieces. French version of the word.

Smørrebrød – See Danish Open Sandwich. Sorghum – A cereal which is a staple food in
parts of Africa and Asia where it is cooked like
Snail – A small, soft-bodied, land-dwelling rice, or ground into a flour and made into
mollusk. Some snails are prized as food, porridge and flat cakes. A fermented drink is
especially in Europe. The are usually cooked also made from its seeds. Ground sorghum is
with garlic butter and served in the shell. available for use in stews or as a porridge.
Snails are commercially raised, often on a diet
of cabbage, wheat, or oats. Most highly Sorrel – A green, leafy plant with a bitter,
regarded in France is the Burgundy or Roman slightly lemony flavour sorrel is usually
snail, fed on vine leaves from the Burgundy cooked, like spinach; it can be pureed as an
vineyards. The Romans were probably the omelette filling or made into a soup; very
farm snails, snails are available canned; the young and tender leaves can be added
shells are sold separately. Snails are called (sparingly) to a green salad; and it is often used
escargots in France. as a stuffing for fish.
Sorrel is native to Europe; in ancient times it
Snow Peas (Mange Tout) and Sugar was eaten to offset the richness of some foods.
Snap Peas – Bright green varieties of pea It is especially popular in the cooking of
with sweet, delicately flavoured pods, which Provence, in southern France. The name is
are eaten whole. Snow peas are harvested derived from the Greek word for sour.
when the peas are still immature; sugar peas
are fully mature but the pod is so tender that Soufflé – A light and fluffy egg dish, either
they can be cooked and eaten unshelled. Both savoury or sweet. There are two types: hot and
can be added, raw to salads. To prepare either cold. The airy texture of a hot soufflé is
pea, break off the stalk end and remove any achieved by folding stiffly whisked egg whites
string; lightly boil or steam and serve while through a warm sauce or puree; air trapped in
still crisp. Snow peas are popular in Asian the white causes the soufflé to rise when
cooking. baked. Hot soufflé must be served
immediately. A cold soufflé is a mousse-like
Soda Bread – A bread in which the mixture lightened with whipped egg-whites; it
leavening agent is a combination of is set in a mould with sides extended by foil.
bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and
buttermilk (or some other acid ingredients), Soup – A liquid food made from meat,
which react together to generate bubbles of poultry, or fish, usually with vegetables, or
carbon dioxide. Traditional Irish soda bread from one or more vegetables and usually
contains only local wholesome flour, served hot. A soup course is often served at the
buttermilk, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) start of a meal, or, if thick and hearty, may be a
and salt; it is scored with a deep cross for even meal in itself. The wide range of soups
baking. includes clear consommés with cream, meat
and vegetable mixture thickened with a roux
Sorbet – A smooth, sharp tasting iced dessert and cold soups.
which consist of sugar syrup and fruit juice or
sometimes a liquor (such as Calvados) or Sour Cream – Cream to which to which a
champagne. special culture has been added to give it a
 A Culinary Dictionary 80

sharp, slightly sour taste. it is thicker than pure Spanish Food – Spain shares with its
fresh cream. Sour cream is used in soups, Mediterranean neighbours access to a myriad
savoury dips, and salad dressings; as filling for of fish and shellfish, the use of aromatic
jacket potatoes and in cheesecake. It is used hillside herbs and the Roman legacy of olives.
particularly in eastern European cooking. From the Phoenicians came the chickpea
(garbanzo bean) and the salting of fish.
Sourdough – Fermented dough, saved when However what makes Spanish cuisine distinct
making a batch of bread and used instead of is the Muslim/Arab influence of the Moors,
yeast as a starter when making the next batch. who ruled the country from the eighth to the
fifteenth century. From this period comes the
Soursop – Also called prickly custard apple, emphasis on spices and seasonings, with an
the green-skinned, heart-shaped fruit of a small array introduced including nutmeg, cloves,
tree native to tropical America. saffron, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric and
vanilla. The Moors were keen agriculturists;
Soy Bean – An oval bean, about the size of they built irrigation system to open up farming
the common pea, borne in hairy pods on a bush lands and planted citrus groves, especially the
native to China. Most common is the creamy- orange, throughout Spain; they also introduced
yellow variety, but they can also be red, eggplant (aubergine) and asparagus, apricots
purple, brown, or black. Soy beans are valued and pomegranates, almonds and pistachios,
for their high vegetable protein content and can rice and sugar; Arab culinary influence is also
be eaten in a number of ways: fresh, dried, seen in Spain’s syrup-soaked pastries.
sprouting, ground and as bean curd and soy- The next major strand in the development of
bean milk. Miso, widely used in the cooking of Spanish cuisine was the introduction of new
Japan, is a paste of fermented, salted soy-bean. foods from the Americans – sweet pepper
Dried soy-beans are used in soups, stews, and (capsicum), chilli and tomato, all now firmly
casseroles. identified with national dishes, and potato and
chocolate (chocolate drinks were long
favoured in Spain as a daily energizer before
Soy Sauce – A dark, salty sauce of Chinese coffee became widely available). Regardless of
origin made from fermented roasted soy beans, all these influences Spanish cooking is still
another grain (usually wheat) and brine; the fairly basic, relying on quality fresh produce
mixture is aged for up two years, then filtered and natural flavouring-garlic, onion, pepper
and bottled. Dark soy sauce is aged longer and (capsicum), olive oil, saffron and cumin-rather
towards the end of processing is tinted and than complicated techniques. Pork is the
flavoured with molasses. Soy sauce is common meat of the region.
indispensable in Asian cooking; it is used as a The traditional start to the day is a breakfast of
seasoning and marinade and adds flavour and churros (sugared twists of fried pastry) with
colour to many dishes. Chinese cooking uses coffee or thick, chocolate-flavoured milk. At
both dark and light soy sauce: light is used midday most Spaniards meet friends in cafés
with seafood, chicken, vegetables, soups and in pick at tapas (platters of finger food that can
dipping sauces; dark soy sauce is used in red include olives, pickled vegetables, fried and
meat dishes. Japanese soy sauce, shoyu, is marinate seafoods and savoury pastries) before
usually sweeter and less salty than the Chinese taking the day (comida), a leisurely affair that
variety; in Indonesia, kecap manis, a thick, can stretch over several hours. The Spanish
dark, sweetened soy sauce, is often used. traditionally begin a meal with a green salad, a
A seasoning made from fermented soy beans, habit that seems to date from the time of
known as shih, was in use in China more than Moorish rule. In the early evening the cafés
2,000 years ago. A strained sauce similar to the again fill and the tapas ritual is repeated.
version in use today has been made since the
sixth century.
Spareribs – Pork spareribs are cut from the
belly area and consist of long narrow strips
with small bones and layers of fat and tasty
Spaghetti – Pasta in the form of long strands, lean meat. The term is also used for breast ribs
made from a flour and water dough. It is best after the outer the outer cuts have been
with oil-based sauces that allow the strings to removed (available in sets or as individual
remain slippery and separate. Spaghetti has slices), valued for the sweet, nutty flavour of
been made in southern Italy for many hundreds the meat that clings to them.
of years; commercially made spaghetti is
available in dried or fresh, refrigerated and
frozen forms. Spatchcock – A small chicken or game bird
that has been split down the back and flattened,
 A Culinary Dictionary 81

then often treaded onto a pair of skewers century. Spinach grows best in cool climates. It
before being grilled (broiled) or roasted. is available fresh most of the year and can also
be bought frozen, preserved in glass jars, or
Spearmint – The most commonly used canned.
member of the mint family. It is used in mint
sauce to accompany lamb, adds flavour to Split Pea – The dried pea, yellow or green in
boiled peas and potatoes and is also an colour and with husks removed, split in two at
important ingredient in Thai cooking. Mint the natural division. Split peas are used to
leaves dry well, keeping their colour and smell. make pea and ham soup and pease pudding. In
India yellow split peas are made into dal.
Speck – The fatty top part of a leg of bacon,
usually smoked and salted. It is available in Sponge Cake – A fluffy, light-textured cake
small pieces and can be sliced as a cold snack which achieves its airiness from stiffly beaten
or cut into small cubes and used to add flavour egg white. There are several distinct types.
to cooked dishes. It is Austrian in origin. Sponge cakes may be flavoured with vanilla,
grated citrus peel, cocoa or orange flower
Speculaas – Thin, crisp biscuits (cookies) water; after baking, the cake may be moistened
spiced with ginger, cinnamon and allspice and with a liqueur or thin syrup. Sponges are often
topped with slivered almonds, often made in used for layer cakes, filled with jam and cream
the shape of legendary and traditional and topped with a dusting of icing
characters. Speculaas are popular in the (confectioners) sugar.
Netherlands and southern Germany – from
where they originated. Sponge Fingers – Airy finger-shaped
biscuits (cookies) made using sponge cake
Spice – The aromatic seeds, fruit, bark, roots, mixture; they are firm on the outside and soft
or flowers of trees and shrubs, almost always in the centre. The tops are dusted with icing
dried, used to flavour both sweet and savoury (confectioners) sugar before baking. Sponge
preparations. Most spices grow in tropical and fingers are served with chilled cream desserts,
semi-tropical climates, especially in India and ice-cream, and fruit purees and can be used as
South-East Asia (the Moluccas, a group of a border for cold charlottes.
islands off Indonesia and original home of the
clove and nutmeg trees, were long known as Spotted Dick – A Steamed or boiled suet
the Spice Islands). For thousands of years pudding studded with currants, sultanas or
spices reached Europe along trading routes other dried fruit, usually served hot; a
through southwestern Asia. Among the first to traditional English dessert.
reach the Mediterranean were pepper and
cinnamon. Spices were rare and expensive; Spring Onion – Also known as scallion and
they were used in innumerable dishes and green onion, a variety of onion with small,
sauces, both sweet and savoury. For centuries white, mild-flavoured bulbs and long, green,
the lucrative trade was monopolized by grass-like leaves. They are eaten raw and
Venetian merchants. It was the desire to find finely sliced in salads. The name comes from
the source of the spices that launched the fleets Scallion, a port in ancient Palestine.
of Dutch and Portuguese ships. These voyages
of discovery not only found their goal, the
fabled Spice Islands of South-East Asia, but Spring Roll – A layer of thin dough wrapped
also reached the shores of the Americas. around a filling of cooked vegetables and
Spices are available whole or ground; because meats, rolled up and deep-fried until crisp and
ground spices lose flavour quickly it is best to golden. Spring rolls are usually served with a
grind in small quantities as needed or regularly dipping sauce, as finger food or a first course.
replace commercially ground spices. Variations are eaten throughout South-East
Asia. They are traditionally served during
Lunar New Year Celebrations.
Spinach – Also called English spinach, a
vegetable with dark green leaves. It is often
served with butter and a sprinkle of nutmeg, as Spring Roll Wrapper – Pliable, paper thin
an accompaniment to poultry and veal; used in sheet of white rice flour dough usually sold
stuffings, soufflés and quiches; and raw leaves frozen in packs 20-30. When using, keep
may be added to salads. It probably originated wrappers covered with a cloth.
in south-western Asia and was taken by the
Moors to Spain in the eleventh or twelfth
 A Culinary Dictionary 82

Sprout – A grain, seed, or pulse, germinated long been used in Asian cooking to flavour
to grow as a plant and used as a food. Sprouts meat and poultry dishes and is one of the
most commonly used include mung beans, soy components of five-spice powder; it has been
beans and alfalfa. Small and crunchy, sprouts in Europe since the early seventeenth century.
can be added to salads and are often an It is available whole or ground.
ingredient in Chinese stir-fries. It sprouting
seeds at home use dried seeds sold as food Star Fruit – See Carambola.
(seeds sold for gardening have often been
treated with fungicides). Sprouts are also Steak – A slice of meat, usually beef, taken
available fresh or canned. from between the rump and the rib. Steak cuts
include T-bone, porterhouse, and sirloin; fillet
Spumone – An Italian frozen dessert is or tenderloin (the most tender) comes from
consisting of ice-cream layers assembled in a beneath the lower backbone. Steak can be
mould and then frozen. Spumone usually has a grilled (broiled), barbecued or pan-fried, and is
layer of chocolate ice-cream, a strawberry or usually served with a sauce.
raspberry ice-cream layer and a green layer of
pistachio ice-cream; the inner layers can also
consist of whipped cream or liqueur-soaked Steam – To cook food by using the
fruits. The dessert is served sliced. concentrated moist heat of steam given off by
steadily boiling water. Steaming can be done
Spun Sugar – Also known as angel’s hair, in a double saucepan the top half of which has
gossamer-fine threads of syrup made from a perforated base; in a covered basin set in a
sugar boiled to a light caramel. Spun sugar is pot of boiling water; or, as in China and South-
used as a decoration or garnish for ice-creams, East Asia, multi-layered metal or bamboo
special desserts, and festive cakes. steamers.
Croquembouche, the traditional French
wedding cake, is a high pile of choux pastry Steamboat – A Chinese meal consisting of
puffs glazed with spun sugar. small portions of meat and seafood cooked at
the table in simmering stock. Each diner uses
Squab – A small, young pigeon, about four chopsticks or a long handled small wire basket
weeks old. Its dark, sweet, succulent flesh, to add or retrieve food; when cooked, each
which is served rare, can be grilled (broiled) or portion is dipped in sauce and eaten. Meat is
roasted. Care should be taken not to over cook cooked first, then seafood, than vegetables. As
it. a final course, noodles are cooked in the
remaining broth and served with it as soup.
Squash – A general term for edible members The dish is traditionally cooked in a
of the gourd family, native to the Americas. Mongolian fire pot, a table-top cooking device
They are usually divided into summer squash which has a moat (for the stock) around a
and winter squash. Summer squash, soft- chimney-like funnel and is set over glowing
skinned and quick-growing, are picked young coals; a fondue set or saucepan and gas ring
and include zucchini (courgette), patty pan may be substituted. This style of cooking is
squash, scalloped squash, baby marrows and believed to have originated with the nomadic
custard squash; small summer squash may be Mongolians of northern China.
steamed or boiled. Winter squash are the
larger, slow-growing, hard-skinned varieties, Steamed Pudding – A British specialty, the
such as pumpkin. steamed pudding is cooked in a deep covered
basin over boiling water. The basic pudding
Squid – Also known as calamari, a saltwater mixture usually consists of flour, fat, sugar,
mollusk with a long cylindrical body, and ten and eggs; dried or fresh fruits, spices and
tentacles surrounding a parrot like beak. It is flavourings such as coffee, vanilla, and
prized for its delicately flavoured, firm, white chocolate, may be added. Steamed pudding
flesh. Squid is found in temperate waters range from the dense and fruit-rich plum (or
throughout the world. It has long been an Christmas) pudding to light, cake-like, soufflé
important ingredient in the cooking of Asia puddings. Steamed ginger pudding, a warming
and the Mediterranean. winter favourite which probably evolved as a
less expensive version of the traditional plum
Star Anise – The dried, star-shaped fruit of a pudding, is made with a layer of honey or
tree native to southern china, used as a spice. It golden syrup (light corn syrup can be
has a strong aniseed flavour. Star anise has substituted) at the bottom of the basin; this
 A Culinary Dictionary 83

soaks into the batter and forms a syrupy America – it is the ancestor of the large
topping sauce when the pudding is un- varieties commercially available today. The
moulded. wild strawberry has a more intense flavour.

Stew – A selection of meat, poultry or fish Stroganoff – A traditional Russian dish

and vegetables, with herbs and seasonings consisting of strips of fillet beef, lightly
added, which is cooked slowly with liquid in a sautéed and coated with a sauce of sour cream;
covered container (either on the cook-top or in it sometimes contains mushroom and onions.
the oven) until the meat and vegetables are Stroganoff is often served over noodles. It has
tender. Many less expensive, tougher cuts of been known since the eighteenth century and is
meat are suitable for stewing. said to have been created for a member of the
stroganoff family, wealthy merchants
Stilton – A creamy-textured, blue-veined, originally from Novgorod.
semi-firm cows milk cheese. It is creamy white
to amber in colour and has a strong aroma Strudel – A dessert or savoury dish
reminiscent of pears. Stilton dates from the consisting of a wafer –thin pastry dough
seventeenth century, when it was sold to coach wrapped around a filling, then baked
passengers who stopped at the Bell Inn in the (traditionally bent into a crescent or horseshoe
village of Stilton in eastern England. The shape). It is usually served warm. Sweet
cheese should be served at room temperature at fillings can include apple, sour cherry, and
the end of a meal. cream cheese mixtures. Savoury strudels with
fillings such as chopped, boiled beef with
Stir-Fry – To rapidly and uniformly cook bacon and onions are popular in Austria.
chopped food (vegetables, meat, poultry or
seafood) in a little hot oil, in either a wok or a Stuffing – A savoury mixture of
frying pan (skillet), over a high heat, all the breadcrumbs, rice, minced meat, poultry or
time turning the mixture with a spatula. Stir- fish, with copped fruit or vegetables, herbs,
frying seals in flavours and the food also spices and other flavourings, which is bound
retains its crispness. with milk or egg and used to add bulk and
flavour to meat, fish, poultry and vegetables.
Stock – A thin, clear, flavoured liquid Stuffing often serves the dual purpose of filling
obtained by simmering vegetables, herbs and a cavity created by the removal of innards or
spices with meat, poultry or seafood. The seeds, and so preserving the shape of the food.
liquid is then strained and chilled so that any Any leftover stuffing can be cooked separately
fat, which rises to the top, can be removed. on a greased baking dish.
Stock is used to enrich soups, casseroles, and
sauces. Stock can be homemade but is also Succotash – A dish of North American
available in cans and long-life cartons, as a origin consisting of a mixture of corn kernels
powder and as a moist cube. and Lima beans. It is served as an
accompaniment to meat or poultry. Succotash
Stollen – A German yeast cake made with descends from the misickquatash of the
dried fruits, candied peel and almonds, and Narraganset Indians, made with corn and
sprinkled with sugar before baking. It is kidney beans cooked in bear fat.
traditionally eaten at Christmas.
Suckling Pig – Also known as suckling pig,
Strawberry – The red, heart shaped, juicy a young pig slaughtered when no more than
berry of a ground-hugging plant related to the eight weeks old, prized for its sweet, rich,
rose, now cultivated throughout the world. succulent meat. Suckling pig may be spit-
Strawberries can be added to fruit and savoury roasted whole over a barbecue or oven roasted.
salads, eaten with a little cream or a dusting of
sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice, and used Suet – The white fat which lies around lamb
or sliced to garnish a range of cakes and and beef kidneys. It is firm, dry, and non-
desserts. They are pureed for use in ice-cream greasy to handle and is used as fat in the
and sorbets, and cooked as jams, jellies, cooking of pastries and rich boiled puddings.
preserves, and fillings for tarts and pies. Suet is available in solid form from butchers or
Strawberries have been cultivated in Europe can be bought packaged, shredded, and ready
since the thirteenth century. At the beginning for use from supermarket.
of the eighteenth century the scarlet Virginia
strawberry reached France from North
 A Culinary Dictionary 84

Sugar – A sweet-tasting food used mainly as breakfast cereals or tossed through salads.
a following. It is extracted from many plants, They originated in Crete, where in ancient
principally sugar cane (in tropical regions) and times sweet, seedless grapes were sun-dried
sugar beet (in cooler climates); lesser and exported throughout the Aegean.
quantities are obtained from certain maple and Summer Pudding – A cold dessert made by
palm trees and the sorghum plant. To process lining a basin with slices of bread, filling it
sugar from cane the juice is extracted and with a lightly poached soft fruit (such as
boiled until it crystallizes (candies); centrifugal raspberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants,
machines are used to separate the raw sugar loganberries and blackberries) then chilling it
crystals from the liquid molasses. For beet overnight, until the juice soaks into the bread,
sugar the juice is extracted from the root. flavouring and colouring it. The whole is
There are various types of sugar. Brown sugar turned out and served with whipped cream.
is soft and moist with a characteristic flavour Summer pudding is a traditional English
that comes from a film of molasses dessert.
surrounding each crystal; it is used especially Sundae – A dessert or sweet snack consisting
in baking chewy biscuits (cookies) and dark of ice-cream topped with a flavoured syrup and
cakes. Raw sugar, made directly from the sometimes fruit, often sprinkled with crushed
classified juice of sugar cane, has coarse, nuts and whipped cream and served in a long,
straw-coloured crystals. White or granulated shallow glass dish. It originated in the United
sugar, with medium-sized crystals, is refined States in the nineteenth century where it was
from sugarcane and is used as a general special Sunday treat.
sweetener. Caster (superfine) sugar has finer
crystals and dissolves more quickly than white Sunflower Seed – Small, flat, oval seed
sugar and so is best for meringues, and some from the centre of the huge yellow flower head
cakes and puddings. Powdered or icing of the sunflower plant. The seeds can be used
(confectioners) sugar is granulated sugar raw in soups, stir-fries, pasta, and rice dishes.
milled to a fine powder. Palm sugar, or Roasted, they add crunch to salads and cooked
jaggery, is extracted from a species of low- vegetables; boiled, they can be added to cakes,
branched palm tree and has a strong, treacle- biscuits (cookies) and puddings. Sunflower
like flavour; it gives Indian, Malaysian and seeds are often used as bird feed. A flour
Indonesian dishes. ground from the roasted seeds is available. Oil
Sugarcane, a perennial grass, probably pressed from the seeds is used in cooking, and
originated in southern India. The plant spread in salad dressings, margarines, and
from there south to Malaysia and Indonesia, shortenings. The sunflower plant is believed to
and north and west to ancient Persia. The have originated in Central America. It was
‘sweet reed’ and crystal that could be obtained taking to Spain in the sixteenth century and
from its juice, were also known to the Greeks spread throughout Europe.
and Romans. Sugar reached Europe with the
Crusaders returning from south-western Asia
in the thirteenth century but it did not displace Supreme of Chicken – The breast and
honey as a general sweetener until the wing of a chicken, removed and cooked in one
eighteenth century, when it inspired the piece, and often served with a rich cream
development of elaborate French sauce.
confectioneries (candies) and patisseries.
Sushi – A dish of Japanese origin consisting
Sukiyaki – A stew-like dish of Japanese of small rolls of seaweed containing cooked
origin consisting of finely sliced meat (usually rice and savoury fillings such as a thin slice of
beef, but pork, chicken can also be used) and raw fish (usually tuna) or omelette, or a
vegetables, soy sauce and sake cooked at the vegetable. Other shapes are also made. Sushi
table (this can be done in an electric frying featuring seaweed is called maki, which made
pan). Traditionally each diner breaks a raw egg with fish or seafood, nigri, and with omelette
into an individual bowl, beats it with fukushu. In Japan sushi is sold in small
chopsticks, and then dips the hot food into it specialty restaurants or at a separate counter in
before eating. larger restaurants. Sushi is served cold, with
wafer-thin slices of pickled ginger, and is
usually eaten with the fingers. The dish
Sultana – The dried fruit of a white grape, originated as a fishermen’s snack.
softer and sweeter than both the raisin and
currant. Sultanas are baked in cakes, biscuits
(cookies), puddings, and slices, added to Swede – Also known as rutabaga, a fleshy
stuffings, casseroles and curries, sprinkled on root vegetable, larger than a turnip and with a
 A Culinary Dictionary 85

stronger, cabbage-like, flavour. Swedes can be Szechwan Pepper – Also known as Chinese
boiled, baked or roasted with meat and are pepper, a fragrant, intensely flavoured (but not
often pureed for use in savoury puddings and fiery hot) spice made from the dried berries of
pies. the Chinese prickly ash.

Sweet and Sour Sauce – A sauce of

Chinese origin which combines sweet and tart
ingredients, such as sugar and vinegar, usually
thickened with cornflour (cornstarch) and often
also containing fruit juice, pineapple pieces or
sweet pepper (capsicum). It is available ready
made in jars.
T
Tobasco – A thin, red, fiery-tasting sauce
made by fermenting chilli peppers with salt in
Sweetbreads – Classed as offal or variety oak barrels for four years, then straining it and
meat; sweetbreads can be either the thymus adding vinegar. Tobasco sauce is used
gland (in the throat) or the pancreas (near the sparingly to add a hot flavour to sauces, salad
stomach) of calves and lambs. They are valued dressings, tomato juice, meat, crab and lobster
for their delicate flavour. Sweetbreads must be dishes, and is an essential ingredient in Cajun
soaked in several changes of water than cooking. It was first made in Louisiana in 1868
blanched before use. They may be poached, and is named for the tobasco region in Mexico,
sautéed, braised, grilled (broiled) and served original home of the chilli peppers used. The
with a sauce. sauce is sold sound the world in distinctive,
small bottles.

Sweet Corn – See Corn. Tabouli – A salad of Middle Eastern origin

made with burghul (cracked wheat), finely
chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, diced tomato,
Sweet Peppers – See Peppers, Sweet. olive oil, mint and lemon juice. Traditionally
wrapped in cos (romaine) lettuce leaves and
eaten with hands, tabouli is often served as an
Sweet Potato – A starchy tuber, no relation accompaniment to grilled meat and poultry.
to the potato. There are three main varieties,
which differ in colour: white, orange (also Taco – A tortilla which has been folded and
known as kumara) and red. All are cooked in fried until crisp and which is traditionally
the same way as the potato, although sugar is served with a spicy meat filling, refried beans,
sometimes added to emphasize their natural grated cheese, chopped tomato, shredded
sweetness. lettuce and chilli-based sauce may be added.
Ready-made taco shells are available.
Swiss chard – See silver Beet.
Taffy – A confectionery (candy) made from
boiled syrup which is pulled and worked into
long strands (this incorporates air and gives
Swiss Roll – A thin sheet of sponge cake taffy its characteristic light and creamy
spread with a sweet filling then rolled up. The texture) then twisted and cut into bite sized
finished cake is sprinkled with icing pieces and wrapped for storage. Taffy is
(confectioners) sugar and sliced. popular in North America; saltwater taffy, a
feature of New Jersey seaside resorts, has a
little added salt (not saltwater).
Syrup – A sweet liquid, usually a solution of
sugar and a liquid. Corn syrup is the liquid Tagine – A highly spiced Moroccan stew of
form of sugar refined from corn. Light corn meat vegetables or fruit, often served at
syrup is less sweet than sugar; dark corn syrup banquets.
has caramel colouring and flavoring added and
tastes similar to molasses. See also Golden
Syrup and Maple Syrup. Tagliatelle – Long, flat ribbon pasta, often
coloured and flavoured with spinach or tomato,
boiled in water and served with a sauce. It is a
specialty of northern and central Italy and is
 A Culinary Dictionary 86

said to have been inspired by the flaxen hair of Tapas – Platters of hot or cold bite-sized
Lucrezia Borgia. savoury snacks – olives, nuts, pickles, stuffed
or grilled (broiled) vegetables, sliced meats
Tahini – A thick, smooth, paste of roasted, and dry sausages – eaten with drinks,
ground sesame seeds. In the Middle East it is especially sherry. Tapas originated in Spain.
mixed with lemon juice, garlic and chickpeas Tapenade – A savoury spread made by
(garbanzo beans) to make a dip served with pureeing pitted black olives with anchovies,
flat bread. Tahini is also used in cakes, biscuits capers, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. It is
(cookies) and the confectionery (candy) halva; served with crusty bread, or can be diluted
it is available in jars. with olive oil and used as a dressing for grilled
sweet pepper (capsicum) or eggplant
Tamale – A sweet or savoury cornmeal cake (aubergine). Tapenade originated in Provence
steamed inside a cornhusk. A Mexican in southern France and the name derives from
specialty, it is often served hot as a first course. the local word tapeno, capers.
The tamale is made by spreading a dough of
ground dried corn and water (called masa) on a Tapioca – tiny balls of starch prepared from
corn husk, adding a sweet or savoury filling, the tuberous root of the cassava plant (grown
then wrapping it up and steaming until cooked. in tropical America, the Pacific Islands,
Banana leaf or cooking foil may be substituted Indonesia, the Philippines and Africa). It is
for the cornhusk. cooked in sweetened milk or water as a dessert
Tamales are a traditional festival food and or used to thicken soups and stews.
were once considered to be a gift from the
gods. Taramasalata – A creamy dip made by
pureeing tarama, the dried, salted and pressed
Tamarillo – An egg-shaped fruit with glossy, roe of mullet, with bread, garlic, onion, olive
deep red skins and soft, tart tasting flesh with oil and lemon juice. A Greek and Turkish
tiny seeds. The bitter skin is removed by specialty, taramasalata is served chilled on thin
blanching; the flesh can be added to sweet and toast or pitta bread. Tarama is available in jars
savoury salads or sweetened and cooked for and cans from gourmet stores.
use in tarts and hot puddings. The tamarillo is
native to Peru; there are also yellow varieties. Taro – The starchy tuber of a tropical plant
with rough, brown, hairy skin and firm, pale
Tamarind – Sour-sweet pulp from the flesh. It is widely used in the cooking of the
seedpods of a tropical tree, used to give a bite Pacific and South East Asia, either boiled or
to curries, stews and chutneys and as an baked and served as a vegetable, or steamed
ingredient in Worcestershire sauce. It is and made into a pudding.
available in the form of dried pulp or a paste.
Tarragon – An herb with a subtle liquorice-
like flavour. It combines well with chicken and
Tandoori – A traditional Indian method of is mixed with chervil, chives, and parsley to
cooking, in which chicken or lamb is make the classic fine herbes blend. Tarragon
marinated in a spicy red paste, threaded onto vinegar is an important ingredient in béarnaise
long skewers and cooked in a tandoor or clay sauce. French tarragon has the most intense
oven. flavour and aroma; Russian tarragon, is
inferior in flavour. The dried form of the herb
Tangelo – A citrus fruit which has pale, loses its flavour quickly.
yellow to orange, sharp-tasting, juicy flesh.
The fruit has orange coloured peel that is Tart – A sweet or savoury flan, either full-
easily removed. It is produced by crossing the sized or made in an individual serving size.
grapefruit with the tangerine (or mandarin).
Tartare Sauce – A cold, mayonnaise-based
sauce containing finely chopped chives, spring
Tangerine – Also called mandarin, a small, onion (scallion), parsley, gherkin, and capers.
loose-skinned variety of orange with sweet, It is served with seafood.
juicy, easily separated segments. The fruit is
named after the seaport of tangier in Morocco, Tarte Tatin – An upside down apple tart.
where it has long been grown. Caramelized apples are topped with a layer of
pastry; when baked the tart is inverted and
 A Culinary Dictionary 87

served hot, fruit-side up. The dish is named for of flavours, textures and colours. All are
the Tatin sisters, who ran a restaurant in the served at the same time and eaten warm or at
French town of Lamotte – Beuvron; they are room temperature, using a spoon and fork; rice
said to have created it to repair a baking error is always served. Fresh tropical fruits follow
(although similar upside down fruit tarts are an the main meal and cakes and desserts made of
ancient specialty of the region). mung bean flour, rice, coconut, palm sugar,
Tea – A drink made by steeping tea leaves and eggs. Water and tea accompany the meal.
(the dried leaves of a shrub in the camellia
family) in just boiled water. It is served hot, Thyme – A fragrant herb with small, oval,
with or without milk, or iced Tea cultivation is greyish green leaves that have a strong aroma
thought to have originated in China some and a pungent, clove-like taste. Thyme is used
5,000years ago. Herb teas or tisanes are in marinades for lamb, beef, and poultry; with
infusions made with fresh or dried leaves or bay leaf and parsley, it is part of a bouquet
blossoms and include mint, rose, hip, hyssop, garni; it is added to stuffings and tomato-based
sage, and comomile. sauces, and combines well with rabbit. Thyme
leaves can be bought fresh, dried or ground.
Teacake – A light cake eaten warm, sliced
and buttered. The traditional English teacake is Tilsit – A smooth, semi-hard, cow’s milk
a round, yeast dough bun, split open and cheese, pale yellow in colour, with a fruity,
grilled or toasted, then served hot with butter; mild to medium-sharp flavour. It is a good
other versions are sprinkled with sugar and snack cheese, teaming well with fruit and salad
spices or other toppings. vegetables can also be used in sandwiches and
on cheese boards, and melts well for use in
Tempura – A Japanese dish consisting of sauces.
seafood and vegetables dipped in batter and
deep-fried. Tempura is served hot with soy Timbales – A custardy mixture of meat,
sauce for dipping. poultry, seafood, or vegetables cooked in
individual moulds and usually served with a
Tenderloin – See Fillet. sauce as a first course. Timbales are named
after the deep, round moulds in which they are
cooked.
Teriyaki – A Japanese dish of meat, poultry
or fish marinated in mirin and soy sauce then
grilled (broiled) or barbecued. Teriyaki sauce Tipsy Cake – A dessert, similar to trifle,
is sold in bottles. consisting of sponge cake liberally sprinkled
with sherry, brandy or sweet white wine,
decorated with slivered blanched almonds and
Terrine – A preparation of minced (ground) topped with whipped cream.
meat, poultry, game, fish, or vegetables cooked
in a deep, straight-sided earthenware container
lined with thinly sliced pork fat to keep the Tiramisù – A rich Italian dessert consisting
mixture moist, and sealed with a tight-fitting of sponge fingers (ladyfingers) dipped in
lid. Terrine is served at room temperature Marsala or brandy and topped with layers of
(chilling dulls the flavour), cut into slices and zabaglione, coffee-flavoured mascarpone
accompanied by gherkins and pickled onions, cheese and whipped cream; it is served chilled.
usually as a first course. Tiramisù was created in Sienna, where it was
called Zuppa del Duca, the Duke’s soup;
because of its popularity with the expatriate
Thai Food – The cooking of Thailand is English in nineteenth century Florence it
characterized by subtle blending of hot, sweet, became zuppa inglese, English soup; tiramisù
salty, bitter and sour flavours. It shows – pick me up – is a relatively recent name.
influences from China (especially in the use of
ingredients), from India, Java, Cambodia, and
Sri Lanka. The chilli pepper, native to the Tisane – A herbal tea, usually drunk for its
Americas, did not reach Thailand until the medicinal properties. Tisanes include angelica
sixteenth century when it was introduced by (to help digestion), comomile (for an upset
the Portuguese; now, with mint, basil, spring stomach and to aid sleep), lemon balm (to calm
onion (scallion), coriander and coconut milk, it the nerves and aid digestion), peppermint tea
is one of the central flavours of Thai cuisine. (believed to ward off colds) and rose petals
A traditional Thai meal consist of a variety of and violets with honey (for soothing a cough).
dishes (usually a soup, a curry, a steamed dish,
a fried one and a salad) selected for a balance
 A Culinary Dictionary 88

Toast – To brown or crisp food by exposing it

to dry heat. Toasting will develop a fuller Tournedos – Also known as filet mignon, a
flavour in nuts and seeds. The term also refers small, round, thick steak cut from a fillet of
to a slice of bread exposed to heat so that its beef, usually pan-fried and served on a round
surface become brown and dry. Toasted bread of fried bread accompanied by a rich sauce.
spread with butter or other spreads, is served at Treacle – A thick, dark, strong-tasting syrup,
breakfast, or used to make toasted sandwiches. a by-product of cane sugar refining. It is used
in baking and in the production of
Toffee – A rich, sticky, usually brown confectionery (candy).
confectionery (candy) which is made by
adding butter to a boiled mixture of sugar and Trifle – A traditional English dessert
water. It can be soft and chewy or hard and consisting of layers of sponge cake sprinkled
crunchy, depending on cooking time and with sweet sherry, interspersed with fruit or
temperature. fruit jam, cream, rich egg custard and crushed
nuts.
Tofu – Soybean curd, a white to cream
coloured, smooth-textured and bland-flavoured Tripe – The stomach lining of cattle, ranging
food made by adding a setting agent to a thin from quite smooth textured to deeply
liquid of ground boiled Soya beans and water. honeycombed. Tripe is blanched, then boiled
It is valued for its high vegetable protein in water and milk. It can be served with onions
content and is widely used in the cooking of in parsley sauce, in a tomato sauce, or sautéed
China, Japan, and South-East Asia. Tofu with onions.
absorbs the flavours of foods cooked with it.
Tofu, either soft (‘silken’) or firm is available Trout – A freshwater fish of the salmon
fresh and in long-life packs. family with delicately flavoured fresh, frozen
and smoked.
Tomato – A round smooth-skinned, juicy,
seed-filled fruit with a rich, slightly sweet Truffle, Chocolate – A small, very rich
flavour, used as a vegetable. It is eaten raw as confectionery (candy) made from chocolate,
a salad vegetable, cooked in a variety of sauces butter, cream, and liqueur, formed into small
and dishes, or made into juices. Types include balls and rolled in cocoa powder or chopped
the common tomato, used in salads; plum nuts. Truffles are usually served with coffee.
tomatoes with dense, flavoursome flesh, good They are named for their similarity in
for soups and sauces; the tiny cherry tomato, appearance to the fungi, black truffle.
used whole in salads and as a garnish; and
pear-shaped yellow tomatoes, noted for low
acidity and used in salads and preserves. Truffle, Fungi – An edible fungus that
grows underground in forests in France and
Italy. Truffles are prized for their musky
fragrance and delicate flavour; they are used in
Tongue – Classed as offal usually beefs, but pâtés, tossed through pasta and as a filling for
lamb’s tongue is also eaten. Tongue is poached omelettes. There are two types of truffle: the
in court bouillon and served hot with a brown black truffle, available fresh (in France) bottled
or fruit sauce. Cold, pressed tongue is served or canned; and the white truffle, found in Italy.
sliced accompanied by pickles and chutney.
Truss – To secure the legs, wings and front
Torte – A rich, dense textured cake, often opening of poultry, before roasting, to
layered with custard, fruit, whipped cream, and maintain the bird’s shape and prevent the loss
groundnuts. of stuffing during cooking.

Tortellini – small rings of pasta, usually Tuile – A thin, curved crisp biscuit (cookie)
stuffed with finely chopped seasoned meat, made of sugar, slivered almonds, butter, and
often served with a cream or tomato sauce. eggs, shaped by draping the hot pliable biscuit
over a rolling pin.
Tortilla – A paper-thin Mexican flat bread
made from corn or wheat flour quickly cooked Tuna – A large salt-water fish with dark,
(but not browned) on a griddle or in a pan. compact meat, which turns pink when, cooked
Tortillas may serve as a wrapper for fillings, or and has a rich, garney flavour. Fresh tuna may
as an edible scoop or plate. be poached, baked, grilled (broiled) or
 A Culinary Dictionary 89

barbecued; it is also served raw – diced or Tzatziki – A tangy yoghurt and cucumber dip
sliced wafer thin – as in the Japanese dish of Greek origin. It is served as finger food or a
sashimi. In ancient times the fish was a first course with toasted pieces of flat bread, or
favourite of the seafaring Phoenicians, who crudités (thinly sliced raw vegetables); as a
ssmoked and salted it; in ancient Greece and salad dressing or as accompaniment to fried or
Rome it was roasted sprinkled with salt and grilled fish or barbecued meat.
oil; pickled tuna was common in medieval
times. Tuna is available fresh and frozen,

U
usually as boneless steaks, also as cutlets and
fillets, and cooked and canned.

Turkey – A large, heavy-bodied domestic

fowl native to the Americas and now bred
throughout the world. It is valued for its plump Upside-Down Cake – A fruit topped cake
breast, which provides a higher proportion of as a dessert. A layer of poached fruit
white to dark meat than other poultry. Whole (traditionally pineapple rings, but also peaches,
turkey can be stuffed and roasted; it is also apricots, apples, pears or cherries) and
available as boneless roasts, rolled, tied and sometimes nuts is arranged in the bottom of a
ready to cook; as breast slices and steaks cake pan, covered with a butter and sugar
(which can be sautéed like a veal escalope); syrup, topped with cake batter and baked. The
and thighs drumsticks and wings. The meat cooked cake is inverted and served warm with
can be prepared as turkey pastrami, turkey cream.
salami, turkey ham, and smoked turkey
sausage. In the United States roast turkey with

V
cornbread stuffing is traditionally eaten on
Thanks giving Day (the last Thursday in
November).

Turkish Delight – A confectionery (candy)

with a firm, smooth texture made by
thickening a sugar and lemon juice syrup with Vacherin – A cold dessert consisting of a
cornflour (cornstarch) and flavouring it with ring or basket of meringue filled with layers of
rose water or peppermint. When cool the softened ice-cream and fruit (usually fresh,
mixture is cut into cubes and coated with icing such as strawberries or peaches, but
(confectioners) sugar. Its Turkish name is rahat crystallized (candied) fruits and chestnut puree
lokum, ‘giving a rest to the mouth’. may also be used), and topped with sweetened
whipped cream. Sometimes ice-creams of
various flavours are used as the filling instead
of fruits.
Turmeric – A bright yellow powdered spice
ground from the dried roots of a tropical plant
related to ginger. It has a mild, bittersweet Vanilla – The fragrant, slender seed pod,
flavour. Turmeric is an essential ingredient in called a ‘bean’, of a climbing orchid. Vanilla is
curry powders and pastes and is used in used to flavour creams, sweet sauces, custards,
pickles, chutneys and prepared mustard. syrups, cakes, and drinks (especially milk-
based chocolate drinks). Vanilla beans can be
used more than once – they are infused in hot
liquid until the desired strength of flavour is
Turnip – A globe-shaped, white-fleshed root reached, then removed, rinsed and dried for
vegetable with a distinctive flavour used in further use. Vanilla sugar is made by burying
soups, stews, and casseroles. In Italy vanilla bean in a jar of sugar – the longer it is
caramelized sliced turnip is served as a dessert. left, the stronger the flavour becomes.
The vanilla orchid is native to Central
America. The pods are gathered, drenched
Turnover – A square or circle of pastry repeatedly in hot water, and left in the sun to
turned over a filling, sealed and baked or deep- sweat and then dry out. They shrivel, darken
fried. Turnovers can be large or individual- and produce a coating of vanillin, the strongly
sized sweet or savoury and may be eaten hot or scented crystalline substance which gives
cold as a finger food, snack, or main meal. vanilla its distinctive aroma and flavour. The
finest beans are deep brown, pliable, and
covered with a frosting of vanillin. Vanilla
 A Culinary Dictionary 90

essence (a liquid made from the bean which is

very powerful and should be used sparingly)
and vanilla sugar are also available; imitation Velouté Sauce – A basic white sauce made
vanilla essence is a chemical attempt to with lightly browned roux and a well flavoured
synthesize the flavour of true vanilla. reduced veal, chicken, or fish stock. The name
comes from the French word for velvety.
Variety Meats – See Offal. Venison – Meat from any kind of deer; it is a
dark red, very lean meat with a fine grain.
Veal – The meat of a young calf, unweaned or Farm-raised venison is milder in flavour and
just weaned, reared for slaughtered. The meat more tender than the game venison. Game
of milk-fed veal is very pale pink and venison should be larded before roasting; it can
delicately grained, with a little satiny white fat, be braised and casseroled. Farm venison can
meat from animals that have started to eat be roasted, pan-fried, or grilled – allow to rest
grass is darker and coarser, but lacks the rich for 5-10 minutes before serving – added to stir-
flavour of beef. Veal is a lean, tender meat; it fries, or made into kebabs and barbecued. Care
has little natural fat and is best cooked slowly. should be taken not to overcook venison, as it
Braising and moist heat cooking methods are will dry out. Forequarter cuts are best slowly
ideal; roasting and grilling (broiling) should be simmered to make casseroles, curries, and
at a lower heat than for other meats. Like ragoûts.
chicken, veal has no strong flavour of its own
but absorbs those of the vegetables and herbs Vermicelli – Italian Vermicelli – long, thin
cooked with it. It is also good with tangy strands of pasta dough, sometimes coiled into
sauces. Thin slices of veal cut across the grain nests – is boiled and served with a sauce or
(in France known as escalope, in Italy, broken into short lengths and added to soup. In
scaloppine and in Germany, Schnitzel) can be Chinese cooking vermicelli made with soya
fried in butter and served with various sauces bean flour is boiled or fried for use in soups
or garnishes; rolled around a flavoursome and vegetable dishes and fine strands of pearly
filling and braised; or, with sage and white rice flour vermicelli are added to soups
prosciutto, cooked in butter and white wine as or fried in oil for use as a garnish. The name
in the Italian dish saltimbocca. comes from the Italian fir ‘little worms’.

Vermouth – A wine used as an aperitif or as

Vegetable – Any edible parts of a plant-leaf, a cocktail ingredient, made by infusing a base
stem, bud, flower, seed, root, and bulb or wine (red or white) with herbs, spices, barks or
tuber-cultivated as a food. Some fruits are used peels, then fortifying the result with distilled
as vegetables, including the tomato, pumpkin, spirits. It can be used to flavour stuffings,
and squash, zucchini (courgette), eggplant sauces and poaching stock, and in place of
(aubergine) and sweet pepper (capsicum). Seed wine in some chicken dishes.
and pod vegetables include peas, beans and
lentils; spinach, lettuce and cabbage are leaf Verte Sauce – Literally ‘green sauce’, a
vegetables; celery is a stem; carrots, turnips mayonnaise containing a blend of finely
and parsnips are fleshy roots; yams and chopped herbs and leaf vegetables (such as
potatoes are tubers; bulb include onions, spinach, watercress, tarragon, parsley and
shallots and fennel; and broccoli and chervil). Sauce verte is served with cold fish,
cauliflower are heads of tightly massed flower eggs, and vegetable dishes.
buds. Mushrooms and other fungi are generally
included with vegetables. Vegetables are eaten
raw as salads and cooked either as a soup, an Vichysoisse – A soup made by cooking
accompaniment to a main course, or a dish in potatoes and the white part of leeks in chicken
their own right. They are also often pickled as stock, pureeing the mixture and adding cream.
a condiment. It is usually served chilled, topped with chives.
The soup was created in the early 1900s at
New York’s Ritz – Carlton Hotel.
Vegetable Marrow – A sausage shaped
vegetable belonging to the same family as the
zucchini (courgette). Young marrows have the Victoria Sponge – A sponge cake used as
best flavour and most delicate flesh and can be the base for queen cakes, jam sandwich cake
cooked in the same way as zucchini. Large and castle pudding. The sponge is named after
older marrows have a high water content and a Queen Victoria, who spent part of each year on
bland flavour. the Isle of Wight, where the cake was served
regularly at tea parties.
 A Culinary Dictionary 91

made from the juice of sweet Trebbiano grape

Vinaigrette – A thin oil and vinegar and aged in aromatic hardwood casks, is deep-
dressing, often containing herbs, spices, coloured and mellow-flavoured; it is used to
mustard or finely chopped onion. Vinaigrette is dress berries, to deglaze roasting pans for
served especially with green salads, and also gravy, and as a salad dressing. Cider vinegar,
be used to dress some vegetable, meat, poultry slightly sweet and with a faint apple flavour, is
and fish dishes. used to make sauces for roast pork and roast
duck, in vinaigrettes, and can be substituted for
Vine leaf – The leaf of the grapevine, much rice vinegar in Chinese cooking. Malt vinegar,
used in Greek and Middle Eastern cooking; it dark-coloured and too strongly flavoured for
has a slightly bitter flavour, which is lessened use in salad dressings, is used as a condiment
by blanching. Leaves for cooking should be on fish and chips, is an ingredient in
medium-light green and not too young; they worcestershire sauce, and is used for pickling
are used to wrap fish and small game birds onions and walnuts. White or distilled vinegar
before braising (imparting a slightly lemony (usually distilled malt vinegar) is colourless
taste), and are probably best known for their and sharp-flavoured; it is used in the pickling
use in dolmades, small cylindrical packages of of gherkins and cocktail onions and in the
rice, minced lamb, finely chopped onion, nuts manufacture of sauces and chutneys. Spirit
and seasonings. Vine leaves are available fresh vinegar, the strongest of all vinegars, differs
or preserved in brine. from distilled vinegar in that it contains a small
amount of alcohol; it is used for pickling.
White rice vinegar, mild-flavoured, pale and
Vinegar – A sharp-tasting liquid obtained clear, is distilled from fermented rice; it is used
when the alcohol in wine, or alcoholic to flavour the rice in the Japanese dish sushi
solutions from grains, apples and other and can be used as a dressing for raw
sources, is chopped by fermentation into acetic vegetables such as cabbage and carrots, in
acid. Wine vinegar is fermented from fresh vinaigrettes and as a marinade for fish and
wine, cider vinegar from apple cider, malt chicken. Chinese black vinegar, usually made
vinegar from malt liquor and sweet-sour from wheat, millet, or sorghum, has a mild
vinegars from rice wine; the quality of the flavour and is widely used in the cooking of
vinegar depends upon the quality of the wine northern China, especially in long-braising
or other alcohol from which it has been made. dishes. Chinese red vinegar is a wine vinegar
Vinegar is used in salad dressings, with a delicate, tart flavour; it is used mainly
mayonnaise, mustards, mint and horseradish as a dipping sauce.
sauces, and in marinades; to add to soups
sauces and stews, and for pickling and In Roman times vinegar diluted with water was
preserving. the common drink of Roman soldiers. The
Flavoured vinegars, which have herbs or fruits name comes from the French vin aigre, sour
added, are also available, or can be made at wine.
home.
Red wine vinegars are used to make demi-
glace sauces for the game, beef, and lamb Vol-au-Vent – A round pastry case of puff
dishes, and in vinaigrette; white wine vinegar pastry filled after baking with chicken,
can be made into dressings for fish dishes and seafood, veal, or mushrooms bound with a
used in vinaigrette, mayonnaise, and creamy sauce. It is served hot as a first course
hollandaise sauce, and as a base for herbed or in bite-sized portions as finger food. The
vinegars. Raspberry vinegar can be used in cases should be filled just before serving or the
vinaigrette, teamed with cream to dress fruit, pastry will lose its crispness. The vol-au-vent
or used in place of lemon when cooking veal was created by nineteenth-century Parisian
or chicken. Lemon balm vinegar can be used in Chef and pastry cook Carême, who wanted a
salad dressings. Tarragon vinegar is an puff pastry first course of such delicacy that ‘it
essential ingredient of béarnaise sauce. It is flew away in the wind’. Ready-cooked vol-au-
also used in mayonnaise and in marinades for vent cases are available.
chicken, fish, and seafoods. Rosemary vinegar
is good in lamb stew and in sauces for fish and
shellfish. Dill vinegar is used in sauces for
fish, in sour cream and yoghurt sauce and
dressings, and for pickling cucumbers. Sherry
vinegar smooth, rich and slightly tart, makes
flavoursome gravies and combines well with
nuts oils in vinaigrette. Balsamic vinegar,
 A Culinary Dictionary 92

Watercress – A plant with small, deep green,

peppery-tasting leaves and stems which are

W used in salads and soups, and as a garnish.

Watercress is available fresh throughout the
year.

Watermelon – A large melon with a hard,

smooth, mottled-green skin and sweet, juicy,
Wafer – A small, thin, crisp biscuit (cookie) reddish flesh studded with dark seeds; it is
often served with ice-creams; while hot, they eaten fresh as a fruit and added to fruit salads.
are sometimes shaped into rolls or cones. Watermelons grow on a trailing vine and are
Waffle – A flat, crisp-surfaced cake made by available for most of the year.
cooking batter in a special hinged iron with a Waterzooi – A stew made with chicken or
honeycomb-patterned grid. Waffles are served fish; the liquid is sometimes served separately
hot, topped with jam, honey or maple syrup, as a soup and the solids served over rice.
and cream or ice-cream.

Welsh Rarebit – See Rarebit.

Waldorf Salad – A salad made with
chopped apples, celery and walnuts or pecans,
with a mayonnaise dressing, usually served on Wheat – A cereal grain, staple for half the
lettuce as a side dish. It was created at the world’s population. It is ground into flour and
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. used to make bread, pasta, cakes and as a
breakfast cereal.
Walnut – A nut encased in a hard, round shell
and consisting of two deeply ridged lobes of
creamy-white, mild-flavoured flesh. Walnuts Whitebait – Tiny, matchstick-length silvery
can be eaten as a snack, chopped and added to fish (the young of several species), generally
stuffings and savoury salads or used in cakes, cooked whole, dusted with flour and deep-
biscuits (cookies) and confectionery (candy). fried, as a first course.
They are available in the shell, shelled (in
packs or cans) and pickled. White sauce – A sauce based on a roux of
butter and flour with milk (béchamel sauce) or
chicken, veal, or fish stock (velouté sauce).
Walnut Oil – A fragrant, clear, pale golden
oil pressed from walnut kernels and used Wholemeal – A coarse-textured flour
mainly in dressings for salads and cooked ground from the entire wheat kernel and used
vegetables. to make bread, cakes, biscuits (cookies) and
pasta.
Wasabi – A pungent, powerfully flavoured
root, not unlike the horseradish root, used in Wild Rice – The long, dark-brown, nutty-
Japanese cooking as an ingredient in sushi and, flavoured grain of an aquatic grass, which
mixed with soy sauce, as an accompaniment to grows in the Minnesota lakes of North
sashimi. Wasabi is available in powdered form Americas. Wild rice is boiled or steamed and
(to be reconstituted with a little sake or cold served with poultry or fish; sautéed onions,
water), or as a pale green paste in tubes; the mushrooms, or nuts are sometimes added for
fresh root can sometimes be bought from flavouring. Because it is expensive, it is often
stores, which specialize, in Japanese food. extended with cooked brown or white rice.

Water Chestnut – A crisp, white-fleshed, Wine – The fermented juice of grapes, used in
delicately flavoured root vegetable valued as cooking to add flavour to both savoury and
an ingredient in Chinese cooking because it sweet dishes.
remains crunchy after it is cooked. Water
chestnuts can be bought canned, and
sometimes fresh.
Witloof – See Chicory.
 A Culinary Dictionary 93

Wanton – A Chinese snack made of a the bubbles of carbon dioxide gas, which make
savoury filling inside a small square of paper- the mixture rise. Yeast has been used in bread
thin dough. Wantons can be steamed or deep- making since its accidental discovery more
fried. Wrappers can be made like pasta and than 4,000years ago. It is available in two
rolled out until almost transparent. forms: compressed (fresh) yeast, which is
partially dried and formed into a cake, and
dried or granular yeast. Yeast is also used in
Worcestershire Sauce – A thin, brown- brewing and winemaking.
black, piquant sauce made from a secret recipe
but though to contain soy sauce, anchovy Yoghurt – A thick creamy, tangy-tasting milk
sauce, vinegar, molasses, chilli, ginger, product made by coagulating milk with a
tamarind, shallots and garlic. bacterial product. Yoghurt can feature in all
parts of a meal. It is the base of a number of
Middle Eastern dips and is used to thicken and

Y
enrich soups, stews, and curries. Yoghurt has a
cooling effect on the palate and is often served
with chopped cucumber as an accompaniment
to a spicy meal; it is also used in salad
dressings and in sauces for hot cooked
vegetables. Tenderizing yoghurt marinades are
Yabby – Freshwater crayfish found in creeks, used in many Indian dishes, particularly in
rivers, waterholes and dams across Australia tandoori dishes and korma curries. As a
and related to similar species native to France dessert, yoghurt can be sweetened with honey
(écrevisse) and North America (crawfish). Its or mixed with fresh or stewed fruit, or it can be
cooked meat (mostly in the tail and claws) is baked in cakes, cheesecakes, and biscuits
white, sweet, moist and delicately flavoured; it (cookies).
is best served with a mild-flavoured sauce or Natural yoghurt containing cultures such as
just a splash of extra virgin olive oil, freshly Lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacteria
grated black paper and a squeeze of lemon bacterium is considered to have beneficial
juice. Yabbies commercially formed in effect on the digestive system. These cultures
Australia are exported live around the world. are believed to help restore balance in the
Yabbies are best cooked live. Stun them for 20 intestine by re-establishing bacteria which are
minutes in the freezer. They are available live normally present but may have been destroyed
or cooked. by infections or drugs such as penicillin.
Yoghurt has been used in the Middle East for
Yakitori – A Japanese dish consisting of many thousands of years, and its therapeutic
small pieces of chicken threaded on bamboo properties are often cited as the reason for the
skewers and grilled (broiled) over glowing famed longevity of the people of the Caucasus.
coals while being basted with soy sauce-based Commercially available yoghurt may be made
marinade. from fat free, reduced fat or full-cream milk,
and may be either natural, flavoured with
Yam – The starchy tubes of a tropical vine vanilla or other sweeteners, or mixed with
which originated in China and now found fruit. Flavoured frozen yoghurt and drinking
throughout the Pacific, Africa and the yoghurt are also available.
Caribbean. Yams have brownish skin and
yellow to white flesh and can be baked (whole Yorkshire Pudding –A light, crisp baked
in the skin), boiled or fried. Cooked yam has a batter served with roast beef. In Yorkshire, in
taste similar to cooked potato. the north of England, where it originated, the
pudding is traditionally served before the meat.
Yarrow – A member of the daisy family that
grows wild in Britain and Europe. Its slightly Young Berries – A sweet, purple fruit,
bitter leaves can be steamed or braised and which is a cross between several types of
eaten as a vegetable, made into soup, or blackberry.
chopped finely and added to salads.
Yule Log – Also called Bûche de Nöel, a
Yeast – A tiny, single-celled organism that traditional French Christmas cake with a
multiplies rapidly in warm and moist number of popular variations in other
environments. Bakers yeast is used as the countries. A rolled sponge is filled and coated
raising agent in various kinds of dough, where
it ferments the sugar in the dough to produce
 A Culinary Dictionary 94

with chocolate butter cream and the surface

decorated to resemble bark.

Z
Zabaglione – A foamy Italian dessert sauce
made with whole eggs, egg yolk, sugar and
Marsala. These are whisked together over
gentle heat in the top of a double boiler.
Zabaglione can be served warm with sweet,
crisp biscuit (cookies) or spooned over
strawberries, or chilled. It is an ingredient in
some versions of the rich dessert tiramisù.
Zabaglione can also be made with other dessert
wines or liqueurs; in Spain it is made with
sherry, and in France a similar sauce made
with sweet white wine or champagne is known
as sabayon. The name zabaglione is derived
from a Neapolitan dialect word, which means
‘to foam’.

Zest – The thin, coloured, outside rind of a

citrus fruit. it contains volatile oils that add
fragrance and concentrated flavour to both
sweet and savoury foods.

Zucchini – Also known as courgette. A

small, slender vegetable marrow, botanically a
fruit but used as a vegetable. It has thin skin
(green or yellow) and pale flesh with a central
cluster of small, soft edible seeds. Very young
zucchini are the sweetest and most tender.
Zucchini can be eaten raw in salads or cut into
lengths and served with dips; they are steamed,
braised or boiled and served as a vegetable,
and can be stuffed and baked. Zucchini
combines particularly well with tomato. The
male flower can be picked while still firmly
closed and used in cooking, usually stuffed
then dipped in batter and fried, or stuffed and
baked (the female flower, recognizable by its
thicker stem, is left to mature into the
vegetable). The zucchini was developed in
Italy from seeds brought back from the
Americans by Christopher Columbus. It is
available fresh throughout the year.

Zwieback – A rusk made from slightly

sweetened yeast dough (sometimes flavoured
with lemon or cinnamon) baked then cut into
thin slices and returned to a slow oven until
crisp and golden.