Glossary
1. Ingredients
2. Cooking Terms
- Agar
- Dried seaweed used as a thickening agent like gelatin.
- Ale
- Alcoholic beverage brewed from malts and hops.
- Amaretto
- Liqueur with the flavour of almonds.
- Anise
- Small plant from the parsley family with a sweet licorice flavor.
- Anisette
- Clear and sweet liqueur made with anise seeds.
- Arrowroot
- Tuber from the arrowroot plant; dried, ground, and used to
thicken foods.
- Aspartame
- Sugar substitute much sweeter than sugar.
- Baking Soda
- Bicarbonate of soda used to make the dough rise during baking.
- Baking Powder
- Leavener containing baking soda, cream of tartar and cornstarch
used in baking.
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Vinegar made from white grape juice. Like wine, aging enhances it's
flavour. Used in salad dressings.
- Basil
- Green or purple leaved herb. Used in Thai cooking. Also has medicinal
properties.
- Bay Leaf
- Herb used to flavour stocks, soups,
vegetables, meats or pilafs. Normally removed before serving. Also called Laurel leaf or
bay laurel.
- Beer
- Alcohol beverage brewed from malted barley and cereals mixed with yeast and flavored with hops.
- Benedictine
- Sweet liqueur based on cognac and flavored with aromatics.
- Borage
- European herb with a flavour similar to that of cucumber.
- Bouillon
- Powder of dehydrated beef, chicken or vegetable stock. Usually packed in
cubes which if dissolved in hot water make stock.
- Brandy
- Liquor distilled from wine or other fermented fruit juice.
- Brown Sugar
- White sugar combined with molasses.
- Butterscotch
- Made with butter and brown sugar and used in desserts.
- Cabernet-Sauvignon
- Small, thin-skinned black grapesused to produce red-wine.
- Cane Syrup
- Thick, sweet syrup made from sugar cane.
- Cappuccino
- Italian coffee made by topping espresso with the creamy foam from steamed milk.
- Caraway Seed
- Small brown seed of a herb in the parsley family. Used to flavour breads,
stews, meats and vegetables. Also used in Indian cooking and is considered to improve
digestion.
- Cardamom
- Strong aromatic green or black spice that is a member of the ginger family.
- Carob
- Dried and roasted pulp of the tropical carob tree, ground to create carob powder.
Used to flavor candies and sometimes used as a chocolate substitute.
- Cayenne Pepper
- Red pepper powder not as hot as red chilli powder.
- Celery Salt
- Seasoning made of celery seed and salt.
- Chantilly Creme
- Mildly sweetened whipped cream sometimes flavored with vanilla or a liqueur.
- Chamomile
- Aromatic flower that is dried and used to flavour tea.
- Chenin Blanc
- Grapes used to produce high quality white wine.
- Chervil
- Mild, aromatic herb of the parsley family.
- Chicory
- Endive relative with curly, slightly bitter leaves generally used in salads or cooked as greens.
- Chikuwa
- Type of Japanese fish paste cake.
- Chilli Powder
- Hot seasoning made with dried red chillies.
- Chives
- Fragrant herb with thin green stems and a mild onion flavor.
- Chowchow
- Mustard-flavoured chinese relish of vegetables and pickles.
- Cilantro
- Another name for Coriander Leaves. A popular herb resembling the parsley family.
- Cinnamon
- Strong sweet spice from the inner bark of a tropical evergreen tree. Cinnamon powder
is used to flavour apple pies. Also used in Indian Curries.
- Clove
- Strong spice made from the dried, unopened flower bud of evergreen clove tree.
Also helps in relieving toothaches.
- Cocoa
- The fruit of the cocoa plant. These beans are fermented, dried, roasted, cracked, and ground.
- Coconut Water
- The opaque white liquid present in an unripened
tender green coconut, generally available in coastal areas. Serves as a
refreshing beverage.
- Coconut Milk
- Made by combining equal parts of water and shredded fresh
or desiccated coconut and simmering until foamy. The liquid is then strained. Used in
Thai, Sri Lankan and South Indian curries.
- Colombard
- Grape used to produce high quality white wine.
- Corn Syrup
- Syrup made from cornstarch used in desserts, frostings, candies.
- Cream of Tartar
- Natural fruit acid in the form of a fine white powder. Used in making baking sodas and as a stabilizer.
- Creme de Menthe
- Mint-flavoured liqueur.
- Cress
- Plants belonging to the mustard family, e.g. watercress, which has a
pungent-tasting leaf. Used for salads and as a garnish.
- Cumin
- Spice with thin brown seeds and is a member of the parsley family.
Cumin seeds and cumin powder are widely used in Asian curries.
- Curacoa
- Orange flavoured liqueur made from the dried peel of bitter oranges.
- Dextrous Sugar
- Sugar produced from grape or corn sugar.
- Dill
- Hard, aromatic herb.
- Drambuie
- This Scotch-based liqueur sweetened withhoney and flavoured with herbs.
- Eggnog
- Mexican alcoholic beverage made with raw eggs, sugar and milk.
- Endive
- Salad green related to the chicory.
- Escarole
- Type of endive with broad, slightly curved leaves and a milder flavour.
- Filbert
- Another name for hazelnut. Used in desserts.
- Flan
- Round pastry tart with a sweet or savory filling.
- Garlic
- Extremely odorous bulbous plant related to leeks, chives,
onions, and shallots.
- Gelatin
- Odorless, tasteless, and colorless thickening
agent used in jellied desserts, salads, and cold soups.
- Gherkin
- Small variety of dark green cucumbers grown especially for pickling.
- Gin
- Liquor made using distillates from barley, corn, or rye, and juniper
berries.
- Ginseng
- Sweet licorice-flavoured chinese root with medicinal properties.
- Grape Leaves
- Large green leaves of grapevines. Also called vine leaves.
These are stuffed with filling in Middle eastern and Greek cookery.
- Grenadine
- Red colored syrup made from the juice of pomegranates.
Used in drinks and desserts.
- Horseradish
- Pungent root of the horseradish tree. Use for making pungent horseradish
sauce.
- Iodized Salt
- Table salt to which iodine has been added.
- Kahlua
- Sweet mexican coffee liqueur.
- Kirsh
- Liquer distilled from cherry juice and pits. Used in desserts like
black forest cake and fondues.
- Kome-Kogi
- Miso made from rice.
- Mace
- Spice made from the membrane that covers the nutmeg seed. Tastes like a
stronger version of nutmeg.
- Mame-Kogi
- Miso made from soy beans.
- Maple Sugar
- Sugar made from the sap of the sugar maple.
- Maple Syrup
- A syrup made by boiling the sap of the maple
tree. When boiled long enough, it becomes maple sugar.
- Marinade
- Seasoned and flavoured liquid (like yoghurt, lemon juice) in which
foods are soaked so that they absorb the flavour of the marinade. Marinades for meats
to be grilled generally tenderize them also.
- Marjoram
- Herb from the mint family with a mild flavor like sage.
- Meringue
- A mixture of stiffly beaten egg whites and granulated
sugar.
- Miso
- Nutritious paste of fermented soybeans used as a flavouring
agent in Japanese cooking.
- Mocha
- Strong, hot coffee based beverage with chocolate.
- Molasses
- Thick brown syrup separated from raw sugar during the refinement process.
- Monosodium Glutamate
- Also called MSG or Ajinomoto. Used to enhance flavour in
Chinese cooking.
- Nopal
- Prickly pear cactus.
- Nutmeg
- The spice of the nutmeg tree with a mild, sweet flavour.
- Onion Salt
- Mixture of onion powder and salt.
- Oregano
- Popular culinary herb of the mint family. Also called wild marjoram and is
stronger than marjoram. Used a lot in Italian cooking and in pizzas.
- Paprika
- Mild seasoning powder made by grinding dried red or bell pepper pods.
- Parsley
- Peppery herb related to coriander, anise, dill, celery, and carrots.
- Rennet
- Extract from the stomachs of calves and lambs which contains the enzyme
rennin, used to curdle milk in foods such as cheese and junket.
- Rosemary
- Highly aromatic herb from the mint family. Used in dressings, fruit salads,
soups, vegetables, meats, poultry and stuffings.
- Rum
- Mildly sweet liquor distilled from fermentedsugar-cane juice or molasses.
- Saffron
- Most expensive herb made from the dried stigmas from the tiny blossom of the
small crocus, Corcus satirus. Few strands of good quality saffron are enough to impart flavour.
- Sake
- Japanese rice wine, used in cooking.
- Savory
- Strong flavoured herb of the mint family.
- Tapioca
- Starchy substance derived from the root of the cassava plant. Used as a
thickening agent for soups and desserts.
- Tempeh
- A fermented soybean cake used in Indonesian cooking.
- Tequila
- Mexican pale-colored liquor made by fermenting and distilling the sap of the agave plant.
- Tia Maria
A dark-brown, rum-based coffee liqueur. Gives a wonderful
flavour to Tiramisu.
- Tonic
- Carbonated water that is sometimes flavoured withfruit extracts, sugar, and a small amount of quinine
- Thyme
- Herb from the mint family.
- Tofu
- A low-calorie, high-protein, cholesterol-free food
made from curdled soy milk used in oriental cooking. Much lesser calories than cottage
cheese cubes.
- Triple Sec
- Orange liqueur.
- Tumeric
- Yellow colored spice taken from the root of a plant in the ginger family.
Used in powder form to flavour and color curries and gravies.
- Vodka
- Clear liquor made from potatoes, and sometimes from corn or wheat.
- Wasabi
- Japanese horseradish that is dried, powdered,
and made into a pale green paste with a sharp, pungent, extremely
potent flavor. Often mixed with soy sauce and served as a condiment in Japanese cooking.
- White Chocolate
- A blend of sugar, cocoa butter, milk solids, lecithin and vanilla.
- Yakidofu
- Grilled tofu (soybean curd cake).
- Yeast
- Fermenting agent. Used for fermenting dough in making breads, pizza bases.
- Beat
- To mix foods thoroughly with a fork, spoon, whisk or an electric beater.
- Blanch
- To boil rapidly and very briefly in a lot of water.
- Blend
- To mix foods gently with a fork, spoon or spatula.
- Braise
- To brown food in fat or butter before cooking in a covered pot.
- Broil
- To grill
- Butterfly
- To cut a piece of meat nearly all the way through and open it out to make it twice as long but half as thick as it was. The meat would look like an 'open book'.
- Caramelize
- To cook sugar over heat with little water until it turns into a brown caramel. For meat and vegetables this term means
to cook over high heat to bring out and brown their natural sugars.
- Coddle
- To pour boiling water over eggs, allowing them to stand briefly before removing.
- Cream
- To whip cream using a whisk or an electric beater.
- Debeard
- To scrape away the "hairy beard" on the shell of mussels.
- Deglaze
- To add liquid to a cooking pan and stir to mix in all the brown bits stuck to the bottom.
- Dice
- Cut vegetables or meat into small cubes. Finely diced means to cut into about 1/8 - 1/4 inch cubes.
- Emulsify
- To completely blend together an oil with an acid such as vinegar or lemon juice. This term is usually
used while making salad dressings.
- Incorporate
- To mix in thoroughly.
- Julienne
- To cut into match sticks about 1/8 inch across by 2 inches long.
- Marinate
- To place foods in a liquid, so that they will absorb flavour and become tender.
- Mince
- To chop very very finely.
- Non-Reactive Bowl
- A glass, ceramic, or stainless steel bowl, not an aluminium or cast-iron one. Non-reactive bowls should
be used while preparing and storing dishes, such as dressings or marinades, which contain acidic ingredients such as vinegar or lemon juice.
- Poach
- To cook in a clear or flavoured liquid.
- Puree
- To mash foods into a paste with a masher or in a blender.
- Reduce
- To thicken and intensify the flavour of a liquid by evaporating it through boiling.
- Sauce
- When serving, to place the sauce either over or underneath the entree.
- Saute
- To cook and brown food in hot fat.
- Shock
- To plunge the vegetables quickly in ice-cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Steam
- To cook with a small amount of liquid at high heat, in the steam produced.
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