Glossary foods Ingredients Cooking Terms

1. Ingredients

2. Cooking Terms

1. Ingredients

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.