Glossary of Cooking Terms

A term used to describe wines that are not dominated by any one characteristic. i.e.: acid balances sweet.

A type of short-grain rice that is used in much the same way as Arborio for creating risotto, which is a creamy Italian rice dish.

A red-skinned apple that has streaks of yellow and is heavily speckled with russet spots.

A type of fruit that may grow as large as a foot in diameter and is the largest citrus fruit.

A kitchen utensil that is best used to blend sauces, whip eggs and stir batters....

This kitchen utensil, similar to a French whisk, is best used for whipping light food ingredients.

French in origin, this term refers to meat that has been rolled into a circular shape and filled with a stuffing of ingredients that enhance the flavor of the meat being prepared.

A very strong, but sweet type of grape vinegar originating in the Modena region of Italy.

A grape varietal, used in the production of red and sparkling wines, originating in the Burgundy region of France.

An Asian delicacy that consists of a whole egg containing a duck or chicken fetus.

A grape varietal, used in the production of red wine, originating in the Catalonia region of Spain.

The leaf that is harvested from the bamboo plant, which serves as a food wrap. This Asian wrap is used to enhance the flavor of the food with the subtle taste of the leaf, similar to other wraps such as cornhusks or banana leaves.

An aromatic short-grain white rice from China, which has been infused with the chlorophyll taken from young bamboo plants.

A traditional Asian ingredient that is the ivory-colored young growth, harvested from a species of edible bamboo plants, which are prepared and served as a vegetable.

A type of cookware made of bamboo that consists of individual cooking trays or layers with openings in the bottom, that are assembled together and used to cook food with the use of steam.

A Jamaican flatbread that is very similar to a pancake. Bammy bread is made from grated cassava root that is pressed in a cloth to remove the liquid; then it is mixed with salt, formed into a small round shape, and placed on a baking sheet.

Native to tropical regions, a banana has a tough outer peel that may be yellow, red, green, or black when ripe.

A quick bread made from mashed bananas mixed with eggs, flour, sugar, lemon juice, shortening, and baking powder.

A variety of pepper that has a banana shape and is typically 2 to 3 inches in length.

The flower, which may also be called banana blossom, grows on the end of the stem holding a cluster of bananas.

The green leaf that grows on a banana tree, which can be dried, cleaned, cut to size, and then used as a wrap for steaming or heating food.

1) An Asian condiment that has the same appearance and flavor as tomato ketchup....

A long oblong-shaped squash with a tan or cream-colored thick outer skin and a golden fine textured inner flesh.

A Swiss bread loaf that is an adaptation of German and French white breads. Bangeli bread has a long baguette shape, which often has several horizontal slashes across the top.

A British term for the English sausage that became popular during World War II during a time when it was made with pork meat.

A common sweet or savory pastry that is popular in Bulgaria where it is most often prepared during Christmas.

A basket specifically used for proofing French bread dough. The dough is placed in the basket for the final rising period, or proofing period.

A Scottish bread that was traditionally an unleavened flat bread made with barley flour or oatmeal combined with wheat flour, but is today considered a quick bread since most bannocks are now leavened with baking powder or baking soda.

A variety of white cheese that comes from the Provence region of France. It is traditionally made with pasteurized goat's milk known as Banon Chevre, but it also made with cow's milk or a blend of sheep's, cow's and goat's milk.

Pronounced bah-nyuhls. An exceptional French red dessert wine produced in the appellation of Banyuls in the Pyrenees region of Southwestern France.

A wine vinegar made from grapes grown in the French region of Banyuls-sur-Mer. The varietal mix of this vinegar includes primarily Granache noir, Grenache gris and a minor amount of Carignane grapes.

Long and thin in construction, this type of spoon is made for handling a variety of barware tasks requiring a longer depth to the spoon handle.

Shaped to fit in a beverage shaker or tumbler, this type of strainer is used in home or commercial bar areas to keep chunks of fruit, larger pieces of pulp, ice, and other ingredients mixed in a beverage shaker from entering a glass as the mixed contents are poured.

A Welsh, yeast leavened fruit bread used as a popular tea bread throughout Britain.

A very sweet, ruby-red fruit that is much like a small cherry. It grows mainly in the West Indies and is an excellent source of vitamin C.

An unrefined sugar or raw sugar made from the juice of sugar cane. Dark brown in color, Barbados sugar is fine-grained and soft-textured similar to brown sugar, providing a distinctively strong flavor when added to foods.

Pronounced bahr bah ress koh. A D.O.C.G. regional red wine produced in the Piedmont region of Italy, specifically in the towns Barbaresco, Neive, and Treiso d’Alba.

A type of Iranian flatbread prepared with wheat bread flour that is made into a variety of shapes and sizes.

Refers to a method of cooking that involves long, slow, indirect cooking with low heat, usually in a pit or special cooking chamber that is allowed to fill with smoke to add flavor to the food.

A grilling utensil that is used to securely grasp meat on a hot grill and move it or turn it over.

A reference often made to pork or beef ribs that are cooked using the low, indirect heat and smoke of a barbecue pit or the high, direct heat of a grill.

A savory sauce used to complement barbecued or grilled foods. The sauce can be described as tangy, spicy, and/or sweet and can be prepared in an infinite number of ways.

Pronounced bar-BEHR-uh. A grape varietal, used in the production red wine, originating in the Piedmont Region of Italy.

The Barbera varietal is used as a blending agent to produce Barbera d'Asti. The Barbera varietal is used in the production red wine, originating in the Piedmont Region of Italy.

A long strand pasta that is very similar to capellini. It is generally available in coiled nests.

A method of placing fat, such as bacon or fatback, around lean meats or fowl that are to be roasted so they will absorb additional moisture and fat to keep them from drying out.

Pronounced bar doe lee no. Regional red wine from from the Bardolino village along Lake Garda in the Veneto region of Northeast Italy.

A medium to large sized Mediterranean olive common in Italy. Mildly fruity and only slightly bitter in taste, this olive is meaty and provides a good amount of oil when used in the production of olive oil.

Native to Italy, this olive variety is medium in size and oval to elongated in shape.

A widely grown cereal grass that produces a grain, which has been a primary food source of many cultures for thousands of years.