Glossary of Cooking Terms

A substance found in animal fats, meat, and eggs that functions as a membrane constituent in the body and a precursor of steroid hormones.

The process of cutting foods into fine or coarse cut pieces. Onions, carrots, sweet peppers, celery, tomatoes, and potatoes are all examples of foods that are coarsely chopped to be added to stews and chili.

Cured pork that has been ground or chopped, seasoned, formed into a loaf shape, and cooked.

A utensil that is typically a self-contained unit to hold food while a spring-loaded mechanism with blades chops the food beneath.

Eating utensils consisting of a long, slender stick of wood, used in pairs. Chopsticks are used in many Asian nations and are as common as the fork is in Western culture.

A coarsely ground dry pork sausage that is heavily seasoned, smoked, and produced into links that range in size from small to jumbo frank.

A common Jewish dish, from France, which is made with kosher meats. Translated, the term refers to a dish garnished (garni) with sauerkraut (choucroutte).

A pastry made by a method different from other pastries in that the dough is made by adding flour to boiling water and butter, and then beating eggs into the mixture.

A condiment that may be a Chinese inspired pickled relish, which is often served on meats and breads or served as an Asian syrup condiment for baked goods.

A Chinese dish consisting of noodles fried with chicken, pork, beef, or fish, and a variety of vegetables.

A type of soup that contains a variety of ingredients that may include potatoes, other vegetables, milk, cream, meats, and herbs made into a hearty food that is always served hot.

An Asian vegetable and green related to the Pak Choy family of cabbage plants, that is often considered to be the flowering version of this vegetable green.

With a cream colored background accented in shades of dark burgundy markings, this variety of dried bean is similar in shape to other lima beans but is not related.

A variety of melon that grows to approximately 1 foot in length and is oblong in shape.

Edible leaves of the garland chrysanthemum plant that may also be referred to as the edible chrysanthemum or the cooking chrysanthemum.

A primal cut of beef, which extends from the neck to the fifth rib and includes the shoulder blade and the upper arm.

The chuck eye is a continuation of the rib-eye meat. It is similar to the rib-eye meat of the rib primal (ribs 6-12) except that it is located in the chuck primal (ribs 1-5).

The chuck eye steak is a smaller cut from the chuck eye roast. It is best when braised, but it can be grilled or broiled if it is not overcooked.

Long dried Japanese noodles made from wheat flour or buckwheat and wheat flour that are combined into a web of intertwined noodles.

A pastry originating in Spain, that is basically fried dough extruded through a fluted tube, resulting in a star shaped stick that is cut to a desired length.

A preparation generally made with fruit and/or vegetables, vinegar, herbs, and spices that provides a sweet and sour taste with flavors ranging from mild to very hot and spicy.

Pronounced Shah-toh-nuhf-doo-pahp. A regional red wine produced in the appelation of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Rhône region of France.

A white cheese made entirely from goat's milk and commonly referred to as goat cheese in the U.S.

Traditional Italian bread that is formed into an oval or rounded rectangular shape loaf.

Stuffed pasta made to look like a half-round sun with rays extending upward. This pasta is made by first cutting pasta dough into 4-inch strips and then cutting 3-inch diameter circles out of the strips.

A type of festive Easter bread that originated in Bologna, Italy. The unbleached white flour (wheat) dough is enriched with butter, eggs, and milk, sweetened with sugar, and flavored with lemon zest.

A long, boat shaped pasta that is oval shaped with ragged or scalloped edges. Similar to cavatelli pasta, cicatelli is longer in length with a more twisted shape.

An herb which is also referred to as Sweet Cicely, Chervil and Myrrh, that is native to western Asia and Europe, but is also grown in many other regions.

A flavorful vinegar made from the cider of fermented apple juice. Apples that are grown during the fall or winter when higher sugar levels are present are the varieties commonly used for Cider Vinegar.

Descriptive term nearly synonymous with “tobacco”, referring to the aroma detected on the nose when emitted by wine.

A favorite herb that grows as the green leaves of the coriander plant that resemble a parsley-like green plant.

An Italian fresh mozzarella cheese that is formed into small cherry tomato shaped portions and packed in water or brine.

A sweet spice which is slightly hot and is derived from the inner bark of an East Indian evergreen tree of the laurel family.

A type of bread formed into a roll or bun shaped that is made from a yeasted dough enriched with eggs, butter, and milk.

(Scientific Name: Hypholoma sublatertium) Similar in appearance to a Nameko mushroom, the Cinnamon Cap is a variety that grows in clusters.

Pronounced San-so. A grape varietal, used in the production of light red wines, originating in the Rhône region of France.

Pronounced San-so. A grape varietal, used in the production of light red wines, originating in the Rhône region of France.

A flavoring ingredient that can be added to a mixture of seafood, pasta, veal, chicken, and turkey dishes.

A hearty Italian seafood stew that is generally created from the bits of fish remaining after the daily catches are sent to market.

A traditional Italian onion with a flat oval shape that ranges in size from 1 to 3 inches in diameter.

A thick strand of pasta that is stretched until it its approximately double the thickness of spaghetti.

A naturally occurring, tart tasting compound formed in many fruits, such as gooseberries, lemons, limes, and pineapples.

A salt substance derived from acidic citrus fruits, such as lemon and limes, that is dried and formed into a powder or crystal.

A mid-sized to large citrus fruit that is grown in several different variations, all similar in taste and aroma.

Describes wine that has some fresh tartness from citrus fruit.

A kitchen tool that extracts juice from citrus fruits and vegetables by shredding the flesh of the food item.

A tool used to extract the desired amount of juice from citrus fruits. This tool is screwed into the fruit, such as a lemon or lime, and the outer rind is squeezed until the desired amount of juice flows out the spout of the extractor.

Designed for removing pulp from citrus fruits while eating the fruit, a Grapefruit or Citrus Spoon is formed similar to other spoons.

Descriptor of wine with citrus fruit aroma/bouquet and flavor characteristics.

A French term used to traditionally describe a sweet food made like a dessert similar to a custard or flan without a crust.