Glossary of Cooking Terms

A plant native to Europe and Asia that is grown for its fiber or its seeds. Similar to several other plants that are not actually considered grains (amaranth and buckwheat, for example), Flax is often used like one.

A type of bread that is usually made with whole wheat flour and is flavored with flax seeds and honey.

An oil obtained from the seeds of the flax plant. When it is processed, Flaxseed oil is first cold pressed from the seeds, providing an edible oil.

Often a descriptor of wine with great smoothness and richness. A “Fleshy” wine is fatter than a meaty wine.

French sea salt,

An unpasteurized sheep's milk cheese from the French Mediterranean island of Corsica.

A type of spatula that is built to blend, fold, combine, and scrap food ingredients as they are being prepared.

A person who consumes higher levels of plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables and grains and lower levels of meat products.

A Yiddish term that is defined as, “meals.” The word also refers to food products that are produced from meat or prepared with meat as an ingredient.

A descriptor of a harsh, stoney, “flint striking steel”, dry wine. Flinty can refer to both flavor and aroma.

A type of corn that is usually associated with the multicolored ears that are used as a popular decoration in the autumn months.

A descriptor of a harsh, stoney, “flint striking steel”, dry wine. Flinty can refer to both flavor and aroma.

A type of yeast that is formed after the fermentation of grapes when making wine.

A descriptor of wines with the aroma or taste of flowers. Most often a white wine characteristic, few reds have a floral aroma/taste.

The individual flower or tightly grouped clusters of buds that are contained in the heads of the cauliflower and broccoli plants.

A saltwater fish that has flaky white flesh when cooked and a mild flavor. It is one of the varieties of flatfish that are characterized by their flat oval bodies, horizontal swimming style, and eyes that are on one side of their head.

1. A product created by grinding and sifting various types of substances, such as grains, legumes, nuts, and some vegetables into a powdered form that varies from very soft to coarse in texture.

A type of corn that is grown solely as a source for the production of corn flour.

Flour Wand,

The individual flower or tightly grouped clusters of buds that are contained in the heads of the cauliflower and broccoli plants.

A Chinese plant with thin narrow, firm stalks that grow a small flowering bulb at the top of a tall stalk that may extend to over 12 inches in height.

A strictly visual description of the density of wine.

A type of flatfish that is a member of the flounder family. The skin on the top side is grayish brown to black with the underside white, typical of flatfish which lay on their underside and have two eyes on their top side or left side when considered in a vertical, rather than flat position.

1. The process of pressing a decorative pattern in the top edge of a pie crust before it is baked.

An ocean fish that commonly jumps out of the water and glides airborne over the surface for a distance of 10 to 20 feet.

An Italian yeast bread, considered to be a flat bread that is flavored with various ingredients, which may include herbs, olive oil, tomatoes, eggplant, roasted peppers, olives, and cheese.

An Italian pasta with a name that signifies "olive leaves" to describe the unique shape of this pasta.

A traditional French delicacy (translated it means "fat or fatty liver") that consists of a fattened goose or duck liver that is marinated several times before being served either baked or baked and chilled.

Constructed of aluminum foil, this type of pan is used for a variety of foods and food chores such as pizza baking, bread baking, meat roasting, and numerous other cooking activities.

A cow's milk cheese produced in the Loire Valley of France that is often made with a cheese mold providing a distinctive wheat ear pattern on the rind.

The process of blending a light ingredient, such as beaten egg whites, into a heavier ingredient by lifting from underneath with a spatula or spoon In order to fold ingredients properly, the heavier ingredient is placed at the bottom of a bowl and the lighter above.

A B-vitamin that is naturally present in some foods such as broccoli, beans, bread, Brussels sprouts, corn, lentils, oranges, and spinach.

Grape varietal native to the Languedoc area of France with a history dating back to the 17th century.

The French term used to describe the residue or particles of food remaining after meat and/or vegetables have been browned or cooked.

A sugar syrup that is made into a pliable form to be used as a flavored candy or as an icing that is flattened into a sheet form to be laid over a cake.

A very fine form of sugar that is used to make a Fondant, a dessert icing for cakes and sweets, or a garnish to be sprinkled lightly on plates or over fresh berries.

A food prepartion method that involves the use of a pot filled with cooking oil to cook meats or dipping ingredients to provide a warm coating to various foods.

A type of cookware that consists of a pot with a heat source such as a portable cooking fuel or an electrical heating element placed directly below the pot that is used for a food preparation process known as fondues.

Made to heat the ingredients placed in a fondue pot or a chafing dish, the Burner for these utensils is positioned directly below the pot or the dish and if not electric will use some type of portable fuel for a heat source.

An Italian term for a thick sauce or appetizer dip typically to be used for fondue-like dipping.

A traditional Italian cheese made from unpasteurized cow's milk. It is processed into a pale straw colored cheese with a firm, creamy texture providing a slightly nutty and buttery flavor.

A substance that is combined with food in order to improve food for a variety of needs.

An adverse reaction in the human body caused by substances in certain foods. Specifically, a food allergy is caused by a response of the immune system to certain food proteins.

Made from the juices of roasted meats, this is an ingredient that is often added to foods in order to deepen the flavor of the foods being prepared.

A chemical or natural additive that is used to enhance or alter the color of a food being processed or prepared.

A utensil used for drying and preserving foods by removing most of the natural moisture contained in the food, thus reducing the potential problems with spoilage that occur with fresh foods.

An adverse reaction caused by the inability of the body to digest certain substances in foods.

A method used to identify a variety of information regarding the contents of a package, bottle, carton, container or bag of food, such as ingredients, weight or nutritional information.

A kitchen utensil used to puree, mash or coarsely grind various foods. Consisting of a round metal container with a curved blade at the bottom and a hand crank above to turn the blade, food is cut into small pieces and forced through holes in a disk that is positioned just below the blade at the bottom of the mill.

An electric kitchen tool that is used to chop, grate, mince, slice, puree, and blend a variety of food ingredients.