Glossary of Cooking Terms

A thin fan-shaped wafer that has a slightly sweet flavor. It is baked on a special iron, which is much like a waffle iron.

A cold, uncooked soup that originated in southern Spain. It is prepared with puréed fresh vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, celery, and onions, that are combined with garlic, breadcrumbs, olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice.

A common Jewish food, Gefilte fish is made from bits of fish that are formed into either a fish cake or a fish ball to be served as a hot or cold food dish.

A thickening agent and food item made from pigskins or from beef bones, cartilage, and tendons.

A kitchen utensil that can be used to make small oval servings of gelatin-based foods.

An Italian ice cream, traditionally made with milk instead of cream and processed with less air incorporated into the ingredients during preparation.

Grape varietal family, most notably known as Muscat, comprised of 100’s of grapes ranging from white to black, believed to have originated in Alsace, France.

A pasta variety that consists of two short pasta strands that are twisted together into a spiral shape.

A descriptor of wines that are named after wine producing districts.

A type of Italian cured sausage, originating in the Genoa region of Italy, that is most often made only of pork, but may also be a mix of pork and lesser amounts of beef, depending on the provider's recipe.

A grape varietal, most notably known as Sylvaner, used in the production of white wine.

The embryo of a seed or kernel of grain, located at the bottom center of the kernel.

A type of sourdough bread popular in Germany, made with bread flour or whole-wheat flour and rye flour, which is one of the most widely cultivated and used grains in the country.

Often considered to be a perennial ornamental for use in gardens, Germander is a herb that is used in the food industry for the production of beverages or a herb considered by some to be helpful with medical problems.

A soft, richly flavored French cheese that has the texture of very soft cream cheese and contains between 60 and 75 percent milk fat.

Pronounced geh-vertz-tra-mihner. A grape varietal used in the production of white wine.

A version of clarified butter and one of the most common types of cooking fat used in India.

A type of small, dark green cucumber that is grown specifically for making pickles.

An herb belonging to the mint family that grows wild in Mexico. It has aromatic, dark green leaves that have a minty, but slightly bitter flavor.

(Scientific Name: Calvatia gigantea) A round, white or grayish-tan colored mushroom that grows or "puffs up" into the shape of a round ball.

A hybrid of corn that grows into large kernels for use in making snacks and various corn dishes.

A large size Italian olive that is oval in shape and when ripe, it is purplish-black in color.

Refers to the heart, liver, and gizzard of domesticated poultry and game birds. Sometimes the neck is also considered to be in this group.

A fluted edge piece of pasta that has been rolled into a cone shaped flower. It is best when served with thick sauces or in casseroles.

A type of strong liquor distilled from various grains such as barley, oats, and wheat and then flavored with juniper berries, which are harvested from the evergreen juniper shrub.

A subtropical plant that is grown for its knobby root, which is used as a seasoning in foods.

A sweet, carbonated soft drink that is flavored with ginger extract.

A type of carbonated beverage that is produced using a beer base made from barley and other cereal grains that has been flavored with the juice of ginger.

A variety of apple that has pale green outer skin and a cream colored crisp textured flesh.

A kitchen utensil that is used to remove tiny bits of flesh from the irregularly shaped ginger root.

A liquid juice produced from fresh pressing a subtropical plant that is grown for its knobby root.

A sauce that serves well as a salad dressing, a marinade or a stir-fry seasoning.

A combination of fresh ginger, pureed and mixed with water to form a paste that is used in making a variety of savory Indian food dishes.

A type of sweet bread flavored with molasses, honey, and ginger. It is often made into cookies with a dense, chewy texture and cut into various shapes such as the ginger bread man....

A traditional baked creation that is most often made during the year end holidays to serve as both a decoration and an edible food.

Made from cast iron, this template enables the various pieces of a Gingerbread House to be formed from dough and baked so they can be assembled into the traditional Gingerbread House.

A small, somewhat spicy, very crisp cookie that is flavored with molasses and ginger.

A sweet, buff-colored, olive sized nut that is obtained from the center of the inedible fruit of the maidenhair tree, which is native to China.

An herb that grows wild and has been sought for centuries in various regions of the world as a plant species often associated with properties that promote healing or improved physical and mental performance.

A muscular pouch found in the lower stomach of fowl that grinds the food the bird has swallowed.

A cheese of Norwegian origin made from a combination of goat and cow's milk or only cow's milk, which is slowly cooked until the sugars in the milk are caramelized.

1) Refers to a flavorful coating that forms on food as it is cooked. The glaze may be the result of basting food with a liquid, such as a meat stock, during the cooking process.

Traditionally, this tomato is the most uniform in size and rounded shape of all the tomato varieties.

A popular Scandinavian alcoholic beverage, served hot that is made with spiced wine (mulled wine), a variety of spices, and several varieties of alcohol.

A variety of English cheese that was, in years past, traditionally made only with the milk from Gloucester cows, which are now almost extinct.

A combination of double Gloucester cheddar cheese and alternating inner layers of Stilton blue cheese.

A sugar, also referred to as "dextrose." that is found naturally in grains, fruits and vegetables such as corn, grapes, sugar beets, sugar cane, and honey.

A substance in certain types of flour that gives dough its elasticity, strength, and makes the dough rise.

A type of flour, produced from hard wheat that has been treated to remove the starch.

A term that refers to products that contain no gluten, which is found in many foods, but is most notable as the substance that gives dough its elasticity, strength, and makes the dough rise.