Glossary of Cooking Terms

A gelling substance found naturally in vegetables and fruit. Pectin is needed as an ingredient when making jams and jellies to thicken the mixture to make it gel.

A serving utensil that consists of a large round flat plate positioned on top of a pedestal with a base in order to elevate and display the food being served above the surrounding elements.

A descriptor of wine that is plain and unimaginative.

The outer skin or rind of a fruit and vegetable. Vegetables that have this outer skin will generally have the peel removed and discarded before the vegetable is used but there are occasions when it is left on.

A type of Chinese vegetable of the mustard family. It has dark green leaves and white celery-like stalks that have a mild, slightly peppery flavor.

Thin tube pasta with sharp diagonally cut ends, which resemble the end of a quill pen.

Thin tube pasta with sharp diagonally cut ends, which resemble the end of a quill pen.

A pasta that is similar to penne but has a slightly wider diameter. Penne zita is approximately 1 1/2 inches long.

A small Italian pasta tube pasta with ends that are cut at an angle. They are available with a smooth or ridged surface.

A tube pasta with sharp diagonally cut ends, which resemble the end of a quill pen.

An old-fashioned tan-colored confection made with brown sugar, milk, butter, and vanilla.

Common in Italian cooking, this food item consists of sweet peppers sauteed in olive oil.

The Italian word for red chile peppers, this is an ingredient often added to many Italian dishes for a spicy flavor.

A cornichon or French pickled cucumber (gherkin) that is smaller in size and has a crunchy textured meat.

A tropical fruit, native to South America that provides a mildly sweet cantaloupe and pear-like or honeydew melon flavor.

Edible pumpkin seeds that are popular in Mexican cooking. They are available with or without the hulls and raw, roasted and salted.

A term that is used to refer to a group of spices used for seasonings or a group of vegetables that may be sweet, bland or spicy.

Several varieties of peppercorn berries picked at different times, dried by using different drying processes resulting in distinctively different flavors, and mixed together to create a blend of three or four peppercorns.

A semi-soft white melting cheese that is made from whole, skim, or partially skim milk and contains bits of chile peppers.

Used mainly as an ingredient in sauces, this variety of soup is thick in consistency and rich in flavor.

A spicy variety of jelly that is typically used as a condiment for appetizers and snacks rather than a breakfast or tea jelly.

A meat specialty consisting of cooked beef and pork that has been pressed into a loaf and generously seasoned with chopped red and green peppers.

A kitchen utensil that grinds whole peppercorns into fine, medium or coarse ground bits of pepper.

A type of soup that has historical roots from the east coast of the U.S. to Jamacia.

A spicy hot sauce seasoned with cayenne peppers, chile peppers or peppercorns. It is used as a condiment to many foods, such as meats, chicken and fish, or it can be added to other foods where a spicy flavor is desired, such as marinades, beverages, dips, chili, casseroles or other sauces.

Made for chile peppers, sweet peppers and a variety of vegetables, this utensil provides a simple way to roast fresh vegetables in the kitchen.

One of the most common and most popular of spices, the peppercorn is derived from the berries grown in clusters on the vine-like pepper plant.

One of the oldest varieties of mint and the most important for industrial use as a flavoring or to create a scented aroma.

Small confections having a peppermint flavor, which are eaten as candy or used for decorating and flavoring in cakes, cookies and other desserts.

A peppermint flavoring, used in baked goods and other desserts, which is made from the essential oils of fresh peppermint leaves.

A thin chile pepper that is 2 to 4 inches long with a green wrinkled skin that turns red when mature.

A ready to eat, hard, dry sausage made from beef and pork that is typically well seasoned with black and red pepper and then air dried.

A snack that is produced by oven baking slices of pepperoni. Typically, a stick of Pepperoni that may be from 1 to 2 inches in diameter is used for making Pepperoni Crisps.

A descriptor reserved almost solely for spicy wine. “Peppery” wine has been described as having a sharp peppery/cinnamon/anise character.

One of the smallest chile peppers but also one of the hottest. The chile is very small and has an elongated shape.

A species of fish found in fresh water lakes and streams that is most common in Canada and states from the northern U.S.

Long strands of pasta, resembling fatter versions of spaghetti that have a hollow center running lengthwise through the middle of the pasta.

Descriptor of a wine with a delightful bouquet, synonym of floral.

A sauce that is dark brown in color and is flavored with truffles, and Madeira, which is a sweet wine.

French term for a slightly sparkling wine. Also referred to as “petillant”. The small bubbles give the wine a lift, masking sweetness and providing a refreshing tingle.

South Africa term for a slightly sparkling wine. The small bubbles give the wine a lift, masking sweetness and providing a refreshing tingle.

In reference to wine, "peronospera" is a fungal disease that has the ability to cause severe damage to the vine.

An oval shaped Tahitian lime that is slightly larger than Tahitian Bearss lime. It is greenish yellow when ripe but is harvested to be sold when it is still green because the acidity level is higher, which provides a better flavor.

A round melon, very similar to a cantaloupe, but larger in size. The outer skin is netted in appearance and covers a pale orange flesh that provides a very sweet flavor.

A mixture of chopped parsley and garlic, which is used to season or garnish dishes.

An orange colored autumn fruit with a smooth skin and a reddish orange jelly-like flesh, which has a very tart flavor prior to ripening and a delicately sweet flavor, somewhat like a sweet plum when ripe.

A wine term referring to the length of time a taste/aroma sensation continues after it touches the palate.

A cooking tool or utensil that is shaped like a short fat baseball bat that is used to grind ingredients such as herbs, grains, or nuts in a bowl known as a mortar.

An herb-based sauce originating in Italy that is typically made with basil, parsley, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and parmesan or romano cheese.

French term for a slightly sparkling wine. Also referred to as “perlant”. The small bubbles give the wine a lift, masking sweetness and providing a refreshing tingle.