Glossary of Cooking Terms

White vinegar flavored with tarragon. A sprig of tarragon is placed in a glass bottle and then white vinegar is added (a recipe may call for other flavorings to be added along with the tarragon).

A descriptor of wine that possesses the aroma of hot tar. A positive wine tasting term, this characteristic is sometimes found in zinfandels and cabernet.

1. A small, baked pastry that is round in shape with a shallow wall around the entire base.

A descriptor of wine. See “sharp” and “acidic”.

A round or oblong shallow pan with smooth or fluted sides. Some varieties of the pans contain removable bottoms so the contents can be removed easily and cleanly, while retaining the shape created by the fluted sides of the pan.

A cold sauce used as a condiment most often with fish but also on other foods such as vegetables.

Found in a variety of plants, this compound is a distinctive and prevalent acid commonly used in the production of food and industrial products.

The French term for "tart", this food item is a common pastry that can contain sweet or savory ingredients.

A well-known French upside-down fruit tart that is traditionally made with apples.

1) A French term used to refer to a bread appetizer that has been buttered and covered with jam, honey, melted cheese, or other similar ingredients.

Other than being a smaller version of a Tart pastry, this food item is basically the same as a Tart or Tarte in appearance.

The harmless crystals that form in bottles of red and white wines. The crystals are actually potassium bitartrate created from the tartaric acid produced in grapes as they grow and mature.

Formed into the shape of a dome this dessert or sweet confection is a popular Italian food item.

Lean, highly seasoned pork that is served in the southern United States and most often associated with Cajun cuisine.

Sensation detected by the tongue. There are four basic tastes perceived by taste buds.

An Asian salad green that is most often eaten raw but is also combined with other greens and prepared in cooked foods.

An oblong-shaped vegetable with a tapered end, this squash is native to Latin America where it is often served in casseroles and other side dishes.

The word "tea" can be used to reference the beverage served as a drink, the leaves used to make the beverage and the shrub from which the leaves are taken.

Designed with steel that can be easily compressed, this utensil squeezes the water and tea from tea bags after being steeped.

A hollow, round ball containing tiny holes or mesh screening which is used to hold tea leaves, herbs and spices that are used for flavoring liquids.

Made in the form of a Tea Ball with a handle, this utensil is designed to hold bits of ingredients that are used to make beverages and flavorful foods.

A type of seasoning or cooking oil that uses the tea seeds harvested from the tea plant (Camilla sinensis), cold-pressing them to produce the oil.

A china, ceramic, pottery, or metal container that is used for brewing and serving hot tea.

A Descriptor of wine. See “legs”.

A spreadable, smoked German sausage made from finely ground beef and pork taken from mature animals.

A type of grain cultivated in Ethiopia where it is a staple food crop. Teff is difficult to find in great quantities anywhere else in the world.

A type of flour milled from teff grain. Teff flour is high in calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and thiamin and it is a good source of fiber.

A type of Food Wrap that is made from flour milled from teff grain, a common grain found mainly in Ethiopia.

A type of Jewish pastry, or cookie, in which the dough is cooked by boiling it in a syrup flavored with honey.

A traditional Japanese sushi that is wrapped in nori (toasted seaweed) and formed into a cone-shaped serving when it is prepared as an appetizer or as part of an entree.

A product that is generally made from fermented and partially cooked soybeans, but is also made from other legumes and grains, such as barley, rice or quinoa.

1. A process where hot liquid is gradually added to eggs or other foods that needs to be incorporated into a hot sauce or soup without curdling.

Tiny solid beads of pasta that are generally used in light or broth based soups.

Temple Orange is actually a tangor, which is a variety of mandarin orange that is a cross between a tangerine and an orange.

Pronounced temprah-neel-yoh. A grape varietal, used in the production of red wine, originating in the Iberian Peninsula of Spain.

A battered, deep-fried food, generally fish and vegetables, which is popular in Japan.

To make food tender by the use of one of the following methods: using a mallet or similar tool to break up the connective tissues in the food; by use of a chemical tenderizer; by allowing the food to marinate in a marinade sauce.

Tools used to reduce the toughness of meat fibers in a cut of meat. The tools resemble a hammer-like utensil typically made of steel or similar alloys.

A long, cylindrical, boneless cut of meat from the loin section of beef, pork, veal, and lamb.

A steak cut from the beef tenderloin, which is the inside muscle of the short loin.

A type of vegetable considered to be a pumpkin and squash heirloom variety that is often used as a decorative squash rather than an eating squash.

A strong, well-known Mexican liquor distilled from the fermented juice of the blue agave plant, a member of the lily family, that is grown in designated regions of Mexico.

A Japanese sauce that is made from a combination of soy sauce, sake, sugar, ginger and seasonings.

A small snapping turtle species, which has good flavored meat. It is approximately 7 to 8 inches long and found in fresh waters.

A minor red grape varietal, primarily found in Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines produced in the Rhône region of France.

A term used to describe both a piece of kitchenware referred to as a "mold" and a type of food dish that is made in the mold, which is typically made of earthenware or china.

A food dish consisting of a base of cooked pasta (generally spaghetti) that has been combined with strips or chunks of poultry (most often chicken or turkey), and a cream sauce made with sherry and Parmesan cheese.

An aromatic rice that is grown primarily in the southwestern United States. When cooked, this rice is not as aromatic as basmati rice, but is more flavorful and aromatic than other long-grain rice from the U.

The characteristics of a product, determined by the sense of feel. Such characteristics as being thick, thin, coarse, smooth, fluffy crisp, soft, sticky, tough and tender.

A variety of sausages that contain chunks of meat suspended within the sausage mixture which, when sliced, forms a mosaic pattern.