Glossary of Cooking Terms

A German ham that is made from hogs, which are fed acorns and raised in the Westphalia forest in Germany.

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A plant that is a member of the grass family bearing a fruiting head that yields a grain that is most often ground into flour or meal.

A sensitivity to wheat that is initiated by the immune system’s response to proteins found in wheat.

A variety of been not made with the traditional malt of barley, but instead from grains of wheat.

Refers to the entire wheat kernel, without the hull, which contains the bran, germ, and endosperm.

The outer covering of the wheat kernel. The bran is a brown paper-like coating that is high in fiber.

A type of bread that consists of a mixture of enriched white flour and whole wheat flour.

Whole-wheat kernels that are steamed, flattened through rollers, and flaked, to retain most of their nutrition, as they become a form of uncooked grain, not a ready-to-eat cereal.

The embryo of a seed or kernel of wheat, located at the bottom center of the kernel next to the stalk.

Wheat germ oil is obtained from the embryo of the wheat kernel. It is a rich source of vitamin E and is often used as a health supplement.

A powdery substance obtained from wheat kernels. It is very useful as a thickener, but it doesn't have as much thickening power as cornstarch, which requires only half as much to achieve that same level of thickening.

Noodles that are prepared with wheat flour and no eggs that are popular in Asian cooking.

A plant sprout grown from the seeds of wheat harvested early in the growth of the seed, just after the sprout reaches maturity but while it is still very young.

A type of large snail with a spiral-shaped shell found along the North Atlantic coast of the United States.

The watery part of milk that remains as residue when the milk solids are separated and become curds during the cheesemaking process.

In order to produce whey butter, the whey is drained from the cheese curds during the cheese making process.

1. The process of beating an ingredient vigorously to incorporate air, which makes the ingredient frothy.

Whipped butter is simply regular butter that has had air beaten into it in order to increase the volume.

Cream that is suitable for whipping has a milk fat content of at least 36 percent.

1. A kitchen instrument manufactured with a series of thin metal wires, each formed into a loop so both ends of the wires attach to a handle.

A kitchen utensil that is primarily a series of whisks combined to create a tool that will develop more air in the mixture, making it lighter for a better consistency and/or outcome from the food being prepared.

A type of alcoholic beverage distilled from fermented grains such as corn or rye.

A version of Balsamic vinegar that is made with white wine vinegar and grape must (fresh pressed juice with seeds and skins).

A type of barbecue sauce that is lighter colored instead of darker varieties such as the red or brown sauces that are more common.

A name given to a group of beans that are basically white in color and have similar textures and flavor.

A variety of soup with two common ingredients that go well together to create a popular soup for all ages.

Pronounced bore-DOUGH. A regional white wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France.

A type of bread made with white wheat flour that has a fine texture and is one of the most popular varieties of bread.

A regional white wine produced in the Burgundy region of France. True White Burgundy is Chardonnay varietal based and have no connection to cheap jug wines that have adopted the name for their labels.

A type of chocolate product that is white in color and is made with cocoa butter, sugar, milk, and a bit of vanilla extract.

A berry, much like a small grape, native to France and northern Europe that is related to the gooseberry.

(Scientific Name: Helvella crispa) A mushroom that is recognized by its saddle shaped cap.

A white oval bean with a thin skin and mild flavor. It is also known as the Cannellini bean and is available canned or dried.

(Scientific Name: Tricholoma magnivelare) A wild mushroom often found in the pine forests of California and the Pacific Northwest.

A generic name given to a variety of different mushrooms that have a white color such as the button mushroom and the cup mushroom.

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

A variety of mustard seed from which is produced most of the American style mustards.

A type of dry onion that has a pure white skin and a sweet, mild flesh that is also white in color.

White pepper is produced from peppercorns that have been allowed to fully ripen, skinned, and then dried to produce small tannish colored peppercorns that are used as a spice.

Pepper berries that are the same as the black peppercorn, except that they have been ripened longer and then soaked in a water solution before removing the black outer hull.

Most notably known as "Chenin Blanc". Pronounced Shay-naN-BlaN. A grape varietal, used in the production of white wine, originating in the Loire region of France.

1. A soft, creamy mixture of ingredients that may include eggs, sugar, fruit, flour, and other foods, which are combined and steamed to create a traditional dessert pudding.

White rice refers to many different types of rice that are basically white in color but may be any short to long grain variety.

A type of flour produced from grinding polished rice (the bran and germ have been removed) into a powder.

An oval shaped potato with a thin outer skin that is light tan in color and smooth overall with a few very small eyes.

A variety of potato that is more evenly round and a bit smaller than the russet potato.

In French cooking, traditional white sauces are one of two types: those made with hot milk added to a white roux (such as Béchamel sauce or Mornay sauce) or sauces made with hot broth or stock added to a white roux (such as Velouté sauce).

A type of tea that is made from the young silky white-haired buds growing on the same tea shrub that also produces green and black tea.

A variety of tomato that has a creamy white skin and inner flesh that is similar in taste to a red globe tomato.