Wondering what some of the cooking terms mean? Well let us try to sort that out for you, and if there are terms that we've missed (as I'm sure there will be) please let us know so we can add them.
Acidulated Water
Cold water with vinegar, lemon or lime juice added.
Acorn Squash
A small to medium-sized acorn-shaped winter squash with an orange-streaked dark green fluted shell (orange, yellow and creamy white varieties are also available), pale orange flesh, large seed cavity and a slightly sweet, nutty flavour.
Active dry yeast
Used to leaven dough, is sold in packages containing 2 1/2 teaspoons (1/4 ounces/7 grams) and also in bulk in some food stores. Quick-rising yeast raises dough in about a third or half the time required for regular yeast. Yeast is also available in fresh cakes; substitute 2 ounces (60 g) cake, or compressed, yeast for 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
Aioli
Garlic mayonnaise; delicious accompaniment to cold or hot grilled vegetables, steamed or boiled artichokes, boiled potatoes, and grilled or baked fish and shellfish.
Akavit/Aquavit
Scandinavian form of distilled alcohol made from grain or potatoes, and flavoured with caraway seeds.
à la
French, literally, “prepared in the style of”.
À la Nage
Cooking à la nage means poaching food, usually seafood, in a court bouillon and serving the court bouillon and the vegetables around the food as part the garniture. When making a court bouillon to use for cooking à la nage, cut the vegetables in a decorative manner, such as julienne.
A la king
Food that is generally served in a white sauce with mushrooms, green peppers, and pimentos.
A la mode
Generally refers to ice cream served on top of pie or cake.
Albumin
A protein found in egg white, milk, green plants, seeds, and animal blood.
Ale
A fermented drink; the original term for beer.
All-Purpose Flour
Is made from a blend of high-gluten hard wheat and low-gluten soft wheat. It's a fine-textured flour milled from the inner part of the wheat kernel and contains neither the germ (the sprouting part) nor the bran (the outer coating).
Allspice
A member of the pimento family and native to tropical regions in the western hemisphere; has leathery leaves, white flowers and small, brown berries, has a flavour reminiscent of a mixture of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger and pepper; also known as Jamaican pepper.
Aerate
A synonym for sift; to pass ingredients through a fine-mesh device to break up large pieces and to incorporate air into the ingredients to make them lighter.
Aging
The term applied to meat being held at a temperature of 34-36 degrees F. for the purpose of making the meat more tender.
Al dente
Pasta cooked just until enough resistance is left in it to be felt “by the tooth.” Fresh pasta can never by cooked al dente as it is too soft.
Amaretti
Crisp, sweet Italian biscuits flavoured with apricot or almond.
Amaretto
Liqueur with the flavour of almonds although it is often made with the kernels of apricot pits. The original liqueur, Amaretto di Saronno, is from Saronno, Italy.
Amandine
A dish garnished with sautéed almonds.
Anadama Bread
Yeast bread made of cornmeal and white flour with molasses.
Ancho chiles
Literally "wide" chillies, are the dried form of the poblano chile. Wrinkled and deep reddish brown, ancho chillies vary in hotness from mild to moderate, and have a slightly bittersweet taste.
Anchovy
A small fish usually stored in olive oil or salt. Used for flavouring.
Cold water with vinegar, lemon or lime juice added.
Acorn Squash
A small to medium-sized acorn-shaped winter squash with an orange-streaked dark green fluted shell (orange, yellow and creamy white varieties are also available), pale orange flesh, large seed cavity and a slightly sweet, nutty flavour.
Active dry yeast
Used to leaven dough, is sold in packages containing 2 1/2 teaspoons (1/4 ounces/7 grams) and also in bulk in some food stores. Quick-rising yeast raises dough in about a third or half the time required for regular yeast. Yeast is also available in fresh cakes; substitute 2 ounces (60 g) cake, or compressed, yeast for 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
Aioli
Garlic mayonnaise; delicious accompaniment to cold or hot grilled vegetables, steamed or boiled artichokes, boiled potatoes, and grilled or baked fish and shellfish.
Akavit/Aquavit
Scandinavian form of distilled alcohol made from grain or potatoes, and flavoured with caraway seeds.
à la
French, literally, “prepared in the style of”.
À la Nage
Cooking à la nage means poaching food, usually seafood, in a court bouillon and serving the court bouillon and the vegetables around the food as part the garniture. When making a court bouillon to use for cooking à la nage, cut the vegetables in a decorative manner, such as julienne.
A la king
Food that is generally served in a white sauce with mushrooms, green peppers, and pimentos.
A la mode
Generally refers to ice cream served on top of pie or cake.
Albumin
A protein found in egg white, milk, green plants, seeds, and animal blood.
Ale
A fermented drink; the original term for beer.
All-Purpose Flour
Is made from a blend of high-gluten hard wheat and low-gluten soft wheat. It's a fine-textured flour milled from the inner part of the wheat kernel and contains neither the germ (the sprouting part) nor the bran (the outer coating).
Allspice
A member of the pimento family and native to tropical regions in the western hemisphere; has leathery leaves, white flowers and small, brown berries, has a flavour reminiscent of a mixture of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger and pepper; also known as Jamaican pepper.
Aerate
A synonym for sift; to pass ingredients through a fine-mesh device to break up large pieces and to incorporate air into the ingredients to make them lighter.
Aging
The term applied to meat being held at a temperature of 34-36 degrees F. for the purpose of making the meat more tender.
Al dente
Pasta cooked just until enough resistance is left in it to be felt “by the tooth.” Fresh pasta can never by cooked al dente as it is too soft.
Amaretti
Crisp, sweet Italian biscuits flavoured with apricot or almond.
Amaretto
Liqueur with the flavour of almonds although it is often made with the kernels of apricot pits. The original liqueur, Amaretto di Saronno, is from Saronno, Italy.
Amandine
A dish garnished with sautéed almonds.
Anadama Bread
Yeast bread made of cornmeal and white flour with molasses.
Ancho chiles
Literally "wide" chillies, are the dried form of the poblano chile. Wrinkled and deep reddish brown, ancho chillies vary in hotness from mild to moderate, and have a slightly bittersweet taste.
Anchovy
A small fish usually stored in olive oil or salt. Used for flavouring.
Andouille sausages
Spicy Creole-Cajun smoked pork sausages that are highly seasoned with red pepper and garlic.
Anejo cheese
An "aged" white Mexican cheese with a dry, crumbly texture and a salty flavour.
Anise
Annual member of the parsley family native to the eastern Mediterranean region; has bright green leaves with a mild liquorice flavour that are sometimes used as an herb or in salads.
Antipasto
An Italian appetizer.
Appetizer
A small serving of food served before, after, or as the first course of a meal to stimulate the appetite.
Arbol chiles
Dried, bright red fresh chillies, related to the cayenne chile. Literally "tree" chillies, they are very hot.
Arborio
The name given to some of the best short-grained rice grown in the Po Valley of Italy, and used to prepare risotto.
Armoniche
Ridged pasta shapes that resemble small harmonicas.
Aromatics
Herbs and spices, used to enhance the flavour and fragrance of food.
Arrowroot
A fine starch extracted from the rhizomes of plants of the genus Maranta. Used as a thickening agent in certain soups and sauces, bringing out a high sheen.
Artichoke
Flower-head of a plant of the thistle family; has tough grey-green petal-shaped leaves with soft flesh underneath, a furry choke (that is discarded) and a tender centre which is eaten.
Arugula
A leaf vegetable with dark green, spiky, dandelion-like leaves and a strong, spicy, peppery flavour; used in salads; also known as rocket, rugula, and rucola.
Asadero cheese
A Mexican cheese meaning literally a "roasting" cheese, is a mild, soft white variety typically used for melting.
Asafoetida A spice used in Roman, Indian and Middle Eastern cooking in very small amounts.
Asparagus
A member of the lily family with an erect stalk and small, scale-like leaves along the stalk, capped by a ruffle of small leaves; a young stalk is tender with a slightly pungent, bitter flavour, an apple green colour and a purple-tinged tip.
Aspic A clear jelly made from the juices of cooked fish or meat, used to garnish or mould savoury dishes.
Athol Brose
A Scottish drink made of whisky, oatmeal, and cream sweetened with honey.
Aubergine An elongated oval, purple in colour vegetable. Also known as eggplant.
au Gratin
A French term referring to a dish with a browned topping of bread crumbs and/or grated cheese; also known as gratiné.
au Jus
A French term for roasted meats, poultry or game served with their natural, un-thickened juices.
Avocado
A tropical fruit with a single large pit, spherical to pear shape, smooth to rough-textured skin with a green to purplish colour and yellow to green flesh with a buttery texture and high unsaturated fat content; generally used like a vegetable and consumed raw.
Azuki beans
A Japanese bean with a russet-coloured skin, oval shape, and about 5 millimetre in diameter. They have a distinctive white ridge on one side.
Spicy Creole-Cajun smoked pork sausages that are highly seasoned with red pepper and garlic.
Anejo cheese
An "aged" white Mexican cheese with a dry, crumbly texture and a salty flavour.
Anise
Annual member of the parsley family native to the eastern Mediterranean region; has bright green leaves with a mild liquorice flavour that are sometimes used as an herb or in salads.
Antipasto
An Italian appetizer.
Appetizer
A small serving of food served before, after, or as the first course of a meal to stimulate the appetite.
Arbol chiles
Dried, bright red fresh chillies, related to the cayenne chile. Literally "tree" chillies, they are very hot.
Arborio
The name given to some of the best short-grained rice grown in the Po Valley of Italy, and used to prepare risotto.
Armoniche
Ridged pasta shapes that resemble small harmonicas.
Aromatics
Herbs and spices, used to enhance the flavour and fragrance of food.
Arrowroot
A fine starch extracted from the rhizomes of plants of the genus Maranta. Used as a thickening agent in certain soups and sauces, bringing out a high sheen.
Artichoke
Flower-head of a plant of the thistle family; has tough grey-green petal-shaped leaves with soft flesh underneath, a furry choke (that is discarded) and a tender centre which is eaten.
Arugula
A leaf vegetable with dark green, spiky, dandelion-like leaves and a strong, spicy, peppery flavour; used in salads; also known as rocket, rugula, and rucola.
Asadero cheese
A Mexican cheese meaning literally a "roasting" cheese, is a mild, soft white variety typically used for melting.
Asafoetida A spice used in Roman, Indian and Middle Eastern cooking in very small amounts.
Asparagus
A member of the lily family with an erect stalk and small, scale-like leaves along the stalk, capped by a ruffle of small leaves; a young stalk is tender with a slightly pungent, bitter flavour, an apple green colour and a purple-tinged tip.
Aspic A clear jelly made from the juices of cooked fish or meat, used to garnish or mould savoury dishes.
Athol Brose
A Scottish drink made of whisky, oatmeal, and cream sweetened with honey.
Aubergine An elongated oval, purple in colour vegetable. Also known as eggplant.
au Gratin
A French term referring to a dish with a browned topping of bread crumbs and/or grated cheese; also known as gratiné.
au Jus
A French term for roasted meats, poultry or game served with their natural, un-thickened juices.
Avocado
A tropical fruit with a single large pit, spherical to pear shape, smooth to rough-textured skin with a green to purplish colour and yellow to green flesh with a buttery texture and high unsaturated fat content; generally used like a vegetable and consumed raw.
Azuki beans
A Japanese bean with a russet-coloured skin, oval shape, and about 5 millimetre in diameter. They have a distinctive white ridge on one side.
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