Glossary

Food glossary

536 definitions · page 6 of 9.

Marinate: To steep fish, meat or vegetables in a highly seasoned and flavoured liquid (the marinade) usually containing oil, wine or lemon juice, herbs and spices, in order to tenderise and add flavour. Marinating can transform bland, cheap or tough cuts of meat. It…
Marinière (à la): A method of preparing shellfish or other seafood, especially mussels, by cooking them in white wine, usually with onions or shallots.
Marlin: This is the big catch for big-game sport fishermen and catching it's a huge challenge! Found in the waters off Hawaii, Florida, Venezuela and Australia, marlin is available in other parts of the world sold as steaks. These are best cooked under the grill, on…
Marzipan: A thick paste (also known as almond paste) made from ground almonds, sugar and whole egg or egg whites and used in making cakes and pastries. It's used as a topping for simnel cake or as a base for the icing on a Christmas or wedding cake. It can be made…
Mascarpone: A thick, creamy, soft Italian cheese with a high fat content (40 per cent). It can be used in savoury and sweet dishes. It's good for stirring through savoury sauces to thicken and add a distinct rich flavour. Serve it with fresh fruit, use it in…
Mayonnaise: A thick, creamy, cold sauce or dressing made by beating oil and egg yolks, usually with some wine vinegar, salt, pepper and mustard. Used to dress salads or combined with seafood, poultry, eggs or vegetables to make cold starters or main dishes. Mayonnaise…
Megrim: This is a flatfish from the brill and turbot family. It can be cooked like sole or plaice, but doesn't match them for flavour or texture. It's inexpensive, but giving it flavour is up to you. Good for using in fishcakes and stock rather than taking centre…
Melba: The name given to various dishes dedicated to Dame Nellie Melba, the famous 19th-century Australian opera singer. The best known is Peach Melba, created by the famous chef Escoffier when he was chef at the Savoy in London to celebrate her visit to London…
Meringue: Meringue refers to a mixture of whipped egg whites and sugar and the light sweet confections made from this mixture when it's oven-baked. Recipes might call for a specific type of meringue. The three main types are: ordinary meringue (the simplest, sometimes…
Mesclun: This is the name given to a mixture of salad greens. The term comes from the Provençal word for 'mixture' and refers to a mix of young field greens such as wild and cultivated chicory, lamb's lettuce and dandelion leaves, but may also include rocket…
Meunière (à la): A method of cooking fish. This method is traditionally used to prepare whole trout and fillets of sole. The fish is coated in seasoned flour, fried in butter and served with some more melted butter with the addition of a squeeze of lemon juice and a few…
Millefeuille: Literally 'thousand leaves' this is a light and airy pastry dessert made of thin layers of puff pastry, whipped cream and jam or some other filling such as fresh fruit. Millefeuilles are usually small rectangular pastries but can also be made as large gateaux.
Mincemeat: spicy preserve comprising a mixture of dried fruit, apple, suet and candied fruit and spices steeped in rum or brandy. It has been part of British cookery for centuries and did originally contain meat, though now the only meat present is in the suet. It's…
Minestrone: A thick Italian soup containing a mixture of vegetables, beans and pasta or rice. The name derives from the Italian word 'minestra' meaning thick soup. Made in the Italian way there should be just enough stock to float the mixture of vegetables and pasta.
Mint sauce: A thin savoury sauce made from chopped mint, vinegar and sugar, traditionally served in England as an accompaniment to roast lamb.
Mirepoix: A mixture of diced vegetables - usually onion, leek, carrot and celery - and sometimes bacon and herbs. It's sautéed in butter and is the basis of many sauces, soups and stews. It's often used as a foundation for braising meat, poultry or fish as well…
Mirin: Mirin is a sweetened sake or rice wine with a light syrupy texture, used in Japanese cooking. It gives a mild sweetness to sauces and dishes and is particularly good with grilled food because the alcohol burns off, leaving just the sweet taste. Sherry could…
Miso: A fermented paste made from soya beans and rice, barley or rye, used in Japanese cookery for making miso soup, as a dressing, as an ingredient in pouring sauces, to flavour pickles and on grilled food.
Molasses: A thick, dark, heavy syrup that is a by-product of sugar refining. It's far less sweet than syrup or honey and the darker the molasses, the less sugar it contains. Molasses has a slightly bitter flavour that's favoured in traditional North American recipes…
Monk's beard: No fashionable menu is complete without monk's beard, or barbarata de fratea. Known in the UK as 'goat's beard' or 'Johnny go to bed at noon', these little green shoots are grown in Tuscany, where they're only in season for five weeks of the year. Similar in…
Monosodium glutamate (MSG): An additive made from sodium salt crystals and used to enhance the flavour of food, especially in oriental cuisine. MSG is much used by commercial manufacturers of foods, particularly in soups and sauces. It has a unique taste that doesn't fit into the…
Mooli: A long white Japanese vegetable of the radish family, also known as daikon. It's crunchy, with a mild peppery flavour, similar to watercress. Unlike other radishes it's as good cooked as it is raw. In Chinese and Japanese cookery it's used for vegetable…
Morel: Morels are wild mushrooms found all over the British Isles. With a creamy white stem and conical cap they grow in dry, sandy areas so it's important to wash them well to get rid of any grit. They're often used dried (but never raw) and are excellent in all…
Mornay sauce: A béchamel sauce enriched with egg yolks and flavoured with grated gruyère cheese. It's used to coat dishes to be glazed under the grill or browned in the oven, including poached eggs, fish, shellfish and vegetables.
Mortadella: A large, cooked Italian salami originating from Bologna. It's made with finely minced pork, garlic, salt and pepper stuffed into a natural casing and is sometimes studded with pistachios or green olives.
Moules marinière: Mussels prepared à la marinière - that is, by cooking in white wine with chopped shallots, parsley, thyme and a bay leaf.
Moussaka: A classic aubergine casserole associated with Greece. It's made using minced lamb, slices of aubergine, potatoes and onions, covered with a creamy white sauce and oven-baked until golden. There are many variations, including vegetarian moussaka.
Mousse: A mousse is a light fluffy mixture, either sweet or savoury; it can be served hot or cold. There are no hard and fast rules, but sweet mousses are often flavoured with chocolate or fruit purée and many contain whipped cream. Savoury mousses usually contain…
Mozzarella: An Italian fresh or unripened cheese traditionally made from water buffalo's milk (Mozzarella di Bufala) around the Naples area. Mozzarella is now also made predominantly from cows' milk and is made all over Italy as well as in other countries, including the…
Mulligatawny: A classic Anglo-Indian dish. Mulligatawny is a spicy soup based on chicken or mutton/lamb stock. According to Madhur Jaffrey, the original mulligatawny soup can be traced back to the early days of the East India Company in Madras, and was more like a curry…
Mustard: A condiment made from the seeds of the mustard plant, of which there are three varieties: black mustard (spicy and piquant), brown mustard (less piquant), and white or yellow mustard (much less piquant but more pungent). The familiar hot taste of mustard is…
Nam pla: This is a thin brown fish sauce that's fundamental to Thai food. It's made by fermenting small whole fish (usually anchovies) in brine and drawing off the liquid, which is then bottled. It smells quite fishy and tastes very salty so use it sparingly as a…
Nashi: Also called an Asian pear, this fruit has a flavour somewhere between an apple and a pear, combining the shape and crispness of an apple with the grainy texture and flavour of a pear. It's excellent in fruit salads or served with a cheeseboard. In cooking…
Nasturtium: Edible flowers are great for adding colour and peppery flavour to dishes. The nasturtium is an annual flowering plant whose edible leaves and orange, red and yellow petals have a flavour that's similar to watercress. Sprinkle them in salads or use as a…
Navarin: A classic French stew of lamb or mutton with potatoes and other root vegetables, often carrot or turnip. It's traditionally cooked using cuts of young spring lamb and new vegetables. Fresh peas and beans are sometimes added at the end of cooking. The stew is…
Nibbed almonds: These are specially prepared skinned almonds cut into pieces about 2mm square. They're mostly used for decoration. Brown them for a minute in a hot oven to add colour and to bring out their true nutty flavour.
Noisettes: This term has several meanings: it's the French word for hazelnut, so 'pommes noisettes', for example, are hazelnut-sized balls of potato, cut with a melon baller, lightly fried and browned in butter. These are generally used as a garnish. 'Noisette' also…
Noodles: A type of pasta made with flour and water and sometimes eggs, cut into thin strips. The strands come in numerous shapes and sizes and can be fresh or dried. Noodles are used extensively in Far Eastern cuisine to accompany soups, sauces and stir-fried dishes…
Nori: Paper-thin toasted sheets of seaweed (laver - also used in Wales, Scotland and Ireland) used in Japanese cooking for wrapping sushi. There are lots of different varieties - dark green is the most common, but it also can be black, purple or dark red and comes…
Normande (à la): A term used to describe various dishes based on the cooking of Normandy or made using typical products from that region of France: butter, cream, seafood, apples, cider and Calvados.
Nougat: A confection made from boiled honey and/or sugar syrup mixed with beaten egg white, almonds and sometimes pistachios and preserved fruit. It has a distinctive almond flavour and either a chewy or brittle texture, depending on how the honey or sugar syrup has…
Nutmeg: Nutmeg is a spice from the nutmeg tree, which is native to several Indonesian islands. Both nutmeg and mace come from the same plant. Nutmeg is the 'nut', while mace is the surrounding lacy 'aril'. Nutmeg has a warm, spicy aroma and flavour and can be used…
Offal: The internal organs and innards of an animal or fish, including brain, liver, kidney, tripe, and heart. It can also refer to the animal's extremities, too, such as head, tail, trotters and tongue.
Okra: Also known as ladies' fingers because of their shape, this is a vegetable that's widely used in Indian, Middle Eastern, Caribbean and southern US cookery, where it's an essential ingredient of gumbo. A long green pod with a slightly fuzzy skin, it's full of…
Olive: The small oval fruit of the olive tree, widely cultivated in Mediterranean countries such as Spain, Italy, France and Greece. Olives are harvested and preserved in oil or brine at various stages of their development. The early olives are green, while the…
Olive oil: Pressed from olives, this is a rich, fruity oil used for marinades, dressings, baking and shallow frying. Hundreds of varieties of olive are used to make olive oil so the range available is huge, varying in colour, flavour, aroma and character. Produced…
Oregano: A pungent green culinary herb with a great affinity for a variety of foods, from lamb to vegetables, stuffings and egg dishes. There are many species and varieties of the genus Origanum, each with quite different characteristics and flavours. Oregano is…
Ouzo: A Greek spirit flavoured with aniseed. Like French pastis, it's usually served with water which turns it whiteish and opaque.
Oyster: A saltwater bivalve with a sea-salty flavour and a succulent texture. Aficionados insist that they’re best eaten raw, perhaps with freshly ground black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice or a drop of Tabasco sauce. However, they can be steamed, grilled or…
Oyster mushrooms: An ear-shaped silvery-grey or greyish-brown mushroom that grows in clumps or clusters. It's now cultivated so it's more readily available and found in most supermarkets. Oyster mushrooms have a subtle flavour and are often used in oriental cookery. They cook…
Oyster sauce: Oyster sauce is a thick, rich brown southern Chinese condiment, flavoured with extract of oysters. Spend a bit more on a good brand of oyster sauce - it will have more natural oyster flavour and less monosodium glutamate (MSG). Keep refrigerated once opened.
Paella: A Spanish dish of rice and saffron that usually includes tomatoes, chicken and seafood. It originated in the Valencia region of Spain and gets its name from the broad shallow pan (paella or paellera) in which it's traditionally cooked and served from. The…
Pak choi: Closely related to bok choi, this leafy green Chinese vegetable belongs to the cabbage family (although it tastes nothing like cabbage!). It has long green, slightly ribbed leaf stalks and soft oval green leaves. The leaves and stems are best suited to brief…
Pancakes: Pancakes are thin cakes made from a batter of milk (or milk and water), eggs and flour which is then cooked in a frying pan or on a griddle until golden brown on both sides. You can buy special pancake pans which are shallow and non-stick with curved sides…
Pancetta: An Italian type of bacon produced from belly of pork which is seasoned, then rolled up and dry cured. Flat slabs of pancetta are also available and this is normally how you'd find it in Italy. It can be bought in the UK pre-packed and either in cubes…
Panettone: A large, round yeasted fruit cake from Italy, traditionally eaten at Christmas and Easter. It's baked in a special tubular mould to give it height. They're beautifully packaged in tall decorated boxes and available from Italian delis and some larger…
Panna cotta: The name for this cold dessert from Italy means 'cooked cream', although not all recipes call for the cream to be actually cooked. To make panna cotta, cream is added to gelatine and then flavoured, usually with vanilla or cinnamon but sometimes with alcohol…
Papaya: Also called a paw paw, this is a large fragrant fruit that looks a bit like a large mango, with green skin and sweet orange flesh filled with round black seeds. It's delicious on its own with a squeeze of lime juice, or use it in salsas, add it to fruit…
Papillote (en): The term 'en papilotte' is used to describe a dish cooked in a parcel that protects the food from the high heat of the oven and keeps in the aroma and flavour. The dish is usually served at the table in the actual parcel so that each diner can unwrap their…
Paprika: Paprika is the ground bright red powder from sweet and hot dried peppers. It's much milder than cayenne pepper and has a characteristic sweetness. It's a favourite ingredient in European cookery: in Austria and Hungary paprika is a main flavouring in meat…