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Acetic Acid - The acid in vinegar that comes from a second fermentation of beer, wine or cider.
Acidulated Water - Water to which lemon juice or wine vinegar is added, used to stop peeled vegetables from discolouring.
Adobo - A sauce or paste made from a variety of ingredients that may include chillies, salt, vinegar, garlic, and herbs.
Agar-Agar - A sea weed based vegetarian alternative to gelatine, used as a stabiliser or thickener.
Aioli - A simple mixture of garlic and mayonnaise.
Albumen - The white of an egg; includes the chalazae which anchors the yolk to the shell.
Alla Carbonara - A pasta sauce that consists of eggs, cheese, and cream.
All Purpose Flour - An all around fine textured flour that is either bleached or unbleached.
Allspice - A spice similar in taste to a combination of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves, used as flavouring.
Amaretti - Small almond macaroon biscuits, used as a base for trifles and other desserts.
Amontillado - Spanish sherry, in the Montilla style, usually darker and older than a fino.
Anchovy - An oily fish, anchovy fillets often preserved in salt. Anchovy essence is also available, both used as flavourings.
Angelica - An herb often candied used in dessert cooking. Can also be steamed and eaten as a vegetable.
Anise - A licorice flavored plant whose seeds and leaves are used to flavour a variety of dishes.
Aperitif - An alcoholic drink, taken before the meal to stimulate the appetite.
Arbroath Smokie - Smoked haddock with the backbone still in. Serve grilled, poached, in kedgeree and soup.
Aromat - A spice or herb that adds flavour or fragrance to foods.
Arrowroot - A fine white powder used for thickening sauces, similar to cornflower. Arrowroot, gives a clear gloss. It is best mixed with a little water before adding to liquids.
Artichoke - Globe artichoke the leaves and base (heart), are eaten.
Asafoetida - A spice used in Roman, Indian and Middle Eastern cooking in very small amounts.
Aspic - A clear jelly made from the juices of cooked fish or meat, used to garnish or mould savoury dishes.
Au Gratin - A dish covered with a sauce or breadcrumbs or both, then browned under a grill or in the oven.
Baking Powder - A raising agent that reacts to produce carbon dioxide which expands during baking to ensure that cakes and breads rise.
Baking Soda - A leavener, also known as bicarbonate of soda, that is used in breads and cakes. Baking soda can also be used to neutralize the acidity in certain dishes
Balsamic Vinegar - Dark brown vinegar from Italy, made from grape juice aged in wooden casks.
Bap - A light bread oval bread roll with a soft floury crust and light inner crumb.
Barbary Duck - Breed of duck not as fatty as common duck, requires more basting.
Basmati Rice - Indian long grain rice, with a characteristic flavour.
Bass - White fish with three types: sea, silver and striped.
Bay boletes or boletus - A wild mushroom of the "cep" family is often found in areas where conifers grow.
Bay Leaves - An evergreen shrub, with aromatic leaves, used as an herb both fresh and dried.
Beurre Mani - A paste of flour and softened butter, used to thicken soups and sauces.
Black Bream - A dark grey sea fish, served filleted, baked or stuffed.
Black Butter - Butter browned with added lemon juice and parsley, served with fish, like plaice or skate.
Black Pepper - Whole peppercorns of varying colours used as a seasoning.
Bonito - Large oily fish from the same family as tuna and mackerel.
Borlotti beans - Large, plump bean, pinkish brown in colour with reddish brown streaks; often available dried.
Bouquet Garni - A bunch of herbs (usually parsley, thyme, bay leaf and marjoram) packed in a muslin bag or tied together, removed before serving.
Brazil Nut - A large nut with a hard shell and white kernel can be eaten raw or used in cooking.
Brill - A fish of the flounder family.
Brine - A water and salt solution used for pickling or preserving.
Brown Sugar - Refined sugar with a thin coating of molasses, not to be confused with raw, unrefined sugar.
Buckwheat - A grain sometimes ground as flour.
Buttermilk - Cultured pasteurised milk, mildly acidic with a creamy flavour and thick consistency.
Caerphilly - A mild, crumbly, moist, and slightly sour cows’ milk cheese.
Calvados - A spirit made from distilled cider, in France.
Canaps - Small savoury appetisers served with drinks.
Cape Gooseberries - A small round fruit.
Capers - Small pickled flower buds used as flavouring.
Capon - A castrated cockerel, no longer legal to produce in the UK.
Capsicum - Generic name for the pepper family.
Caramelise - Heating sugar to the point where it melts and sets later to a hard glaze. Or, cooking fruit or vegetables until natural sugars are released and it becomes brown.
Cardamom - A small pungent seed pod used as flavouring.
Cardoon - A large winter and spring vegetable, related to the artichoke, very popular with the Victorians.
Carob - A sweet fruit pod used in baking.
Cashew - A nut eaten dried, roasted and salted as a snack or in salads.
Castor Sugar - Superfine sugar.
Caul Fat - A lacy fatty membrane from the internal organs of an animal, often used for wrapping faggots or pates.
Caviar - The salted and matured eggs or roe of sturgeon fish, Beluga is most expensive, followed by Oscietra and Sevruga.
Cavolo Nero - A strong flavoured cabbage, with dark green leaves
Cayenne Pepper - A hot ground spice used for flavouring.
Celeriac - A large root vegetable.
Celery Seeds - Dried celery seeds of, used in bread making, egg and fish dishes and Bloody Marys.
Chantilly Cream - Whipped cream sweetened and flavoured with vanilla.
Charcuterie - The term for pork meat or offal products, including cured and cooked meats.
Charlotte - A waxy, small, yellow potato, used in salads.
Chicon - A single bulb of chicory.
Chiffonade - Vegetables or herbs cut into fine strips.
Chipolata - A small pork or beef sausage with special flavourings.
Choux Pastry - A light, double-cooked pastry used for cakes and buns.
Chowder - A thick, chunky seafood soup
Chuck - A cut of beef used for casseroles and stews.
Chump - A cut of lamb or pork.
Chutney - A piquant spiced relish of fruit of vegetables, can be cooked or uncooked, a spicy relish.
Cinnamon - A sweet spice bark used as flavouring.
Clarified Butter - Butter that has been heated and strained and all impurities removed, cooks at a higher temperature without burning.
Clotted Cream - Thick, baked cream, from Cornwall or Devon.
Cloves - A sweet, pungent, spice used as flavouring.
Coconut - The fruit of the coconut palm, used in both sweet and savoury dishes.
Cod - A sea fish with flaky, white flesh.
Collar - A cut of pork.
Compote - Stewed or baked sweetened fruit.
Cordial - A thick liquid, often fruit flavoured, usually intended for dilution as a drink.
Coriander - Used in both seed and leaf forms, coriander is used throughout the world for its unique flavouring.
Corn Syrup - Very sweet syrup.
Cornbread - Bread made from cornmeal flour.
Corn flour - A starch extract used to thicken sauces.
Coulis - A thick, smooth sauce made from fruit or vegetables.
Court-bouillon - An aromatic, spiced stock used for cooking fish and shellfish
Cream of Tartar - A potassium salt of tartaric acid, used in baking powder, as well as in self-raising flour, in combination with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda).
Creme Fraiche - A sharp flavoured thick cream made from pasteurised milk.
Crepe - Thin French pancake.
Croutons - Small cubes of crispy, fried bread used as a garnish.
Crudites - Thinly sliced or grated raw vegetables.
Curd - The solid residue of coagulated milk that is separated from liquid whey after acidification in cheese making.
Curry Powder - A mixture of spices used as flavouring.
Custard - A thick, sweet milk based sauce, served hot or cold with desserts.
Dandelion - Wild and cultivated leaves used in salads.
Date - The stoned fruit of the palm tree.
Demerara Sugar - Pale, mild raw cane sugar.
Desiccated Coconut - Sweetened dried coconut shreds.
Dory or John Dory - A flat, sea fish, with white flesh, also known as St Peter’s fish.
Double Cream - Cream that is 48 per cent fat, withstands boiling, whips well and can be frozen.
Dover Sole - A flat, sea fish, with white flesh.
Drippings - The juices and fat that is collected from the pan of cooked foods.
Dry - Wine term meaning not sweet.
Dulse - coarse but edible seaweed.
Duxelles - A thick pate of chopped mushrooms, onion and thyme, used as a stuffing or garnish.
Egg wash - Beaten egg and milk, used to glaze pastry or bread.
Entrecote - A sirloin beef fillet steak.
Escalope - A thin slice of meat often fried in breadcrumbs.
Essence or extract - Concentrated aromatic extract from almonds, vanilla or coffee, used as flavouring. Also available in synthetic form.
Falafel - Deep-fried balls of chickpeas.
Fava Beans - Fresh or dried broad beans.
Fennel - There are two main uses for this aromatic plant as vegetable and as an herb.
Fenugreek - Aromatic seeds used as flavouring.
Feta cheese - A creamy white Greek cheese made from ewe’s and cow’s milk and kept in brine to give a salty flavour.
Fillet - A boned, lean cut of meat, fish or poultry.
Filo Pastry - Very thin sheets of pastry east European and Middle Eastern dishes.
Fines Herbs - A mixture of chopped herbs.
Florets - Individual flower stems of the heads of vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower.
Foie Gras - The liver of force fed geese or ducks
Fond - A flavoured stock used for making a sauces and soups.
Fondant - A soft sweet icing. Sauteed potatoes crisped with a soft centre.
Frangipane - An almond flavoured sweet pastry cream.
French Dressing - An oil and vinegar cold sauce used to dress salads.
Fricassee - A white stew.
Fritter - Meat, fish, fruit or vegetable covered in batter or breadcrumbs and deep-fried.
Fromage Frais - Low-fat, fresh curd cheese
Fumet - A stock used for flavouring sauces, strong-flavoured usually mushroom or fish flavoured.
Galangal - A member of the ginger family, used in a similar manner.
Garam Masala - A collection of spices that are used in Indian cooking. There are numerous combinations but the most common include: chillies, coriander, black pepper, mace, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cumin.
Garlic - A pungent member of the onion family used as flavouring.
Garlic Salt - A mixture of salt and ground dehydrated garlic powder.
Gelatine - A setting agent, derived from animals, available as a powder or a sheet.
Used to make jellies, mousses, etc.
Gherkin - Very young pickling cucumbers that are packed in brine.
Glucose - The natural sugar, found in fruit and other foods, which is easily absorbed by the body.
Gluten - The protein in flour which gives the dough elasticity and strength.
Gorgonzola - An Italian cow’s milk cheese, pale in colour with blue veining.
Gram Flour - A pale yellow, flour made from ground chickpeas.
Granadilla - A member of the passion fruit family, with an orange skin and sweet pulp.
Granita - A sorbet made from slightly sweetened syrup flavoured with coffee or liqueur.
Gratin - A dish that is topped with cheese or breadcrumbs and grilled until golden and crispy.
Gravy - A sauce made from thickened meat juices, often with added stock or wine.
Groundnut - the seed of a member of the pea family, can be roasted, salted and eaten whole or used in cooked dishes. Its oil is used for cooking. Also known as a peanut.
Gruel - A thin cereal, usually oatmeal, cooked in milk or water.
Harissa Sauce - A Tunisian hot sauce made from chillies, garlic, cumin, coriander, and olive oil.
Hazelnut - A hard-shelled nut with an oval or round kernel, high in fibre. Also known as cob nut.
Hollandaise - An emulsion of egg yolks, vinegar and melted butter, also used as a basis other sauces.
Hollandaise Sauce - A sauce made with egg yolks, butter, and lemon juice
Hominy - Dried white or yellow corn.
Honey - Naturally sweet, syrupy liquid produced by bees.
Horn of Plenty - A woodland mushroom.
Hot Water Crust Pastry - A heated pastry that can be can be moulded to produce raised pies.
Hummus - A thick paste made from chickpeas and spices.
Hyssop - An herb used for flavouring.
Icing Sugar - Granulated sugar that has been milled to produce a very fine powder.
Irish Coffee - Black coffee with sugar and Irish whiskey, topped with fresh cream
Irish Soda Bread - Bread that is leavened with baking soda. Currants are often added.
Italian Parsley - Also known as flat-leaf parsley, this plant has a stronger aroma and flavour than the curly-leafed variety.
Juniper Berries - Spicy berries used as flavouring.
Jus - The un-thickened juices from roast meat
.
Kebab / Kabobo - Marinated meat that is skewered and grilled.
Ketchup - An often preserved sauce, the most common being tomato and mushroom.
Kirsch - A liqueur distilled from cherries, used as flavouring.
Kohlrabi - A vegetable of the cabbage family.
Kumquat - Small citrus fruit that can be eaten whole. Also known as a cumquat.
Lard - Rendered and clarified, white pork fat, used for cooking.
Lardons - Small, chunks or strips of bacon or pork fat, (smoked or unsmoked) used to flavour dishes.
Leavening - An agent that produces gas in dough or batter by fermentation, raising and lightening it. Yeast, baking powder and baking soda are all common forms.
Leek - Resembles a large scallion yet has a mild flavour. Used mainly in soups and stews.
Lemon/Lime - A sharp citrus fruit, both its skin (zest) and juice are used as flavouring.
Lemon balm - A green herb with a lemon flavour and odour, used as flavouring.
Lemon Grass - An herb with a lemon flavour and odour, used as flavouring.
Lemon Sole - A flat sea fish of the flounder family.
Liaison - A thickener for soups and sauces.
Lobster - A sea crustacean related to the crayfish.
Loganberry - A cross between the blackberry and raspberry.
Lovage - A green herb, used as flavouring.
Lychee - A small fruit with a thin, hard shell, white, juicy flesh and aromatic flavour.
Lyonnaise - Containing chopped and sauteed onions, cooked in butter until golden.
Mace - The outer skin of the nutmeg seed used for flavouring foods.
Mace - A spice, used as flavouring.
Mackerel - An oily sea fish with a firm flesh.
Madeira - A fortified wine often used in cooking.
Marinade - A liquid sauce that is used to soften and flavour meats before cooking. Most marinades contain ingredients like vinegar, oil, lemon, wine, beer, herbs, and spices.
Marjoram - A green herb, used as flavouring.
Marmite - Marmite is a dark-brown coloured savoury spread made from the yeast extract a by-product of the brewing industry. It has a strong, slightly salty flavour. You either "love it or hate it". Can be eaten spread thinly on toast.
Marsala - A fortified wine from Italy, Marsala is offered either sweet or dry.
Marzipan - A thick paste made from ground almonds, sugar and egg whites used as a topping for cakes or as a base for the icing for special cakes.
Masala - A spice mixture used in Indian cooking that can include mace, coriander, and cardamom.
Mascarpone - A soft and creamy Italian cheese.
Mayonnaise - A thick, creamy, cold sauce made from oil and egg yolks, with vinegar and seasonings, used to dress salads.
Megrim - Flat sea fish from the brill and turbot family.
Meringue - Stiffly whipped egg whites and sugar, which when baked hard on the outside but soft inside.
Mesclun - A mixture various types of wild and cultivated of young shoots and leaves used in a salad.
Mille-Feuille - A pastry made of thin layers of puff pastry, whipped cream with a sweet or fruit filling. Literally means ‘a thousand leaves’.
Mincemeat - A sweet and spicy preserved mixture of dried fruits and spices, with rum or brandy, used for mince pies.
Mint - A green herb with a range of varieties, used as flavouring.
Mint Sauce - A thin sauce made from chopped mint, vinegar and sugar, traditionally served with roast lamb.
Mirepoix - A mixture of diced vegetables, sauteed in butter to form a base for many sauces, soups and stews.
Miso - A Japanese fermented soybean paste used in cooking.
Molasses - Thick, dark, heavy sweet syrup.
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) - An additive used to enhance the flavour of foods.
Morel - A wild, sponge-like fungus.
Mornay - A cheese sauce used to coat fish, eggs or vegetables.
Mousse - A cream dish with added beaten egg whites and with a sweet or savoury flavouring
Mozzarella - An Italian water-buffalo milk fresh or un-ripened cheese sold in whey.
Mustard - Mustard generally contains husked seed, plus wheat flour and turmeric. Water is added to produce a thick paste.
Mutton - The meat from mature sheep, dark red in colour and rich in flavour.
Naan - East Indian flat-bread made with flour.
Nasturtium - A plant whose yellow/orange flowers can be used as an ingredient or garnish in salads.
Navarin - A French lamb or mutton with potatoes and vegetable stew.
Nibbed Almonds - Skinned almonds cut into small pieces shaped like nibs.
Noodles - A type of pasta cut into thin flat strips.
Nutmeg - A spicy and aromatic seed from a tropical tree that when grated is used to flavour both desserts and savoury dishes.
Offal - The internal parts of an animal including brain, heart, kidney, liver, tongue and tripe.
Olive Oil - The oil that is produced from ripened olives. The highest quality olive oil is Extra Virgin, which is the oil that is pulled from the very first press.
Olive - The small oval fruit of the olive tree, early olives are green, mature olives are black. Its rich oil is used for frying, marinades, dressings and baking.
Oregano - A greenish herb that originated in the Mediterranean, oregano is used in a variety of Italian and Mexican dishes. It can be purchased both in dried and fresh forms.
Organic - Food produced without artificial or chemical fertilizers or pesticides.
British producers are usually registered with the Soil Association
Ouzo - Greek spirit flavoured with aniseed.
Oyster Mushroom - A grey or greyish-brown fungus that grows in clumps or clusters.
Oyster - A saltwater shellfish, can be cooked or eaten raw.
Papaya - A fruit with green skin, with an aromatic, orange flesh. Also called a paw paw.
Paprika - A spice that is made from dried ground sweet red peppers.
Parsley - A green herb used as flavouring, garnish or used as a vegetable.
Passata - A smooth tomato sauce.
Pasta - Dough made from durum-wheat semolina, water and sometimes eggs. Sold dried or fresh.
Pate - A paste or spread made from meat or fish can be of various textures from smooth to coarse.
Patty Pan - A small, circular, courgette with fluted edges.
Patty Tin - Baking tin with 6, 9 or 12 shallow round compartments used for making individual pies and tarts.
Pecan - A nut related to the walnut.
Pectin - A substance in fruit that cause the pulp to set, as when making jams.
Perigeux - A demi-glace sauce made with finely diced or chopped truffles.
Perry - An alcoholic drink, similar to cider, made from pears.
Pilchard - An oily sea fish
Pine Nut - The small edible seed of the stone pine, used as flavouring. Also called a pine kernel.
Pink Fir Apple - A pink-beige, knobbly skinned waxy potato.
Pirogi - Russian pastries that filled with meats and potatoes. They can either be baked or fried.
Pistachio - Green coloured nuts with an open shell.
Plaice - A flat sea fish with orange-spot.
Portobello Mushroom - A flat dark open mushroom.
Pottage - A thick stew cooked in a pot over an open fire.
Poussin - A small immature chicken, also called a spring chicken.
Praline - A sweet made of almonds and sugar.
Prawn - Shellfish with several different varieties.
Profiterole - A choux pastry small bun usually filled with cream.
Puff Pastry - A very light flaky pastry made of many layers which expand when cooked.
Pulse - Edible seeds, often dried, of leguminous plants such as peas, beans, lentils, and chick peas.
Puree - Raw or cooked food blended into a smooth paste or sauce.
Puy Lentils - Small grey-blue lentils.
Quenelle - A round or oval dumpling of minced meat or fish usually poached in stock.
Quesadilla - Flour tortillas, filled with meats, cheeses, spices, and vegetables, then folded in half and baked.
Quiche - A pastry shell that is filled with eggs, cheese, cream, meats, and vegetables.
Radicchio - A crisp bitter, peppery variety of chicory.
Ragout - A stew of meat, poultry or fish.
Ratatouille - A vegetable stew with herbs.
Rennet - An animal derived substance used to curdle milk when making cheese, vegetarian alternatives are available.
Rice Flour - An alternative to wheat flour also used as a thickening agent.
Rice Vinegar - Vinegar made from rice wine.
Ricotta - An un-ripened soft and creamy Italian ewe’s milk curd.
Rillette - A smooth paste made from pork or poultry meat cooked in lard.
Rissole - A dish made of meat or fish coated with breadcrumbs, shaped into cakes and fried.
Rock Salt - A salt derived from the seams of compacted underground sources.
Rocket - A green salad vegetable with a peppery flavour. Also known as arugula.
Roe - The eggs from a female fish (hard roe) or similar glands of a male fish (soft roe),
Rose Water- An essence distilled from fragrant rose petals.
Rosemary - An aromatic shrub with pungent leaves are used either fresh or dried as flavouring.
Roux - A mixture of fat and flour gently cooked together, used to thicken soups or stocks.
Rump - Cut of beef from the lower back.
Saddle - The undivided loin from a meat carcass.
Saffron - An expensive spice derived from the stamens of the purple crocus flower. It is used in a variety of dishes for its aromatic flavouring and deep colouring properties.
Sage - An aromatic herb used for flavouring.
Sago - A starch made from the pith of the sago palm.
Salamander - A commercial grill which can be heated to very high temperatures.
Salami - A salted, smoked or air-dried sausage.
Salsa - A thick and spicy cold relish made from tomatoes.
Salsify - A root vegetable with a delicate flavour. Also called the oyster plant.
Salt Cod - Dried, salted cod.
Salt Pork - Similar to bacon but has a much higher fat content and is not smoked.
Samphire - A fleshy green plant which grows on coastal marshes. Also known as glasswort or pickle-plant.
Sardine - A small pilchard, an oil-rich sea fish.
Scallop - A shellfish with firm and white flesh and an orange or pale red coral (roe).
Scone - A small, rounded sweet or savoury cake.
Scotch bonnet - A very hot, small chilli.
Scrag - Cut of meat from the neck of lamb.
Sea Bream - A white sea fish.
Seasoned Flour - Flour with salt, pepper or spices added used to lightly coat meat or fish before stewing or frying.
Semolina - Coarse flour used to make breads and puddings.
Shin - A cut of beef from the foreleg.
Shortbread - A sweet, rich butter biscuit.
Short crust Pastry - A crumbly pastry that is ideal for pies and pasties.
Silverside - A cut of beef.
Sippet - A small piece of toast used to garnish.
Sirloin - A cut of beef.
Smoothie - A drink made from pulped fruits or vegetables.
Sorbet - A semi-frozen water ice.
Sorrel - A green herb used in salads and as flavouring.
Souffle - A sweet or savoury dish enriched with egg yolks with whisked egg whites folded in and then baked.
Spelt - A cereal grain with a nutty flavour, and can be used by people with wheat allergies.
Squid - A sea mollusc of the cuttlefish family. Also known as calamari.
Star Anise - A star shaped spice, with an aniseed flavour, used as flavouring.
Star fruit - A yellow five-pointed fruit with a sweet and sour flavour. Also known as carambola.
Stock - A liquid that has absorbed the flavour of meat, fish or vegetables cooked in it.
Strudel - A fruit sweet made from very thin layers of pastry.
Stuffing - A thick paste made from herbs and breadcrumbs, used to stuff roast meats or baked separately and served to accompany.
Suet - A dry, firm animal fat used in the making of pastry and steamed puddings.
Vegetarian alternatives are available.
Sweet Chestnut - The fruit of the sweet chestnut tree can be roasted or added to stuffings or other dishes.
Sweet Potato - A pink root vegetable.
Syllabub - An English dessert of sweeten whipped cream, white wine, infused with lemon.
Tabasco Sauce - A hot, spicy sauce made from vinegar and red chilli peppers.
Tahini - A paste made from sesame seeds.
Tamarillo - An oval, red, tropical fruit.
Tamarind - A spice made from the pressed pulp of tamarind pods, sweet and sour used in Indian cooking.
Tangerine - A small orange citrus fruit. Mandarins and satsumas are varieties of tangerine.
Tarragon - An herb, often with an aniseed flavour, used as flavouring.
Terrine - A meat pete made in a deep dish with straight sides.
Thyme - A grey-green aromatic leaves and small purple flowers, used as flavouring.
Timbale - A layered dish cooked in a mould (timbale) and turned out.
Tofu - A bland ingredient made from cooked soya beans.
Topside - Cut of beef from the rear of the animal.
Tournedos - A small round slice of the centre of a fillet of beef. Also known as filet mignon.
Treacle - Dark viscous sugar syrup.
Tripe - The stomach of a cow, pig or sheep.
Truffle - An underground rounded, irregular shaped fungus with a distinctive taste.
Turbot - A flat, firm fleshed sea fish.
Turmeric - A popular Indian spice that is used widely for it aromatic and colouring properties.
Ugli Fruit - A hybrid of grapefruit, orange and tangerine.
Unleavened Bread - Bread without leavening or yeast.
Vanilla Pod - The fragrant dried pods of the vanilla orchid, used as flavouring.
Vegetable Shortening - The vegetarian alternative to lard.
Verjus - A sour grape juice used in cooking.
Vinaigrette - A simple mixture of oil and vinegar with the addition of herbs and spices.
Vinaigrette - A cold sauce made from a mixture of vinegar, oil, pepper, salt and flavourings used to dress green salads.
Vodka - A clear spirit distilled from grain.
Vol-au-vent - A puff pastry case with a lid often filled with a savoury filling after baking.
Walnut - A rain shaped nut, used in sweet and savoury dishes.
Welsh rarebit - A British dish of toasted bread covered with melted.
Whelk - A marine snail.
Whey - The liquid part of curdled milk.
Whipping Cream - C ream with a fat content over 35 percent.
White Sauce - A basic bland smooth, thickened sauce used basis of many other sauces.
Whiting - A White Sea fish, a member of the cod family.
Xavier - A soup or consomme thickened with arrowroot or rice flour.
XXX, XXXX, 10X - An indicator on a box of confectioner’s sugar of how many times it has been ground. The higher the number of X’s the finer the grind.
Yam - The round or elongated edible tuber with a number of varieties.
Yeast - A raising agent. Yeast is a fungus which ferments sugars to produce carbon dioxide, which leavens flour mixtures.
Zander - A large fresh-water fish with firm flesh.
Zest - The outermost, coloured, glossy film of the rind of an orange, lemon or lime.
