A Dictionary of Food

calabacita

calabacita Spain Courgette calabash Bottle gourd

calabaza A member of the squash family found in Spain and popular in the Carribean. Very large with yellow flesh and used in savoury dishes.

calabrese A variety of broccoli, Brassica oleracea (Italica Group), originally from Calabria in Sicily but now widely grown. The immature compact central flower heads, about 10 cm across, and their stems, and young side shoots are harvested in summer and cooked as a vegetable. See also broccoli. Also called American broccoli,

Italian broccoli

calaloo Caribbean A soup made from dasheen leaves, okra, crabmeat, salt pork, etc. See also callaloo soup

calamar Spain Squid

calamares en su tinta Spain Squid, stuffed and fried, served with a sauce made from their ink

calamaretti Italy Small squid calamari Italy Squid (pl.) calamaro Italy Squid

calamars a la romana Catalonia Fried squid rings served as tapas

calamento Spain Catmint calaminta Spain Catmint

calamondin A small mandarin and kumquat hybrid, Citrofortunella microcarpa, up to 4 cm diameter, rather like a small thin-skinned orange. Used for marmalade and pickles. Also called China orange, Panama orange

calamus A wild marsh plant, Acorus calamus, whose roots used to be candied. Used as a flavouring, mostly in liqueurs. Also called sweet flag

Calamus rotang Botanical name Rattan palm

calas United States A breakfast dish from New Orleans consisting of a mixture of cooked rice, flour, spices and sugar, spoonfuls of which are deep-fried

calawissa onion Egyptian onion

Calcagno Italy A hard ewes’ milk cheese aged for at least 6 months and moulded in wicker baskets so that it has an uneven rind

calciferol See vitamin D

calcionetti Italy Apple and almond fritters calcium An essential element for health used

in the formation of bones and for the transmission of nerve impulses as well as in other metabolic processes. Requires vitamin D for absorption. Available from milk products, pulses and cereals as well as from inorganic sources such as hard water, chalk and lime.

calcium acetate The calcium salt of acetic acid (vinegar) used as a preservative and firming agent. See also E263

calcium carbonate A natural mineral source of calcium produced from limestone. Used in a very finely ground form as an acidity regulator and as a source of calcium in processed foods, especially manufactured bread in the UK. Also called chalk, ground chalk, precipitated chalk. See also E170

calcium chloride See E509

calcium dihydrogen di-L-glutamate See

E623

calcium disodium EDTA See E385

calcium formate The calcium salt of formic acid used in the same way as the acid. See also E238

calcium gluconate See E578 calcium glutamate See E623

calcium heptonate A food additive used as a firming agent and sequestering agent in prepared food and vegetables

calcium hydrogen malate See E352 calcium hydroxide See E529 calcium lactate See E327

calcium malate See E352

calcium phytate A sequestering agent used in wine

calcium polyphosphate See E544

calcium saccharin The calcium salt of saccharin used as saccharin

calcium silicate See E552

calcium stearoyl-2-lactate A calcium salt corresponding to the sodium salt sodium stearoyl-2-lactate and with the same uses. See also E482

calcium sulphate See E516

calçots Catalonia A spring-season speciality of Tarragona, consisting of green-leek-sized onions, roasted on an open fire and served with a spicy tomato sauce dip

caldeirada de peixe Portugal A fish and/or shellfish stew similar to bouillabaisse. The ingredients depend on what is available locally and may include potatoes.

caldereta Spain A thick fish stew

caldereta asturiana Spain Fish stewed with onions, pepper and spices

caldillo de congrio South America A fish soup from Chile made from the local fish, congrio

caldo 1. Italy, Spain Hot 2. Portugal, Spain A clear soup or broth

caldo de carne Portugal Meat stock caldo de gallina Spain Chicken broth

caldo de perro gaditano Spain A fish stew made from sliced white fish salted for 1 hour, drained, added to fried onions and garlic,

water, seasoning and Seville orange juice and cooked until tender

caldo de pescado Spain Fish soup

caldo de pimentón Spain A fish stew with potatoes, tomatoes, garlic and paprika

caldo gallego Spain A thin stew or soup of beans, ham, chicken, beef, cabbage, potatoes, turnips and onions, from Galicia caldo verde Portugal Potato and cabbage soup. The national soup of Portugal, made with potatoes, olive oil and finely shredded

green Portuguese cabbage.

Caledonian cream Scotland An excellent dessert made from finely minced Dundee marmalade, caster sugar, lemon juice, brandy and cream (1:1:1:1:4), the first four ingredients well mixed and the half-whipped cream whisked in. Served in a bowl decorated with some pieces of peel from the marmalade.

calendola Italy Marigold caléndula Spain Marigold

Calendula officinalis Botanical name

Marigold

calf The young of some of the larger herbivores, principally used of young cows or beef cattle (NOTE: The plural is calves.)

calf’s foot The foot of the calf which when boiled is a useful source of gelatine for aspic and other jellies or to give body to a stew calf’s foot jelly The jelly made by boiling a calf’s foot with aromatic vegetables and herbs, straining and clarifying then cooling. Once thought to be beneficial for invalids. calf’s head The head of a calf usually boiled and the flesh used for brawn or pies. Not generally available during the BSE scare because of the danger of infection from brain

tissue.

calf’s tongue The tongue of a calf usually boiled, skinned and then either eaten hot or pressed in a mould with a setting jelly, cooled, demoulded and sliced

caliente Spain Hot

California bonito Skipjack tuna

California dry chilli United States A long red chilli pepper that has been left to dry on the bush

Californian chilli United States Anaheim chilli

Californian halibut A sinistral flatfish,

Paralichthys californicus, related to the brill and turbot but not to the halibut

Californian mussel United States A mussel,

Mytilus californianus, found along the west coast and very similar to the common mussel

California pepper United States Anaheim chilli

caltrops

California roll United States A cone of nori, filled with sushi rice and pieces of crab meat and avocado pear

California whiting United States Merluccius undulatus, a similar fish to North Atlantic whiting

Calimyrna fig United States A small sweet nutty-flavoured fig with an amber skin. Used fresh, in fruit salads and chutney and in cooked meat dishes.

calipash The fatty, gelatinous, dull-green, edible lining of the upper shell of a turtle calissons France Lozenge-shaped almond

biscuits or confections

callaloo 1. See amaranth 1 2. Caribbean In spite of its name, a stew made with dasheen leaves, okra, aubergines, tomatoes, onions and garlic with meat or crab, all cooked in coconut milk and flavoured with herbs and spices. Also called kallaloo, calaloo, callau, callilu

callaloo soup Caribbean A soup made from dasheen leaves, okra, crabmeat, salt pork, onions, garlic and sometimes coconut

callau, callilu See callaloo

callos Spain Tripe, usually served in a stew with chick peas

calmar France Squid and flying squid, a speciality of Aix en Provence

Calocarpum mammosum Botanical name

Sapote

Calocarpum viride Botanical name Green sapote

calorie The outdated measure of the energy content of foods, still used in popular parlance to estimate the fattening potentiality of food (since if not used for energy, food is usually stored as fat). The Calorie (capital C) or kilocalorie used in nutrition has 1000 times the value of the calorie (small c) used in science and is the energy required to heat 1 kg of water by 1°C. See also joule

calorific value The amount of heat produced when 1 g (small calorie) or 1 kg (large Calorie or kilocalorie) of food is completely burned or metabolized to carbon dioxide and water by oxygen

calostro Spain 1. A semi-hard, sharp-tasting cheese. See also Armada 2. Beestings

calrose rice A type of slightly glutinous white rice with a higher starch content than normal making it easier to eat with chopsticks

caltrops A very similar fruit to water caltrop of the related species, Trapa natans. It too has been used as a food source since Neolithic times and is still grown and eaten in central Europe and Asia. It has a floury texture and an agreeable flavour and may be eaten raw, roasted or boiled like a chestnut. Also called

cá luôc

Jesuit’s nut (NOTE: It also is often called a water chestnut, but it is not the canned water chestnut familiar in the West.)

cá luôc Vietnam Boiled fish

calvados France An alcoholic spirit made by distilling cider, much used for flavouring dishes from Normandy

calves’ kidneys Light coloured, tender and delicately flavoured kidney of young cattle, grilled or fried

calves’ liver A golden brown, smooth and delicate liver much used in Italian cooking. Requires very little cooking.

calzone Italy A yeasted, white bread dough, rolled out thinly, formed into a pocket and filled with cheese or salami and cheese (in Naples) or with onions, olives, anchovies, capers and cheese, rather like a large pizza. Baked in the oven or if small sometimes fried. Also called calzuncieddi

cá ma-cá-ren Vietnam Mackerel ca mang Vietnam Bangus, the fish camarão Portugal Common prawn

Camargue France A soft, creamy cheese made from ewes’ milk and flavoured with fresh thyme and bay

Camargue red rice A natural hybrid between short-grain rice and the wild red rice of the Camargue discovered in 1980. It has the red colour and subtle taste of its wild parent but does not shed its grain on ripening.

camarón Spain Common prawn

camaroon Philippines Large shrimp or prawn Cambazola A dull, fat, soft, blue-veined German cheese with a white Camembert-

type rind

Cambridge bronze Bronze turkey Cambridge burnt cream England Burnt

cream

Cambridge cheese York cheese

Cambridge sauce England A processed mixture of hard-boiled egg yolks, anchovy fillets, capers, mustard, tarragon, chervil and chives, made into a thick emulsion sauce with oil and vinegar and finished with chopped parsley. Served with cold meat.

Cambridge sausage England A lean pork frying sausage flavoured with sage, cayenne pepper, ground mace, nutmeg and seasoning

camel A large domesticated animal from arid regions with either one hump, Camelus dromedarius, or two, C. bactrianus, used both as a draught animal and as a source of meat and milk. The fat in the milk is very finely dispersed and cream cannot be separated from it.

Camembert France A soft, small, wheelshaped cheese about 250 g in weight made from full cream cows’ milk, dry-salted to 3% salt, surface-ripened for 10 to 14 days with

Penicillium candidum and P.camembertii, which forms a white fungus on the rind, then wrapped in paper and boxed. Contains 57% water, 21% fat and 20% protein, half of which is hydrolysed by the fungus. Originating in Normandy but now widely produced.

Camembert de Normandie France The traditional Camembert cheese from Normandy made with unpasteurized milk and specially licensed with Appellation d’Origine status

Camerano Spain A soft goats’ milk cheese, moulded in wicker baskets and eaten within one day of draining and salting

camicia, in Italy 1. Poached. Used of eggs. 2. Baked in their jackets. Used of potatoes. (NOTE: Literally ‘in a shirt’.)

camoscio Italy Chamois, a small goat-like mammal, Rupicapra rupicapra, famous for its leather, but the meat is eaten in Italy, usually marinated and stewed

camotes Philippines, Spain Sweet potatoes campagnola, alla Italy Country-style

camp coffee A liquid extract of coffee and chicory once used as an instant coffee

campden tablets A mixture of sodium metabisulphite, E223, and potassium benzoate, E212, used as a food and wine preservative

campo, di Italy Wild. Used of e.g. mushrooms, asparagus, etc. (NOTE: Literally ‘of the field’.)

Campylobacter A genus of food-poisoning bacteria found in raw meat and poultry which cause diarrhoea, vomiting and fever

Campylobacter jejuni A food-poisoning bacteria found in chicken and milk which is a major cause of gastroenteritis. The incubation period is 2 to 10 days and the duration of the often severe illness, which is flu-like with abdominal pain and fever followed by diarrhoea, is 5 to 10 days.

ca muc Cambodia Cuttlefish

ca mu cham Vietnam Garoupa, the fish cá muoi Vietnam Salt fish

can United States Any metal container used for keeping or preserving food, hermetically sealed if used for preservation

can, to To preserve food in a sealed, tin-plated steel or aluminium can by heating after sealing to cook and sterilize the contents

Canadian bacon See Canadian-style bacon

Canadian Cheddar A Cheddar-type cheese made in Canada

Canadian plaice See American plaice

Canadian service A variation on English service in which the host or hostess apportions the food on a plate and passes it to a guest

Canadian-style bacon A quick-cured mild bacon with more sugar and less salt than normal in the curing liquid

canalons a la barcalonesa Catalonia A type of stuffed cannelloni. See also canelons a la barcalonesa

caña medular Spain Marrow bone

canapé England, France Small biscuits or pieces of toast covered with various savoury items and decorated. Served at buffets, cocktail parties and with drinks. (NOTE: Literally ‘couch or settee’.)

canard France Duck

canard à la presse France Breasts of lightly roasted (20 minutes) Rouen duck sliced and warmed at the table in a mixture of brandy and the blood and juices obtained by crushing in a press the remainder of the carcass less the legs. Sometimes flambéed with brandy. Also called canard rouennais à la presse

canard à l’orange France Duck with orange. Roast mallard (200°C, 40 min.) or widgeon or teal (220°C, 25 min.), previously seasoned and flavoured, served with sauce made from defatted pan residues, red wine, stock and Seville orange juice thickened with fécule or arrowroot. Garnished with wedges of sweet orange and watercress.

canardeau France A duckling (slightly older than a caneton)

canard rouennais France A specially bred duck from the Rouen district, usually filled with a stuffing made from its own liver, roasted and served with a red wine sauce canard rouennais à la presse France See

canard à la presse

canard sauvage France Wild duck, usually mallard duck

Canary pudding England A basic steamed pudding mixture with half the flour replaced with fresh breadcrumbs, a third to a half of the milk with Madeira, and flavoured with grated lemon zest

Canavalia ensiformis Botanical name Jack bean

Canavalia gladiata Botanical name Sword bean

cancalaise, à la France In the Cancale (Brittany) style, i.e. with a fish sauce made from white wine with mussels, prawns and oysters

canch mexicana Mexico A chicken broth containing chopped onions and tomatoes

canestrelli

sweated in butter, rice, diced chicken meat and chopped mint

candied fruit Pieces of fruit soaked in a heavy sugar syrup until all the water is replaced with the syrup, then dried so that the surface is covered with crystalline sugar unlike glacé fruit. Used as a confectionery item and for decoration. Also called crystallized fruit, preserved fruit

candied peel Citrons, halved, pulp removed, immersed in brine or sea water for 1 month to ferment then washed, dried and candied with sugar syrup. Usually candied in the country where used. Sometimes used as a confectionery item but more usually chopped and used in cakes.

canditi Italy Candied fruit

candle, to To examine eggs in front of an intense light to see if they are fresh and to assess their quality

candle fruit A North African variety of aubergine, shaped like a small banana with ivory coloured skin

candlenut The macadamia-shaped nut of a tree, Aleurites moluccana, grown in Southeast Asia. When ground, used as a thickening agent in Malaysian cooking. It must be cooked before consumption to detoxify it. The kernel is removed by charring the outer shell so that it can be cracked. (NOTE: So called because the nuts were once ground to a paste with copra and cotton to make candles)

cane France A female duck canel Caribbean Cinnamon

canela Central America, Portugal, Spain

Cinnamon (NOTE: Cinnamon is the most important spice used in Portugal.)

canela em pau Portugal Cinnamon quill canelle knife A small knife shaped so that

thin narrow strips of skin may be cut from the skin of citrus fruit, cucumbers, etc.

canellini Italy A generic name for all types of white beans

canelones Spain Minced meat

canelons a la barcalonesa Catalonia

Cannelloni stuffed with a cooked chicken liver and pork meat filling

canesca Italy A variety of shark

Canestrato Italy A semi-hard scalded-curd Sicilian cheese made from ewes’ milk and matured in a wicker basket to give it a distinctive surface pattern. Also called

Incanestrato, Pecorino, Pecorino canestrato, rigato, Siciliano

canestrelli Italy 1. Small scallops 2. Sweet scallop-shaped pastries from the northwest

cane syrup

cane syrup United States The concentrated juice from sugar cane used in place of golden syrup or molasses

caneton France A small duck or duckling caneton à la rouennaise France A Rouen

duck strangled, plucked whilst warm, liver less the gall bladder returned to the cavity, spit-roasted for 15 to 30 minutes and skinned. Legs removed and thigh bones excised, brushed with butter, grilled and salted, wing removed, panéed and grilled and all, together with the sliced breast, served with a sauce made with juices pressed from the carcass, red wine, shallots and the sieved liver.

caneton rouennais France A specially bred duckling from the Rouen district, generally pot-roasted or roasted but may be braised if to be served cold

cangrejo Spain Crab

cangrejo de mar Spain Shore crab cangrejo de rio Spain Freshwater crayfish cangrejo moruno Spain A small furry crab,

Eriphia verrucosa, found in the Mediterranean and used particularly in the paella of the Balearic islands

canh ga Vietnam Chicken wing

canistel United States An egg-shaped fruit,

Pucheria campechiana, with a thin glossy skin and a yellowish, creamy and slightly sweet flesh. Used in fruit salads.

canja Portugal A clear chicken soup with rice, shreds of chicken breast, mint and lemon juice

canja de galinha Portugal Chicken broth with chicken livers and rice

can measure United States North American recipes sometimes use USA can sizes as a volume measure. They are approximately: buffet, 236 ml; picnic, 295 ml; no. 300, 413 ml; no. 1 tall and no. 303, 472 ml; no. 2, 590 ml; no. 21/2, 826 ml; no. 3 cylinder, 1375 ml and no. 10, 2830 to 3060 ml. See also liquid measure, dry measure, cup measure, market measure, volume measure

canneberge France A cranberry

canned food Food preserved in cans or tins cannella Italy Cinnamon

cannelle France Cinnamon

cannellino bean A variety of haricot bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, slightly larger than normal, now extensively grown and used in Italy. Also called fazolia bean

cannelloni Italy Large squares of thin pasta which are first poached, then rolled around a stuffing to form tubes which are placed in a dish, covered in a sauce, possible gratinated with cheese and baked in the oven

cannelon France A small puff pastry roll, filled with meat, fish, poultry or game

cannocchia Italy Mantis shrimp

cannoli Italy Horn-shaped pastries filled with cream cheese, whipped cream, custard, chocolate cream or similar

cannolicchi Italy Short and fairly thick tubes of pasta used in soups. Also called ave maria

cannolichio Italy Razor shell, mollusc canola Rapeseed

can opener An implement for removing the tops from sealed cans of food

canotière, à la France In the boatman’s style, i.e. freshwater fish cooked with shallots, mushrooms and white wine

canotière, sauce France The lightly salted cooking liquor from poached freshwater fish reduced by two thirds, thickened with beurre manié, simmered 5 minutes, strained and finished with butter and a little cayenne pepper

Cantal France A large (up to 50 kg) semi-hard cheese made from cows’ milk and matured from 3 to 5 months. The rind is grey with red streaks and has a powdery surface, and the paste is firm, full of bite and has a nutty flavour. It has been made for at least 2000 years and is protected by an Appellation d’Origine. Contains 44% water, 26% fat and 23% protein. Also called Fourme de Cantal,

Fourme de Salers, Salers

Cantalon France A smaller version of Cantal cheese

cantaloup England, France Cantaloupe melon

cantaloupe melon 1. A variety of sweet melon, Cucumis melo, developed in Cantelupo, central Italy. It has a grey-green rough skin with deep longitudinal grooves, the flesh is orange-yellow, very sweet and fragrant, and individual fruits weigh up to 750 g. It is ripe when there is a slight give at the stalk end under gentle pressure. The principle types in Europe are the charentais, ogen, tiger and sweetheart. Also called rock melon 2. United States Musk melon

canterellen Netherlands Chanterelle mushrooms

canthaxanthin See E161(g)

Cantonese cooking The style of cooking from southeast China, including stir-frying of meat and vegetables with the addition of corn flour-thickened chicken stock, sweet-and- sour dishes, and steamed sweet and savoury delicacies known as dim sum

Cantonese onion Chinese chive

cantucci Italy Small hard, sweet biscuits containing almond pieces. Traditionally dunked in Vin (or Vino) Santo, a rich sherry-

like wine from Tuscany. Also called cantuccini

cantuccini Italy Cantucci

canvas back United States A wild duck,

Aythya valisineria, with a distinctly flavoured flesh due to its diet of wild celery shoots

cao gu China Straw mushroom cao mei China See strawberry capão Portugal Capon caparon Italy Shellfish

capeado Spain Battered and deep-fried cape gooseberry A cherry-sized, yellow-

fleshed, slightly sour fruit of a plant Physalis peruviana originally from Peru but now grown in Egypt, Colombia and South Africa. It is loosely enclosed in a segmented, papery, fawn husk which looks like a Chinese lantern. Used in fruit salads and for decoration. Also called physalis, goldenberry

capelan See capelin

capelin United States A medium oily fish, Mallotus villosus, similar to smelt and up to 25 cm in length. It is greenish on top and white underneath and found in the North Atlantic. Also called capelan, caplin

capelli d’angelo Italy Angel’s hair capellini Italy A very thin spaghetti capelvenere Italy Maidenhead fern

caper The flower bud of a small Mediterranean bush, Capparis spinosa or C. inermis, which is pickled in brine for use in sauces and on pizzas.

capercaillie A large game bird, Tetrao urogallus, about the size of a turkey, common in Scandinavia, northern Russia and the alps and recently reintroduced to Scotland. In season 1st October to 31st January; hanging time 7 to 14 days. Also called capercailzie, wood grouse

capercailze See capercaillie caperizzoli Italy Molluscs

caper mayonnaise Chopped capers, chopped sweet red peppers and tarragon vinegar mixed with mayonnaise

caper sauce A velouté sauce made from mutton stock flavoured with chopped capers, served with boiled leg of mutton. See also câpres, sauce aux

capillaire commun France Maidenhair fern capillaire syrup A thick mucilaginous liquid extracted from the maidenhead fern and flavoured with orange flower water or other

capillari Italy Tiny eels

capilotade France Boned-out leftovers of chicken or game birds sliced and reheated in sauce italienne with some sweated sliced mushrooms, garnished with chopped

cappuccino

parsley and accompanied by heart-shaped croûtons

capilotade, en France In crumbs, squashed to a pulp or to bits. Used of a cake.

capirotada Mexico Bread pudding capitaine Central Africa The Nile perch, Lates

niloticus, which is prized throughout Africa for its eating qualities. It is found in the Nile, Lake Chad, Lake Victoria and the Congo and Niger rivers. Usually grilled or fried and served with hot sauce, e.g. pili-pili sauce. Also called Nile perch, mbuta

capitone Italy Conger eel caplin See capelin

capocollo Italy Boned out, skinned, cured and cooked pork shank, rolled in ground spices and pepper and served in thin slices capon A castrated male domestic fowl which grows larger and is more tender than the

intact bird

caponata Italy A salad of fried aubergines and onions with tomatoes, anchovies, capers and olives served on a large dry biscuit or toasted bread. Other fruits and vegetables may be included together with some sugar and vinegar and the whole mixture may be reduced to a thick chutney-like consistency.

caponatine Italy A salad of pickled vegetables capone gallinella Italy Tub gurnard capozzella Italy Roasted lamb’s head cappa Italy Razor shell, mussel, various

shellfish generally

cappa ai ferri Italy Grilled scallops cappa liscia Italy Venus shell clam

cappalletti Italy Small ravioli made in the shape of a three cornered hat, usually stuffed with a mousseline of fish or shellfish

Capparis inermis Botanical name Caper bush, spineless variety

Capparis spinosa Botanical name Caper bush, spiny variety

cappelle di fungo Italy Mushroom caps cappello Italy Hat. Used of foods shaped like

a hat, either conical or like an Italian priest’s, e.g. pies or boned-out hams, etc.

capperi Italy Capers

cappone Italy 1. Capon 2. Gurnard, the fish cappone in galera Italy A salad of anchovies

and capers

capponi Italy Small red mullet

cappon magro Italy A mixed salad of cooked vegetables, anchovies, fish, lobster and garlic-flavoured rusks

cappuccino Italy 1. Espresso coffee mixed with milk that has been boiled and foamed by steam injection, served with a sprinkling of ground spice such as cinnamon, nutmeg or cocoa 2. Nasturtium leaves

cappuccio, a

cappuccio, a Italy Round, as in round lettuce (NOTE: Literally ‘like a hood or cap’.)

cappucina Italy Lettuce

capra Italy 1. Goat 2. A freshwater lake fish similar to trout

capra di mare Italy Spider crab câpre France Caper

câpres, sauce aux France Butter sauce with the addition of 120 g of capers per litre at the last moment. Served with boiled fish.

capretto Italy Kid, young goat

caprice, fish As fish Saint Germain, but topped with a lengthways slice of banana passed through seasoned flour and shallowfried. Served with Robert sauce.

Caprice des Dieux France An oval-shaped, mild, soft cheese from the Champagne region made from cows’ milk with added cream and sold in a small box

capricorn England A goats’ milk cheese from Somerset with a relatively mild flavour and cast in cylinders

caprini Italy Small goats’ milk cheeses caprino di pasta cruda Italy A soft cheese

made from unpasteurized goats’ milk and ripened for 3 months

caprino semicotto Italy A hard scalded-curd goats’ milk cheese from Sardinia made in a drum shape. The cheese is brined, drysalted and ripened for at least 3 months.

capriolo Italy Deer, roebuck

caprylic acid A fatty acid which when esterified is a constituent of goats’ milk fat, butter fat and coconut oil. When liberated by oxidation it has a rancid goaty smell.

capsaicin The hot flavouring component of chilli peppers and cayenne peppers

capsanthin A peppery flavouring and pink food colouring obtained from paprika. Also called capsorubin. See also E160(c)

Capsella bursa-pastoris Botanical name

Shepherd’s purse

capsicum The general name for the hollow seed pods of plants of the genus Capsicum which are relatives of the tomato. They range from green, yellow or red sweet peppers to the very hot chilli and cayenne peppers, not to be confused with the spice pepper Piper nigrum. See also sweet pepper, chilli peppers, cayenne pepper

Capsicum annuum Grossum Group

Botanical name Sweet peppers

Capsicum annuum Longum Group Botanical name Chilli peppers

Capsicum frutescens Botanical name

Cayenne peppers capsorubin See capsanthin capuchina Spain Nasturtium

capucine France Nasturtium

caquelon Switzerland A wide-based pot with a short stubby handle to one side in which cheese fondue is prepared and kept hot and molten over a spirit lamp or candle

carabasso arrebossat Catalonia Deep-fried battered courgettes. See also carbasó arrebossat

carabinero Spain A large king prawn. See also crevette rouge

caracóis Portugal Snails caracoles Spain Snails caracol gris Spain Winkle

carafe An open-topped glass container with a bulbous or conical shape used to serve wine or water (with a narrow-flared top) or coffee (with a wide-flared top and a handle) at meals

caraili sauce Caribbean A hot sauce from St Vincent made from chilli peppers deseeded and finely sliced, bitter gourds boiled in salt water drained and seeds removed and the flesh thinly sliced, finely chopped onions, Caribbean cilantro, sliced raw carrot, chives, parsley and finely chopped garlic marinated in vinegar, lime juice and oil with salt and pepper. Used with fish etc.

carajay Philippines Wok

carambola The fruit of a small evergreen tree, Averrhoa carambola, from Southeast Asia which, when cut across its axis, has the appearance of a five-pointed star. The crisp yellow flesh has an acid, sweet and aromatic flavour and it is often used for decoration. The flavour and colour are improved by poaching it in a little light syrup. It can also be used for jam and chutney. Also called star fruit

caramel England, France The golden-brown distinctly flavoured compound formed when sugar is heated to 182°C. Used for colouring, as an ingredient in its own right and to flavour the confectionery called caramel. (NOTE: In its darker form it is the permitted food colouring E150.)

caramel cream Crème caramel

caramel custard England Crème caramel caramelize, to To cause sugars to break

down into brown flavoured compounds by heating to around 180–185°C. Caramelizing is responsible for some of the brown colour developed by baking, frying, roasting or grilling sugar-containing foods.

caramelized potatoes See brunede kartofler caramella Italy Caramel

caramellato Italy Caramelized, candied or glazed

caramelo Spain Caramel

caramel sauce England A hot sauce made with caramel, water and butter (3:2:2), whisked together

caramel stage See sugar cooking

caramote France A transverse-striped king prawn, Penaeus kerathurus, from the Mediterranean. It is brown with reddish tints becoming pink when cooked and is up to 22 cm long. It is considered to be the finest crustacean flesh in the world. Also called crevette royale, grosse crevette

caramujo Spain Winkle cá rán Vietnam Fried fish caranguejo Portugal Crab

carapace The hard upper shell of crustaceans, tortoises or turtles

carapau Portugal A small seawater fish between a sardine and smelt in size

carapulca South America A Peruvian stew made from meat, papa seca, tomatoes, onions and garlic

caraque A form of flaked chocolate made by coating a thin layer of chocolate on marble or on a steel tray, allowing it to set and cool, then removing it with a scraper as though stripping paint

caraway The plant from which caraway seeds are obtained. The young leaves may be used in salads and soups and the roots can be cooked as a vegetable.

caraway mint Sprouted caraway seeds used as a herb in Vietnamese cooking

caraway seeds The small brown seeds of a biennial European plant, Carvum carvi, with a sweet aromatic flavour. Used to flavour rye bread, cakes, cheese and other foods and is the principal flavouring in Kümmel liqueur.

carbasó arrebossat Catalonia Deep-fried battered courgettes

carbohydrates The principal energy sources in human food which are simple sugars (monosaccharides) or chains of repeated sugar units (disaccharides, trisaccharides and polysaccharides). The polysaccharides have many repeated sugar units and are starches or various types of cellulose. They are all with the exception of cellulose and a few starches broken down in the gut into absorbable monosaccharides either by acids and enzymes in the gastric juices or by the action of microorganisms. See also monosaccharide, cellulose, dietary fibre

carbonade France Meat grilled over charcoal but now often used of very dark-coloured braised beef. Also called carbonnade

carbonade of beef See carbonnade à la flamande

carbonado Argentina Beef stew with apples, pears, potatoes, tomatoes and onions

cardamine

carbonara Italy The sauce or dressing used with spaghetti alla carbonara

carbonata Italy A dish from the northwest of beef or salt beef stewed in red wine. Often served with polenta.

carbonate, to To dissolve carbon dioxide gas in a liquid as in the production of soft drinks or some sparkling wines

carbonated water Water in which carbon dioxide has been dissolved. Sometimes stored under pressure. The gas is released when the pressure is reduced or when the water is warmed up on contact with the mouth. Also called soda water, mineral water

carbon black A very finely divided form of carbon used as a food colouring. Also called vegetable carbon. See also E153

carbon dioxide The gas produced when the carbon in foods is oxidized either by the action of yeasts and other microorganisms, by combustion or by cellular processes in the body, or when chemical raising agents are heated or react in water. The gas is responsible for the raising of bread, cakes, etc. See also E290

carbonnade France Charcoal-grilled meat or beef braised dark brown. See also carbonade carbonnade à la flamande Belgium A stew made from beef, onions, garlic and dark beer, thickened with slices of bread coated in French mustard (NOTE: So called because of

its dark (‘carbonated’) colour.) carborundum stone A hard stone made from

finely powdered silicon carbide fused together. Used for sharpening knives; often shaped like a steel and used in the same way. Causes more wear than a conventional steel.

carboxymethyl cellulose A non-nutritive cellulose derivative used for thickening and stabilizing ice cream and jellies. It is also used as wallpaper paste.

carcass The body of a slaughtered animal, prepared for use as meat

carcasse France A carcass, e.g. of chicken carcass of chicken The remains of plucked and dressed chicken after the legs, breasts and wings have been removed. Cut into 3 pieces for chicken sauté so as to add flavour

to the pan residues or used for stock. carciofi alla romana Italy Artichokes boiled

in oil with herbs

carciofini Italy Artichoke hearts carciofo Italy Artichoke

carciofo alla giudea Italy Jerusalem artichoke

cardamine France, Italy, Spain Lady’s smock

Cardamine pratensis Botanical name Lady’s smock

cardamom

cardamom The dried fruit of a perennial bush,

Elettaria cardamomum, belonging to the ginger family, consisting of green or bleached pods (5 to 10 mm long) containing loose black seeds with an aromatic flavour and smell. Larger pods are in general brown to black and their seeds are of a lower quality and used in pickles and chutneys. Cardamom is used to flavour coffee in the Middle East as well as being common in Indian, Eastern and Scandinavian cuisines. Young cardamom leaves are used as a food wrapping and to flavour food in Southeast Asian cuisines. Cheap cardamom substitutes are Nepal cardamom, Chinese cardamom, Javanese winged cardamom and Ethiopian cardamom. Also called cardamon, cardamum

cardamome France Cardamom cardamomo Italy, Spain Cardamom cardamon, cardamum Cardamom cardeau France A sardine

cardi Italy A relative of the globe artichoke. See also cardoon

cardinal France A term used to describe the pinky-red colour of food by analogy with the colour of a cardinal’s robes

cardinal, sauce France A pink sauce based on lobster and truffles, served with fish

cardinal fish The large red mullet of the Mediterranean. Considered to be the finest quality.

cardinal suppe Norway A cream soup containing chopped ham and noodles

cardine France Megrim, the fish cardon France A cardoon cardone Italy A cardoon

cardoni United States A thistle-like plant resembling celery with an artichoke flavour. Used cooked or raw in salads.

cardoon Scolymus cardunculus, a relative of the globe artichoke, which can grow to a height of 2 or more metres. The thick celerylike stems are blanched whilst growing in the autumn to reduce bitterness and used as a vegetable. They need long slow cooking. The leaves, roots and buds can also be used.

cardo silvestre Spain Cardoon

Carême, Antonin (1784 – 1833) A famous French chef who worked for George IV, Napoleon and Czar Alexander amongst others, originated the classic French repertoire of cooking, ‘La Grande Cuisine’, and developed the organization of the brigade of chefs into specialities

cargol Catalonia Snail

cargo rice A dark rice which has only been dehusked, rich in bran, protein, vitamins, etc.

cari France, Spain Curry

Caribbean banana bread Caribbean Pain fig banane

Caribbean black pudding Caribbean An exotic black pudding made with chopped spring onions, sweet red peppers, grated sweet potato or boiled rice, pig’s blood, butter, seasoning and marjoram, well mixed, packed into hog casings leaving room for expansion, tied in circles, simmered for 20 minutes, pricked, cooked for a further 30 minutes and served hot

caribou Moose

Carica papaya Botanical name The papaya tree

caril Portugal Curry powder

carlins England Soaked and boiled pigeon peas which are drained, fried in butter and sweetened with brown sugar and possibly a little rum. From Northumberland.

Carlsbad prune A large dessert prune meant to be eaten at the end of a meal

Carlton salad dressing Pineapple juice thickened with a sabayon whilst whisking vigorously, cooled, a well-rubbed mixture of hard-boiled yolk of egg, raw yolk of egg, French mustard and vinegar whisked in and all finished with slightly whipped double cream

carmarguaise, à la France In the Carmargue style, i.e. cooked with tomatoes, garlic, orange peel, olives, herbs and wine or brandy

carmine See cochineal

carmoisine E122, a synthetic red food colouring. Also called azorubine

carn Catalonia Meat

cârnăcior Romania A grilling sausage made with ground lamb, garlic and spices

carnaroli riso The best superfino Italian risotto rice from Piedmont, well rounded and extremely absorbent

carnauba A Brazilian palm, Copernicia cerifera, with an edible starchy root. Also the source of carnauba wax. Also called wax palm

carnauba wax The wax from the Brazilian palm used in the food industry as a glazing agent in sugar and chocolate confectionery. See also E903

carne Italy, Portugal, Spain Meat, e.g. carne de porco is pork in Portuguese, carne di maiale is the same in Italian and so on

carne a la castellana Spain Meat served with tomatoes, potato croquettes and onion rings carne asada a la parilla Spain Boiled meat carne asada al horno Spain Baked or

roasted meat

carne de boi Portugal Beef carne de cerdo Spain Pork carne de cordero Spain Lamb

carne de membrillo Spain Quince jelly, reduced to a thick paste, usually eaten with cheese

carne de porco à algarvia Portugal Fried pork and clams

carne de ternera Spain Veal carne de vaca Portugal, Spain Beef carne de veado Portugal Venison carne de venado Spain Venison

carne de vinha de alhos Portugal Pickled pork

carne di maiale Italy Pork

carne ensopada Brazil A pot roast of beef, bacon, ham, garlic, onions, butter and seasoning

carne in umido Italy Stewed beef carneiro Portugal Mutton

carne lessa Italy Boiled beef

carne mechada Central America A stuffed beef roll, boiled and served sliced with its puréed cooking liquor

carne picada Portugal Chopped or minced meat

carne picardo Spain Minced meat carnero Spain Mutton

carne secca Italy The Tuscan name for bacon carnes frias Portugal Cold meats sliced and

presented as in assiette anglaise carne tritata Italy Minced meat

Carnia Italy A semi-hard scalded-curd cows’ milk cheese, similar to Montasio, from Friuli carn i olla Catalonia The meat and vegetable part of the traditional Catalan hotpot. See

also escudella i carn d’olla

carnitine A chemical widely distributed in plant and animal tissues and in particularly high amounts in muscle. No vitamin function has been ascribed to it but it may be involved in fatty acid transport in muscle cells. (NOTE: It has been suggested that carnitine may be connected with the medical condition myalgic encephalopathy (ME, chronic fatigue syndrome).)

carob The fruit of a leguminous evergreen tree, Ceratonia siliqua, from the Mediterranean. The brown, ripe seed pods (20 by 2.5 cm) contain an edible sweet pulp and hard inedible seeds. The pulp is dried and ground into a powder resembling and used as a substitute for cocoa and chocolate powder especially by those who required stimulant-free confectionery and drinks. Also called locust bean

carob flour See carob powder

carpeau

carob powder The powdered dried inner pulp of the carob bean, used in place of cocoa powder in cakes and drinks. Also called carob flour, St John’s bread

Carolina duck United States A highly prized wild duck, Aix sponsa, shot for the table. Also called wood duck

Carolina rice A round short-grain rice from South Carolina which, when cooked, is sticky, but not as sticky as Italian rice. Used for puddings, Italian-style risotto and as a staple carbohydrate in China and Japan. The seed was originally introduced into the USA from Italy by Thomas Jefferson.

Carolina whiting United States Merluccius americanus or Merluccius undulatus, a similar fish to the North Atlantic whiting

caroline France 1. A small eclair made from choux pastry, often filled with a savoury stuffing as a hors d’oeuvres 2. Chicken consommé with rice and chervil

carom Ajowan carota Italy Carrot

carotenes Various yellow/orange pigments in carrots and other yellow and green vegetables and fruit. It is converted into the antioxidant vitamin A in the body and used as a permitted orange food colouring E160(a). Lycopene in tomatoes and betacarotene in carrots are two well-known examples. Also called carotenoids, provitamin A

carotenoids See carotenes carotte France Carrot

carottes, purée de France Carrot soup carottes vichy France Vichy carrots caroube France Carob

carp A medium-oily, variously coloured, freshwater fish, Cyprinus carpio, which is found worldwide both in the wild and farmed, harvested at 30 – 60 cm long (1.5 – 2.5 kg) but can grow much bigger. A common feast dish in Central Europe and highly regarded in Asia.

carpa Italy, Spain Carp

carpaccio Italy Raw fillet of beef, sliced paper thin and served with a mustard sauce or oil and lemon juice

carp caviar United States Female carp roe, treated to resemble and used as a substitute for caviar

carpe France Carp

carpe à la juive France Baked carp stuffed with raisins, chopped almonds, herbs and spices, originates in the Alsace region of France

carpeau France A young carp