A Dictionary of Food

croque-monsieur

croque-monsieur France Popular French fast food consisting of a sandwich filled with ham and Gruyère cheese, crust removed, cut into decorative shapes, dipped in beaten egg and shallow-fried until golden. Sometimes only toasted. Eaten hot.

croquesignole United States A round or square holeless Cajun doughnut

croqueta Spain 1. Croquette 2. Meatball croquetes Portugal Croquettes

croquetes de camarão Portugal Shrimp croquettes eaten as an appetizer or hors d’oeuvres

croquetjes Netherlands Croquettes croquette England, France Any mixture of

minced cooked meat, etc. combined with mashed potatoes and/or breadcrumbs, herbs, onions, seasonings and egg or stock to form a stiff paste which is shaped into cylinders, spheres, rounds, ovals etc., panéed and deep-fried

crosnes France Chinese artichoke (NOTE: So called from the French town where they were first introduced.)

crosnes du Japon France Japanese artichoke crosse de boeuf France Knuckle of beef, also

used of calf’s foot

crosta Italy Crust, e.g. of bread crostacei Italy Crustaceans crostata Italy Pie

crostata di fragole Italy Strawberry pie crostatina Italy Tart

crostato Italy 1. Browned 2. With a crust crostini Italy 1. A piece of good bread, toasted

over charcoal or on a griddle, rubbed with a cut clove of fresh garlic, spread with olive oil or butter and topped with a variety of savoury items such as sliced tomatoes, capers, olives, anchovies, cheese, avocado or prawns, i.e. bruschetta with a topping. Eaten as a starter. Also called crostoncini 2. Croûtons or toasted bread

crostini alla fiorentina Italy A crostini spread with a chicken liver pâté

crostini alla napoletana Italy A crostini spread with tomatoes and anchovies

crostini alla parmigiana Italy A crostini spread with grated Parmesan and anchovies crostini di mare Italy A crostini spread with

minced shellfish crostoncini Italy Crostini

crostoni Italy A large crostini eaten as a light meal

crostoni, sul Italy On toast

Crotonese Italy A hard, scalded-curd, ewes’ milk cheese cast in wicker basket moulds in 2 kg discs. It has a dry rough orange/yellow rind with a cream coloured paste and the

odd hole or crack. Used for slicing or grating depending upon age.

Crottin France Crottin de Chavignol

Crottin de Chavignol France A small, hard, goats’ milk cheese with a strong flavour from the Berry region.I has AOC status. Often deep-fried or grilled and served with lettuce as a starter. Also called Crottin, Chavignol (NOTE: Literally ‘droppings’, because of its appearance.)

croupion France Parson’s nose

croustade France A hollowed out piece of bread, deep-fried until crisp, or a baked pastry case used to serve cooked meats, vegetables, etc. bound in a savoury sauce croustade d’oeufs de caille Maintenon

France Poached quails’ eggs laid on a bed of duxelles and hollandaise sauce in a pastry barquette

croustillant France Crunchy, crisp or crusty croustilles France Potato crisps

croûte 1. France Crust, rind or toast 2. France A circle or rectangle of fried or toasted bread on which game or other dishes and savouries are served 3. A small pastry crust, usually crescent-shaped, served with savoury dishes

croûte, en France Enclosed in pastry then baked e.g. of fish or meat

croûte anchois France Anchovy toast croûte au pot France A beef and vegetable

soup each serving topped with toasted bread and cheese

croûte aux morilles France Morels on toast croûtons England, France Small (8mm) cubes of bread fried until crisp and golden in clarified butter and served as an

accompaniment to purée soups crow England Mesentery

crowberry The black skinned fruit of a shrub, Empetrum nigrum, which grows in hilly areas of Northern Europe, similar to and can be substituted for the cranberry. Also called crakeberry

crowdie Scotland 1. A gruel made from oatmeal once used as a staple food in Scotland 2. A mild-flavoured cottage cheese made from rennet-curdled, skimmed, unpasteurized cows’ milk. Eaten fresh usually with an admixture of cream. Also called crowdy

crowdie cream Scotland A celebratory crowdie from Skye consisting of cream beaten until stiff, toasted medium oatmeal, caster sugar and a good single malt whisky. Each person is given a bowl of the cream and adds the other ingredients according to his or her taste.

crowdy See crowdie

crown roast of lamb Two best ends of lamb, chined and with scraped ribs, joined in a circle so that the ribs curve outwards like a crown. Roasted and served with cutlet frills on the ends of the ribs. The centre may be filled with stuffing before cooking.

cru Portugal Raw cru(e) France Raw

crubeens Pig’s trotters simmered with herbs and aromatic vegetables for about 3 hours

crucetta Italy A Calabrian dish of roasted figs stuffed with nuts

cruchade France A sweet cornmeal fritter

crucian carp A silver-coloured type of carp similar to bream in appearance

crudan Ireland Gurnard, the fish

crudités France A selection of crisp vegetables suitable for eating raw, cut into long strips or batons and often served with a dipping sauce such as mayonnaise, soured cream or other cold sauce, usually as a hors d’oeuvre or appetizers

crudo Italy, Spain Raw, fresh

cruet A set of pots, shakers and grinders for serving condiments, usually on a small tray

crulla Scotland Flour, eggs, caster sugar and butter (6:2:1:1) with 2 dsp of baking powder per kg of flour, made into a soft dough by the creaming method, rolled out and cut into narrow 15-cm-long strips. These are plaited in threes, deep-fried until brown, drained and sprinkled with caster sugar.

crullers United States A sweetened eggenriched pastry made with butter, cut into strips, deep-fried and dusted with icing sugar. Eaten warm. Also a popular snack in China and often sliced and served with congee or soup.

crumb, to United States To pané or cover with crumbs

crumb crust A mixture of crushed biscuits combined with sugar and melted butter which is often substituted for pastry, e.g. in cheese cakes and in the USA for tarts and flans where Graham crackers are the biscuit of choice

crumber A device used by a waiter to remove crumbs from a table, either a small dustpan and brush or small carpet sweeper

crumble A compote of fruit topped with a mixture of fat, flour and sugar, sometimes with oatflakes and/or white of egg, baked in the oven until the topping is crisp and crumbly

crumble, to To rub a dry solid between the fingers or otherwise so as to reduce it to crumbs

cuajo

crumbs Small irregularly shaped particles made from large friable pieces, e.g. of cake, bread, biscuits

crumpets A yeasted flour liquid batter (3:4) made with equal parts of milk and water and a little oil, allowed to froth, baking powder added at the rate of 5 g per kg of flour, left 40 minutes to rest then cooked in rings on a greased griddle to form small, circular, flat buns with a honeycombed top surface. Usually served toasted with butter.

crusca Italy Bran

crush, to To squeeze or press a solid so as to extract liquid, to turn it into a semi-solid or to reduce it to smaller particles

crust 1. The outer hard golden brown surface of bread or cakes or other mixtures which are baked or fried 2. The pastry top on a filled sweet or savoury pie or dish not necessarily having a pastry base

crustacean A class of aquatic animals with a hard external segmented shell (exoskeleton) containing a soft body, usually with muscular legs, tail and possibly claws, such as lobster, prawn, crab, etc.

crustáceos Spain Crustaceans

crustacés France 1. Shellfish 2. Crustaceans 3. Seafood

cryptoxanthin See E161(c)

crystallized flowers Small flowers or flower petals soaked in sugar syrup and dried, often artificially coloured, used for decoration. Traditionally violets.

crystallized fruit See candied fruit

Csabai Hungary A well-flavoured spicy sausage containing chilli pepper and paprika császárkörte Hungary A type of pear, white

butter pear

csemege Hungary Dessert cseresznye Hungary Cherries

csipetke Hungary Tiny dumplings made by cooking pieces of egg noodle dough in simmering water until al dente, draining and tossing in lard. Served with soups and stews.

csirke Hungary Chicken

csirkegulyás szegedi módra Hungary

Jointed chicken simmered in white stock with thinly sliced green sweet peppers, diced potatoes, tomatoes, sweated celeriac, onions, carrots and Hamburg parsley and served with boiled csipetke tossed in butter

csuka Hungary Pike, the fish cu China Vinegar

cuajada 1. Spain Curds 2. South America A soft, creamy, cows’ milk cheese from Venezuela often wrapped in banana leaf

cuajo Spain Rennet

cuan

cuan China Simmering of meat or vegetables e.g. in a steamboat

cuaresmeño Mexico A dark green round chilli cubeb The dried, dark brown, unripe fruits of a plant, Piper cubeba, native to Indonesia and about the size of a peppercorn with a stalk. They have a warm, somewhat bitter, flavour close to allspice with a hint of turpentine and were one of the spices used to flavour hippocras. Used in Indonesian

cooking. Also called tailed pepper

cube sugar White or brown crystals of sugar compressed into small cubes (about 15 mm edge). Also called sugar lump, loaf sugar

cu cai tau Vietnam Mooli

cucchiaino Italy Teaspoon, also used as a volume measure equal to 5 ml

cucchiaio da tavola Italy Tablespoon, also used as a volume measure equal to 15 ml

cuchara Spain 1. Spoon 2. Ladle cucharada Spain Tablespoonful used as a

volume measure equal to 15 ml cucharadita Spain Teaspoonful used as a

volume measure equal to 5 ml cuchay Chinese chive

cucina Italy 1. Cooking, cuisine 2. Kitchen cuckoo flower Lady’s smock

cucumber A fruit of a member of the

Cucurbitaceae family, Cucumis sativus,, introduced to the UK from India in 1573 and harvested in the unripe green stage between 5 and 35 cm in length and 1.5 to 5 cm in diameter. The smaller ones are usually pickled in flavoured brine or vinegar, the larger are generally eaten raw as a salad vegetable or deseeded, salted, drained and diced combined with herbs and yoghurt or used as a bulking agent in various mixtures. See also dill pickles, gherkin, Japanese cucumber, yellow cucumber, ridge cucumber, long cucumber

cucumber mayonnaise Finely chopped cucumber and salt mixed with mayonnaise

cucumber sauce See doria, sauce cucumber tree fruit Belimbing

Cucumeropsis spp. Botanical name Egusi melon

Cucumis anguria Botanical name Gherkin

Cucumis melo Botanical name The vine from which the sweet melons, mush melon, canteloupe and honeydew melon are obtained

Cucumis sativus Botanical name Cucumber

Cucurbitaceae The botanical family name for a group of vine plants whose fruits include cucumbers and melons, watermelons, summer squash including marrows and courgettes, winter squash, pumpkins, chokos, etc.

Cucurbita maxima The botanical name of the American vine from which some varieties of winter squash are obtained. Distinguished by soft hairs on the stems, a swollen almost smooth stem and leaves which are not deeply lobed.

Cucurbita moschata The botanical name of the American vine from which some varieties of winter squash are obtained especially the cushaw and crookneck

Cucurbita pepo The botanical name of the vine from which pumpkins, marrows and summer squash are obtained. Distinguished by roughly bristled stems, short ridged fruit stalks and deeply lobed leaves.

cu hành Vietnam Onion

cuiller à bouche France Tablespoon, also used as a volume measure equal to 15 ml cuiller à café France Coffee spoon = teaspoon, also used as a volume measure

equal to 5 ml

cuiller à dessert France Dessertspoon cuillerée à café France Teaspoonful cuillerée à soupe France Tablespoonful cuina volcànica Catalonia Cuisine based on

local produce in the La Garrotxa region ranging from potatoes and beans to wild boar and truffles (NOTE: Literally ‘volcanic cuisine’.)

cuipi ji China Chicken cooked so that the skin is crisp

cuire France To cook

cuire à la vapeur France To steam

cuisine France 1. Kitchen 2. Cooking, cookery, the art of cookery 3. Kitchen or catering staff

cuisine au jus France A style of cooking avoiding cream, butter and flour for sauces but instead relying on the natural cooking juices

cuisine bourgeoise France Plain cooking cuisine de terroir France Regional cooking cuisine du soleil France The modern haute cuisine of the French Riviera based on fresh fruit and vegetables, olive oil, garlic and the herbs of Provence such as thyme, fennel,

sage, etc.

cuisine épicée France Hot or spicy dishes or food

cuisine ménagère France The cooking of the ordinary household

cuisine minceur France A low-calorie style of cooking developed in France, with little or no fat or starch

cuisse France Thigh

cuisseau France Haunch (of veal) cuisse de mouton France Leg of mutton

cuisse de poulet France Chicken leg, divided into drumstick (pilon de cuisse) and thigh (gras de cuisse)

cuisses de grenouilles France Frogs’ legs, usually sautéed with butter, chopped garlic and parsley or served in a cream sauce

cuisson France Cooking

cuissot France Haunch of venison or wild boar

cuit(e) France Cooked; past participle of cuire, as in bien cuit, ‘well cooked’

cuixa de xai al forn Catalonia Roast leg of lamb

cuka Malaysia Rice vinegar cukor Hungary Sugar culaccio Italy Rump of beef

culantrillo Spain Maidenhair fern

culatella Italy A smoked raw ham made from lean pork cut from the leg, similar to Parma ham. Sometimes soaked in wine before maturing. Very expensive, used for hors d’oeuvres. Also called culatella di Parma, culatella di Zibello

culatella di Parma, culatella di Zibello See culatella

cul de veau France Chump chop

culinaire France Culinary, relating to cookery cullen skink Scotland A fish stew or soup made from onions sweated in butter, mixed with flour to make a roux, chopped potatoes and milk added, simmered, then 10 minutes before serving flaked smoked haddock or smoked cod added and the whole diluted

with stock to the right consistency

cullis A misspelling or anglicized transliteration of the French word coulis

culotte de boeuf France Rump steak of beef cultivated mushroom See common mushroom cultivateur, à la France In the farmer’s style, i.e. with mixed vegetables and pork or bacon culture A large quantity of bacteria, yeast, fungal mycelium or fungal spores grown in a nutrient medium and used to start fermentation as in the production of wine, cheese, yoghurt, etc. Also called ferment cultured buttermilk Buttermilk which has been fermented with a species of Lactobacillus. May be sweetened and flavoured for use as a drink or may be substituted for milk or buttermilk in recipes. cultured milk Milk soured with various species of Lactobacillus at 20°C to give 0.45 to 0.6% lactic acid concentrations It has a

refreshing acid taste

Cumberland ham England A large, traditional, strong-tasting ham, cured with salt, saltpetre and brown sugar, matured in air for 3 months. Usually boiled or baked.

cuore rossa

Cumberland herb pudding England A dish of pearl barley, spring cabbage, onion, leeks, butter and egg. The vegetables and barley are fully cooked then mixed with egg and butter and baked in a pie dish at 180°C for 10 to 15 minutes.

Cumberland rum nicky England A rich double-crust tart filled with a sticky mixture of chopped stoned dates, soft brown sugar and stem ginger soaked in rum

Cumberland sand cake England A cake of eggs, caster sugar, corn flour, butter and flour (4:4:4:2:1) with 2 tbsp of baking powder per kg of flour, flavoured with nutmeg and lemon juice and made by the creaming method. Baked at 180°C for about 30 minutes. Originally served with sherry.

Cumberland sauce England A mixture of warmed redcurrant jelly, blanched and refreshed chopped shallots, lemon juice, orange juice, port and a little English mustard, finished with a blanched and refreshed fine julienne of orange zest. Served with cold ham.

Cumberland sausage England A sausage made of coarsely chopped pork with seasoning and nutmeg in a natural casing. Not linked but sold from a large coil. Now often modified with the addition of rusk and cereal.

cumbungi Australia A water plant, Typhus domingensis or T orientalis, from the northern river systems. The new shoots and the base of the more mature stems, after stripping them of their outer layers, are cooked like leeks. They have a flavour reminiscent of young artichokes or heart of palm. Also called bulrush

cumi-cumi Indonesia Squid

cumin 1. England, France The seeds of an annual plant, Cuminum cyminum, grown around the Mediterranean and through to East Asia. It has a strong pungent flavour and is much used in Arab, Indian and Spanish cooking. Also called white cumin 2. France Caraway

cumin des prés France Caraway seed cumino Italy Cumin

Cuminum cyminum Botanical name Cumin cumquat Kumquat

cu nang Vietnam Water chestnut cuoccio Italy Gurnard, the fish cuocere alla graticola Italy To grill cuocere a vapore Italy To steam cuocere in umido Italy To stew cuore Italy Heart

cuore edule Italy Cockle

cuore rossa Italy A cockle used in Italian cooking with bright red flesh when alive

cuoriccini

cuoriccini Italy Sicilian heart-shaped biscuits traditionally served at weddings

cup cakes Small sponge cakes cooked in individual bun tins or paper cases (NOTE: So called because originally baked in cups)

cup custard United States Crème renversée cup leaf Daun mangkok

cup measure A volumetric method of measuring out ingredients now only used in the US and Australia, but once used in the UK. 1 US standard cup = 236 ml volume (8 US fluid oz.) and will hold 145 grams of plain flour, 200 grams of dry rice and 220 grams of caster sugar. The British standard cup was 285 ml (10 fluid oz.). See also liquid measure, dry measure, can measure, market measure, volume measure

curaçao The generic name for various orange-flavoured liqueurs used to flavour cakes and desserts

curcuma France Turmeric cúrcuma Spain Turmeric

Curcuma longa Botanical name Turmeric

Curcuma zedoaria Botanical name Zedoary Curcuma zerumbet Botanical name Zedoary

Curcumin A natural yellow food colouring obtained from turmeric. See also E100

curcumina Italy Turmeric

curd The solid which separates from milk or soya milk which has been coagulated and cut or stirred. Used to make curds and whey, cheese, or soya bean curd.

curd cheese A soft white cheese made from the curds which separate from a lactic acid fermentation and coagulation of milk. It is not pressed and is slightly sour tasting. often used for making cheesecake.

curd cheese pastry Central Europe Pastry made from equal parts of curd cheese, butter and flour. It resembles flaky pastry when cooked.

curdle, to To separate into visible immiscible solid and/or liquid phases as in the production of curds and whey from coagulated milk, or when mayonnaise breaks down into oil droplets and vinegar or when a cooked egg mixture separates

cure, to To preserve meat, game, poultry, fish or any flesh by smoking, salting or treating with salt, saltpetre, sodium nitrite or sugar or with brine or any combination of these. The purpose is to remove water from the flesh and to inhibit bacterial action. The nitrite accentuates the pink colour of haemoglobin. See also dry-salt, to, pickling brine

curled octopus A species of octopus, Eledone cirrosa, with a maximum length of 40 cm and curled tentacles with a single row of suckers. Not as fine a quality as the

common octopus but often served braised in tomato sauce and sometimes canned. Also called white octopus

curly algae Wakame curly cress See cress curly endive See endive curly kale Kale

curly parsley Parsley curly seaweed Wakame

currant 1. Dried grape of the small black Corinth variety from Greece now grown elsewhere. More tart and with less sugar than the sultana and raisin. Also called currant raisins 2. The small, round berry of a variety of shrubs from Northern Europe and North Africa. See also redcurrant, blackcurrant, white currant

currant pasty A mixture of currants, brown sugar, spices, apple and pork scratchings sandwiched between 2 layers of pastry, baked and cut into squares

currant raisin United States Currant currant tomato A tiny tomato, Lycopersicon

pimpinelli folium, 1 cm in diameter and used for decoration

currie, sauce France Curry sauce made with white bouillon

currie à l’indienne, sauce France Finely sliced onion sweated in butter with a bouquet garni, mace and a cinnamon stick, sprinkled with curry powder, fried, then a mixture of equal parts of coconut milk and veal or fish stock added, simmered, strained and finished with cream and lemon juice. Also called indienne, sauce

curry 1. England, France A general term for highly spiced cooked dishes of meat, vegetables, fish, pulses, etc. originating from India and Southeast Asia, popular in the West, often containing varying proportions of hot chillies (NOTE: Curry means ‘mixture’ in Hindi and the dish got its name when foreigners asked what was being cooked and were told a mixture.) 2. South Asia A stew with a pungent aromatic sauce made by browning onion in ghee, separating, adding meat which has been defatted and degristled to the fat, searing this, adding aromatics and frying over medium heat until the fat separates, then adding salt, water and chillies or sweet peppers, simmering for a long period adding water as necessary and finally adding onions and other vegetables towards the end. Also called turrcarri

curry butter A compound butter flavoured with curry powder, cayenne pepper, ginger and lemon juice, refrigerated as a roll and cut into 5 mm slices for use as a garnish

curry-flavoured oil Peanut oil flavoured with curry powder

curry leaf The leaves of a small tree, Murraya koenigii, from hilly regions of India which give off a spicy odour when bruised. Fresh leaves are used to add flavour to many Indian dishes. The dried leaves lose much of their flavour.

curry mayonnaise See caboul sauce

curry paste Ground spices and flavouring agents processed with garlic, chilli peppers and fresh ginger to a thick paste and fried in oil until the oil separates (about 10 minutes) and then mixed with a little salt. This will keep for a considerable time. Vinegar is added for vindaloo curry paste.

curry plant A shrub, Helichrysum angustifolium, of the daisy family from Southern Europe with silvery needle-like leaves which impart a mild curry (Indian spice mix) flavour to cooked dishes. Use like rosemary. (NOTE: Not to be confused with curry leaf.)

curry powder A mixture of ground spices used for making curry especially in the West. Made from a selection of coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, fenugreek seeds and chillies to produce varying degrees of hotness, all of which are dry-roasted, together with unroasted dried ginger, turmeric, cinnamon and cloves. There are many variations, e.g. Madras and West Indian curry powder. Rarely used in Indian cooking, but useful for those not wishing to stock individual spices.

curry sauce Chopped onions and garlic cooked in fat without colour, flour and curry powder added and the roux cooked without browning the flour, tomato purée and stock added to form a smooth sauce, chopped apples, chutney, desiccated coconut, sultanas, grated fresh ginger and salt added, simmered and skimmed for 30 minutes. Served with meat, fish, eggs, etc.

currysill Sweden A typical smörgåsbord dish of sliced matjes herring, diced cold boiled potatoes and chopped hard-boiled eggs mixed and bound with a curry-flavoured mayonnaise and served cold

curuba A type of elongated passion fruit,

Passiflora maliformis, from South America with a yellow green skin and a taste similar to, but slightly more acid, than passion fruit Curworthy England A semi-hard cheese made with unpasteurized cows’ milk from Devon and Cornwall. It is matured for 6

weeks and has a creamy buttery taste. cuscinetti Italy Fried cheese sandwich (NOTE:

Literally ‘small cushion’.)

cut in, to

cush United States A cornmeal pancake cushaw United States A large variety of

crookneck squash

cush cush yam A red skinned yam from a plant, Dioscorea trifida, native to South America which produces several small tubers instead of the more normal single large tuber

cushion A cut of lamb, veal or beef from the inside top of the rear leg

cushion of veal United Kingdom The thick longitudinal muscle at the rear inside of the leg of veal, equivalent to topside of beef. Used for escalopes, roasting, braising and sautéing. Also called nut

cusk Tusk

cussy, à la France Garnished with large mushrooms, chestnuts, cock’s kidneys and truffles, usually of steaks and roast chicken custard 1. A general term for various sweetened milk-based sauces, flavoured with vanilla and thickened with flour and/or

eggs 2. United Kingdom English custard custard apple The general name for a group of tropical fruits of the genus Anona, including atemoyas, cherimoyas, sweet sops and sour sops which generally have a scaly skin and a soft custard-like flesh tasting variously of combinations of pineapple, strawberry, banana, etc. Also called annona,

anona

custard banana The fruit of a tree, Asimina tribloa, from the Southeast of the USA and Mexico. It looks and tastes something like a small vanilla-flavoured banana but has a thin skin and numerous seeds in the flesh.

custard cream See crème pâtissière custard fritters Crème frites which have been

battered

custard marrow 1. Patty pan squash 2. Choko

custard powder United Kingdom A mixture of corn flour, sometimes yellow colouring, and artificial vanilla flavouring very popular in England for thickening sweetened milk to make English custard

custard sauce English custard

cut, to To use a knife or scissors to divide solid foods into smaller pieces

cut and fold, to To mix dry ingredients into a batter or foamed mixture by gently sprinkling them on the surface and very carefully incorporating them by slowly turning over the mixture with a metal spoon, spatula or knife

cut in, to To combine hard fat with dry ingredients by repeatedly cutting the fat with one or two knives beneath the surface of the the dry ingredients until it is reduced to small

cutlet

uniform pieces each coated with dry ingredients

cutlet A transverse section from the rib cage of an animal containing part of the vertebrae and ribs with accompanying flesh. Usually of lamb, veal or pork.

cutlet bat A heavy metal implement with a flat face about 10 cm by 7 cm and a handle used to thin out pieces of meat, fish, etc. by striking the food, usually contained between two pieces of polythene, on a solid work surface. See also bat out, to

cutlet frill A small piece of frilled white paper shaped like a chef’s hat which is used to cover the end of the bare, scraped rib bone on a cutlet or roast joint after it has been cooked. Also called frill, paper frill

cutters See pastry cutters

cutting board A flat-surfaced board, usually wood, hard plastic or glass on which food is cut or chopped. Plastic boards are of different colours for different classes of food, but have been shown to be less hygienic than hardwood boards. See also chopping board

cuttlefish A cephalopod, Sepia officinalis, from the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic with an oval body and head from which two long and eight short tentacles spring, in all about 25 cm long. It has one internal stiffening bone (cuttlebone). The guts which together with the parrot-like beak must be

removed before cooking include the ink sac, the contents of which can be used in an accompanying sauce. Cooked like squid or octopus. Sometimes eaten in East Asia as a snack food when in its dried form. See also little cuttlefish

cuu Vietnam Lamb

cwt Abbreviation for hundredweight, a unit of weight still used in the USA

Cyamopsis psoraloides Botanical name

Guar bean cyanocobalamin Vitamin B12

cyclamate An artificial sweetener about 30 times as sweet as sugar, now banned in many countries

Cydonia oblonga Botanical name Quince cygne France A swan-shaped pastry filled

with chantilly cream

Cymbopogan citratus Botanical name

Lemon grass

cymling Patty pan squash

Cynara scolymus Botanical name The globe artichoke

Cyperus esculentus Botanical name Tiger nut

Cyphomandra betacea Botanical name

Tamarillo

cyprus oval Shamouti

cysteine hydrochloride See E920

Cystophyllum fusiforme Botanical name

Hiziki

daai dau nga choy China Soya bean sprouts daai gaai choy China One of the oriental mustards with a rounded lettuce-type head, curly pale green leaves and thick grooved stems. It has a slightly astringent taste and is usually pickled or salted. Also called Swatow

mustard cabbage daam China Sea urchin

daanti South Asia A ceramic pestle used with a matching mortar (imamdusta) for grinding soft grains and spices

daarim Nepal Pomegranate

dab A small flatfish, Limanda limanda, up to 25 cm long, from North West European coastal waters, white below and brown with greenish spots above. Cooked as plaice.

da bai cai China Chinese cabbage

dabo East Africa The Ethiopian name for bread

dabo fir fir East Africa An Ethiopian snack of bread with butter and berbere

dabo kolo East Africa An Ethiopian snack made from whole wheat flour mixed with berbere spice mix to taste (approx. 8 tbsp per kg of flour), sugar (4 tbsp per kg) and salt (2 tsp per kg) and sufficient water to make a thick dough. This is kneaded, rested, then 250 g softened butter per kg of flour is incorporated and the dough is rolled and cut into small cylinders and baked at 180°C for 30 minutes until browned on all sides. Cooled and stored in an airtight container.

dabulamanzi salad Caribbean A St Vincent salad made from finely chopped carrot, ginger, cabbage and garlic, lightly sautéed in sesame oil then poured over washed and dried lettuce leaves followed by chopped avocado flesh

Dacca South Asia A cheese made from cow or buffalo milk, ripened for 2 to 3 weeks in wicker baskets, then smoked

dace A bony freshwater fish, Leuciscus leuciscus, resembling in shape a small

haddock. Steamed, baked or fried. Also called dare, dart

dacquoise France A speciality of Dax consisting of layers of meringue containing toasted and coarsely ground nuts interspersed with whipped cream and soft fruits such as raspberries and strawberries, the whole decorated and circular in shape. Cut in wedges for serving.

dadarisi Netherlands An omelette stuffed with a spicy Indonesian filling

dadels Netherlands Dates

dadi Italy Dice, of vegetables, etc. dadlar Sweden Dates

dadler Denmark, Norway Dates da dou China Soya beans

daging kambing Indonesia, Malaysia Lamb daging kerbau Indonesia Buffalo meat daging smor Netherlands Stewed meat,

Indonesian style

dagwood sandwich United States A multilayered sandwich with a variety of fillings in between each layer

dahchini South Asia 1. Cinnamon 2. Cassia dahi Nepal, South Asia Yoghurt

dahi balle South Asia Fried bean cakes served in a herb and spice-flavoured yoghurt sauce

dahl See dhal

dahorpt Balkans Diced mutton simmered with onions and herbs until tender, reserved, rice cooked in the strained cooking liquor with chopped sweet green peppers, mixed with the meat and lightly vinegared. See also kissela dahorp

-dai Japan Red sea bream, as in kinmedai dai choy goh China Agar agar

daidai Japan Seville orange

daikon Japan A shorter and rounder variety of mooli used in the same way

daikon no nimono Japan 4 cm pieces of daikon boiled in salted water until tender and

daikon oroshi

simmered in dashi with a little soya sauce and mirin and covered with an otoshibuta for about 30 minutes

daikon oroshi Japan Finely grated daikon or mooli used as a marinade especially for octopus and to mask or remove strong fishy smells

daikon shreds Japan Very fine almost hairlike shreds of mooli made by cutting a long thin ribbon like a wide potato peeling, rolling it up and cutting it across in very thin slices. Used as a garnish for sushi.

daing Philippines Cleaned fish which have been salted and dried in the sun

dai rau song Vietnam A platter of mixed herbs, salad leaves, raw vegetables cut in strips and cooked rice or noodles served with meals as a side dish

dairy The buildings in which milk is removed from the animals and further processed into cream, butter, cheese and other milk products. Nowadays removal and processing are usually carried out at different locations.

dairy products Milk and all other products derived directly from it such as cheese, butter, cream, yoghurt, etc.

dai suen China Asian leek daizu Japan Dried soya beans

daktyla Greece A long loaf of bread, topped with sesame seeds and made up of several sections easily pulled apart

dal See dhal

dalchini South Asia Cinnamon and cassia bark

Dalia Romania A cows’ milk cheese similar to

Kashkaval

dalle France A thin slice or escalope of round fish cut across the bone (NOTE: Literally ‘slab’.)

damaschina Italy Damson damasco Portugal Apricot

damask cream England A junket made with sweetened single cream flavoured with nutmeg and brandy, set with rennet at 37°C for 2 to 3 hours, and carefully decorated with a mixture of clotted cream and rose water. Also called Devonshire junket

Damaszenerpflaume Germany Damson dame Italy Small raisin cakes

dame blanche France A common Belgian and northern French dessert of white ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate sauce Damenkäse Germany A soft rich, cows’ milk

cheese. See also Butterkäse

damper Australia Unleavened bread made from flour, salt and water cooked on a griddle, barbecue or in hot wood fire ashes

Dampfbraten Germany Beef stew

Dampfnudeln Germany Sweetened yeastraised, flour-based dumplings or noodles, steamed or poached in milk and served with custard, stewed fruit or jam

Dampfwürstel Austria A mild sausage containing beef and bacon fat bound with a little fécule, lightly scalded and possibly smoked

damson A small blue black plum with a yellow green flesh from a Middle Eastern tree,

Prunus damascena or P. insititia, with a greyish yeast bloom. Rather acid but excellent in preserves and cooked dishes.

damson and apple tansy England Cooked apples and stoned damsons fried in butter with sugar until soft, mixed with ground cloves and cinnamon followed by stiffly beaten egg whites. Cooked over a low heat until set, sprinkled with sugar and browned under the grill. Originally flavoured with tansy.

dan China Egg dana Turkey Veal

Danablu Danish blue

Danbo Denmark A hard cows’ milk cheese which is salted in brine and matured for 5 months, often waxed and with internal holes like Emmental. Fairly mild in flavour and often contains caraway seeds. Contains 45% water, 24% fat and 29% protein.

Dancy tangerine United States The traditional Christmas tangerine is an old (1867) variety of mandarin grown from seed by Colonel Dancy. It has a deep orange-red thin skin with a tender well-flavoured flesh. They tend to decay rapidly.

dandelion A common European wild plant,

Taraxacum officinale. The young and/or garden blanched leaves are used in salads and the ground and roasted roots are used to make a coffee substitute.

dan gao China Cake

danger zone The range of temperatures most suitable for bacterial growth, 7 to 60°C (45 to 140°F). Food should not be kept in this range for any length of time.

dang gui China The dried root of a relative of angelica, Angelica sinensis, used to flavour soup and reputed to have medicinal properties

dang noi Thailand Cassava dango Japan Dumpling

Danish United States A Danish pastry Danish blue Denmark A blue-veined white

and crumbly cooked-curd cows’ milk cheese made commercially in large quantities. It is inoculated with Penicillium roquefortii spores to produce the blue veining. It is dry-salted, ripened for 3 months and held in a cold store

for a further 2 months. The flavour is sharp and somewhat salty. Marketed aggressively.

Danish blue brie Denmark A Danish version of a blue-veined Brie cheese

Danish mellow blue Denmark A more mellow and creamier textured version of Danish blue cheese

Danish open sandwich See smørrebrød

Danish pastries Sweet cakes and buns made with Danish pastry usually filled with fruit, custard, jam or the like. Examples are spandauer, wienerlangd, kammar and borgmästarfläta, all strangely enough from Sweden.

Danish pastry A yeasted, egg and sugarenriched, strong flour dough (2 eggs per kg of flour) brought together with cold milk, layered with 0.6 times the weight of flour in butter, using the English puff pastry method with 3 threefold turns, resting between turns as usual. The pastry is rolled out to the appropriate thickness, garnished appropriately, proved and then baked at 230°C.

Danish salami A type of salami made with a mixture of pork, beef or veal and a high proportion of pork fat, coloured red to resemble meat, dry-salted or brined, airdried and possibly smoked. Eaten raw in thin slices and not suitable for cooking.

dansk fläskkotlett Sweden Danish pork chops made from seasoned chops rubbed with curry powder, fried quickly in butter, soured cream added and all simmered for 10 minutes. Garnished with diced ham and apple and sliced onion sweated in butter.

dansk leverpostej Denmark A pâté made from calf’s liver, flour, cream, butter, eggs, onions, spices and seasoning served warm with boiled potatoes or cold with open sandwiches, etc.

dansk potatis Sweden Large potatoes baked with the skin on at 200°C for 45 minutes, rolled between the hand and a board to soften the inside, opened and topped with chopped prawns in creamed butter

dansk wienerbrød Denmark Danish pastry (NOTE: Literally ‘Danish Vienna bread’.)

darang Philippines Dried smoked fish which develop a characteristic deep red colour

darchini South Asia Cinnamon dare Dace

dare oh Burma A rounded deep pan similar to a wok made of brass or cast iron with a handle at either side

dariole France A small pastry with custard cooked in a dariole mould

date

dariole mould A small bucket-shaped mould used to make individual desserts such as crème caramel, madeleines, etc.

Dariworld United States A semi-hard cookedcurd cows’ milk cheese, salted in brine then ripened in plastic packs. Contains 45% water, 27% fat and 23% protein.

darjeeling An expensive unblended black tea with a very fine flavour from the foothills of the Himalayas. Often drunk without milk or sugar.

dark brown sugar United States Muscovado sugar

dark soya sauce A less salty version of soya sauce used to colour food as well as for its full-bodied flavour

dark sugar General term for the various types of brown sugar

darn China Hen’s egg

darne France A thick slice or steak of fish cut across the backbone and including the bone. See also fish steak

dart Dace

dartois France 1. A garnish of celery, carrots, turnips and potatoes used with meat dishes 2. Two pieces of sweet or savoury puff pastry sandwiched together with a sweet or savoury filling and baked

dasheen Caribbean A tropical and subtropical plant, Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum, brought from Southeast Asia to the Caribbean as a staple food for slaves. The leaves are edible and the tubers of the plant (referred to as taro or cocoyam) may be boiled, baked or roasted. See also taro, cocoyam (NOTE: The name dasheen is a corruption of de Chine, meaning ‘from China’.)

dasheen leaf The fan-like leaf of taro and similar tubers of species of Colocasia, used as a vegetable and in callaloo soup. Also called arvi leaf, patra

dashi Japan A fish stock made from dried seaweed (kelp or kombu), dried Pacific bonito flakes and other flavourings. The first infusion of the raw materials is called ichiban dashi and is used for soups, whilst the second, niban dashi, is used as a stock or cooking liquor. See also katsuodashi,

Hondashi

date The fruit of the date palm, Phoenix dactylifera, with a yellow skin and brown sweet flesh enclosing a single elongated stone, the whole about 4 cm by 2 cm, which grow in clusters arranged in two rows along a central stalk. Usually traded in the dried form which is sweet and sticky. Popular at Christmas in Europe as a snack and also used to sweeten and flavour cakes.