A Dictionary of Food

limpin’ susan

layered alternately with sliced potatoes ((3:1) on limpet meat) in a pan, covered with the cooking liquor, seasoned, buttered and simmered for 1 hour.

limpin’ susan United States A dish of rice and red beans

limun helou Egypt Sweet lime limun succari Egypt Sweet lime

limu omani Central Asia The Iranian name for whole loomi

Lincolnshire potato cheesecake England A shortcrust pastry flan filled with a mixture of mashed potatoes, butter, caster sugar and well-beaten eggs (2:1:1:1) flavoured with nutmeg, lemon juice and zest. Baked at 200°C for 15 minutes to set the pastry, then for a further 10 minutes without the flan ring. Contains no cheese.

line, to To cover the inside of a cooking utensil e.g. a cake tin, pudding bowl or terrine dish, with edible matter, e.g. bacon, or non-edible matter, e.g. greaseproof paper, for protection, decoration or to prevent the enclosed food sticking to the container

ling A round seawater fish, Molva molva, with a brownish-black top, a member of the cod family but longer (up to 2 m) and thinner than cod. Often salted or smoked. Cooked as cod. Also called sea burbot, common ling

ling fun China Tapioca starch ling gok China Water caltrop lingon Sweden Cowberries lingonberry Cowberry lingua Italy, Portugal Tongue

lingua alla borghese Italy Ox tongue, braised with wine, brandy and salt pork

linguado Portugal Sole, the fish

linguado com bananas Portugal Baked fillets of sole topped with bananas, served with boiled potatoes and salad

linguattola Italy General name for small flat seawater fish, dabs

lingue France Ling, the fish

lingue di gatto Italy Langue de chat

lingue di passero Italy Thin strips of noodlelike pasta (NOTE: Literally ‘sparrow’s tongues’.)

linguica Portugal A coarse-textured pungent small sausage, usually grilled or barbecued linguine Italy Small tongue-shaped pieces of

flat pasta

link, to A method of dividing long meat-filled casings into short individual sausages by twisting at the division points and plaiting them into a succession of threes. Normally done by butchers who make their own sausages.

Linköping Sweden A spreading sausage made from pork and beef and salt-cured

link sausages Frying or grilling sausages made in a long chain with one casing and formed into links by taking them three at a time with a twist between each group of three linquisa Portugal A brine-cured pork-based sausage, flavoured with garlic, cumin and

cinnamon. Requires cooking. linseed bread See Leinsamenbrot

linseed oil Cold pressed oil from the seeds of the flax plant which can be used in food and as a nutritional supplement being rich in essential fatty acids (EFAs)

Linsen Germany Lentils

Linsensuppe Germany Lentil soup often served with chopped sausage

linser 1. Denmark Cream tarts 2. Norway

Lentils

Linz cake See Linzertorte

Linzer Delicatesse A small pleasant-tasting salad potato

Linzertorte Austria, Germany A flan made with a base of almond-flavoured pastry filled with raspberry jam and topped with latticework pastry. Eaten warm or cold with whipped cream. Also called Linz cake, Linz tart

Linz tart See Linzertorte

lipase An enzyme that breaks down fats into fatty acids and glycerine for absorption in the gut. It also causes fat to go rancid.

lipeäkala Finland Lutefisk lipid See fat

lipoic acid This acid is an essential growth factor for many microorganisms. Whether it has any function in human metabolism is not known.

Liptauer Germany A soft strong-tasting ewes’ milk cheese with no rind. It is made by ripening the curd for 10 days, removing the rind, blending with salt and ripening for a few more days. Contains 50% water, 22% fat and 21% protein.

Liptauer cheese spread Liptauer cheese mixed at the blending stage with cream and flavourings such as anchovies, onions, capers, caraway seed, chives, paprika, etc.

Liptói Hungary A soft creamy ewes’ milk cheese, similar to Liptauer

liqueur A sweetened alcoholic extract of various herb-, spiceand fruit-based flavourings, used as a drink but also as a flavouring in many dishes, e.g. cointreau, Kümmel, kirsch

liqueur de framboise Raspberry liqueur liquidize, to To pulverize fruits and vegetables

or mixtures of liquids and the same into a soft

purée by breaking down the cell walls and releasing their contents

liquidizer See blender

liquid measure Volume measure

liquid paraffin See mineral hydrocarbons liquid smoke See pyroligneous acid liquirizia Italy Liquorice

liquor See cooking liquor

liquorice A Mediterranean plant, Glycyrrhiza glabra, which probably originated in China. It is grown for the rhizomes and roots from which, after 3 to 5 years’ growth, the flavouring is extracted in water and boiled down to a black tarry substance. The roots used to be chewed by children as a sweet. Also called licorice, Spanish

liscio Italy Smooth

lisette France A small mackerel

lissamine green A synthetic green food colouring. See also E142

lista Italy Menu

Listeria monocytogenes A bacterium causing illness which grows in soft ripened cheeses (unpasteurized milk has been wrongly implicated), pâtés, shop-prepared salads, etc. It will grow in these foods at less than 4°C with a doubling time of 18 hours. Samples cultured at 37°C normally have a doubling time of 7.4 hours but after subjecting them to cold shock at 4°C the doubling time drops to 2.5 hours, at the same time refrigeration appears to select for more virulent strains. The incubation period is up to 4 weeks and the resulting illness can range from a general feeling of malaise to meningitis and septicaemia. It is more likely to cause stillbirths and miscarriages, and for this reason pregnant women are recommended to refrain from the food items mentioned unless home cooked. It does not grow in raw milk farmhouse cheeses due to the low pH (less than 5), and better hygienic practices. Subsequent pasteurization cannot be used as a let-out, and there is more rapid transfer of the milk from cow to cheese making.

listeriosis The disease caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes

litchee Lychee

litchi Lychee

Litchi chinensis Botanical name Lychee litekokt Norway Soft-boiled. Used e.g. of

eggs.

liter United States Litre Liter Germany Litre

lithol rubine BK See E180

litre England, France The normal measure of volume approximately equal to 1.75 imperial

liver pudding

pints or 2.1 US pints, or divided into decilitres (dl) (10 per litre), centilitres (cl) (100 per litre) or millilitres (ml) (1000 per litre). A teaspoon is 5 ml, a dessertspoon 10 ml, a tablespoon 15 ml and an imperial pint 568 ml. Abbreviation l, L

litro Italy, Spain Litre

little cuttlefish A very small cuttlefish, Sepiola rondeleti, with a maximum length of 4 cm. Usually cleaned and eaten whole.

Little Gem A semi-cos-type lettuce variety with soft leaves, usually harvested when up to 15 cm high

little neck clam A small (up to 6 cm) and slightly oblong clam, Venerupis japonica, found in the Pacific Ocean. May be eaten raw or cooked.

little tuna See little tunny

little tunny A tropical seawater fish,

Euthynnus alletteratus, resembling a small albacore and also related to tuna. It has a firm oily flesh and dark blue to green striped skin on top. Weighs up to 7 kg. Baked or grilled. Also called bonito, little tuna

liu China A method of cooking involving coating with corn flour, frying or steaming then simmering in sauce

lívance Czech Republic A mixture of flour, milk, butter, sugar and egg yolks, lightened with stiffly beaten egg whites, shaped into small balls and baked until brown on both sides in the oven. Served coated with plum jam and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.

Livarot France A soft cows’ milk cheese from Normandy cast in small discs (500 g) with a brownish shiny rind and a strong flavour and smell. It is protected by appellation d’origine status and the label should contain the words ‘Pays d’Auge’. Contains 51% water, 20% fat and 24% protein.

livèche France Lovage

liver A large internal organ in all vertebrates consisting of pink to dark brown soft uniform tissue interspersed with veins, etc. all enclosed in a membrane. It functions as a detoxifying organ for poisons such as alcohol and plant alkaloids, as an energy store (glycogen) and as a source of fat emulsifiers for the bowel. The flavour depends on the age and type of animal. The most commonly used are lamb’s, pig’s, and calf’s livers which are grilled, fried or braised; goose, duck, pig and chicken livers which are made into pâtés; and pig and ox livers which are braised and stewed.

liver herbs The principal herbs used with liver are basil, dill, marjoram, sage and tarragon

liver pudding See maksalaatikko

liver sausage

liver sausage A very common sausage made in many countries from a fine paste of cooked liver, sometimes with meat, and with flavourings and seasonings. Can be sliced or spread. See also Leberwurst

live yoghurt Yoghurt which still contains live bacteria and hence can be used to inoculate further batches. It is kept at a low temperature to slow down bacterial growth. livonienne, sauce France A fine julienne of carrots, celery, mushrooms and onions sweated in butter, added to a fish velouté and finished with julienned truffle and chopped

parsley. Served with fish.

livornaise, à la France In the style of Livorno in Italy, i.e. accompanied with shallots, tomatoes and truffles. Used especially of poached fish.

livornese, alla Italy In the style of Livorno in Italy, i.e. with tomato sauce, especially fish and shellfish

livre France Pound of weight; 500 g li yi China Carp

li yu China Rock carp li zhi China Lychee

llagosta a la brasa Catalonia Lobster cooked over an open flame

llagosta i pollastre Catalonia Lobster and chicken in a tomato and hazelnut sauce

llantén Spain Plantain llenguado Catalonia Sole, the fish

llesca (plural llesques) Catalonia A slice llet Catalonia Milk

lliseria Spain Megrim, the fish

llobarro al forn a rodanxes Catalonia Baked sliced sea bass

llom de porc Catalonia Pork loin chops llonganisetta Catalonia A fine-textured cured

sausage

lluç a la plancha Catalonia Hake cooked on a griddle

loach One of three types of small European freshwater fish of the carp family Cobitidea. They have a good flavour but lots of small bones and when fried are popular in France. Treat as smelt.

loaf 1. A standard quantity of bread dough usually baked in a rectangular loaf tin to give a characteristic shape 2. Any type of food baked in a loaf tin, e.g. meat loaf, fruit loaf, etc.

loaf cheese Edamer

loaf pan A rectangular pan with deep, slightly sloping sides, used to bake bread, some cakes and meat loaves

loaf sugar United States Cube sugar or sugar cubes (NOTE: Not the same as sugar loaf.)

loaf tin A rectangular tin, of length approximately twice, and width equal to, the depth, with slightly outward sloping sides to allow for easy removal of whatever is cooked in it

lo baak China Mooli. Also called lo bok

lo baak gor China A solid steamed savoury pudding or dumpling made with grated mooli and rice flour, then sliced and fried

lobak Indonesia, Malaysia Mooli lobe leaf seaweed Wakame lobhia South Asia Cow pea lobia South Asia Cow pea

lo bok China Mooli. Also called lo baak lobscouse United Kingdom, United States A

meat and vegetable stew thickened with ship biscuit, once popular on sailing vessels where it could easily be prepared. Variants on the name occur in all north Atlantic seafaring nations. In the UK it is associated with Liverpool, hence the name scouse or scouser for inhabitants of that city. In the USA it is associated with New England. Nowadays it is made without the ship biscuit. Also called scouse

lobskovs Denmark Lobscouse served with rye bread

lobster Europe, United States The largest sea crustaceans, Homarus gammarus and H. americanus, with eight legs, two forwardfacing strong crushing claws, several antennae and a muscular tail. Lobsters are blue-grey when alive and pink when cooked. They are caught on both sides of the Atlantic and in Europe weigh up to 2 kg. The North American variety is larger. Female lobsters, which are more tender, may contain orange eggs called coral. They should feel heavy for their size, generally yield half their weight in edible meat and are normally bought alive. To kill them they can either be suffocated for 30 minutes in de-aerated water (water which has been vigorously boiled and cooled), be dropped in boiling water and held under for 2 minutes or be severed along the centre line of the whole body using a cleaver or heavy knife and starting at the head end. The RSPCA recommend placing them in cold salted water (35 g salt per litre) which is gradually brought to the boil.

lobster bisque Bisque de homard

lobster butter 1. Lobster shell pounded with unsalted butter to a smooth paste, sweated in a pan, a little water added and all boiled for 15 minutes, strained and cooled until the butter fat sets. Used quickly, the water may also be used for its flavour. 2. A compound butter made with the creamy parts, eggs and

coral of lobster pounded together with an equal amount of butter and sieved

lobster mayonnaise Half a cold boiled lobster served in its shell with mayonnaise and salad lobster Newburg United States Cubed cooked lobster meat, sautéed in butter, sherry added, the juices thickened with a liaison of egg yolks and cream and all served

on a paprika-flavoured rice lobster sauce See homard, sauce

lobster thermidor Homard thermidor lobya South Asia Cow pea

Loch Fyne kipper Scotland An excellent fat and plump kipper from Loch Fyne

Loch Fyne oysters Scotland Farmed Pacific oysters from Loch Fyne

lochshen A Jewish term for noodles, traditionally made by cutting thinly rolled pasta dough into strips, now usually commercial vermicelli. Also called lokshen locro South America An Ecuadorian potato soup with cheese, garnished with pieces of

avocado

locust bean Carob

locust bean gum E410, A plant gum extracted from carob, used as a thickener or gelling agent

lodger’s loaf Barrel bread lodole Italy Larks, the birds lofschotel Netherlands Chicory løg Denmark Onion

loganberry A hybrid of a raspberry and blackberry or dewberry looking like a large dark raspberry about 5 cm long, with a sweet-sour taste and fragrant aroma. Use as raspberry.

lohi Finland Salmon

lohikeitto Finland Salmon soup with potatoes and leeks

lohilaatikko Finland As laxpudding, but with the addition of chopped onions and breadcrumbs to the layers and gratinated with breadcrumbs

lohipiirakka Finland Salmon pie

lohipiiras Finland Salmon pie, similar to koulibiac

loin The general name for the joint of an animal consisting of the ribless vertebrae up to the pelvis plus up to 4 vertebrae with ribs, cut through the centre of the backbone to include all the longitudinal muscles plus a small portion of the ribs and the abdominal cavity muscles

loin end of lamb The front half of a loin of lamb

loin of lamb Scotland A best end of lamb. Also called single loin of lamb

lon

loin of veal United Kingdom That part of the back between the ribs and leg. May be stuffed, rolled and roasted or cut into chops.

lök Sweden Onion løk Norway Onion

lok dow China Mung beans lokhi Bottle gourd

löksås Sweden Onion sauce made from finely chopped onions sweated in butter, flour added to make a blond roux and let down to a thin sauce with milk, cooked out and seasoned. Often served with baked potatoes.

lokshen A Jewish term for noodles. See also lochshen

lokshyna Russia Egg noodles löksoppa Sweden Onion soup

lökströmming Sweden Uncleaned sprats marinated in equal parts of white vinegar and water for 12 hours, drained, then layered with sliced onions and a mixture of sugar, black pepper, crushed white peppercorns, cloves and salt in a pot and kept in the refrigerator for 5 days Served with potatoes boiled in their skins

Lollo biondo Italy A non-hearting loose leaf lettuce with well-flavoured green frilly leaves. May be harvested over a long period by picking individual leaves or cutting and leaving to resprout. Also called green lollo lettuce

Lollo rosso England, Italy As Lollo biondo, but with frilly leaves tinged with red/bronze and of excellent flavour. Also called red Lollo

lombarda Spain Red cabbage lombata Italy Loin (of meat)

lombatina Italy 1. Entrecôte steak of beef 2. Loin chop

lombo Italy, Portugal Loin (of meat)

lombo di maiale al latte Italy A pork loin, piquéed with cloves and cinnamon bark and braised in milk

lombok chilli A deep-red pointed chilli from Indonesia and used in its cuisine

lo mein China Fresh egg noodles

lomi-lomi salmon United States A Hawaiian dish of salted salmon cooked with chopped tomatoes, sweet mild onions and spring onions

lomo Spain 1. Saddle, loin or back (of meat) 2. The eye of a loin of pork, cured and packed without further treatment into a close fitting casing. Usually eaten raw.

lon 1. Thailand Various cooked sauces made with ingredients such as shellfish, fish and meat with flavouring agents and seasoning and simmered in coconut milk until thick 2.

Vietnam Pork

lonac

lonac Balkans A deep earthenware casserole dish

London broil United States Boneless flank of beef, marinated and grilled then cut on the slant

London particular England A bacon and green split pea soup made with a chicken or ham stock with aromatic vegetables, puréed, strained, seasoned and finished with cream or yoghurt and garnished with chopped grilled bacon and croûtons (NOTE: Named after a particularly nasty London fog whose colour it resembled.)

longa Ireland Ling, the fish

longan A small round tropical fruit, Nephelium longana, from Southeast Asia and China resembling a lychee. It has a brown and brittle skin, a central inedible stone and a sweet aromatic white flesh. Also called dragon’s eye, lungan

longaniza Portugal A large sausage similar to chorizo

long back bacon Long rashers of bacon from that part of a side of bacon without ribs

long bean Vigna sesquipedalis, a relative of the cow pea grown extensively in India, China and Southeast Asia both for the mature yellow beans which are harvested from pods (up to 1 m long) or for the young pods (up to 35 cm) which are cooked whole. The plants need high supports. Also called yard long bean, long-podded cow pea, snake bean

Longchamp, crème France Crème Saint Germain garnished with cooked and washed vermicelli and a julienne of sorrel cooked in butter

long cucumber Indoor-grown cucumbers, 25 to 65 cm in length with usually smooth skins. They do not require fertilization. If fertilized they produce bitter fruits and it is for this reason that they must be grown in the absence of insects.

longe France Loin (of veal or pork)

longeole Switzerland A sausage from Geneva made with chopped pork filled into a casing, air-dried for 2 days and cooked for 2 hours. Served hot.

long fin tuna Albacore long flounder Lemon sole

long-grain rice Rice which releases little starch when boiled thus remaining in separated grains. See also brown long-grain rice, white long-grain rice

Long Island duck United States An intensively raised duck killed at 1.5 to 2.5 kg, 7 to 8 weeks old

long-life Used to describe foods, usually milk, cream, other liquid dairy products and fruit

juices, which have been heated to 132°C for 1 to 2 seconds (occasionally up to 6 minutes depending on the foodstuff) rapidly cooled and aseptically packaged. Also called UHT, ultra heat-treated

long-neck clam Soft-shell clam longnose Garfish

long pepper A plant Piper longum (India), P. retrofractum (Indonesia), related to the pepper vine whose berries are harvested green and sun dried. Its flavour resembles a milder black pepper. It is grown only in India and Indonesia and is used in East Asian cooking. Also called pippali

long-podded cow pea See long bean longsong Laos A type of fondue chinoise in

which thin strips of buffalo meat or venison are cooked at the table in a pot of simmering flavoured stock and dipped in a peanut sauce

long xia China Lobster

long xu niu rou China Thin-sliced beef and asparagus shallow-fried

lontong Indonesia Boiled short-grain white rice pressed into a greased square dish, covered with banana leaf, cooled and cut into cubes. Served with satay.

lonza Italy The eye of a loin of pork, salted and air-dried. Eaten raw in very thin slices.

loofah The slightly bitter gourd from a plant, Luffa cylindrica, which looks like a cucumber when young and can be used as a vegetable after soaking in salted water to remove the bitter flavour. When old it is made into a rough bath sponge. Grown in China and the Caribbean. See also angled loofah. Also called sponge gourd, luffa

loomi Middle East, Persian Gulf Dried limes which have first been boiled in salted water for five minutes then halved and dried in the sun or a very cool oven until dark and brittle with the flesh completely dehydrated. May be powdered for use as a spice. Lime or lemon zest is used as a substitute if not available.

loose-leaf lettuce A type of lettuce with leaves often indented and very decorative but not forming a heart. The most nutritious type of lettuce.

lop cheeng China The standard Chinese pork sausage. See also lap cheong

loquat The fruit of a tree, Eriobotrya japonica, once from Japan but now grown in Mediterranean and similar climates. It looks like a small golden yellow plum and has a sweet slightly tart flesh with a fruity aroma and a large central stone. Use as plums. Also called Japanese medlar

Lorbeer Germany Bay, Laurus nobilis, but also used of several other toxic members of the laurel family

lorgnettes France 1. Fried onion rings 2. Small dessert biscuits 3. Candied fruit

Lormes France A goats’ milk cheese shaped like a cone from Nivernais

lorraine, à la France In the Lorraine style, i.e. garnished with small potatoes sautéed in butter and balls of red cabbage

Lorraine France A whitish cows’ milk cheese with a distinct lactic flavour formed into stubby cylinders. Similar to Münster and

Géromé cheeses. Also called Gérardmer, Gros

Lorraine

Lorraine soup Scotland A soup made from a processed paste of cooked chicken meat, cooked veal, almonds, hard-boiled egg yolks and breadcrumbs soaked in milk. This paste is thinned to the desired consistency with chicken and veal stock, seasoned and flavoured with lemon juice and zest and a little ground mace and finished with cream and chopped parsley. (NOTE: Said to be named after Mary of Lorraine, wife of James V of Scotland.)

losh kibbehskiye kebaby Central Asia

Azerbaijani kebabs made from a processed mixture of soaked bulgar, minced lamb, chopped onion, tomato purée, parsley, allspice, cayenne pepper, lemon zest and seasoning, formed into cylinders around skewers, brushed with oil and grilled for 10 to 15 minutes. Served with chopped sweet red peppers and parsley.

löskokt Sweden Soft-boiled. Used of eggs. losos Russia Salmon

lota Spain Eel pout lote Eel pout

loto Italy, Spain Lotus Lotos Germany Lotus

Lotosblume Germany Lotus flower lotte France Burbot, the freshwater fish lotte de mer France Monkfish

lotte de rivière France Eel pout

loture Italy A type of bread from Sardinia

lotus England, France A water plant,

Nelubium nuciferum, related to the water lily and used in Chinese and Indian cooking. The leaves are used for wrapping food, the tuberous roots which have internal holes are used as a vegetable and the black seeds are used like a nut when ripe and after removing the bitter germ. The young stems are eaten as a vegetable in Southeast Asia. See also lotus root, lotus flowers. Also called Chinese water lily, Indian lotus

love and tangle

lotus flowers The petals of the lotus flower are used as a garnish in Chinese and Thai cuisines and the open flower is used to contain food

lotus jujube A species of jujube, Zizyphus lotus, from North Africa, only noted because its fruits were mentioned by Homer as the food of the lotus eaters

lotus root The tuberous roots of the lotus with many longitudinal internal holes are eaten young and taste rather like artichokes. The Japanese value them for their appearance. They are often stuffed and deep-fried or braised before slicing.

lotus root starch A grey-coloured and slightly granular starch made from lotus’ roots and used for soft cakes and sweet dishes

lotus seeds Seeds of the lotus used in desserts and stews or roasted as a snack

Lotus tetragonolobus Botanical name

Asparagus pea

Louisiana yam Sweet potato

Louis sauce United States Mayonnaise incorporating whipped cream, flavoured with chilli sauce, finely chopped green sweet peppers and spring onions, and lemon juice. Served with seafood.

loukanika Greece A sausage made with seasoned pork belly marinated with red wine, salt and some or all of cinnamon, coriander, allspice, herbs and orange for a week, packed into hog casings and air-dried for a week

lou-kenkas France A small spicy garlicflavoured sausage from the Basque country. Sometimes eaten hot with cold oysters. Also called loukinka

loukinka France Lou-kenkas loukoum North Africa Turkish delight

Lou Palou France A hard scalded-curd ewes’ and/or cows’ milk cheese with a thick black, dry rind and a dense paste whose flavour depends on the milks used varying from strong and aromatic to mild and nutty

loup de mer France Sea bass loup marin France Catfish

lovage 1. A perennial herb, Levisticum officinale, with a sharp peppery flavour rather like celery. Used in strong-tasting dishes and soups. The seeds can also be used in bread and pastries and sprinkled on salads, rice and mashed potatoes. The stems are occasionally candied like angelica. 2. An Indian name for ajowan

lövbiff Sweden Sliced beef with béarnaise sauce

love and tangle United States Deep-fried twisted and tangled doughnuts

love apple

love apple England The original name given to the tomato when it was introduced, probably as a marketing ploy

love in disguise England Calf’s heart stuffed and baked in the oven, served with gravy and bacon

low-calorie With a low energy value. The guidelines (not law) used in the EU require such foods to have less than 40 Kcal per 100 g of food.

low-density lipoprotein A specific complex of a lipid (fat) and a protein that transports cholesterol in the blood. High levels appear to increase the risk of heart and vascular disease. See also cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein

low-fat A term used for any food which contains less fat than normally expected or a low-fat substitute for a fatty food. Examples are milk, cheese, yoghurt, substitute butter spreads, etc. Guidelines (not law) in the EU require foods so labelled to have less than 5 g of fat per 100 g of food.

low-fat milk United States Milk with no more than 2% butterfat

low-methoxyl pectin Pectin treated to remove methoxyl groups. It can form a gel without sugar.

low mull United States A vegetable and meat stew related to the Irish Mulligan stew

low-starch flour Flour from which most of the starch has been removed. Used for diabetics and makes a bread rather like an open foam or sponge.

lox United States Smoked salmon loza de barro Spain Earthenware

lsanat matabbli Middle East A salad from Syria and the Lebanon of lambs’ tongues boiled in water with aromatic vegetables and a bouquet garni until tender, cooled, skinned, sliced and arranged decoratively, chilled, dressed with olive oil and lemon juice and garnished with paprika, chopped parsley and lemon wedges

lua Thailand Blanched

luang prabang Laos A round handwoven basket in which rice is steamed and served. The rice is normally formed into small balls with the fingers and eaten by hand.

luau soup United States A cream soup from Hawaii made with puréed taro leaves, stock and seasonings

lubia Middle East Hyacinth bean lubina Spain Bass, the fish lucanica Italy Luganega

luccio Italy Pike, the fish

luccio del trasimeno arrostito Italy Pike, larded with bacon and anchovies, roasted and served with a sharp mayonnaise

luccio marino Italy Barracuda, the fish luccioperca Italy Pike-perch

lucines France Clams or mussels lucio Spain Pike, the fish luciperca Spain Pike-perch luffa See angled loofah, loofah

Luffa acutangula Botanical name Angled loofah

Luffa cylindrica Botanical name The loofah plant

lufttrockene Mettwurst Germany An airdried Mettwurst from Westphalia

luganeaga Italy Luganega

luganega Italy A small pure pork-based sausage flavoured with Parmesan cheese from northern Italy that looks rather like a Cumberland sausage. Also called lucanica, luganeghe, luganiga

luganeghe Italy Luganega luganiga Italy Luganega

luk (plural luki) Russia Onion

lukanka Bulgaria A slightly salted and spiced pork sausage eaten raw or cooked

luk chand Thailand Nutmeg

lukewarm Around 37°C. Also called blood heat

luk jun Thailand Nutmeg

luk kra waan Thailand Cardamom luk mangkak Thailand Hairy basil luk taan Thailand Palm nut lumache Italy Snail-shaped pasta

lumachi 1. Italy Snails 2. Switzerland Snails served with walnut paste

lumberjack pie United States Venison and vegetable pie

lumi Malaysia Bummaloe, the fish

lumpfish A grey or green seawater fish,

Cyclopterus lumpus, with a humped back and knobbly skin, found in the North Atlantic and Baltic and growing to about 60 cm. The male is oily but can be poached. The female is not eaten but caught for the lumpfish roe. Also called lump sucker, sea owl, cock paddle

lumpfish roe The eggs of the lumpfish used as a substitute for caviar especially as a garnish. Coloured white, black, orange or red. See also imitation caviar

lumpia Southeast Asia A type of spring roll in which the wrapping is a thin sheet of cooked beaten egg

lump sucker Lumpfish

lump sugar 1. See cube sugar 2. Irregularly shaped pieces of sugar made by crushing a sugar loaf 3. A semi-refined sugar from

Southeast Asia and China compressed into flat slabs and cut into 15 x 3 x 3 cm fingers. Also called brown slab sugar, rock sugar, yellow rock

lunch England, Sweden A meal taken between around 12 noon to 1.30 p.m.

luncheon A more formal lunch

luncheon meat A mixture of pork, ham, cereal, fat, colouring and seasoning usually cooked in deep rectangular cans to form a solid pink mass which can be sliced and eaten cold or hot. A superior version known as spam (spiced ham) was shipped in great quantities during World War II from the USA to the UK.

luncheon sausage A slicing sausage made with ground beef and salt pork mixed with saltpetre, sugar and flour or starch, seasoned, spiced and coloured pink, filled into ox bungs, simmered at 75 to 80°C for 3 hours, smoked and oiled

lungan Longan lungfish Barramunda

lungs The soft spongy tissue used in vertebrates to transfer oxygen from air to blood and carbon dioxide from blood to air. Known normally as lights when in manufactured meat products, but not normally eaten in the UK except by pets. Sometimes eaten as a part of a cooked dish in other cuisines.

lunsj Norway Lunch

luo bo gao China A dim sum made from a type of turnip cake

luoc Vietnam To boil, boiled

luo han zhai China Bamboo shoots, nuts and mushrooms, stir-fried with soya sauce and rice wine or sherry (NOTE: Literally ‘Buddha’s vegetables’.)

Luostari Finland A cows’ milk cheese resembling Port-Salut

luppoli Italy Hops lúpulos Spain Hops lu rou China Deer lu shui China Lu soy

Lusignan France A fresh goats’ milk cheese from Poitou

lu soy China A mixture of soya sauce with sugar, ginger and five spices used as a basic flavouring for cooking liquors used for simmering meat and poultry

lustrer France To glaze with aspic

lustro Italy A Calabrian name for grey mullet

lute A flour and water paste used to seal the lids of casseroles, terrines and other cooking pots for baking in the oven

lyonnaise, sauce

lute, to 1. To seal the gap between the lid and body of a cooking dish with a flour and water paste which bakes hard in the oven. Used for slow cooking casseroles, etc. 2. To place a strip of pastry around the rim of a pie dish to seal on the pastry cover

lutefisk Norway Air-dried cod, cut into pieces, soaked in water for 12 to 14 days, then in dilute caustic soda solution for 2 days, resoaked in water for 3 to 4 days, boiled and served with fried bacon and its fat. An acquired taste.

lutein See E161(b) lutfisk Sweden Lutefisk lut tzee China Chestnut luumu Finland Plum luumut Finland Plums

luvasu Italy A Sicilian name for either pandora or sea bream

luwombo East Africa A celebratory dish from Uganda of boneless meat or fish wrapped in banana leaves. See also oluwombo

luxerna Italy The name used on the Italian Riviera for grouper, the fish

luya Philippines Ginger

Luzener Allebei Switzerland A vegetable and mushroom salad

lychee The fruit of a Chinese subtropical evergreen tree, Litchi chinensis, now grown worldwide. The small fruits grow in bunches and are about 4 cm long with a central stone, sweet juicy white grape-like flesh and a hard rough pink to brown skin. May be eaten raw or cooked after peeling and destoning. Available canned. Also called Chinese cherry, lichee, litchee, litchi, lizhi

lycopene An extract of ripe fruit, especially tomatoes, used as a natural red food colour. See also E160(d)

Lycoperdon perlatum Common puffball Lycopersicon esculentum Botanical name

Tomato

lye A dilute solution of sodium hydroxide Lymeswold England A so-called designer

cheese deliberately developed and marketed commercially in 1982 as the UK answer to soft blue cheeses. It did not survive.

Lyoner Germany The German version of the French saucisson de Lyon, made with beef, pork and veal and containing pistachio nuts lyonnaise, à la France Containing fried

chopped onion

lyonnaise, sauce England, France Onion sweated to a light colour in butter, vinegar added and reduced completely, demi-glace added, simmered, skimmed and seasoned. Served with Vienna steak or fried liver. Also called brown onion sauce

lyre of beef

lyre of beef Scotland The term used in the east of Scotland for clod of beef

lysozyme An enzyme found in egg white which protects the egg from bacterial

contamination by destroying the cells of any invading bacteria

lys saus Norway Light sauce, e.g. thin béchamel, etc.

maafe West Africa 1. Sautéed chicken pieces simmered with onions, chopped chillies, tomato paste, peanut paste and vegetables including okra and flavoured with cinnamon and paprika 2. A groundnut stew from Senegal. See also mafé

maanz South Asia Meat

maas South Africa A thick naturally curdled milk

maasa West Africa Millet flour and possibly other flours sweetened and allowed to ferment with yeast and water, possibly with a chemical raising agent, then brought to the consistency of a pancake batter, shallowfried and sprinkled with sugar before service. From Mali.

Maasdam Netherlands A yellow wax-coated cows’ milk cheese resembling Emmental

maatjes haring Netherlands Lightly cured young herrings which have not yet developed roe. Eaten as a snack or as a main course with boiled potatoes and salad. (NOTE: Not to be confused with matjes herring.)

maayi Middle East A popular Iraqi mezze dish of turnips peeled, diced and simmered in salted water for 30 to 45 minutes with beetroot cut in quarters. The beetroot is discarded and the turnips drained and served hot, sprinkled with salt.

mabalo A species of persimmon, Diospyros discolor, grown in the Philippines, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. Also called velvet apple

mabela South Africa A type of sorghum which when ground is made into mabela porridge

maboké Central Africa The plural of liboké maçã Portugal Apple

Macadamia integrifolia Botanical name

Macadamia nut

macadamia nut The fruit of a tree,

Macadamia ternifolia (with hard-shelled nuts) and M. integrifolia (with softer-shelled nuts), originally from Australia, developed in Hawaii and now grown worldwide. Rather like a large hazelnut with a very hard shell.

Usually sold shelled. Use as hazelnuts. Also called Queensland nut

Macadamia ternifolia Botanical name

Macadamia nut

maçã do pieto Portugal Brisket of beef maçapão Portugal Marzipan

macaron France Macaroon

macaroni England, France Thick hollow tubes of pasta, often cut into short lengths

macaroni alla veronese Italy Potato gnocchi served with butter and grated Parmesan cheese

macaroni cheese United Kingdom Cooked macaroni mixed with cheese sauce, gratinated with cheese and browned under the grill

macaroon A small light crisp cake or biscuit made from ground almonds, sugar and egg white (6:5:1), the egg white being whisked to a stiff peak with the sugar and baked at 150°C after resting on rice paper. Used as petit fours or crushed for use in desserts. The mixture may be cooked in a pastry tartlet.

macarrão Portugal Macaroni macarrones Spain Macaroni macassar gum Agar-agar maccarello Italy Mackerel

maccheroncini Italy A thinner version of macaroni

maccheroni Italy Macaroni, sometimes used as a general description of all types of dried pasta

macco Italy Mashed boiled beans mixed with oil and fennel, from Sicily. Also called maccu

maccu Italy Macco

mace The lacy covering (aril) that surrounds the stone (nutmeg) in the apricot-like fruit of an evergreen tree, Myristica fragrans, originally from the Moluccas but now grown extensively in maritime tropical areas. It has a slightly bitter aromatic flavour and is widely used in both sweet and savoury dishes. Sold as blades (whole mace), chips or powder.