A Dictionary of Food

naam gwa China Winter squash naan South Asia Nan bread

naartjie South Africa A variety of tangerine naawr mai China Glutinous rice

naba Spain Kohlrabi

nabemono Japan A single-pot meal cooked at the table using sliced raw prepared ingredients and usually a central casserole of simmering stock. Sukiyaki and shabu shabu are the two most famous.

nabo Portugal, Spain Turnip nabo sueco Spain Swede

nachos Mexico Pieces of fried tortilla topped with grated cheese, browned under the grill and garnished with green chillies. Served as a snack.

Nachspeise Germany Dessert, sweet Nachtisch Germany Dessert, sweet nadru South Asia Lotus

nagaimo Japan Yam

nagami kumquat The commonest kumquat in Europe and the USA, Fortunella margarita, grown mainly in Morocco, Palestine, Brazil and the USA. It is an oval fruit with a smooth rind and a pronounced spicy citrus flavour. The flesh is acidic with a few seeds. Also called oval kumquat

naganegi Japan Asian leek

nagashi-bako Japan A small square mould used for making jellies and jellied (e.g. aspic coated) food

nage, à la France Shellfish cooked in white wine with aromatic vegetables and herbs nagelkaas Netherlands A pale strongflavoured and very hard and dense cows’ milk cheese made with a lactic starter, flavoured with cumin and cloves and matured for six months. The hard yellow rind is usually oiled. The unspiced version is Kanterkaas. Also called Friese nagelkaas,

Friese

Nagelrochen Germany Thornback ray nagerecht Netherlands Dessert

nagkesar South Asia Cassia buds

naita jute Middle East A plant related to okra. See also meloukhia

nai tsom East Africa The Eritrean name for ye som megeb

näkinkenka Finland Mussel

nakiri bocho Japan A vegetable knife rather like a very sharp diminutive chopper. Used for peeling and the production of the characteristic vegetable cuts of Japan.

näkkileipä Finland Crispbread, hard rye bread, hardtack

naky pliak Eastern Europe A cabbage soufflé considered to be a good test of a Ukrainian cook. It is made from shredded cabbage which has been lightly salted and pressed, then covered in boiling water and left for 3 to 4 days to partially ferment. The drained, rinsed and dried cabbage is mixed into an onion-, garlicand milk-based roux sauce, flavoured with cheese, thickened with egg yolks and lightened by folding in stiffly beaten egg whites (cabbage to eggs 2:1), placed in a buttered soufflé dish, dotted with butter sprinkled with breadcrumbs and baked at 190°C.

naleśniki Poland Fritters made from cottage cheese mixed with egg yolks and butter sandwiched between thin pancakes, cut into squares, dipped in batter and deep-fried

nama-age Japan Lightly fried bean curd nama fu Japan Fresh gluten cake namagashi Japan Soft cakes usually

including adzuki bean paste (anko) namasu Japan Julienned mooli and carrot

salted in a bowl for 30 minutes, wrung out and dressed with a rice vinegar flavoured with soya sauce, chopped ginger root and sugar. Best left to mature for 8 hours.

nama-uni Japan Raw sea urchins nambanzuke Japan Soused fish made as for

escabeche from fried fish using mirin, soya sauce, chillies and dashi in the marinade (NOTE: Namban means ‘southern savages’,

referring to the Spanish and Portuguese who brought this dish with them)

nam dong ca Vietnam Shiitake mushroom

ñame Spain Yam

nameko Japan A small gelatinous mushroom native to Japan, used in soups and sunomono. Usually sold preserved in a light brine.

nameshi Japan Green rice made by mixing salted plain boiled rice with shredded spinach that has been cooked 5 minutes and wrung out

namida Japan See wasabi (NOTE: Literally ‘tears’.)

nam jim kratiem Thailand A sweet-and-sour garlic sauce with chillies, made by slowly cooking the ingredients with a little water until soft and reduced to a sauce, then salting to taste

na mool Korea Accompaniments and side dishes at Korean meals, often marinated or cold cooked vegetables

nam pa Laos A thin straw coloured fish sauce similar to nuoc mam

nam pla Thailand The salty brown liquid which drains from salted and fermented fish used as a flavouring in the same way as soya sauce. Also called fish sauce

nam pla ra Thailand A thin sauce made by boiling nam pla with lemon grass and makrut lime leaves and straining

nam prik Thailand The general name for Thai relishes made from a mixture of spices, herbs and other flavouring agents such as red chillies, dried shrimps, garlic, trassi, fish sauce, brown sugar, shallots, tamarind, lime juice, peanuts, sour fruits, etc. all processed together

nam prik pao Thailand A hot chilli sauce made from roasted red deseeded chillies fried in oil with garlic, onions and shrimp paste, then all processed with brown sugar and tamarind to a thin paste. Also called roasted chilli paste, roasted curry paste

nam som Thailand Rice vinegar

nan (bread) 1. South Asia A yeast-raised bread made from white flour and yoghurt, cooked very quickly as a large flat pear shaped bread on the side of a tandoori oven. The shaped dough is moistened so that it sticks to the side of the oven and is hooked off when cooked. Served with Indian meals. 2. Iran Bread

nane lavash Central Asia The Iranian yeastraised flat bread made with a mixture of wholemeal and plain flour beaten or kneaded for at least 20 minutes with as much water as it will take added. The dough is then rolled out very thin, stretched and

napolitaine, à la

pressed onto an oiled preheated smooth griddle plate with a cloth-covered cushion, baked at 290°C until the surface bubbles then turned over to complete the cooking (about 5 minutes in all). The dough is not proved or rested.

nangka Indonesia, Malaysia Jackfruit nangpur suntara South Asia Ponkan

mandarin

nan nan bin Burma Coriander leaves nan nan zee Burma Coriander seeds nannee Caribbean Anise seeds nannygai Australia Redfish

nano dok Central Asia A flavouring mix from Iran made of turmeric browned in clarified butter, with powdered dried mint added off the heat. It is used for flavouring soups, salads etc.

Nantais France 1. A semi-hard smoothtextured, washed-rind cheese made from cows’ milk. The rind is light brown and the smooth paste has a strong flavour and smell. Also called Véritable Nantais 2. A small almond cake

Nantais duck See Nantes duck

nantaise, à la France In the Nantes style, i.e. garnished with peas, potatoes and turnips. Used especially of roasts.

Nantes duck One of the two main breeds of French domesticated duck, similar to the Aylesbury and less plump than the Rouen duck. It is usually killed at about 2 kg and provides 4 portions It may be braised or poêléed as well as being roasted.

Nantua, à la France In the Nantua style, i.e. garnished with crayfish tails and truffles. Used especially of fish.

Nantua, sauce England, France 200 ml of cream per litre of béchamel sauce, reduced by one third, consistency adjusted with more cream and finished with crayfish butter and a few small cooked and shelled crayfish tails

nap, to To cover a food item, usually a piece of meat or fish on a plate or dish, with sauce Napfkuchen Germany A yeast-raised sweet

bun with raisins

Napfschnecke Germany Limpet

Naples biscuit United States A light dessert or tea biscuit similar to a sponge finger

Naples medlar Azarole

Napoléon France Cream slice made with layers of puff pastry

Napoléon biscuits Two biscuits sandwiched together with a filling of jam and dusted with icing sugar

napolitaine, à la France In the Neapolitan style, i.e. garnished with spaghetti in tomato sauce, grated cheese and chopped

nappa cabbage

tomatoes. Alternatively a description of spaghetti served with a tomato sauce and grated cheese.

nappa cabbage United States Chinese leaves napper France To nap

naranja Spain Orange, the fruit naranja amargo Spain Seville orange

nara nut The seed of a gourd from a spiny shrub, Acanthosicyos horrida, that grows in South West Africa and is about the size of a large melon seed. Also called butternut, butter pit

narbonnaise, à la France In the Narbonne style, i.e. garnished with haricot beans, aubergine and tomatoes

nargisi South Asia A forcemeat of finely ground meat blended with aromatics and herbs, moulded around a hard-boiled egg rather like a Scotch egg and baked or fried (NOTE: Literally ‘narcissus’.)

narial South Asia Coconut

narijal South Asia A young coconut narm yu China Bean curd cheese

narrow-headed softshell turtle A species of turtle from Thailand now endangered due to over exploitation

narrow-leaf sage See Spanish sage

naruto Japan A Japanese fish cake formed into a cylinder and the surface decorated with red colouring after steaming to give an attractive garnish when sliced. See also kamaboko

naseberry Sapodilla nasello Italy Hake, the fish

nashab Persian Gulf Deep-fried filo pastry rolls about 12 cm by 10 to 15 mm in diameter, filled with a mixture of ground cashew nuts and walnuts, caster sugar and ground cardamom seeds then deep-fried at 190°C

nashi Asian pear

nasi Indonesia, Malaysia Rice

nasi goreng Indonesia Fried rice with chopped pork, ham, onion, garlic, seafood and vegetables. Served with acar, krupek and strips of cooked egg omelette.

nasi padang Indonesia A very hot-flavoured and spicy rice dishes from Padang, Sumatra nässelkål Sweden Nettle soup made from fresh young nettles cooked like spinach, chopped and added to a seasoned beef stock thickened with a blond roux, the whole finished with chopped chives and served

with one poached egg per portion nasturtium A trailing plant, Tropaeolum

majus, with bright red to yellow trumpetshaped flowers and round green leaves. The leaves and flower buds may be used in

salads, the flowers as decoration and the young green seeds may be pickled in vinegar and resemble capers. Also called Indian cress, Jesuits’ cress

Nasturtium officinale Botanical name

Watercress

nasturzio Italy Nasturtium nasu Japan Aubergine

nata 1. Spain Cream 2. Philippines A translucent degraded starch, probably a dextran, which appears on the surface of fruits after they are inoculated with a dextranase producing bacteria. It is scraped off, washed and boiled and used as a flavouring for desserts.

nata batida Spain Whipped cream

nata de coco Philippines A nata produced on coconut flesh

nata de pina Philippines A nata produced on pineapple flesh

natillas Spain A soft custard dessert made with ewes’ milk and flavoured with cinnamon and lemon

natillas piuranas Spain A dessert made from a caramelized milk and sugar. See also arequipe

native mint Australia A common ornamental garden bush in the southeastern states with edible flowers and strong mint flavoured leaves which are used fresh or dried and ground. The flavour intensifies over time and it should be used sparingly. There are a number of indigenous plants which are called native mints. Used in dressings, sauces, curries and in baking and desserts.

native oyster A smaller variety of oyster, Ostrea edulis, with a smooth flat shell famous for its flavour. Can grow to 12 cm, but normally sold somewhat smaller.

native peach Australia Quandong fruit native pepperberry Australia Small fruits

intermediate in size between a peppercorn and a pea which can be used whole or dried and ground as a substitute for pepper

native peppermint Australia A widespread eucalyptus, Eucalyptus dives, whose greygreen leaves have a strong peppermint flavour with a hint of eucalyptus. They are best used dried and ground in desserts and cakes, or the whole leaves may be used to make a tea. The essential oil is sold separately.

native spinach Australia Warrigal greens native tamarind Australia A relative of the

lychee, Diploglottis cunninghamii and D. campbellii, with a hard woody orangecoloured shell and segmented fleshy pulp around a central stone. The brilliant orange flesh has a sharp, sour, mandarin type

flavour and is excellent in sauces, jams, ice cream and the like.

native thyme Australia Wild thyme natsudaidai Japan A naturally occurring

hybrid of Citrus relatively unknown outside Japan

natsumegu Japan Nutmeg

Natterkopf Germany Viper’s bugloss nattmat Sweden Solitary midnight snacks, or

vickning (NOTE: Literally ‘night food’.)

natto Japan Soaked and steamed soya beans inoculated with Bacillus natto, made up into small parcels with rice straw and allowed to ferment for a day in a hot humid conditions when they develop a strong flavour and stickiness. Usually served with hot rice, but sometimes in soup and salads.

natur Germany Plain, not garnished or decorated

naturale Italy Plain, not garnished or decorated

nature France Plain as in omelette nature, or a description of tea or coffee without the addition of milk

naturel, au France Plainly cooked without sauces or garnish or served in its plain uncooked state as e.g. huîtres au naturel Naturschnitzel Germany Plain veal cutlet or

escalope, not panéed nau Vietnam To cook naudanliha Finland Beef

naudanpaisti Finland Beefsteak

naun Central Asia A yeast-raised bread from Afghanistan made with a mixture of equal parts of wholemeal and white flour. After rising it is formed into tear shapes about 1 cm thick which, when proved, are marked with the fingers in three long grooves before being baked at 220°C on a flat sheet for about 15 minutes.

nauris Finland Turnip navaja Spain Razor shell

navarin France A lamb or mutton stew with onions and potatoes

navarin à la printanière France A lamb or mutton stew with onions, garlic, root vegetables, peas, green beans, herbs and seasoning

navel orange A type of sweet orange which has a small secondary fruit embedded in the apex of the primary fruit. They are seedless, with deep orange, easily peeled rinds and with a rich sweet flavour. One of the best dessert fruits. They are unsuitable for processing as the juice develops bitterness on standing. The two common varieties are the Washington and the Bahia.

nectarine

navet 1. France Any type of turnip 2. England Small immature and tender white turnips tinged with red, generally require no peeling

navets, purée de Turnip soup navone Italy Swede

navy bean United States A variety of haricot bean used for making the ubiquitous canned baked beans. Also called American navy bean, Boston bean, great northern bean, pea bean, yankee bean

nazi East Africa The Tanzanian word for coconut

nazuna Japan Salt pickle made with a variety of green leaves

’ncapriata Italy A bean purée flavoured with chillies and other spices (NOTE: From Puglia) ndayu East Africa Roasted young goat served

as a celebratory meal in Tanzania n’dizi East Africa Plantain

n’dizi na nyama East Africa Cubed boneless beef simmered with seasoning, curry powder and cayenne pepper until almost cooked, then sliced plantains added for a further 10 minutes cooking. Finally, onions, tomatoes and tomato paste which have been fried in oil then simmered with a bay leaf in coconut milk are added to the meat plantain mixture. Served with rice or ugali.

neapolitan Made in multicoloured layers

Neapolitan ice cream See cassata

Neapolitan parsley A type of parsley grown for its leaf stalks used in the same way as celery

Neapolitan sauce A tomato sauce from Naples flavoured with onion, basil and parsley

nebu South Asia Lemon

necares Spain The blue velvet swimming crab most favoured by Spanish gourmets

neck end of pork A joint of meat from the shoulder of the pig near the neck. Usually boned and rolled.

neck end of veal The ribs and muscles behind the shoulder and in front of the best end. Used for stewing and sautéing after boning out.

neck fillet United Kingdom Scrag end of lamb neck of beef United Kingdom Clod

nectar 1. The sugary liquid extracted from flowers by bees which after ingestion is chemically transformed and regurgitated as honey 2. Any thick sweetened fruit juice

nectarine The fruit of a deciduous tree,

Prunus persica var. nectarina, with a worldwide distribution. The fruit is a variant of the peach with a smooth shiny orange red skin and white to red firm flesh surrounding a rough central stone. Use as peach.

needle

needle A thin steel rod, sharpened at one end and pierced with a flattened hole at the other, used for trussing or larding a bird or piece of meat

needle, to To pierce food singly or repeatedly with single or multiple needles either to make it more absorptive, to introduce microorganisms as e.g. in making blue cheeses, or to inject fluids through hypodermic needles (hollow needles) as in quick curing or tenderizing of meats

needle cut A very fine julienne vegetable cut. See also sen-giri

needlefish A fish similar to the garfish found in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans

neep Scotland Scottish for swede although sometimes thought to be a turnip. The English white turnips are called new turnips in Scotland, e.g. bashit neeps, mashed swede. (colloquial)

neep bree Scotland A soup made from chopped swedes blanched then sautéed in butter with onion and a pinch of ginger for 10 minutes and simmered with stock and milk until soft prior to puréeing. Equal weights of liquid and vegetables are used.

neep purry Scotland A purée of swede or turnip, mashed with butter and a little ground ginger

neeseberry Sapodilla nèfle France Medlar

nèfle d’Amérique France Sapodilla negi Japan Asian leek

negi shigi-yaki Japan Broiled leeks. See also

Japanese broiled vegetables

négresse en chemise France A dessert made of a chocolate ice cream or mousse, heaped up in the centre of a plate with cream over and surrounding it

negretti Italy Individual square chocolate coated almond cakes

negritas Spain Chocolate mousse topped with whipped cream

neguilla Spain Nigella

neige France White of egg beaten to a froth (NOTE: Literally ‘snow’, as in oeufs à la neige ‘floating islands’.)

neige, monter en France To whisk egg whites to a stiff peak

neige de Florence France Very small thin flakes of pasta

neiha kinkan Japan Meiwa kumquat

Nelke Germany Clove, the spice. Also called

Gewürznelke

Nelubium nucifera Botanical name The lotus plant

nenna South Asia Loofah

neohesperidin The compound responsible for the bitterness of the Seville orange

nep Vietnam Uncooked glutinous rice. See also xoi nep

Nepal cardamom A cheap cardamom substitute from a perennial plant, Amomum subulatum, which has ribbed and deep red pods becoming black or brown when dried and resembling a small coconut (up to 2.5 cm long). The seeds have a distinctly camphorous flavour.

nepaul pepper United States A chilli pepper similar to cayenne with a sweet pungent flavour

Nepeta cataria Botanical name Catmint Nephelium lappaceum Botanical name

Rambutan

Nephelium longana Botanical name Longan Nephelium mutabile Botanical name

Pulasan

nero Italy Black

neslesuppe Norway Nettle soup nespola Italy Medlar

nespola del Giappone Italy Loquat, Japanese medlar

Nessel Germany Nettle

Nesselrode France Containing chestnut purée

Nesselrode pudding A dessert made from chestnut purée, egg yolks, cream and possibly candied fruits, cooked without curdling then frozen in a mould. See also pouding Nesselrode

nesting frying baskets Two wire mesh baskets one slightly smaller than the other, used to make edible bowls by trapping finely shredded or precooked ingredients between the two baskets before deep-frying them

netted melon Musk melon

nettle A wild plant, Urtica dioica, which grows in clusters on well-manured ground with leaves that sting the exposed skin. The young leaves may be used as spinach or to make soup and lose their stinging capacity on boiling. Also called stinging nettle

nettle kail Scotland A boiling fowl stuffed with a mixture of sweated onions cooked in suet, thickened with oatmeal and flavoured with ransons or mint is simmered in seasoned water for 60 to 80 minutes and young nettles or spinach added for the last 10 minutes of cooking together with a little fine oatmeal or barley flour to thicken. Served with the buttered nettles.

nettoyer France To clean

Neufchâtel France A soft white creamy cows’ milk cheese from Normandy with a rind like Camembert and a salty lactic taste. It is produced in various small shapes and eaten

young. See also Bondon, carré de Bray. Also called Coeur, Briquette

neutral fat Fat with no excess fatty acid

New Bedford pudding United States A molasses-sweetened pudding made with cornmeal, flour, milk and eggs

Newburg, sauce England, France Diced lobster meat cooked in court bouillon or oil and butter, drained, covered with Madeira wine and reduced, seasoned with cayenne pepper, cream and fish stock added, simmered then thickened with egg yolks. The lobster may be flamed with brandy and the pounded coral and creamy parts may be added towards the end.

new cheese Caerphilly

new cocoyam A plant with yam-like fruit. See also tannia

New England boiled dinner United States A one-pot dinner of corned beef or chicken cooked with cabbage, potatoes, carrots, etc. and served with horseradish sauce or mustard

New Mexico chilli A variety of red and hot chilli pepper about 8 cm by 0.5 cm from Mexico and the southern USA. They are used in curries and sauces and are often dried and ground. In New Mexico green chillies are included in this category.

newrex rice A type of long-grain rice newspaper cooking United Kingdom A

method of cooking cleaned whole fish by wrapping in 8 or 9 layers of newspaper, thoroughly soaking in water then cooking in a moderate oven until the paper is completely dry (approximately 1 hour for a 1.5 kg fish)

new turnips Scotland The English turnip 1

New Zealand grapefruit A citrus hybrid with characteristics similar to grapefruit but not directly related. Taken from Shanghai to Australia in 1820. It has a straw-coloured coarse flesh which is tender and far more juicy than most grapefruit. The flavour combines that of grapefruit with a trace of lime and lemon. Usually used as a breakfast fruit. Also called poorman orange

New Zealand spinach A half-hardy creeping perennial, Tetragonia tetragonioides or T. expansa, grown as an annual. The thick triangular leaves are used in the same way as spinach. It is at its best eaten young and the water should be changed during the cooking. See also Warrigal greens

nfissat North Africa A thin mutton broth from Morocco

nga Thailand Sesame seed

nga choy China Mung bean sprouts nga hnap Burma Bummaloe, the fish

niçoise, à la

ngalakh West Africa A sweetened porridge from Senegal made from couscous or karaw cooked as normal with some butter then mixed just before service with a sauce made from equal parts of baobab fruit juice or tamarind juice and peanut butter with sugar, vanilla essence, nutmeg, orange flower water and raisins. Also called ngallax

ngallax West Africa Ngalakh nga-man-gyaung Burma Small fish similar to

anchovy, prepared like ikan bilis nga-mote-phyu Burma Pomfret, the fish ngan pye ye Burma Fish sauce similar to nuoc

mam

ngan pye ye chet Burma A strong-flavoured sauce made from fish sauce (ngan pye ye), lemon grass, garlic and chilli powder

ngapi Burma A dark grey paste made from fermented fish commonly used as a flavouring in Burmese cooking (NOTE: Literally ‘rotten fish’.)

ngapi htaung Burma A pungent dipping paste made from a finely ground mixture of ngapi, onions, garlic and dried shrimps

ngapi nut The seed of a Burmese jungle tree,

Pithecolobium lobatum, with a smell similar to ngapi. Used raw or cooked.

nga-youk-kuan Burma Peppercorn nga yut thee Burma Chilli pepper

ngege East Africa A type of tilapia,

Oreochromis esculentus, from the Great Lakes region of East Africa

ng he Vietnam Turmeric

ng heung fun China Five-spice powder ngun jump fun China Wheat starch ngun nga choy China Silver sprouts ngup jern China Duck feet

ngup yu China Cuttlefish

ngu vi huong Vietnam Five-spice powder nho Vietnam Raisin or grape

nhopi South Africa Sadza dumplings mashed and mixed with cooked and mashed pumpkin (3:1), flavoured with sugar and peanut butter, cooked for a few minutes and thinned with the pumpkin cooking water to the desired consistency. Served with green vegetables.

niacin See vitamin B3 niacinamide See vitamin B3

niban dashi Japan The second infusion in making dashi. See also dashi

niboshi Japan Dried and salted fish similar to Bombay duck. Used for flavouring or fried as a snack food or side dish.

nibuta Japan Boiled and seasoned pork niçoise, à la France In the Nice style, i.e.

garnished with olives, tomatoes, garlic, French beans, etc.

niçoise, salade

niçoise, salade France Salade niçoise niçoise, sauce England, France Vinaigrette

with French mustard, diced anchovies and chopped capers, olives and parsley. Served with meat salads and hard-boiled eggs.

nicotinic acid See vitamin B3, E375

nidi Italy Tangles of thin pasta (NOTE: Literally ‘nests’.)

nido, al Italy In a nest, i.e. one ingredient in another

niébé et maïs West Africa A dish based on soaked dried cow peas, boiled. See also adalu

Nieheimer Germany A soft cheese made with skimmed cows’ milk coagulated with lactic acid. The curd is salted and flavoured with caraway seeds, formed into 40 g cheeses, ripened for a short time and wrapped in hop leaves. Also called Hopfenkäse

Nieren Germany Kidneys

Nierenfett Germany Suet

nigella England, Italy The small black seeds of an annual plant, Nigella sativa, related to love-in-a-mist and resembling onion seeds. They have a delicate, slightly peppery flavour and are used in Indian spice mixtures and to flavour bread in India and the Middle East. (NOTE: Not to be confused with black cumin.)

Nigella sativa Botanical name Nigella nigelle France Nigella

niger oil A highly flavoured oil extracted from the seeds of a plant, Guizotia abyssinica, which grows in Africa and India. It has a pleasant nutty flavour.

nigiri-zushi Japan A hand-moulded sushi made in an oval shape with the fillings placed on top after smearing the ball with a little wasabi

nihai-zu Japan A vinegar-based dressing for sunomono consisting of a mixture of rice vinegar, soya sauce and dashi

nihura Nepal Drumstick vegetable nijuseki, nijusseki Japan Asian pear

nikiri sake Japan Sake boiled to remove alcohol before incorporating in cold uncooked dips and sauces

niku-ryori Japan Meat nikuzuku Japan Nutmeg

Nile perch Central Africa Capitaine

nimboo acar South Asia A lemon pickle made from quartered lemons with the pips removed. These are layered in a jar with a little salt, chopped ginger, bay leaf and chilli between each layer then covered with lime juice and finally a thin layer of salt. The pickle is left covered for at least 2 weeks to mature.

nimono Japan Simmered, e.g. of meats or vegetables in a well-flavoured stock using an

otoshibuta. The solids are usually served with a little of the stock.

ninfea Italy Lotus

Niolo France A soft, washed-rind cheese from Corsica made in a brick shape (600 g) from a mixture of ewes’ and goats’ milk. It is drysalted and ripened for 15 days.

nishin Japan Herring nisin See E234 níspola Spain Medlar

nitrate of potash See saltpetre

nitrites Salts of nitrous acid which are involved in producing the pleasant pink colour of cured meat. They are formed by reduction of nitrates (saltpetre) by bacterial action in the meat or can be included in the curing liquor. Because of the method of production sal prunella contains a little nitrite as impurity.

nitrogen The inert gas which forms 79% of air, used to fill sealed packaging so as to displace air and prevent oxidation

nitrogen trichloride A compound used for bleaching flour

nitrous oxide Laughing gas, once used as an anaesthetic, now used as a propellant in aerosol packs of whipped cream

nitsuke Japan Simmered, in clear liquid or thin sauce

niu Catalonia A fish and meat stew from the Costa Brava containing, amongst other things, pigeon, cuttlefish, cod, tripe, pigs’ trotters, egg and garlic mayonnaise

Niva Czech Republic, Russia A soft blueveined cheese similar to Roquefort, made from a mixture of ewes’ and cows’ milk and surface-ripened. Contains 47% water, 23% fat and 22 % protein.

nixtamal Mexico Maize kernels treated with water and lime (15:30:1) until the skins can be rubbed off, washed until white in clean water then used for making masa or masa harina

nizakana Japan Oily fish such as herring, mackerel, sardine, etc. cleaned and gutted, slashed and placed in a boiling mixture of equal parts of dashi, soya sauce and sake with a little sugar, and simmered until cooked on a very low heat. Served immediately with some of the cooking liquor.

njamma-jamma Central Africa Shredded greens cooked with a little sweated onion and garlic, then all simmered in stock with seasoning to taste until tender. The name also refers to the leaves of a plant used as a vegetable in Central Africa.

Njeguski Balkans A hard, scalded-curd, pressed ewes’ milk cheese made in a drum shape (up to 3 kg). It is dry-salted and

ripened for up to 4 months. Contains 33% water, 33% fat and 31% protein.

njure Sweden Kidney

njursauté Sweden Cleaned and blanched calves’ or lambs’ kidneys diced or sliced and sautéed with mushrooms in butter. Flour, stock, mushroom juices and cream added, seasoned and simmered 10 minutes and finished with Madeira wine.

njursoppa Sweden Kidney soup made from diced kidney flesh sweated with chopped onion and parsley, flour added to make a roux and let down with beef stock, boiled 10 minutes and finished with a whisked mixture of eggs and sour cream. Served over toast.

nocciola Italy 1. Hazelnut 2. Noisette of meat nocciola di burro Italy Beurre noisette nocciolina Italy Peanut

noce Italy 1. Nut, walnut 2. Rump (of meat) 3. Knob (of butter)

noce del Brazile Italy Brazil nut noce del para Italy Brazil nut noce di acagiu Italy Cashew nut noce di areca Italy Betel nut noce di cocco Italy Coconut noce moscata Italy Nutmeg nocepesca Italy A nectarine nødder Denmark Nuts

nodino Italy Meat chop

noisette France 1. Hazelnut 2. A neatly trimmed and tied boneless piece of meat at least 1.5 cm thick, cut from the eye of the loin of lamb, the filet mignon of beef or a small grenadin of veal, usually surrounded on its edge with a thin layer of fat 3. Knob (of butter)

noisette, beurre France Beurre noisette noisette, beurre de France Beurre de

noisette

noisette, sauce France Hollandaise sauce finished at the last moment with 150 g of beurre noisette per kg of butter used in making the hollandaise. Used with poached salmon and trout.

noisette cutter A larger version of the Parisienne or Paris cutter used for scooping balls out of raw vegetables and fruit, etc.

noix France 1. Walnut 2. Eye of a chop or cutlet, i.e. a round piece of lean meat cut from across a long circular muscle 3. Knob (of butter) 4. Cushion of veal

noix d’arec France Betel nut noix de cajou France Cashew nut noix de coco France Coconut noix de muscade France Nutmeg noix de pecan France Pecan nut

noix de veau France Cushion of veal

ñora

noix du Brésil France Brazil nut

noix pâtissière France A cut of veal or beef. See also gîte à la noix

Nøkke Norway Nøkkelost

Nøkkelost Norway A hard scalded-curd cheese made in wheels (up to 15 kg) from semi-skimmed cows’ milk and flavoured with cumin and caraway. It contains 43% water, 20% fat and 33% protein. Also called Nøkke

non Russia A flat onion-flavoured bread from Asiatic Russia, similar to the Indian paratha nonats France Gobies, Mediterranean fish

similar to whitebait non-dairy creamer Creamer

nonna, alla Italy In the style of grandmother, i.e. home cooked

nonnati Italy Goby, the fish nonnette France Spiced bun

nonnette de Dijon France Iced gingerbread cake

nonpareille France Hundreds and thousands nonya cuisine The distinctive cuisine of the Chinese Malaysians and Singaporeans (Straits Chinese), which marries Chinese and

Malaysian ingredients

noodle basket A container made by lining a wire mesh frying basket with softened and drained noodles, placing a slightly smaller basket inside to hold the noodles in place and deep-frying until the noodles are crisp and adhering together. The noodle basket is used to serve some stir-fried Chinese dishes. Also called noodle nest

noodle nest See noodle basket

noodles A mixture of grain or pulse flour or other starch product with egg and/or water and salt formed into a long flat ribbons of various thicknesses and cross sections. Available in most cuisines. Cooked by boiling, stir-frying or deep-frying and may be soft or dried. Typical names are listed under egg, rice, cellophane, soba, cha-soba, udon, somen, shirataki, bean thread, e-fu, miswa, Shanghai and all the Italian pasta types.

noomi Middle East The whole, not powdered, version of loomi

Noorse kreeft Netherlands Dublin bay prawn nopal Spain Young leaf of the prickly pear cactus, Opuntia vulgaris, sold skinned, trimmed and chopped and used after cooking in stews and salads. Common in Mexico and southern USA. Also called

nopalito (NOTE: Plural is nopales.) nopalito Nopal

noques France Gnocchi

ñora A round red chilli from Spain, not particularly hot, almost a sweet pepper. Usually dried.

norbixin

norbixin A golden yellow food colouring obtained from the seeds of achiote. See also annatto

nordische Meerbrassen Germany See bream

1

Norfolk apple cake England A shortcrust pastry case with a pastry top filled with a mixture of stewed apples, orange marmalade and currants. Also called apple cake

Norfolk black England A breed of turkey similar to the bronze but with a slightly less plump breast

Norfolk dumpling England A dumpling made of flour, eggs and milk sometimes with added yeast to cause it to rise before boiling

Norfolk knobs England Hollow biscuits made with a sweetened and butter enriched yeastraised soft dough, kneaded, rolled, docked to remove all air, cut in 3 cm discs, proved until doubled in size and baked at 220°C then completely dried in the oven at 90°C. Eaten with cheese or jam, or the like. Introduced by the Flemish weavers.

Norfolk plough pudding England A pudding basin lined first with suet pastry, then with sausagemeat, the centre filled with a mixture of chopped onion, bacon flavoured with a little sage and brown sugar plus stock, this layered with more sausagemeat and everything topped with suet pastry well sealed to the sides. The basin is covered, then steamed for 3 to 4 hours. (NOTE: This dish was traditionally served on Plough Monday, the first Monday after Twelfth Night when spring ploughing started.)

Norfolk rusks England A hard biscuit made with self-raising flour, butter and egg (12:5:4) mixed by the rubbing-in method, rolled out to 7 mm thick and cut in rounds. These are baked at 200°C for 20 minutes or until golden, cooled, split in half and baked cut side uppermost for a further 5 minutes.

nori Japan A marine alga, Porphyra tenera or

P. umbilicalis, found on the surface of the sea off Japan, China and Korea. It is formed into paper-like sheets, compressed and dried and has a colour ranging from green through purple. It is used in Japan to wrap around rice and various fillings to make sushi. It may also be shredded for use as a condiment or flavouring or may be formed into baskets by deep frying. Also called green laver, purple laver, sea laver

noriega Spain Common skate

nori-maki Japan A sushi wrapped in nori with the filling in the centre of the sushi-meshi rice. Rolled up using a bamboo mat (makisu). The roll is cut in 3 cm pieces to

show the decoratively arranged filling. See also maki-sushi

normande, à la France In the Normandy style, i.e. containing cream, apples, cider, calvados or seafood. Also used of fish served with sauce normande and garnished with truffles, shrimps and crayfish or mussels.

normande, sauce France A fish velouté sauce enriched with cream, egg yolks and butter and served with fish and shellfish. Also called Normandy sauce

Normandy sauce See normande, sauce

Normanna Norway A semi-hard cows’ milk cheese made with a lactic starter. The cylindrical cheeses (up to 3kg) are ripened for 2 months and develop a sharp flavour and patches of greenish blue colouration in the white paste.

North American lobster A larger variety of lobster, Homarus americanus, than the European, Homarus vulgaris

northern fluke Summer flounder northern prawn Deepwater prawn

North Staffordshire black pudding England

Black pudding flavoured with thyme, allspice, marjoram, pennyroyal and coriander

Norvegia Norway A semi-hard cows’ milk cheese resembling Gouda. The paste contains small holes.

norvégienne, sauce A type of mayonnaise made from pounded hard-boiled egg yolk with vinegar and mustard into which oil is beaten to give a thick sauce

Norway haddock Redfish

Norway lobster Dublin bay prawn

Norwegian omelette Baked Alaska Norwegian whey cheese Mysost

nosh England Food, from the Yiddish for titbits or appetizers (colloquial)

nostrano Italy Home-grown noten Netherlands Nuts nötkött Sweden Beef nötter Sweden Nuts nøtter Norway Nuts

nøtteterte Norway Nut cake

Nottingham pudding England The centres of peeled and cored Bramley cooking apples are filled with a creamed mixture of equal parts of butter and sugar flavoured with cinnamon and nutmeg, then placed in a greased baking dish, covered with an egg and milk batter stabilized with flour at the rate of 2 tbsp per egg and baked at 200°C for 50 minutes

nougat England, France Any sweetmeat made with a mixture of nuts and sugar, syrup or honey with possibly white of egg and glacé

fruits. The white French version is common in the UK. In Germany it is light brown and smooth.

nougatine England, France A confection similar to praline made from a light caramel mixed with crushed almonds or hazelnuts, poured onto a flat sheet and cut into small decorative shapes, or moulded when warm into baskets and the like to contain other foods, or cut in a large circle to be used as a base for a gateau or dessert

nouilles France 1. Pasta 2. Noodles nouvelle cuisine England, France A

fashionable 1980s style of cooking using small amounts of very fresh food artistically arranged on the plate together with purées and reduced cooking liquors without cream, flour, egg or butter thickening, as sauces. Portions and sauces have now reverted to normal although much of the artistic merit has persisted. This type of cuisine tends to arise in history at favourable economic times.

nova United States Cold-smoked salmon. Eaten with cream cheese and bagels.

noyau France Kernel, stone or pit of a fruit noyau, liqueur de 1 France A liqueur

flavoured with kernels of cherry and apricot stones used as a flavouring

noz Portugal Walnut

nozzle An open-ended hollow metal or plastic cone in varying sizes used in the end of a piping bag. The smaller end may be a plain circle, star-shaped or other shapes to give different decorative effects.

nsusu na buha Central Africa A similar Congolese dish to muaba nsusu made with smoked chicken

Nudeln Austria, Germany Egg noodles not made with durum wheat flour

Nudelschöberl Austria Noodle pie, served as an accompaniment to meat

nudlar Sweden Dumplings nuea Thailand Beef

nueces Spain 1. Nuts 2. Walnuts nueng Thailand Steamed

nuez Spain 1. Nut 2. Walnut (NOTE: Plural is nueces.)

nuez americana Spain Hickory nut nuez de anacardo Spain Cashew nut nuez de areca Spain Betel nut

nuez de Brasil Spain Brazil nut nuez moscada Spain Nutmeg nuez nogal Spain Walnut

nuka Japan Rice bran. See also nuka-zuke, nukamiso-zuke

nukamiso-zuke Japan A mixture of rice bran, salt, beer and mustard made into a paste with water. Salted vegetables are immersed

Nuss und Mohnstrudel

in the mixture and left for from 1 to 30 days to mature and become preserved.

nuka-zuke Japan 1. Nukamiso-zuke 2. A method of preserving in which salted vegetables are immersed in rice bran

num krathi Thailand Coconut num taan Thailand Sugar

num taan peep Thailand Palm sugar num taan sai Thailand Sugar

nun’s beads Scotland Grated Dunlop cheese, egg yolks and breadcrumbs (4:1:1), made into a paste, formed into walnut-sized balls, each ball covered in thin puff pastry and deep-fried until golden brown

nun’s toast United States Hard-boiled eggs in thickened milk, served over toast

nuoc cham Vietnam A condiment and dipping sauce made from dried red chillies, garlic and sugar, processed with water, fish sauce and lime juice. Will keep fresh for 3 days in the refrigerator.

nuoc cham tuong gung Vietnam Tuong sweetened with sugar and processed with ginger and chillies. Served with roast meats.

nuoc cot dua Vietnam Coconut milk nuoc dua tuoi Vietnam Coconut water

nuoc mam Thailand, Vietnam A thin fish sauce made from the liquid which drains from salted and fermented anchovies or other small fish. Also called nuoc-nam

nuoc mau Vietnam Caramelized sugar used as a colouring and for glazing grilled food. Sometimes used of brown sugar.

nuoc-nam See nuoc mam

nuoc tuong Vietnam Soya sauce nuoc tuong hot Vietnam Bean paste

nuo mi zong zi China Lotus leaves stuffed with sweet rice and meat

nuong Vietnam Grilled

Nur Hier Germany A solid black bread only available in Hamburg (NOTE: Literally ‘only here’.)

Nürnberger Germany Nürnbergerwurst

Nürnbergerwurst Germany A sausage made from minced lean pork mixed with diced bacon fat, seasoned, flavoured with kirsch, thyme and marjoram, packed into casings and linked. Fried in butter and served with horseradish sauce and sauerkraut. Also called Nürnberger

nurse hound Larger spotted dogfish

Nuss Germany Nut

Nusstorte Central Europe A speciality cake containing ground almonds or walnuts filled and coated with whipped or butter cream

Nuss und Mohnstrudel Austria A walnut and poppy seed strudel with a filling made from ground walnuts, sugar, butter, raisins,