A Dictionary of Food

tandoori spice mix

colour required in tandoori cooked food. Added to marinades.

tandoori spice mix A selection from cinnamon bark, nutmeg, dried ginger, dried red chillies, paprika, cardamom, dried garlic, cumin and coriander seeds, ground to a fine powder, the colour adjusted to a bright orange with food colourings and used for marinating and coating meat prior to tandoori cooking

tang China Soup

tang chi Preserved radish, whole or in slices, usually vacuum packed in the West. Used to add texture and flavour to Southeast Asian dishes.

tang cu li ji China Sweet-and-sour boneless pork

tangelo A naturally occurring hybrid of Citrus species mandarin and grapefruit, which occurs as two varieties, Minneola and Orlando

tangerina Portugal Tangerine tangerine See mandarin

tangerine peel The dried peel of mandarins (tangerines) which is ground and used as a flavouring in Chinese and Vietnamese food tangia North Africa A casserole of lamb or

beef cooked with spices

tang kuei China The dried root of a relative of angelica, Angelica sinensis. See also dang gui

tangle Sea girdle

tangleberry A dark-blue berry with a sweet sharp flavour which grows in the USA. Similar to the blueberry or huckleberry.

tang mien China Noodles in soup tangor Middle East Ortanique

tang ya suan tou China Pickled shallots tanmen Japan Ramen noodles with fried

vegetables

tannia A plant, Xanthosoma sagittifolium, which yields heavy (3–5 kg) yam-like tubers and arrow-shaped leaves which are used as a leaf vegetable. Cultivated throughout the tropics. Also called new cocoyam, pomtannia, yautia

tannia fritters Central America Boiled and mashed tannia mixed with brunoise onion, finely chopped deseeded chilli pepper, mashed garlic and butter, then deep-fried in oil until crisp. A speciality of the island of Margarita in Venezuela.

tannic acid One of the acids in tannin, used for flavouring and as a clarifying agent in beer, wine and cider and other natural brewed drinks

tannin A mixture of strong astringent acids found in plants, particularly tea leaves, red

grape skins and the bark of trees, with the ability to coagulate proteins. Responsible for the keeping qualities of fine red wines.

tannour Middle East An oven rather like a large tandoori oven. Glowing charcoal is put in the base with a deep dish on top and the food to be cooked over this.

tanrogan England The local name in the Isle of Man for great and queen scallops which are found around its coasts

tansy 1. A hardy perennial and very invasive herb, Tanacetum vulgare, with green leaves and yellow flowers and a very strong flavour. Used by the Victorians for flavouring baked goods, sausages, stuffings and some desserts. 2. A soufflé omelette mixture with fried tart fruit originally flavoured with tansy, nowadays with cloves and cinnamon

Tantallon cakes Scotland A type of shortbread made with flour, butter and caster sugar (8:4:1) and lemon zest with roughly 1/20th of the flour replaced with rice flour. All the ingredients are kneaded together to a stiff paste and formed by hand into rounds 4 cm in diameter and 1 cm deep. These are baked on a greased oven tray at 170°C for 25 to 30 minutes and sprinkled with caster sugar while still hot.

tanuki soba Japan Brown buckwheat noodles with tempura batter flakes

tanuta Italy Black sea bream tanyet Burma Palm sugar

tanzaku-giri Japan Thin slender rectangles cut from root vegetables. Also called poem card cut

tanzhiyya North Africa 1. A slow-cooked meal of meat, vegetables and spices in water made in a narrow-necked round-bellied earthenware pot of the same name with two handles which is sealed. This is usually taken to the local bakers for cooking on the ashes over an 8-hour period and is called the ‘bachelor’s dish’ as it does not require a stove. A speciality of Marrakesh. 2. A type of tagine from Marrakesh made with a joint of meat (e.g. shoulder of lamb) slowly cooked with vegetables and spices at the cook’s discretion

taoco Indonesia Yellow bean sauce tao do Vietnam Dried Chinese plums tao hu Thailand Bean curd

tao hu kon Thailand Bean curd tao tanu Thailand Turtle

tao zi China Peach

tapa Philippines Thinly sliced dried and/or cured meat used as a snack (NOTE: From the Spanish tapas.)

tapas Spain Originally a slice of ham or chorizo sausage placed over the mouth of a

wine glass, from tapa to cover, some say to keep out flies, others to increase thirst. Now consists of small portions of any kind of made-up dish or individual snack served in bars with wine.

tapenade A Provençale purée of capers, black olives and anchovies in olive oil. Sometimes other ingredients are added. Used as a dip or spread or to fill hard-boiled eggs or hollowed out cucumber.

tapéno France Caper tapes Catalonia Tapas

ta pin Malaysia Steamboat

tapioca England, France, Italy, Spain An alternative name for cassava but also used for the processed starch produced from cassava by cooking, drying and then flaking the starch. It is a useful thickener as it holds its consistency better than corn flour and arrowroot. Sometimes added to other flours to strengthen the dough.

tapioca starch See tapioca Tapioka Germany Tapioca

tapulon alla burgomanerese Italy Stewed donkey with red wine and cabbage

taquitos Mexico Small tacos filled with picadillo (2), folded, secured with a skewer and deep-fried,

tara Japan Cod

tarako Japan Codfish roe, salted and dyed red to resemble caviar

tarama Greece The orange-coloured salted and dried roe of the grey mullet, an expensive delicacy used for hors d’oeuvres or in the preparation of authentic taramasalata

taramasalata Taramossalata

taramossalata Greece A pounded mixture of tarama, or more usually, smoked cod’s roe, soft white breadcrumbs or mashed potatoes, crushed garlic, olive oil and lemon juice, used as a dip or served with bread as part of a mezze. More commercial versions, known as taramasalata in the West, are smoother and contain excessive amounts of extenders and fish flavouring, besides being a rather strange pink colour.

tarator Bulgaria, Hungary A chilled, dillflavoured yoghurt and cucumber sauce thickened with ground walnuts; alternatively a chilled soup made with grated cucumber, yoghurt, milk, lemon juice, garlic and parsley

tarator od krastavaca Balkans A salad of grated cucumber, green chillies, yoghurt and garlic from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Taraxacum officinale Botanical name

Dandelion

tarbot Netherlands Turbot, the fish

tart

tarbujaa Nepal Watermelon

tardno Italy Parmesan cheese made between September and November. See also

Parmigiano Reggiano targone Italy Tarragon

tarhonya Hungary Small dried barley-shaped pellets of egg noodle dough. They are fried in lard then cooked in bouillon like a risotto and served with goulash, etc.

tari South Asia Gravy

taring scale A weighing scale which can be set to zero with any weight on it. It is conveniently used to weigh ingredients into a bowl by zeroing between the addition of each ingredient.

tarka South Asia A style of finishing in Indian cookery involving the fierce searing of precooked food in ghee and seasonings to flavour and coat the surface of the food. Also called chamak

tarkaari Nepal Vegetable

tarkari South Asia Containing vegetables which have been fried in ghee then gently cooked in their own juices

taro A tropical and subtropical plant, Colocasia esculenta, brought from Southeast Asia to the Caribbean as a staple food for slaves. The tubers are boiled, baked or roasted. Also called cocoyam. See also eddoe, dasheen

taronja Catalonia Orange

taro starch A greyish flour made by grinding taro chips. Used as a thickener and for making desserts.

tarragon A half hardy perennial herb,

Artemesia dracunculus (France) and A. dracunculoides (Russia), growing to 1 m, whose narrow leaves have a warm, peppery bitter-sweet scent with a note of anise. The Russian variety is milder than the French. It has a wide variety of uses, as a flavouring for vinegar, emulsion sauces and dips, soups, omelettes, chicken, compound butters, etc. One of the constituents of fines herbes. Unlike the Russian, French tarragon does not set seeds and is propagated from cuttings. See also Russian tarragon. Also called French tarragon

tarragon butter A compound butter made from blanched and drained tarragon leaves squeezed dry, pounded with twice their weight of butter and sieved

tarragon vinegar A white wine vinegar flavoured with tarragon leaves

tart A shallow dish-shaped open pastry case usually shortcrust or flan pastry with a filling which may either be baked with the case e.g. Bakewell tart, or added later to a case which has been baked blind e.g. custard tart and

tarta

most French fruit tarts. See also flan, pâtisserie 2

tarta, tarta catalana Catalonia, Spain A small, single-crust, open top tart. Usually called pastís.

tårta Sweden Layer cake

tartafin France A potato dish made from slices of waxy potatoes laid over sweated garlic with seasoning, covered with sliced Gruyère cheese and cooked in a closed container over a low heat until done

tartaleta Spain Small tart

tartara, alla Italy With tartare sauce

tartare 1. France A fresh cream cheese made from cows’ milk and flavoured with chopped herbs 2. England Steak tartare

tartare, sauce England, France 1. Chopped capers, gherkins and parsley, dried and mixed well with mayonnaise. Served with fried fish. 2. Mashed hard-boiled egg yolks, seasoned and mixed with vinegar, oil whisked in as in making mayonnaise and finished with a sieved purée of raw spring onions mixed with a little mayonnaise

tartaric acid E334, an acid present in many fruits which is precipitated as crystals in old wine

tartar med æg Denmark Steak tartare used as a topping for smørrebrød

tartar sauce United States Tartare sauce tartaruga Italy Turtle

tartaruga aquatica Italy Terrapin

tarte France A single-crust, open top tart tarte à la crème France Custard tart on thin

pastry

tarte à l’oignon France An open tart filled with onions in a rich cream sauce

tarte au citron France A pâte sablée pastry case filled with a whisked egg and sugar mixture to which has been added melted butter, lemon juice and grated lemon zest tarte au riz Belgium An open pastry case filled with a creamy dessert rice mixed with raisins or sultanas, chopped almonds and

flavoured with nutmeg tarteletta Italy Tartlet

tartelette France Tartlet, small tart

tarte limousine clafoutis France A clafoutis baked in a blind pastry case

tarte lorraine France A tart similar to a quiche filled with well-spiced pork or veal and onions

tarte normande France An apple flan

tarte Tatin France An upside down apple pie made from sliced dessert apples fried in a baking dish with butter and flavourings, possibly with sugar so as to caramelize, covered with pastry, baked in the oven and

turned out on a serving dish with the apple slices uppermost, hopefully with an attractive appearance

tartina Italy Canapé, tartine

tartine France A slice of bread and butter, sometimes a small tart or slice of fruit loaf tartine suisse France Puff pastry filled with

vanilla-flavoured crème pâtissière

tartrates Salts of tartaric acid used as stabilizers, the principal ones being sodiumE335, potassiumE336 and the potassium sodium mixed salt E337

tartrazine E102, a synthetic dye used as a yellow food colouring, suspected of causing hyperactivity and allergies in some children

tartufato Italy With truffles

tartufi di cioccolato Italy Chocolate truffles tartufi tre scalini Italy A ball-shaped dessert of chocolate ice cream, cake and whipped

cream

tartufo Italy Truffle

tartufo di mare Italy Warty venus clam tarwebrood Netherlands Wholewheat bread tasala The traditional cooking pot of Nepal

and Kashmir with a round base and a flared neck and rim

Taschenkrebs Germany Common crab

Tascherin Austria A type of ravioli with either a jam or savoury filling

tashreeb Middle East An Iraqi dish of lambs’ tripe and feet or shanks which are blanched then simmered with well-soaked chick peas, noomi and a whole unpeeled head of garlic. Sweated chopped onions, chopped tomatoes and baharat are then added and all simmered for 2 hours. It is served over flat bread with the meat and tripe on top.

Tasmanian crayfish Australia A large crayfish, Astacopsis gouldi, which can grow up to 6 kg in weight

tasse France Cup

tasse, en France Served in a cup, especially of soups

taste powder See monosodium glutamate ta suan li China Asian pear

tataki Japan 1. A method of preparing fish by chopping it finely with a knife, together with shiso, negi and ginger. It is served with a soya and grated ginger dipping sauce. 2. A method used for serving fish or beef steaks. They are lightly grilled so that they are brown on the outside and raw inside. They are then sliced thinly and presented in a fanned layer with the dipping sauce of 1 above.

tate-jio Japan A method of treating food with a low concentration brine (30 g per litre) containing some kombu flavouring

tatties Scotland Potatoes (colloquial)

tatws llaeth Wales New potatoes cooked in their skins, peeled then served in a bowl with buttermilk

Taube Germany Pigeon

taucheo Malaysia Yellow bean sauce tauge Indonesia Bean sprouts tauhu tod Thailand Fried bean curd tau kau China Nutmeg

tau ngok Thailand Mung bean or bean sprouts

taupe France Porbeagle shark tau sa Malaysia Yellow bean sauce

tausi Philippines Bean curd cheese tavola calda Italy Snack bar

tavola fredda Italy Cold buffet, cold table tavsan Turkey Hare

tawa South Asia A circular, slightly dished steel or iron griddle with a handle, used for making Indian breads or, when placed below another dish, to reduce the heat especially on a difficult to control heat source

tawas Philippines Alum

tayberry A cross between a blackberry and raspberry species of Rubus. It is large and conical, a bright deep purple in colour and with a rich flavour.

tay vi Vietnam Star anise

tazhin North Africa The Moroccan name for tagine

tazza Italy Cup or small bowl tazzina Small cup, coffee cup tazzine, nella Italy Coddled, of eggs

T-bone steak United States A steak cut from between the sirloin and short loin of beef (the centre of the sirloin (UK)) including a piece of vertebra in the shape of a capital T and about 5 cm thick. It will feed 2 persons.

tea cake A flat, slightly sweetened yeastraised round bread bun with currants and mixed peel about 10 cm in diameter. Usually split, toasted and buttered.

tea cream England Milk infused with an aromatic tea, thickened with egg yolks, cream and gelatine, whipped egg whites folded in, set in a mould, turned out and decorated

teal A small wild duck, Anas crecca, weighing about 400 g and served 1 per person. Roasted at 180 to 190°C for 25 to 30 minutes and served garnished with watercress and lemon wedges. Shooting season 1st September to 31st of January, hanging time 2 to 3 days.

tea leaf egg Egg boiled for 2 to 3 hours in water with tea leaves, star anise and other flavourings. After 20 minutes the shells are cracked to allow penetration of the flavours

teifi salmon

and to produce marbling. Served as hors d’oeuvres.

tea loaf Scotland A very common chemically raised slicing cake made from flour, sugar, sultanas, butter and eggs (3:2:2:1:1) flavoured with ground cloves and cinnamon and ground caraway seeds. The butter is rubbed in to the flour and the other ingredients mixed in. Raised with bicarbonate of soda at the rate of 1 tbsp per kg of flour and baked at 220°C for 10 minutes then at 190°C for an hour or until cooked.

tea smoking A method of smoking meat or fish using a domestic steamer. The base is lined with foil and equal volumes of brown sugar, uncooked rice and an aromatic tea (e.g. lapsang souchong) are put on the foil; the food is placed on the steaming rack with a tight fitting lid. It is then placed over a high heat for 2 minutes to generate smoke, on a low heat for 10 minutes and then let stand.

teaspoon 1. A standard volume measure, 5 ml in the USA and UK, 6 ml in Australia. Abbreviated to tsp, sometimes tspn. 2. A small spoon used for stirring drinks, now standardized as a volume measure

teaterskinka Sweden A supper dish of slices of ham marinated in sherry, removed, dried, covered with a mixture of double cream and tomato purée and warmed in the oven (NOTE: Literally ‘theatre ham’.)

teba Japan Chicken wing tebrød Norway Teacake

technical white oil See mineral hydrocarbons

Teegebäck Germany Tea cake tee ma yau China Sesame seed oil teeri Finland Black grouse

teething cake See moh lung ye baw

Teewurst Germany A smooth, pink, spreading sausage made from the finest of pork, beef and spices

teff Africa One of the indigenous cereals of Ethiopia, Eragrostis teff. The pinhead-sized grain is part of the Ethiopian staple diet and used to make the bread indura. Also called teff grass

teff grass See teff tefteli Russia Meatballs teg 2 year old sheep

tegame Italy A heavy frying pan or casserole tegame, al Italy Fried or pot-roasted tegamino, al Italy Coddled, of eggs

teglia Italy A wide and shallow baking dish or pie dish

Teifi Wales A Gouda-like cheese

teifi salmon Wales Skinned salmon fillets, cut in slices, or a piece of salmon covered with a

Teiggerichte

sauce made from molten butter blended with one sixth its volume of port, an anchovy fillet or anchovy essence and a little mushroom ketchup. All placed in a covered dish and baked at 190°C for 45 minutes.

Teiggerichte Germany Macaroni dishes teisen gri Wales See Welsh griddle cake teisen lap Wales An oblong fruit and spice

cake eaten when cold as buttered slices teisennau cocos Wales Cockle cakes teisennau tatws Wales Welsh potato cakes teisen nioned Wales Onion cake

teisen resi Wales Rice cakes teishoku Japan Set menu

t’ejj East Africa An alcoholic drink rather like mead, made from honey and usually taken with Ethiopian raw meat dishes

tej pat In) The leaves of cassia used as a flavouring agent in Indian cooking

tej patta South Asia Bay leaf tekaka Sweden Teacake, crumpet tel South Asia Oil

Telemea Romania A soft rindless ewes’ milk cheese resembling Feta made from uncooked curd which is dried, pressed in square blocks, dry-salted and matured for 30 days in a salted acid whey. It can be stored for a long period in the same whey at 5°C. Contains 50% water, 25% fat and 20% protein.

Teleme Jack United States A cooking cheese from California resembling Mozzarella

teliatina, telyatina Russia Veal

tel kadayif Turkey Noodles cooked in sweetened milk and served with raisin syrup

tellina Italy Wedge shell clam

Teltower Rübchen Germany A small and well-flavoured variety of turnip grown around Berlin

telur Indonesia, Malaysia Egg

telur asin Indonesia, Malaysia Salted duck egg

tembikai Malaysia Water melon

tempe Indonesia A firm substance like cheese made by soaking and boiling soya beans, inoculating them with a fungus Rhizopus oligosporus, packing them into thin slabs wrapped in polythene or banana leaves pierced with holes and leaving to ferment. It is an easily digestible and well-flavoured source of protein and is usually shallow-fried. See also oncom. Also called tempeh

tempeh Indonesia Tempe

temper, to To bring to a desired consistency, texture, temperature or other physical condition by blending, mixing, kneading or standing, etc. as in to temper a pancake batter

temperature A measure of the intensity of heat such that heat always flows from a high intensity to a low one. Measured in cooking on the Fahrenheit scale or Celsius scale.

temperature probe A small pointed rod about 3 to 4 mm diameter which measures the internal temperature of food in which it is inserted. Used to determine the degree of roasting of meats and for checking that microwaved food is heated through.

tempestine Italy Tiny pasta shells used in soup

temple Caribbean A naturally occurring hybrid of Citrus spp

tempura Pieces of fish, shellfish, bundles of noodles and firm vegetables, covered with a thinnish coating of tempura batter, deepfried and served with a dipping sauce made from dashi, mirin and light soy sauce, with added grated daikon (mooli) and fresh ginger. The technique was introduced to Japan by the Spanish and Portuguese in the late 16th century.

tempura batter Japan A lumpy batter made with iced water, sifted flour and egg yolk (12:6:1). The egg yolk and iced water are beaten together and poured over the flour which is stirred lightly.

tempura dipping sauce Japan A mixture of dashi, light soya sauce and mirin (8:3:2), served with separate bowls of minced ginger and daikon oroshi

temu putih Indonesia, Malaysia Zedoary tenca Spain Tench

tench A small dark-skinned freshwater fish, Tinca tinca, of the carp family found in European rivers. It has rather a muddy flavour and is generally soaked in salted water for several hours before frying or grilling.

tender cure, to To quick cure

tenderize, to To break down the connective tissue of meat, octopus tentacles and the like by beating with a spiked mallet, by chemical treatment with acids, proteases or marinades, by hanging meat to allow natural enzymes to break down the fibres and by the correct application of heat at the right temperature

tenderloin United States Fillet steak (of beef), pork fillet and occasionally a corresponding muscle in lamb

tenderloin of pork The long inner back muscles equivalent to the fillet of beef, grilled, fried, used for kebabs, stir fries or batted out as escalopes. Also called pork fillet

tendon 1. The sinew or strand of strong connective tissue which attaches a muscle to

bone. It contains a high proportion of elastin and does not liberate much gelatine on boiling. Usually excised and discarded. 2. Japan Boiled rice with pieces of tempura (deep-fried battered fish, shellfish and vegetables) arranged decoratively on top and dressed with a sauce made from dashi, sake, soya sauce, sugar and grated ginger root, then garnished with chopped spring onions

tenero Italy Tender, fresh, soft

teneroni di vitello Italy Ribs of veal (equivalent to spare ribs of pork or breast of lamb)

tengericsuka Hungary Hake tenok Malaysia Barracuda

tentsuyu Japan A dipping sauce for tempura tepary bean A drought resistant bean,

Phaseolus acutifolius, grown in Mexico and the southern USA for local use

tepeh Malaysia Ridged sand clam

tepid The term applied to water at about 50 to 60°C. See also lukewarm

tepong pulot Indonesia, Malaysia Glutinous rice flour

teppan Japan A griddle used to cook food at the table

teppan yaki Japan A method of cooking food, usually in front of the diner, either on a hot griddle or over burning charcoal

Teppichmuschel Germany Carpet shell tepung beras Indonesia, Malaysia Rice flour tepung hoen kwe Indonesia, Malaysia Mung

bean flour

tequila Mexico A clear spiritous liquor made by distilling fermented sap from the blue agave. It is produced and bottled only in Jalisco state, Mexico, and originated around the town of Tequila and has denomination of origin status. It has the same relationship to mescal as cognac has to brandy and is used in cooking in the same way as brandy. The finest is designated añejo (‘aged’) and is aged in oak barrels for at least a year. See also mescal

terasi Indonesia, Malaysia Shrimp paste, blachan. Also called trasi

terbiye Turkey A sauce used on vegetables, made from vegetable stock thickened with an egg, water and flour mixture and finished with lemon juice

terbiyéli köfte Turkey Flat cakes made from a mixture of minced beef and onions, soaked breadcrumbs, eggs, chopped parsley and seasoning, fried in butter then simmered in stock and served with a sauce made from flour and water enriched with egg yolks and lemon juice, seasoned and flavoured with paprika

Tête de Moine

tereyagi Turkey Butter

teri Japan A glaze for meat, vegetables, etc. teriyaki Japan Kebabs, marinated in a soya sauce, sugar, and/or mirin mixture and grilled whilst being repeatedly basted with the marinade to give a rich, brown glaze. Alternatively escalopes, tender steaks, chicken breasts, fish, etc. browned then gently cooked in simmering teriyaki sauce until the sauce is reduced to a glaze. Served

with a decorative garnish.

teriyaki sauce Japan Equal quantities of sake, mirin and dark soya sauce with about one twelfth ot the combined weight of sugar and all boiled until the sugar dissolves

Terlaner Weinsuppe Austria A South Tyrolean soup made from beef stock and white wine with egg yolk and whipped double cream

termites akoumba Africa Pounded fresh termites mixed with palm oil and used as a dip in Malawi and Zaire

ternera Spain A rose-coloured veal from calves which have been raised outdoors and are slaughtered between 8 and 12 months

terong Malaysia Aubergine terraglie Italy Earthenware

terrapin United States A small fresh or brackish water turtle whose flesh is considered a delicacy. Available canned in Europe.

terre cuite France Earthenware terrina Italy Terrine

terrine England, France 1. A meat or fish loaf made from coarsely chopped or finely processed meat, chicken or game flesh, liver, fish or shellfish and fat with herbs, spices and flavourings, placed in an oblong earthenware dish lined with streaky bacon, blanched leek leaves or similar, covered and baked in the oven, cooled, demoulded and sliced for use as a hors d’oeuvre 2. A heat proof earthenware dish with a lid used for baking a terrine

terrine, en France Potted terung Indonesia Aubergine

testa Italy Head of an animal or cap of a mushroom

testicles The sperm-producing organs of male animals shaped like elongated balls, often cooked as a delicacy. See also mountain oysters, lamb’s fry

testicoli Italy Testicles, lamb’s fry testina Italy Testa

testuggine marina Italy Turtle tête France Head

Tête de Moine Switzerland An alpine semihard unpasteurized cows’ milk cheese with a

tête de nègre

pale yellow, mild and creamy paste enclosed in a rough slightly greasy rind. It is made in 0.5 to 2 kg rounds and is cured for 3 to 5 months. Traditionally served in thinly sliced curls with ground pepper and cumin.

tête de nègre France A variety of cep. See also cèpe de vendage

Tetilla Spain A soft white cheese made from cows’ milk, the salted curd being placed in pear-shaped moulds and cured for 2 months. It has a slightly sour salty flavour. Contains 50% water, 22% fat and 21% protein. Also called perilla

tétine France Udder

Tetragonia expansa Botanical name New Zealand spinach

Tetragonia tetragonioides Botanical name

New Zealand spinach

Tetrapanax papyriferum Botanical name The tree from which rice paper is made

tétras France Grouse

tetrazzini Italy Pasta with a creamy cheese sauce and seafood or poultry meat

tette melk Norway Cultured milk preserved and flavoured with tette leaves

Teviotdale pie Scotland Minced beef or lamb browned in butter for 5 minutes then simmered in a little water with seasoning for about 10 minutes, put in a pie dish which is then topped with a batter made from flour, milk, suet and egg (6:5:3:2) with a dsp of baking powder per kg of flour and all baked at 180°C for 40 minutes. Also called Benalty pie

Tewkesbury mustard England A pale smooth blend of mustard seed, horseradish, wine vinegar and salt. Used with sausages.

Texas ruby red United States A red fleshed grapefruit

Texel Netherlands A green ewes’ milk cheese textured vegetable protein Protein extracted from vegetable sources, usually soya beans which is flavoured, solubilized and forced through a multitude of fine holes into a coagulating medium. The numerous fibres are brought together into a thick rope which is then chopped into pieces and dried. Used as a meat substitute. See also quorn. Also

called TVP

teynadam East Africa An Ethiopian herb often used in making spice mixes (NOTE: Literally ‘Health of Adam’.)

tfaya North Africa A Moroccan meat dish in a brown sauce with coriander, saffron, onion and seasoning. Served with roasted almonds and hard-boiled eggs.

Thai fragrant rice See jasmine fragrant rice

Thai ginger Greater galangal

Thai jasmine rice See jasmine fragrant rice

Thai yellow chilli A pale yellow green chilli with a mild flavour, often stuffed and cooked as a snack

thal South Asia A large brass, copper, silver or stainless steel platter with raised edges on which Indian food is served

thala Sri Lanka Sesame seed

thali South Asia A smaller version of the thal thambili Sri Lanka Milk from the king coconut

which is drunk directly from the shell thaumatin A protein extract from berries,

Thaumatococcus danielli, which is 3 to 4000 times as sweet as sucrose, used in table top sugar substitutes and yoghurts

thee complet Netherlands Afternoon tea with biscuits and cakes

thelele East Africa A thickish mixture of onion, okra, garam masala, tomatoes and spinach leaves fried in oil then simmered in a little water for 10 minutes. From Malawi.

Theobroma cacao Botanical name Cocoa bean tree

thermidor The method of preparation is only used with lobster. See also homard thermidor thermometer An instrument for measuring temperature, essential for cooking especially for determining when meat is cooked, for oven, freezer, refrigerator, fat and sugar temperatures and for ensuring adequate defrosting and cooking in microwave ovens thermos flask A double-walled vessel made from silvered glass or stainless steel in which the space between the inner and outer wall is a vacuum, mounted in a protective case and fitted with a closure. The vacuum reduces transfer of heat by convection and the silvering reduces transfer by radiation, thus the contents may be kept hot or cold for a considerable period of time (heat is eventually transferred by conduction). Other types of insulation, e.g. foamed polystyrene or polyurethane, are used for the same purpose especially in larger rectangular

containers. Also called vacuum flask thermostat An electrically or mechanically

operated instrument which monitors the temperature in an enclosure and if it deviates from a preset value increases or reduces the energy input to or abstracts more or less energy from the space to maintain the preset temperature. Commonly used in gas or electric ovens, refrigerators and freezers, deep fat fryers, slow cookers and the like.

thetchouka North Africa See chakchouka 2 thiabendazole See E233

thiakry West Africa A sweet dessert made with couscous. See also caakiri

thiamine Vitamin B1

thick batter United States Soft drop batter

thicken, to To increase the viscosity or consistency of a liquid by a variety of techniques including reduction, addition of cooked starches, gums, proteins such as white of egg or yolk or gelatine, by emulsifying a discontinuous phase into the liquid or by adding finely ground solids. See also under: roux, liaison, beurre manié, purée, coulis, sabayon, emulsions, etc.

thickened gravy See jus lié

thickeners Substances, usually carbohydrates or proteins which may have been chemically modified, used to increase the viscosity or consistency of liquids

thick flank United Kingdom A cut of beef from the front of the rear thigh. It is lean and used for braising and pot-roasting. Often sold as cheap frying steak. Also called top rump thick flank of veal United Kingdom The muscle at the front of the thigh bone of the rear leg of veal, equivalent to thick flank of beef. Used in the same way as cushion of

veal.

thick oxtail soup Disjointed oxtail and a mirepoix of onion, garlic, carrot and turnip browned in fat, flour added to make a brown roux, tomato purée, a bouquet garni and brown stock added, simmered and skimmed for 4 hours, oxtail and bouquet garni removed, flesh returned, liquidized, strained, seasoned and consistency corrected, finished with sherry and garnished with dice or small balls of carrots and turnips and the tip of the oxtail cut in rounds. Also called queue de boeuf lié

thick seam tripe Tripe from the third stomach of the cow or ox. It has the same flavour as blanket tripe or honeycomb tripe.

thick skirt United Kingdom That part of the inner muscles of the belly wall attached to the rump. Also called goose skirt

thiebou diene West Africa Braised fish and vegetables served with rice

thiebu djen West Africa A fish dish from Senegal. See also ceebu jën

thin Vietnam Thinh

thin batter United States A thin flour liquid mixture (1:2) suitable for crêpes, pancakes, dipping, popovers, cream puffs, etc. The proportions depend upon the flour. Also called pour batter

thin flank United Kingdom The better cut of beef from the abdominal cavity equivalent to pork belly. Contains a lot of fat and is used for stewing and manufacturing.

thinh Vietnam Rice dry-fried to a deep golden brown then ground into a coarse powder and used as a flavouring and binder. Also called thin

thym

thin skirt United Kingdom The muscular part of the diaphragm of beef cattle

thin soya sauce See light soya sauce thit Vietnam Minced or thinly sliced thit ba chi Vietnam Bacon

thit bo kno Vietnam Vietnamese stewed beef, usually eaten with French bread

thit-ja-bo-gauk Burma Cinnamon thon France Tuna fish

thonine France Bonito (2), the fish thon rouge France Blue fin tuna fish

thornback ray A type of skate, Raja clavata, found in European and Mediterranean waters which grown to about 1 m long

thorny mandarin Mediterranean mandarin

Thousand Island dressing Olives, onion, hard-boiled egg, green sweet pepper and parsley all chopped and combined with mayonnaise and tarragon vinegar or lemon juice

thousand year egg Chinese preserved egg thread herring A species of herring,

Opisthonema oglinum, up to 15 cm long and with a distinctive thread-like ray at the end of the dorsal fin. It is found in the Gulf of Mexico and off the southeast coast of the USA. Used mainly for canning. Also called Atlantic thread herring

three-bearded rockling A small, round, pink skinned seawater fish, Gaidropsarus mediterraneus, found in the Mediterranean Sea

throughcut bacon A complete rasher of bacon including the back and the streaky from the middle portion of the pig

thrumenty See frumenty

thrush A small brown songbird Turdidae family caught in France and Italy for use in pâtés, pies or terrines

thunder and lightning England Cornish splits eaten with cream and treacle

Thunfisch Germany Tuna fish

Thüringer Blutwurst Germany A blood sausage made with diced parboiled pork belly and finely chopped pork rind, liver and lights plus occasionally other cooked offal. This is mixed with warm pigs’ blood, seasoned, flavoured with marjoram, caraway and ground cloves, loosely filled into large casings, boiled, refreshed, dyed red and cold-smoked with juniper berries and sawdust.

Thüringer Rostbratwurst Germany A Bratwurst made of pork or veal from Thuringia

Thüringer Rotwurst Germany A cooked, redcoloured blood sausage from Thuringia

thym France Thyme

thyme

thyme A hardy evergreen low growing sub shrub, Thymus vulgaris, with tiny aromatic leaves and pale lilac flowers. The stalks with leaves attached are used in bouquet garnis or bundled up with other herbs to make a faggot of herbs. Alternatively the leaves alone are used fresh or dried in stuffings, sauces, soups, stocks and meat dishes. Fresh sprigs may be used to flavour oil or vinegar. Also called garden thyme

Thymian Germany Thyme

thymus A large gland from the neck of vertebrates important in the immune response. It, together with the pancreas, comprises the sweetbreads.

Thymus pulegioides Botanical name Broad leaf thyme

Thymus vulgaris Botanical name Thyme Thymus x citriodorus Botanical name Lemon

thyme

tian France A shallow dish used in Provence, in which food is baked or grilled; alternatively a dish of food made in a tian

tian ya China Peking duck

t’ibs East Africa Fried meat, usually beef with butter, onions and chilli sauce. From Ethiopia.

tidbid Denmark Light snack tiède France Warm, tepid

tiefgefroren Germany Deep-frozen Tiefseegarnele Germany Deepwater prawn tiella Italy A large baking dish or the food

cooked in it, usually a mixture of vegetables with offal, shellfish, cheese or ham, possibly in pastry case

Tientsin pear A smooth, almost round, yellow fruit with a sweet crisp pear-like texture. Eaten raw after peeling and coring.

tieo Laos Chilli paste

tier pans A set of cake tins of several diameters used to make elaborate twoor threetier cakes such as wedding cakes

tiffin South Asia Lunch, light repast (NOTE: From Old English tiff, to drink or to lunch.) tiffin box South Asia Stackable stainless steel boxes or tins with lids in which lunch and snacks are delivered to office workers in

India

tiganita Greece Fried or deep-fried

tiganito sikoti Greece Calves’ liver cut in 2.5 cm cubes, passed through seasoned flour mixed with powdered dried herbs, fried in hot butter for 1.5 to 2 minutes until brown and served as a starter with salad and bread

tigerella tomato A decorative tomato streaked with green

tiger lily bulb Lily bulb

tiger melon A variety of cantaloupe melon from Turkey with an orange-yellow and black striped skin and a fragrant orange flesh

tiger nut A small wrinkled brown tuber which forms on the roots of a plant, Cyperus esculentus, that grows around the Mediterranean. It has a crisp, sweet, nuttyflavoured white flesh and is eaten as is, in ice cream or is ground to make the Spanish drink horchata. Also called chufa, galingale, earth almond, pignut, rushnut

tiger prawn A type of king prawn, Penaeus esculentus, with a brown and orange striped shell and a dark-coloured head and tail. It retains the stripes on cooking.

tikka South Asia Small pieces of meat or poultry marinated in yoghurt and tandoori spice mix, grilled or roasted and served with Indian bread and salad

tikki channa dal South Asia Small croquettes of yellow split peas, cooked until very soft, puréed and mixed with minced parsley, chopped ginger, salt, powdered bay leaf and crushed cumin seeds, then bound with egg and fried

til South Asia Sesame seed

tilapia A perch-like member of the Cichlid family originating in Africa but now the most widely farmed fish in the tropics. An all-male variety has been genetically developed which grows to 2 kg in 1 year. It is also farmed in temperate climates, where supplies of warm fresh water are available from industrial processes. Also called St Peter’s fish

tilefish A reddish blue seawater fish,

Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps, with small yellow spots on the upper side and fins, found in deep waters off the North American coast. The flesh is very firm and tender and may be substituted for lobster or scallops.

til ka tel South Asia Sesame seed oil Tillamook United States A Cheddar-type

cows’ milk cheese from Oregon

Tilsit Germany A semi-hard, cooked curd, slicing cheese made from raw or pasteurized cows’ milk inoculated with Lactobacillus and curdled with rennet. They are cast in large rounds or loaf shapes, dry-salted and ripened for a month whilst being regularly washed with brine, then matured for 5 months. The paste is creamy-yellow with a mild and delicate flavour and numerous small holes. It is suitable for cooking and melting as well as for slicing. Made in many Central European countries. Contains 45 to 50% water, and 10 to 30% fat. Also called

Tollenser, Tilsiter

Tilsiter Germany Tilsit

timbale England, France 1. A cup-shaped mould 2. A light creamy puréed mixture, baked in a timbale, demoulded and served with a sauce

timballa e’latte Italy A baked almond custard from Sardinia. Also called tumbada

timballo Italy A hot pie or mould much more robust than the English timbale

timballo al abbruzzese Italy Pancakes layered in a dish with meatballs, chicken livers, cheese and tomato sauce and baked in the oven

timballo di riso alla piemontese Italy A mould of rice with chicken livers, kidneys and a meat sauce

tim cheon China, Malaysia Plum sauce

tim cheong Malaysia A sweet and very dark soya sauce similar to the Chinese sweet soya sauce

timman Middle East Steamed basmati rice timman z’affaran Middle East A festive rice

dish from Iraq, enriched with sweated chopped onion and minced meat which are fried until dry with baharat, sultanas and salt. The rice is first soaked for 30 minutes then simmered in chicken stock with the meat mixture for a further 30 minutes and allowed to rest under a tight-fitting lid. It is served sprinkled with toasted split almonds and rose water and coloured and flavoured with saffron.

timo Italy 1. Thyme 2. The thymus gland timpana Malta A covered pie made with puff

pastry filled with cooked al dente macaroni, fried chicken livers, grated cheese and chopped hard-boiled eggs in a Bolognaise sauce prior to baking at 190°C for 40 minutes

timum balu Malaysia Fuzzy melon timun Malaysia Cucumber

timur Nepal Anise pepper

tin 1. Any metal container used for baking, e.g. cake tin, loaf tin, bun tin, etc. or for storing or preserving food 2. The relatively inert metal used to coat the inside of copper cooking utensils to prevent corrosion in acid solutions

tinamou South America A game bird of the Tinamidae family resembling a partridge. Sold in France.

tinca Italy Tench

tinda South Asia A type of squash, Citrullus vulgaris var. fistulosus, resembling a small green, apple-sized water melon with cream flesh and light-coloured seeds. Used as a summer vegetable. Also called round gourd, squash melon

tindola Tindoori

Tiroler

tindoori South Asia A small elongated oval green squash from a vine, Trichosanthes dioica, rather like a cucumber. Important in Indian cooking and may be eaten cooked or raw. Also called ivy gourd, parwal, palwal, tindola, tindori

tindori See tindoori ting hsian China Cloves tinker Common skate

tinker’s apple cake Wales Made from cooking apples, self-raising flour, butter and demerara sugar (3:2:1:1), the flour is rubbed into the butter and made into a thick batter with a little milk, this is mixed with the peeled, cored and chopped cooking apples and baked in a buttered tin for 30 minutes at 200°C. Also called dinca fala, Welsh apple cake

tinned food Food preserved and sterilized in sealed, tinned or coated steel or aluminium cans

Tintenfisch Germany Cuttlefish

tippaleipä Finland A spiral-shaped sweetened pastry similar to crullers. Traditionally eaten on May day.

Tippenhaas Germany A type of jugged hare tipsy cake England A dome-shaped cake moistened with sherry, studded with dehusked almonds and coated with an egg custard sauce. Served cold as a dessert.

tipsy pudding United States An English-style trifle without fruit but well laced with liqueur or sherry

tirakia tiganita Greece Stiffly beaten egg whites seasoned with pepper, mixed with finely grated Parmesan or Kefalotiri cheese until firm, deep-fried at 190°C in teaspoonfuls until puffy and brown, drained and served hot on cocktail sticks as an appetizer

tiram Indonesia Oyster tiram batu Malaysia Oyster

tiramisú Italy A rich dessert from Venice made with sponge fingers dipped in coffee and spirit or liqueur and layered with a creamed egg yolk, sugar and Mascarpone cheese (1:1:5) mixture sprinkled with chopped chocolate, finished with chopped nuts and refrigerated (NOTE: Literally ‘pick me up’.)

Tirggel Switzerland A heavily spiced Christmas gingerbread biscuit baked in a wooden mould carved with a relief of some ancient or modern design. See also Basler

Leckerli

Tirolen Eierspeise Austria A casserole of hard-boiled eggs, potatoes and anchovies Tiroler Austria An Extrawurst-type sausage containing mainly lean cured pork with a

little veal and/or beef