A Dictionary of Food

tuna fig

yellow fin tuna, skipjack tuna, albacore. Also called tunny

tuna fig Prickly pear

Tunbridge Wells sausage England An English sausage from the town of the same name made to a 100 year old recipe comprising coarsely chopped lean pork, chopped pork fat and yeastless bread rusk (10:5:2), seasoned, flavoured with sage, mace and other herbs, filled into casings and linked

tunfisk Denmark, Norway Tuna fish tunga Sweden Tongue

tunge Denmark, Norway Tongue tung sum Bamboo shoots

tung ts’ao China Rice paper

Tunisian sweet limetta A small North African lime, Citrus limetta, only of local importance. Also called Mediterranean sweet limetta,

Mediterranean sweet lime

Tunke Germany Sauce or gravy tunny See tuna

tuong Vietnam A very strong-tasting fermented sauce probably including soya sauce and fermented fish. Also called

Vietnamese soya sauce

tuong ngot Vietnam Hoisin sauce tuong ot Vietnam Yellow bean sauce

tuoni e lampo Italy Bits of cooked pasta mixed with cooked chick peas (NOTE: Literally ‘thunder and lightning’.)

tuorlo d’uovo Italy Egg yolk

tupí Spain A spread or flavouring made from finely grated old cheese blended with oil and wine or brandy and left to mature in jars for 2 to 3 months

tur South Asia Pigeon pea

turban France A ring mould or a method of presenting food in a circle on the plate usually by using a ring mould

turban gourd A type of gourd

turban of cod England A large cod fillet, seasoned and brushed with lemon juice, coiled into a turban shape and secured, then placed in a shallow dish and baked at 180°C for 20 to 25 minutes until done. The fish is put on a serving plate and the centre filled with a little béchamel sauce which has been flavoured with lemon juice and any fish juices and mixed with chopped hard-boiled eggs. Additional sauce is served separately and the turban is garnished with lemon slices and parsley.

turban squash Turk’s cap squash

turbante Italy A ring mould of food, e.g. rice, presented in a demoulded ring with a filling in the centre

turbinado sugar United States A coarse grained partially refined sugar which is light beige in colour and contains a little adhering molasses

turbot 1. England, France A diamond-shaped flatfish, Psetta maxima, up to 1 m in length and 15 kg with a spotted sandy back covered in small bumps. Found in the North Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. The fine white flesh is firm and medium oily and can be cooked in any way. The head and bones are a rich source of gelatine and make excellent stock. The turbot found in the East Atlantic is a different species, Scophthalmus maximus, but otherwise is similar. 2. Canada

See Greenland halibut

turbotière France A large fish kettle for poaching whole turbot and similar large fish

turbotin A small turbot weighing 1 to 2 kg turcarri South Asia A type of curry. See also

turrcarri

tureen A large dish with a lid and ladle from which soup is served at the table

turian Thailand Durian

turkey A large (up to 15 kg) flightless bird, Meleagris galopavo, native to North America but now farmed worldwide for its highyielding flesh. Popular in the UK at Christmas and in the USA at Thanksgiving but now available throughout the year as one of the cheapest forms of animal protein. Cooked like chicken.

turkey baster England Bulb baster turkey cock A male turkey

turkey roll Boned and cooked turkey meat formed in a tight roll and encased in plastic, sold for slicing

Turkish delight A confection made from sugar boiled with water to the large thread (107°C) stage and thickened with corn flour, lemon juice and gum arabic, cooled until thick, flavoured with rose water and poured into a flat cake moulds which have been liberally dusted with icing sugar or chopped pistachio nuts. When set cut into cubes and rolled and stored in icing sugar.

Turkish hazelnut A smaller and cheaper hazel type of nut, Corylus colurna, than hazelnuts or filberts. Also called Messina cob, Trebizond nut

Turkish pilaf See iç pilav

Turk’s cap gourd A type of gourd

Turk’s cap squash A decorative thickskinned winter squash, Cucurbita maxima, with a flattened circular base surmounted by a smaller grooved top resembling a turban. It has a firm, slightly sweet orange yellow flesh with a green and white streaked orange skin.

Boiled or baked as a vegetable. Also called turban squash

türlü Turkey A mixed vegetable stew including a selection from onions, sweet peppers, tomatoes, green beans, courgettes, aubergines, okra, squash, chillies and the like

turmeric The boiled and skinned root of a perennial plant, Curcuma longa, which is dried and ground. It originated in India but is now also grown in East Asia and South America. It has a slightly aromatic peppery and musky taste and imparts a deep yellow colour to food. Used in Indian and Asian cooking and as a colouring agent in the west.

Turmerikwurzel Germany Turmeric

turn, to 1. To become sour or start to ferment usually by adventitious microorganisms 2. To rotate some item of food so as to promote even cooking or browning of the surface 3. To shape solid root vegetables in a barrel or rugby ball shape, or button mushrooms with a series of swirling radial V-shaped cuts. Used to present an attractive appearance.

turn, to cook to a To cook a food so that it is correctly cooked to the degree expected by the consumer

turnedo Italy Fillet of beef

turning knife A small pointed knife with a concave-shaped cutting edge used for turning vegetables

turnip 1. A temperate climate biennial plant, Brassica rapa (Rapifera Group), grown as an annual for the swollen underground roots which are 2.5 to 7 cm in diameter and round, flat or long and tapering. The hard flesh is white or yellow and the skin white, pink, red or yellow. Young turnips may be eaten raw or pickled, the mature ones are used as a root vegetable. The young leaves are known as turnip tops. 2. Scotland, United States

Swede

turnip greens The green leaves from the top of turnips used as a vegetable

turnip rape Broccoli raab

turnip rooted parsley Hamburg parsley turnip soup Basic soup with turnips. Also

called navets, purée de

turnip tops The young leaves and flower heads of the turnip plant, Brassica rapa Rapifera Group, eaten as spring greens or raw in salads

turnover A circular or square piece of pastry folded over into a sealed half circle or triangle and containing a sweet or savoury filling. See also apple turnover, jam turnover, Cornish pasty

turntable 1. A rotating circular platform on a stand onto which a cake may be placed to

turtle soup

assist in its icing and decoration 2. A rotating circular platform on the base of a microwave oven on which the dish of food being cooked is placed to ensure even penetration of microwaves

turrcarri South Asia A style of curry making with meat simmered in excess of water (at least 5 cm over the top of the meat) until the meat falls apart. See also mhaans turcarri khasta, mhaans turcarri sadah, gurdakupura turcarri

turrcarri molee South Asia A meat curry with coconut. The meat is cut in strips, simmered in coconut milk with chopped ginger, coriander, garlic and sliced onion for 45 minutes. The solids are strained and fried in ghee, adding ground fenugreek and poppy seed until all dry and golden. The liquid, plus more coconut milk if required, is added back, and all simmered with lemon or lime leaves until tender. The leaves are removed and lime juice and seasoning added before serving.

turrón Spain Praline or a sweetmeat made with almonds resembling halva or sometimes nougat

turtle The aquatic version, Chelonia mydas, of the tortoise found worldwide in warm seas. Most varieties have edible flesh. The green turtle was once famed as the basis of turtle soup but has now been hunted almost to extinction. Turtles have long been exploited in Southeast Asia for their meat and as medicine. Turtle eggs are considered an aphrodisiac, the blood is believed to increase a person’s energy and the ground-up shells are considered to have medicinal properties. To prepare and cook, decapitate the live turtle, drain the blood, blanch for 3 minutes, scrape off the skin, cut the body from the shell, disembowel, rinse and cut the meat into strips.

turtle herbs A blend of basil, sage, thyme, coriander leaves, marjoram, rosemary, bay leaf and peppercorns used to flavour turtle soup

turtle soup 1. Basic consommé simmered with turtle herbs in muslin for 10 minutes, thickened with arrowroot, seasoned, strained and finished with dry sherry and cooked and diced reconstituted turtle meat. Served with cheese straws and lemon wedges. Also called tortue claire 2. Genuine turtle soup for the London Lord Mayor’s banquet was made from 80 kg of cleaned female turtles simmered with their shell for 2 days in 450 litres of veal stock flavoured with thyme, marjoram, basil, parsley, 9 litres of sherry and 4.5 litres of sweet white wine, settled,

tuscarora rice

clarified, reduced to 225 litres and finished with sherry and diced gelatinous turtle meat

tuscarora rice Wild rice

tusk A North Atlantic fish, Bromse bromse, which resembles hake but is of the cod family. It has lean white flesh and may be cooked in any way. Often substituted for cod in Scandinavian cooking.

tusli South Asia Basil

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

Tussilago farfara Botanical name Coltsfoot tutti frutti England, Italy Ice cream containing

chopped dried or glacé fruits tuvaram South Asia Pigeon pea tuware Pigeon pea

tu ya ts’ai China Bean sprouts

tuyo Philippines Small fish, salted and dried then fried or grilled. Served with sliced tomatoes.

tuz Turkey Salt

Tvarvsky Czech Republic A strong cows’ milk cheese similar to Handkäse

Tvorog Russia Twarog

tvorozhinka Russia Cheese dumplings tvorozhniki Russia Thin patties made from

sieved curd cheese, flour and egg (9:1:1) with a little sugar, salt, vanilla essence and lemon zest, chilled and rested, floured then fried, with some difficulty, in butter until brown on each side. Served at breakfast.

TVP See textured vegetable protein twaalfuurtje Netherlands Lunch twaite shad See shad

Twaróg Poland A soft acid curdled cows’ milk cheese without rind eaten young. Contains approximately 70% water, 10% fat and 20% protein. Also called Tvorog

Tweed kettle Scotland Originally a dish of the poor made with boned and skinned salmon cut in small pieces and poached for 4 to 5 minutes in strained stock made with the skin, bones and head of the salmon, together with an equal quantity of white wine plus a few chopped shallots, mace and parsley or dill. Chopped mushrooms fried in butter to prevent them floating are added and the fish stew may be served either hot with mashed potatoes or cold with salad.

Twelfth night cake A rich fruit cake sweetened with brown sugar and black

treacle and flavoured with cinnamon and mixed spice eaten on the twelfth night after Christmas. Traditionally some silver charms are baked in it.

twisted cluster bean Parkia

twists napolitani United States Gemelli pasta txangurro al horno A dish of baked spider crabs with tomato, chilli and brandy from the

Basque country of northern Spain

Tybo Denmark A hard scalded-curd cows’ milk cheese with a supple paste containing a few scattered holes and a thin yellow rind cast in bricks (up to 4 kg). Similar to Samsø.

tykmælk Denmark Junket dessert

tykvennyi sup z pryanostiami Southwest Asia An Armenian soup made from sweated pumpkin flesh, chopped leeks, carrots and currants, puréed with chicken stock and milk flavoured with allspice and simmered until cooked. Finished with yoghurt and dryroasted pumpkin seeds.

Tyroler Alpenkäse Austria, Switzerland A hard cooked-curd cows’ milk cheese made in large wheels to 14 kg. It is ripened for 3 months and the paste is mild and slightly sweet and contains a few large holes.

Tyroler Graukäse Austria, Switzerland A soft surface-ripened cooked-curd cows’ milk cheese curdled with a lactic ferment. It is formed into discs and ripened for 10 to 20 days at high temperatures and humidity.

tyrolienne, à la France In the Tyrolean style, i.e. garnished with tomatoes and fried onions

tyrolienne, sauce England, France Finely chopped shallots cooked with colour in oil, tomato concassée added and cooked until dry, all passed through a fine sieve, cooled and mixed with mayonnaise, chopped parsley, chervil and tarragon. Served with fried fish and cold meats.

tyrolienne à l’ancienne, sauce France

Finely chopped onion sweated in butter mixed with an equal weight of tomato concassée and twice its weight of sauce poivrade and all simmered until cooked

tyttebær Denmark Lingonberry

tzatsiki, tzatziki Greece A dip based on finely chopped or grated, deseeded cucumber. See also tsatsiki

tzimmes See tsimmes

ube Philippines Yam ubi Philippines Yam

ubi jalar Indonesia Sweet potato ubi manis Indonesia Sweet potato

ubod Philippines The central pith of trunks of the coconut and other palms. Eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable or salad ingredient.

ubre Spain Udder

ubriaco Italy Drunk, i.e. cooked in wine uccelletti Italy Small birds

uccelletti alla maremmano Italy Small birds, browned in oil then cooked in a vinegar and tomato sauce with anchovies, olives and garlic

uccelletti scappati Italy Paupiettes of veal with bacon cooked on a skewer

uccelli Indonesia Birds ucche Kantola

uchepos Mexico Fresh corn tamales from Michoácan

udang Indonesia, Malaysia 1. Shrimp 2.

Prawn

udang kering Indonesia, Malaysia Dried shrimp

udder The fatty white meat of the mammary glands of milking animals such as cows, sheep and goats which is cooked and sliced. Once popular but now rarely available. Occasionally used as a pasta stuffing. Also called elder

udo Japan A stalk vegetable with a flavour similar to fennel used raw or blanched and sliced in salads

udon Japan A wheat flour noodle from the south of Japan. It is thicker than the soba noodle, is either round or flat and is usually served in soup.

udovolstvie testia Russia A highly decorated pickled herring salad where the herring is deboned and skinned and rearranged in a herring shape on a dish. It is then surrounded with chopped vegetables in a vinaigrette sauce thickened with hard-boiled

egg yolk, and decorated with slices of hardboiled eggs, beetroot and chopped spring onions.

Uferschnecke Germany Winkle

ugali East Africa The Kenyan name for finely ground corn or maize meal porridge generally made with twice its volume of water, sometimes with milk. The yellow variety is considered inferior to the white but is more nutritious.

ugli fruit A naturally occurring hybrid of the grapefruit and mandarin found growing wild in Jamaica in 1914. It has a very rough, uneven and thick peel usually with blemishes. The orange flesh has a soft texture and is very juicy. Usually eaten with a spoon like a grapefruit.

ugnsångad fisk Sweden Oven-steamed fish. Cleaned whole fish put in an oven-proof dish which has been rinsed out with water and cooked in the oven at 95°C for between 1 and 4 hours. No other treatment is necessary.

ugnspannkaka Sweden A thick pancake baked in the oven

ugnstekt Sweden Oven-baked

ugnstekt blomkål med tomat Sweden

Parboiled cauliflower surrounded with halved tomatoes in a buttered dish, gratinated with cheese and butter and baked in a hot oven until browned

UHT See ultra-heat treated uien Netherlands Onions

uitsmijter Netherlands An open sandwich with a slice of ham or roast beef topped with two fried eggs and garnished with lettuce, tomato and sliced gherkin, eaten as a snack ukad South Asia Unpolished rice, slightly dusty with a reddish colour and thick grain ukasi West Africa The leaves of a forest plant

eaten as a vegetable. See also afang

ukha Russia A light fish consommé made from enriched fish stock (800 g of white fish

ukoy

bones and trimmings per litre) resimmered with onions, carrots, parsley, bay leaf, cloves, and finely chopped dill before clarifying and straining. A little dry white wine may be added. Often served with katushki.

ukoy Philippines A fritter of peeled shrimps mixed with chopped spring onions, in a rice or wheat flour batter. Fried and served with vinegar and minced garlic.

Ukraine eggs Eastern Europe Very intricately decorated hard-boiled eggs. A peasant art form in the Ukraine dating back to 1000 BC at least.

uleg-uleg Indonesia A ceramic pestle that goes with a matching mortar (cobek)

ulekan Indonesia A small deep granite or other hard rock mortar and pestle

uliva Italy Olive

Ulloa Spain A semi-hard cows’ milk cheese similar to Tetilla cast in 1 kg discs

ulluco The pink or yellow tubers of a half hardy perennial yam, Ullucus tuberosus, from South America. It can be grown in the UK.

Ullucus tuberosus Botanical name Ulluco

Ulster roll Ireland A boned bacon joint from Northern Ireland which is cured, dry-salted, soaked in water then dried and smoked. Also called spencer

ultracongelado Spain Deep-frozen

ultra-heat treated (A liquid) which has been rapidly heated to 132°C, held at this temperature for 1 to 2 seconds (up to 6 minutes for some products), then rapidly cooled, generally in a stainless steel plate heat exchanger through which the liquid flows as a very thin film. This treatment sterilizes the liquid without too much change in its flavour. However the process does not necessarily destroy enzymes which may induce rancidity after several months. Also called UHT, long life, extended life

uluhaal Sri Lanka Fenugreek ulutham South Asia Black gram ulva Sea laver

Ulzama Spain A semi-hard ewes’ milk cheese from Navarra made in cylinders to 2 kg. The white dense paste has a strong flavour and a few holes and is covered in a brown rind.

umani Japan Vegetables simmered in dashi flavoured with soya sauce, mirin, sugar and salt, added to the broth in order of cooking times. Garnished with very fine strands of mooli.

umble pie Humble pie

umbles The edible entrails of deer or other game animals

umbra Spain Arctic char

umbra, all’ Italy In the style of Umbria, i.e. with an anchovy, tomato and truffle sauce

umbrella mushroom Parasol mushroom ume Japan Plum

umeboshi Japan Dried plums which are them pickled

umeboshi plum A Japanese apricot, coloured with red shiso leaves and pickled in salt. It has a tart salty flavour and is served at the end of a meal as a digestive and is also used in cooking. It may be puréed for use as the souring agent bainiku.

ume shiso zuke Japan Tiny pickled plums with shiso

umido Italy Stew

umido, in Italy 1. Braised 2. Stewed. umngqusho South Africa Samp and dry

cowpeas or similar (2:1) soaked in water overnight, drained then simmered on a low heat for 1 to 2 hours until all the water is absorbed, adding water as required. Seasoned and served hot. (NOTE: Said to be Nelson Mandela’s favourite dish.)

unagi Japan Freshwater eel

unbleached flour Flour which has not been treated with a bleaching agent to whiten the colour

unchun Thailand A natural blue colour obtained from the petals of a local plant. Often used to colour jicama and water chestnuts for dessert use.

uncooked curd Curd for cheese making which has not been heated to more than 40°C

Undaria pinnatifida Botanical name Wakame undercushion of veal United Kingdom The thick longitudinal muscle at the rear outside of a leg of veal equivalent to silverside of beef with the same uses as cushion of veal. Also

called undernut of veal

underdone Still red or pink in the centre of the meat after cooking. Also called rare

undernut of veal United Kingdom

Undercushion of veal

Ungarische Art Germany In the Hungarian style, i.e. with paprika

ung choi China Swamp cabbage ung choy Swamp cabbage

uni Japan Sea urchin, often presented in a nori basket as sushi

univalve Gastropod

unleavened Without any natural or chemical raising agent

unleavened bread Bread made from flour, water and salt without using a raising agent or incorporating air

unna coffee East Africa The traditional coffee of Ethiopia which is roasted, ground and brewed at the table

unpolished rice Rice from which the bran and most of the germ has been removed. See also brown rice

unsaturated fat See polyunsaturated unshu-mikan Japan Satsuma

unsweetened chocolate Chocolate containing no sugar, used for baking

uova alla Bela Rosin Italy Egg mayonnaise uova con pancetta Italy Bacon and eggs uova di bufala Italy Mozzarella di bufala uova di pesce Italy Hard fish roe

uova strapazzate Italy Scrambled eggs uovo Italy Egg

uovo affogato Italy Poached egg uovo al burro Italy Fried egg

uovo al tegamino Italy Shirred egg

uovo bazzotto Italy Lightly boiled (3 minutes) egg

uovo di mare Italy See violet 2 uovo molle Italy Soft-boiled egg uovo sodo Italy Hard-boiled egg

upotettu muna Finland Poached egg upshwa South Africa A maize or cassava-

based staple porridge from Mozambique. See also xima

upside down cake A cake baked in a tin with a decorative layer of fruit on the bottom so that when it is turned out the fruit will be on top

upside down pudding A Victoria sponge pudding made in the same way as upside down cake

urad dal South Asia Black gram

urad dal chilke wali South Asia Split but unskinned black gram

urad dal dhuli South Asia Polished black gram

Urbasa, Urbia A smoked ewes’ milk cheese from the Basque country. See also Idiazabal

urda A Balkan cheese similar to Ricotta urd bean South Asia Black gram bean

urney pudding Scotland A variation of glister pudding using strawberry jam in place of the marmalade

uzvar

Urtica dioica Botanical name Nettle use-by-date Date mark used on packaged

food which is intended to be consumed within 6 weeks. Under UK regulations this date may be changed by the manufacturer after the first date has expired.

usli ghee South Asia Ghee uso di, all’ Italy In the style of

usuage Japan Soya bean pouches. See also abura-age

usu-kuchi shoyu Japan A particularly light, clear and salty soya sauce

usu-zukuri Japan A diagonal cut of thin slices of firm fish fillets for use in sashimi

utaw Philippines Soya beans

uthappam South Asia A thicker variety of the South Indian dosa, with items such as vegetables, onions, tomatoes, chillies and coriander added to the batter before cooking rather than used as a stuffing afterwards

utility beef United States Commercial beef uunipuuru Finland A baked barley or rice

porridge

uunissa paistettu hauki Finland Baked stuffed pike

uva Italy, Portugal, Spain Grape uva fragola Italy Strawberry grape

uva passa Italy Raisins and currants uva secca Italy Raisins and currants uva spina Italy Gooseberry

Uzbekistan walnut brittle Southwest Asia

Light brown sugar and evaporated milk (3:1) flavoured with allspice, ginger and cinnamon, cooked to the soft ball stage (115°C) then mixed with halved walnuts and vanilla essence, cooled and broken up

uzhin 1. Russia Supper, a late evening meal varying in style from zakuski with unlimited vodka to a more Western three-course meal

2. See dill

uzura no tamago Japan Quail egg

uzvar Eastern Europe A compote of dried fruits soaked in water overnight then boiled in water or apple juice with a little honey or sugar. It is often served with kutya in the Ukraine on Christmas Eve and on feasts of the dead.

va Vietnam And, used as a linking word in many Vietnamese dish descriptions. See also

Vietnamese names of dishes

vaca Portugal, Spain Meat from old cows, rather tough

vaca cozida Portugal Boiled beef vaca guisada Portugal Beef stew

Vaccinium ashei Botanical name Blueberry (rabbit eye blueberry)

Vaccinium corymbosum Botanical name

Blueberry (highbush blueberry)

Vaccinium macrocarpum Botanical name

Cranberry

Vaccinium vitis-idaea Botanical name

Cowberry

Vachard France A strong-flavoured cows’ milk cheese from the Massif Central similar to Saint Nectaire

vacherin France 1. Meringue formed in a large or small shell or disc filled with whipped cream, ice cream or fruited ice cream. Served as a dessert or cake. 2. A soft runny cheese from the Jura usually served with cream

Vacherin des Beauges France Soft cows’ milk cheese cast in large flat discs to 2 kg and wrapped in a strip of spruce bark to give it a resinous flavour. The rind becomes soft and grey or brown after it is ripened in cool damp conditions.

Vacherin fribourgeoise France A smaller (up to 12 kg) soft version of Gruyère cheese with golden yellow paste and holes of varying shapes. It is started with a lactic culture, pressed, salted and surface-ripened in high humidity. Considered as a cheese for special occasions. Also called Freiburger Vacherin

Vacherin Mont d’Or Switzerland A winter cheese made from unpasteurized cows’ milk which is sold in thin wooden boxes. The paste is very soft and runny and eaten with a spoon. The rind is rust-coloured.

Vacherol du Port-du-Salut de la Trappe

France A semi-hard cows’ milk cheese made

in squat cylinders (up to 5 kg) and similar to Saint Paulin. The paste is yellow with a reddish rind.

vacuum drying A method of drying foods by subjecting them to a vacuum so that the water evaporates at ambient temperatures. May be used with frozen food.

vacuum flask See thermos flask

vacuum pack A long-life pack in which food is sealed under vacuum in polythene or other clear plastic pouches. Also known as sousvide when the contents are cooked or partially cooked food or meals for use in restaurants.

vadelmat Finland Raspberries våfflor Sweden Waffles vafler Norway Waffles

vagem Portugal Green beans, runner or French. See also feijão verde

vainilla Spain Vanilla vaktel Sweden Quail

val South Asia Hyacinth bean

Valais raclette France A semi-hard scaldedcurd cows’ milk cheese made in 6 to 7 kg wheels from full cream milk. The paste is pale and creamy and very suitable for melting as a raclette.

Valdeteja Spain A semi-hard goats’ milk cheese shaped into long cylinders with a white paste containing a few holes. It is ripened for up to 15 days and the rind is rubbed with olive oil.

Val di Muggio Switzerland A cows’ milk cheese with a delicate taste and smooth rind Valençay France A pyramid-shaped soft goats’ milk cheese from the Loire valley, matured for 4 to 5 weeks and coated in wood

ash

valenciano Mexico A type of chilli pepper Valencia orange The most well known of the

common (sweet) oranges and probably the most important world orange. Its history can be traced back to the Portuguese but it was

popularized by a British nurseryman who recognized its good qualities and shipped it around the world. It has medium to large fruits with a thin and leathery peel, about 2 to 4 seeds per fruit and an excellent flavour, though slightly acid if immature. The rind is often greenish especially if grown in tropical regions.

Valencia peanut A variety of peanut with an upright habit and up to four dark red seeds per pod

Valencia rice A Spanish rice similar to Carolina which swells and becomes tender without releasing starch. Ideal for paella.

valeriana cultivado Spain Lamb’s lettuce

Valerianella locusta Botanical name Lamb’s lettuce

valérianelle France Lamb’s lettuce

valigini mantovani Italy Cabbage rolls filled with chicken and potato and cooked in tomato sauce in the usual way

välikyljys Finland Entrecôte of beef valkokaalisalaatti Finland Cabbage salad,

coleslaw

valnødkage Denmark Walnut cake valnødromkager Denmark Walnut and rum-

flavoured biscuit

valois, sauce France Foyot, sauce valor South Asia Hyacinth bean

vanaspati South Asia Hydrogenated vegetable oil used as a butter substitute and for cooking

vand Denmark Water

vand melon Denmark Watermelon vaniglia Italy Vanilla

vanigliato Italy Vanilla-flavoured vanilje Norway Vanilla

vaniljglass Sweden Vanilla ice cream vaniljsås Sweden English custard

vanilla The seed pod of a vine, Vanilla planifolia, which can grow up to a height of 15 m. The pods are picked when unripe and go through a complex curing process which leaves the best pods narrow, dark brown, supple and long, coated with white crystals of vanillin, but this frosting can be faked. The flavour is mellow and the aroma fragrant and unmistakeable. It is used to flavour desserts and chocolate. Synthetic vanillin is widely available and is used in most manufactured goods. It has a heavier odour and a disagreeable aftertaste.

vanilla bean See vanilla pod

vanilla essence An alcoholic extract of the vanilla pod used for flavouring

vanilla flavouring The name usually given to an aqueous solution of artificial vanilla made from the eugenol in clove oil

Västerbottenost

Vanilla planifolia Botanical name Vanilla vanilla pod The fruit of the vanilla vine. Also

called vanilla bean

vanilla sugar Sugar flavoured by being kept in contact with a vanilla pod in a closed jar. Used for flavouring other dishes.

vanille France, Netherlands Vanilla

Vanille Germany Vanilla

Vanille Rahmeis Germany Vanilla ice cream vanillin One of the flavouring components of natural vanilla, now synthesized chemically

and used in artificial vanilla flavourings vann Norway Water

vanneau France Queen scallop vannmelon Norway Watermelon vanukas Finland Pudding

vapeur, (à la) France Steamed. Used especially of potatoes.

vapor, à Portugal Steamed varak South Asia Silver leaf varaq South Asia Silver leaf

varié(e) France Assorted, as in hors d’oeuvres variés, mixed hors d’oeuvres

variegated scallop A small variety of scallop, Chlamys varia, with a firmer and less white muscle than the queen or great scallop

variety meats United States Offal varkenskarbonaden Netherlands Fried pork

chops

varkenvlees Netherlands Pork värmlandskorv Sweden A sausage made

from equal parts of finely minced pork, finely minced beef and chopped raw potatoes all reminced with onion, seasoned, flavoured with allspice, moistened with ham stock, packed loosely into casings, linked, drysalted for a day then cooked and refreshed

varmrätt Sweden A hot dish (of food) vår-primör Sweden Smoked salmon served

with creamed spinach and poached eggs as an early spring delicacy

varske Russia Cottage cheese

vårsoppa Sweden Spring vegetable soup based on beef stock with new carrots, cauliflower, asparagus, fresh peas and fresh spinach, chopped as appropriate, boiled in turn until tender and reserved;the stock thickened with a liaison of egg yolks and double cream and the vegetables added back together with chopped parsley and dill and sliced radish. Served hot.

varying hare See Scottish hare vasikanliha Finland Veal vasikanpaisti Finland Roast veal vassoio Italy Tray or cheese board

Västerbottenost Sweden A hard scaldedcurd cows’ milk cheese made with a lactic

Västergota

starter followed by rennet. The scalded curds are pressed in moulds, salted and ripened for up to 8 months to give a strong-flavoured firm paste with small holes. Also called

Västergota

Västergota See Västerbottenost västkustsallad Sweden A mixed salad of

prawns, lobster meat, cooked and shelled mussels, cooked peas and asparagus, sliced raw mushrooms and tomatoes dressed with a dill-flavoured vinaigrette. Served in individual dishes garnished with dill weed.

vat A large tub used for large-scale processing of cheese, pickles, etc. and for fermenting and ageing wine

vatrushki Russia Savoury tartlets made from an egg and sour cream enriched short pastry raised with baking powder and filled with an egg, cottage cheese, sugar, butter and lemon zest filling

vatrushki s tvorogom Russia Turnovers made with an unsweetened yeast-raised dough filled with a mixture of cottage cheese, butter, eggs and salt, egg-washed, proved and baked in a hot oven. Served with sour cream.

vatten Sweden Water vattenmelon Sweden Watermelon vaxbönor Sweden Wax beans veado Portugal Deer

veal The meat of a young calf 6 to 14 weeks old. Rearing methods range from calves run with their mothers on grass which gives a good-textured, dark pink meat, to those which are removed from their mothers at birth, crated and fed with an iron-deficient reconstituted milk to give an anaemic animal with very pale flesh. This latter was once highly prized but is now gradually going out of fashion.

veal and calf grades Grades in the US are prime, choice, good, standard and utility, in descending order of quality

veal and ham pie United Kingdom A raised pie with a filling of diced ham, pork and veal, usually surrounding a hard-boiled egg

veal axoa A veal hash from the Basque country of France made with chopped onions and sweet red peppers fried in olive oil, diced veal added to the frying pan followed by tomato concassée, all cooked briskly for 5 minutes then simmered with dry white wine until tender

veal chops Chops cut from the loin of veal veal cordon bleu An escalope cordon bleu

made with veal

veal cuts United States Cuts of veal generally correspond to beef cuts but because of European, especially Italian influence, there

are many separate cuts such as neck slices, riblets, foreshanks, brisket pieces, etc. confined to particular localities

veal Oscar United States A veal cutlet, sautéed, garnished with asparagus tips and crayfish tails and accompanied with a béarnaise sauce

veal Parmigiana United States Veal chops panéed using breadcrumbs mixed with grated Parmesan cheese as the final coating, baked or fried and served with a tomato sauce

veau France 1. Calf 2. Veal

veau de mer France Porbeagle shark

veau sous la mère France Veal from calves which have been reared outdoors with their mothers until ready for slaughter

vecchia maniera, alla Italy In an old fashioned style

vecchio Italy Old. Used of cheese or other food items which might improve with age.

vedella Catalonia Veal

vegan A person who will not eat the meat or products derived from any animal or once living creature including eggs, milk, fish, etc. Honey is excluded by some

vegemite Australia Concentrated yeast extract similar to marmite (2)

vegetable carbon See carbon black vegetable extract A dark brown paste made

from hydrolysed vegetable protein and vegetable flavourings, possibly mixed with yeast extract. Used as a flavouring agent especially by vegetarians and vegans.

vegetable gelatine Agar-agar

vegetable marrow The large cylindrical green to yellow fruits of the genus Curcubita, known as summer squashes which are harvested in summer. Cooked whole or stuffed or their flesh made into jams or used as a vegetable. Very young vegetable marrows up to 15 cm in length are known as courgettes or zucchini.

vegetable oyster Salsify vegetable pear Choko vegetable peeler See peeler

vegetable soup A mirepoix of mixed vegetables sweated in butter, flour added and cooked out without colour, white stock, a bouquet garni and sliced potatoes added, simmered and skimmed for 1 hour, bouquet garni removed, the remainder liquidized, seasoned, consistency adjusted and served accompanied by croûtons. Also called légumes, purée de

vegetable spaghetti A yellow summer squash whose flesh separates into spaghetti-

like strands when it is cooked. Also called spaghetti marrow

vegetais Portugal Vegetables vegetale Italy Vegetable

vegetarian A person who avoids eating the flesh of once living creatures although some will eat animal products such as eggs, milk and milk products and fish. See also vegan, lacto-vegetarian, lacto-ovo-vegetarian

vegetarian cheese Cheese made with a curdling agent not derived from animals

veggieburger United Kingdom A vegetarian patty shaped like a hamburger, made with a savoury mixture of vegetables and vegetable protein (colloquial)

veggies United Kingdom, United States

Vegetables, as in veggieburger (colloquial) Veilchen Germany Violet, the flower veitchberry A hybrid blackberry

vellay poondoo South Asia Garlic

vells The lining of the fourth stomach of an unweaned calf used as a source of rennet

velösleves Hungary A soup made from calves’ brains and sliced mushrooms sweated in butter with parsley, sprinkled with flour and simmered with seasoned beef stock flavoured with mace until all cooked. Passed through a sieve, reheated and served with croûtons.

velouté England, France A type of soup in which a blond roux is combined with stock and vegetables, possibly sweated, herbs and seasonings, simmered and skimmed, then forced through a sieve or liquidized and finished with a liaison of egg yolk and cream (NOTE: Literally ‘velvety’.)

velouté sauce A basic white sauce made from a blond roux and a white stock, simmered and skimmed for one hour and strained. (100 g flour per litre).

velutato Italy Thickened with egg yolks (NOTE: Literally ‘velvety’.)

velvet apple Mabalo

Venaco France A soft surface-ripened goats’ milk cheese from Corsica made in cylinders (up to 400 g) and ripened for up to 50 days in cool damp caves to give a greyish rind. Only made at certain times of the year.

venado 1. Spain Venison 2. Mexico Deer, venison

venaison France Venison

venaison, sauce France Venison sauce vendace A small, medium oily, freshwater

fish, Coregonus albula, smaller than the related lake whitefish. Found in European waters and may be baked or fried.

venus shell clam

vendace roe Finland The highly prized roe of the local vendace served as caviar, e.g. with chopped onion, sour cream and blini

vending service Service using machines to dispense the food and beverages, which are usually prepacked

Vendôme France An unpasteurized cows’ milk cheese from the Loire valley cast in 250 g discs. The cheeses are ripened for 1 month either in humid caves so as to blue externally (Vendôme bleu) or covered in wood ash from vine shoots to give a brown crust (Vendôme cendré). Contains 50% fat based on dry matter.

venison The meat of deer either farmed or caught in the wild. That from the wild is in season from July to the end of February. The meat tends to be tough and is usually hung for 1 to 2 weeks and marinated before use. It has a low proportion of fat and requires special care in cooking. Popular in Germany.

venison salami Lean venison and one quarter its weight of lean pork finely minced and mixed with coarsely minced pork belly and diced pork back fat each equal in weight to the lean pork, seasoned, mixed with saltpetre and brown sugar and flavoured with nutmeg, ginger, peppercorns, garlic and juniper berries, packed tightly into ox middles or bungs and air-dried until mature

venison sauce Poivrade sauce made with game stock and finished with molten redcurrant jelly and cream

venison sausage Scotland, United States A sausage of variable composition, roughly 2 parts lean venison to 1 part fatty pork, minced, extended with soaked pinhead oatmeal in Scotland, seasoned and mixed with any of saltpetre, sage, garlic, juniper berries, brown sugar, lemon zest, spices and brandy, moistened with red wine, stock or lemon juice, packed into casings, linked and dried

vénitienne, sauce France A reduction of tarragon vinegar, chopped shallots and chopped chervil, strained, mixed with twice the original vinegar volume of sauce vin blanc and finished with green butter, chopped tarragon and vinegar

venkel Netherlands Fennel ventaglio Italy Scallop, the shellfish

ventaglio, a Italy Scallopor fan-shaped ventresca Italy Belly of pork or tuna fish ventresca bollita Italy Boiled belly of tuna

fish, considered to be the tastiest part Venushaar Germany Maidenhair fern

venus shell clam A shiny red or pink clam, Callista chione, up to 9 cm in diameter Found from southern England through to the