A Dictionary of Food

verace

Mediterranean. It can be cooked or eaten raw. Also called smooth venus clam

verace Italy Authentic, fresh, not tinned

verats a la brasa Catalonia Mackerel cooked over an open flame

verbena Italy, Spain, United States Lemon verbena

Verbena Germany Lemon verbena verde Italy Green

verdesca Italy A type of shark verdura Italy, Spain Vegetables, greens vergine Italy Virgin olive oil

verigüeto Spain Warty venus clam

Veritable Nantais France Nantais verivanukas Finland Black pudding verjuice In England the juice of crab apples,

in France the juice of unripe grapes. Used as a souring agent in place of vinegar.

verjus France Verjuice

vermicelli Italy A very fine thin pasta usually bundled up like a bird’s nest and used in soups

vermicellini Italy Angel’s hair

Vermont United States A Cheddar-type cheese from the state of the same name vermouth A spice, herb and essential oil flavoured wine used as an aperitif and as a

flavouring agent

verni France Venus shell clam vero Italy Real, authentic

Véron, sauce France 3 parts of sauce normande mixed with 1 part of sauce tyrolienne and finished with a pale meat glaze and anchovy essence

Véronique France Garnished with white seedless grapes, used of savoury dishes

Véronique, fish As for fish Bercy, glazed and garnished with white grapes, blanched, skinned and depipped

verseworst Netherlands Fresh sausage verte, sauce England, France Mayonnaise

flavoured and coloured with chopped tarragon or chervil, chives and watercress (NOTE: Literally ‘green sauce’.)

vert galant France A jam made from blueberries, honey and spices from Béarn (NOTE: Literally ‘ladies’s man’, after the French king Henri IV.)

vert-pré, au France Garnished with water cress and straw potatoes or coated with green mayonnaise or a sauce suprême coloured with a green beurre printanier and garnished with bouquets of green vegetables (NOTE: Literally ‘like a green meadow’.)

verveine France Lemon verbena

Verwurrelt gedanken Luxembourg Crisply fried pastries

verza Italy Savoy cabbage verzelata Italy Grey mullet

verzini Italy Small cooking sausages vescica Italy Bladder, used as a sausage

casing

vesi Finland Water

vésiga France The dried spinal cord of the sturgeon

vesigha Russia Dried sturgeon marrow vesop A concentrated vegetable extract used

in Eastern cooking vetchina Russia Ham

vetiver An aromatic grass used in Indian cookery. See also khas khas

Vetiveria zizanioides Botanical name Khas khas

vetkoek South Africa Deep-fried balls of dough

ve tsin Vietnam Monosodium glutamate Vézelay France A strong-flavoured goats’ milk

cheese from Burgundy, shaped like a cone Vezzena Italy A hard scalded-curd cheese made from skimmed cows’ milk, curdled with rennet and formed into cylinders (up to 40 kg). These are dry-salted and ripened for 6 months to give a slicing cheese or for 12

months to give a grating cheese. vi Catalonia Wine

vialone rice Italy A fino-grade rice with long tapering grains able to absorb large quantities of liquid without losing its structure. Used for risotto.

viande France Meat

viande de boeuf blitzée Switzerland Beef reduced to a very fine paste or cream using a bowl chopper or possibly a high powered food processor

viande des grisons France Cured and dried beef. See also Bünderfleisch

viande faisandée France Meat kept until it is high, well hung

viande hachée France Minced meat viandes froides France Sliced cold meats viands A formal term for food and provisions.

Also called victuals, vittals (NOTE: From Old English.)

Vibrio parahaemolyticus An infective type of food poisoning bacteria found in shellfish and seafood generally. The incubation period is 2 to 48 hours, usually 12 to 18 hours and the duration of the illness is 2 to 5 days. The symptoms are diarrhoea often leading to dehydration, abdominal pain and fever.

Vichy, à la France Garnished with Vichy carrots, or with a sauce containing the red of carrots which has been sweated and puréed Vichy carrots Young carrots turned or scraped, cooked in (Vichy) water, butter, a

little sugar and seasoning until all the liquid has evaporated and the carrots are tender and glazed

Vichyssoise A cold version of the homely French leek and potato soup, potage bonne femme, which has been finished with cream (NOTE: Invented by Louis Diat, chef at the New York Ritz Carlton, in a fit of nostalgia for his Vichy boyhood.)

Vichy water A natural mineral water bottled in Vichy, France

Vicia faba Botanical name Broad bean or horse bean

vickning Sweden Food offered to guests just before they are about to leave, e.g. Jansson’s temptation. Sometimes called nattmat, night food, but this refers more to solitary midnight snacks.

Victoria, à la France In the Victoria style, i.e. garnished with tomatoes, macaroni, lettuce, potatoes and sometimes artichokes

Victoria plum England A large oval red skinned dessert plum with sweet juicy flesh. Often eaten raw but may be cooked.

victoria sandwich A victoria sponge mixture baked in two shallow cake tins, turned out, cooled, trimmed and sandwiched together with a filling of whipped cream and/or jam and the tops dusted with icing sugar

victoria sponge mixture Equal parts by weight of flour, butter, caster sugar, and eggs with 2 level teaspoons of baking powder per 4 oz of flour (60 g per kg flour) made up using the creaming method

victuals See viands

Vidalia onion United States A particularly sweet onion which may only be grown in a limited area near Glenville, South Georgia. One of the few restricted area foods in the USA.

vider France 1. To empty 2. To draw poultry, to disembowel or eviscerate

Vienna bread See Vienna loaf

Vienna coffee A particular blend of coffee beans favoured in Vienna

Vienna loaf A short oval-shaped white bread about 30 cm long often with several diagonal slashes and with a fairly crisp brown crust. The inspiration for French baguettes and other similar breads. Also called Vienna bread

Vienna sausage 1. A small Frankfurter 2. United States Frankfurter sausage

Viennese coffee Austria 1. A mocha coffee 2.

Ground coffee mixed with dried figs viennois, pain France An oval soft-crumbed

crusty loaf of bread

viennoise, à la France In the Viennese style, i.e. used of roasts garnished with noodles,

villageoise, sauce

spinach, celery and potatoes. Also used of escalopes garnished with a lemon slice plus some of anchovy fillets, chopped hard-boiled egg white and yolk, chopped capers or chopped parsley arranged in a pleasing pattern.

viennoiserie France The generic name for French pastries, croissants, pain au chocolate, Danish pastries, brioche, pain au raisins, etc.

vierge, beurre France Softened butter whipped with seasoning and lemon juice, used to dress boiled vegetables

Vietnamese mint A herb of the genus Polygonum with long slender deep green leaves and with an intense flavour of basil and mint. Used to flavour fish and noodle dishes in Malaysia and salads in Vietnam. (NOTE: So called because of its introduction into Australia by Vietnamese migrants.)

Vietnamese names of dishes Vietnam Apart from one of two names left over from the French occupation, Vietnamese dishes rarely have names in the Western style such as cottage pie, boeuf bourguignonne and the like. Rather they list the ingredients and the cooking methods using the linking words voi (with) and va (and). For example (thit ga) (tron) voi (buoi) is (sliced chicken) (mixed) with (grapefruit), and (rau thom) va (xa) is (mint) and lemon grass.

Vietnamese peanut sauce Roasted peanuts, deseeded red chillies, garlic, mint and lemon juice, processed to a fine paste then thinned down with a 4:1 mixture of thin coconut milk and fish sauce

Vietnamese soya sauce See tuong

Vigna catjang Botanical name Black-eyed pea

vignarola Italy Chopped leeks, quartered artichokes, mint, seasoning, shelled broad beans and peas added progressively to heated olive oil and cooked until soft and all liquid disappeared

Vigna sesquipedalis Botanical name Long bean

Vigna unguiculata Botanical name Cow pea vigneronne, à la France In the wine grower’s style, i.e. with a wine sauce and garnished

with grapes

viili Finland A soured milk, curds, junket, yoghurt

viinimarjakiisseli Finland Redcurrant sauce viinirypäle Finland Grape

vijg Netherlands Fig

vild hönsfågel Sweden Grouse. Also called ripa

villageoise, sauce France A mixture of veal stock, mushroom essence, velouté sauce

Villalón

and soubise sauce, reduced, strained and thickened with egg yolks and cream and finished with butter. Used for white meat.

Villalón Spain An even-textured, soft, mild and rindless ewes’ milk cheese from Valladolid. The paste is made from scalded curds and has lots of small holes. It is moulded in the shape of a long cylinder with rounded ends and an oval cross section. Also called pata de mulo

Villeroi, sauce France Sauce Allemande mixed with ham fumet and truffle essence, reduced until very thick. Used for coating items of food which are then panéed and deep-fried.

Villeroi Soubise, sauce France Villeroi sauce with one part soubise sauce added to 2.5 parts of sauce allemande at the initial stage

Villeroi tomatée, sauce France Villeroi sauce with 1 part fresh tomato purée added to 3 parts of sauce allemande at the initial stage

viltfågel Sweden Game

viltsuppe Norway Game or venison soup vin Denmark, France, Norway, Sweden Wine vinäger Sweden Vinegar

vinagre Portugal, Spain Vinegar

vinaigre France Vinegar (NOTE: Literally ‘sour wine’.)

vinaigrette England, France 1. A mixture of oil and vinegar seasoned with salt and pepper, possibly with mustard and sugar, then shaken together but not so as to make a stable emulsion. Used to dress salads or as a dip. Also called French dressing 2. See ravigote, sauce

vinbär Sweden Currant

vin blanc, au France With white wine

vin blanc, fish As for fish Bercy, but sauce finished only with butter and cream and not glazed. Garnished with fleurons.

vin blanc, sauce France Boiling fish velouté mixed with white wine, cooled, butter and cream added, seasoned, lemon juice added then strained through a tammy cloth. Used for fish. Also called white wine sauce

Vincent, sauce France Equal parts of green sauce and tartare sauce well mixed

vincisgrassi maceratese Italy An 18thcentury pasta dish consisting of lasagne layered with ceps, cream and parma ham, topped with Parmesan cheese and white truffle shavings. Also called pincisgrassi (NOTE: Named after the Austrian Prince Windischgratz.)

vindaloo South Asia A particularly hot Indian stew (from chillies). The name is a corruption of vinho de alhos (‘wine and garlic

marinade’) introduced to the Portuguese colony of Goa. Other authorities derive the name from ‘vinegar’ and aloo (the Indian word for ‘potato’). See also pork vindaloo

vindaloo paste A spice paste used to make vindaloo consisting of dried red chillies, coriander, cumin and fenugreek seeds and peppercorns, all dry-roasted then processed with turmeric, salt, vinegar, tamarind, garlic, fresh ginger root and plenty of raw onion

vindrue Norway Grape vindruvor Sweden Grapes vine fruits See dried vine fruits

vinegar A dilute solution (4 to 6%) of acetic acid made by biological oxidation of alcoholic liquids such as ale, cider or wine. Known by its source i.e. malt vinegar (from ale), cider vinegar or red or white wine vinegar. Occasionally a cheap solution is made from chemically produced acetic acid which is known as spirit vinegar. Many flavourings are added to vinegar e.g. tarragon or garlic. Extensively used as a preservative and flavouring agent in all cuisines. Vinegar can be made by allowing a 15% sugar solution to ferment, open to the air, for about 6 months using yeast and/or bread as a starter if mother of vinegar is not available.

vinegar cake England An eggless fruit cake made with plain flour, mixed dried fruit, butter and soft brown sugar (2:2:1:1) using the rubbing in method and brought together with a foaming mixture of milk with bicarbonate of soda and vinegar (60:1:9), baked at 200°C for 30 minutes then at 170°C until cooked

vinegar herbs The principal herbs used for flavouring vinegars are basil, bay, chervil, dill, fennel, lemon balm, marjoram, mint, rosemary, savory, tarragon and thyme

vine leaves The young leaves of grape vines sold fresh, canned or pickled in brine. Served in salads or used as a wrapping for various stuffings, e.g. for dolmades.

vine spinach Ceylon spinach

vinha d’alhos Portugal Fish fillets or pork steaks marinated in wine with garlic, cloves, pepper and bay leaf, then fried, alternatively, the marinade

vino Italy, Spain Wine vinous grape Dessert grape

vin rouge, au France With red wine

vin rouge, sauce France A fine mirepoix of vegetables lightly browned in butter, red wine added and reduced by half, crushed garlic and espagnole sauce added, simmered, skimmed, strained and finished with butter, anchovy essence and a little cayenne pepper. Served with fish.

vinsuppe Norway Wine soup viola mammola Italy Sweet violet

Viola odorata Botanical name Sweet violet

Viola tricolor Botanical name Pansy violaxanthin See E161(e)

violet 1. A small wild flower of the genus Viola which looks like a very small pansy and whose mauve flowers are crystallized for use as cake or dessert decoration. The petals of the sweet violet, V. odorata, are used for their flavour by steeping them in vinegar. See also sweet violet 2. England, France A Mediterranean sea creature, Microcosmus sulcatus, like a soft sac enclosed in a rubbery skin similar to the sea squirt and attached to deep rocks. The raw soft insides are relished by some who like the sour iodine taste. An acquired taste.

violet apricot Plumcot

violetta, alla Italy With crystallized violets violette odorante France Sweet violet violon France Guitar fish

vipérine France Viper’s bugloss viperino Italy Viper’s bugloss

viper’s bugloss A hairy biennial plant, Echium vulgare, similar to borage which grows on chalky and sandy soils to a height of 60 cm to 1 m. The flowers are edible and can be crystallized and used for decoration or in salads.

Virginia ham United States Smithfield ham Virginia peanut A less common variety of peanut with two dark brown seeds per pod virgin oil Oil which has not been treated after being pressed from the fruit or seed and thus has a more distinctive flavour and higher vitamin content. Not to be confused with extra virgin or virgin as applied to olive oil. virgin olive oil Oil produced by the next pressing of the heated olive pulp after fine olive oil has been removed. The free oleic acid content must not exceed 4%. This oil is

referred to as refined.

virgin pastry Puff pastry after it is first made, which must be used for vol-au-vents, bouchées and items which require an even rise or lift. Cuttings which are rerolled are only suitable for pies, palmiers, etc.

Viroflay, à la France In the style of Viroflay, near Paris, i.e. garnished with spinach, artichokes, potatoes, parsley and occasionally Mornay sauce. Used especially of roast lamb.

vis Netherlands Fish viscera See innards

viscosity That quality of a liquid which determines its flow properties: the higher the viscosity the less well it flows. Thus, golden

vitamin B1

syrup is more viscous than cream, which in turn has a higher viscosity than water.

viskoekjes Netherlands Fish cakes

visniski Russia A chopped fish ball seasoned with fennel, covered with dough and deepfried

vispgrädde Sweden Whipping cream

vispi puuro Finland The juice from summer berries cooked with sugar and semolina to a paste then whipped off the heat until light and frothy. Served cold with milk and sugar. (NOTE: Literally ‘whipped porridge’.)

vit Vietnam Duck

vit, vitt Sweden White

vitamin A naturally occurring substance required by the human body for optimum health usually in small milligram quantities but sometimes gram quantities may be beneficial. Complete lack of any vitamin usually causes disease or birth defects in foetuses. Recommended daily amounts (RDAs) avoid these diseases but some advocate taking greater amounts especially of antioxidants. All vitamins are listed under either alphabetical names such as Vitamin A, B, C, etc., or under chemical names such as bioflavonoids, biotin, choline, folic acid, inositol, lipoic acid, orotic acid, PABA. Whether all the chemical names listed are true vitamins is constantly being reassessed and new vitamins are discovered at intervals. See also trace elements

vitamin A A long-chain fat-soluble alcohol which exist in various forms of which the most active is retinol which is found in animal tissues. Precursors of the vitamin are widely distributed in vegetables as carotenes which are transformed in the intestinal wall into Vitamin A. It is concerned with the integrity of epithelial tissues (skin and mucous membranes) and of the retina, especially for low light conditions, and is also needed for the correct functioning of many body cells. Major food sources are fish and animal livers, eggs and milk. It is possible to overdose.

vitamin B1 A water-soluble vitamin which must be taken daily. It maintains normal carbohydrate metabolism and nervous system function and is found in high concentration in yeast and the outer layers and germ of cereals. Other major sources are beef, pork and pulses. It has no known toxicity but colours the urine a bright yellow. Lack of vitamin B1 causes beri-beri, the first deficiency disease to be recognized which led to the discovery of vitamins. Also called aneurin, thiamine

vitamin B2

vitamin B2 A water-soluble vitamin (riboflavin), essential for metabolic processes and for cell maintenance and repair. It is stored in the liver, kidneys and heart muscles. It is widely distributed in all leafy vegetables, in eggs, milk and the flesh of warm blooded animals. Lack of vitamin B2 causes soreness of the lips, mouth, tongue and eyelids. It has no known toxicity.

vitamin B3 A water-soluble vitamin which occurs in three forms, niacin, nicotinic acid and nicotinamide. The first two can cause skin flushing and should only be taken by diabetics and persons with peptic ulcers under strict medical supervision. Both niacin and nicotinamide forms are essential for bodily health. They are widely distributed in foodstuffs. Meat, fish, wholemeal flour and peanuts are major sources. Maize contains the vitamin in a non-absorbable form and it is for this reason that it is treated with lime which makes the vitamin available as well as improving the taste. Lack of the vitamin causes pellagra summarized as diarrhoea, dermatitis and dementia. It can also cause severe lesions when the skin is exposed to light.

vitamin B5 A water-soluble vitamin (pantothenic acid) destroyed by boiling, found in all animal and plant tissues, especially poultry, liver, fish, eggs, potatoes and whole grains. It is converted to coenzyme A in the body and as such is involved in all metabolic processes. There is no known toxicity. Lack of the vitamin can cause headaches, fatigue, impaired motor coordination, muscle cramps and gastrointestinal disturbance. Severe deficiency caused the burning feet syndrome observed in prisoners of war in East Asia during World War II.

vitamin B6 A water-soluble vitamin which consists of three compounds, pyridoxal, pyridoxol (also called pyridoxine) and pyridoxamine, each with a different function. They are found in low concentration in all animal and plant tissues especially fish, eggs and wholemeal flour. They are involved in protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism and in brain function. Lack of the vitamin can cause lesions around the eyes, nose and mouth, peripheral neuritis and, in infants, convulsions. It is not recommended that supplements exceed 300 mg per day.

vitamin B12 A cobalt-containing watersoluble vitamin (cobalamin) which together with folic acid has a vital role in metabolic processes and in the formation of red blood cells. It is responsible for the general feeling of well-being in healthy individuals. It is

normally found only in animal products, particularly ox kidney and liver and oily fish. Vegetarians and vegans should take supplements which are produced by a fermentation process. Lack of vitamin B12 which may be due to its absence in the diet or poor absorption in the gut can cause a form of anaemia (Addison’s pernicious anaemia). It is normally prescribed together with folic acid.

vitamin Bc See folic acid

vitamin B complex The whole complement of B vitamins plus biotin and folic acid. They are all water-soluble and tend to be found together in natural foodstuffs. Most are prone to destruction by excessive temperatures and sunlight. Some authorities include choline, inositol and PABA in this grouping.

vitamin C A water-soluble vitamin (ascorbic acid) which is synthesized in the bodies of most animals except humans, primates and guinea pigs who have to obtain it from vegetables and fruit. It is essential for good health, wound repair, the effectiveness of the immune system and is thought by some to play a role in the prevention of cancer. Vitamin C deficiency results in scurvy, a disease still found in the poor and the old. Large amounts (up to 8 g daily) are recommended by some doctors and more famously by Linus Pauling, the chemistry Nobel prize winner. It has no known toxicity.

vitamin D A fat-soluble vitamin (calciferol) whose main function is regulating calcium and phosphate metabolism (bone formation and repair). It is not normally present in nature but its precursors or provitamins, vitamin D2 and D3 are found in milk, cheese, eggs, butter, margarine (fortified) and especially oily sea fish. These provitamins are converted in the body to vitamin D by the action of sunlight. Lack of vitamin D causes rickets (deformation of the bones) in children and liability to fracture in adults. The vitamin is toxic in excess, 30,000 IU for adults and 2,000 IU for children.

vitamin D2 A precursor of vitamin D. Also called ergocalciferol

vitamin D3 A precursor of vitamin D. Also called cholecalciferol

vitamin E A fat-soluble vitamin (tocopherol) found in small quantities in soya beans, other seeds, butter, margarine (fortified), vegetables, whole grains, eggs and liver. It exists in several forms indicated by a Greek prefix, the alpha form being the most potent. It is a very powerful antioxidant and is vital for normal procreation and for cell processes. There is some evidence that it has anticancer activity. Natural sources are the best

and though it has no known toxicity it may affect some medical conditions and supplements should only be taken on medical advice. Deficiency diseases in otherwise normal humans have not been reported.

vitamin F An obsolete term for essential fatty acids

vitamin H See biotin

vitamin K This vitamin relates to a group of chemical quinones, some fat-soluble and others water-soluble, which are synthesized by human gut microorganisms and are found in abundance in brassicas and spinach and in moderate concentration in tomatoes and pig’s liver. Lack of the vitamin causes haemorrhages especially in new born infants. It is usually only administered under medical supervision.

vitamin M See folic acid vitela Portugal Veal

vitello Italy 1. Veal from milk-fed calves 2. Calf vitello alla genovese Italy Thin slices of veal

cooked with wine and artichokes

vitello alla sarda Italy Veal, larded with anchovies and braised with tomato and olives

vitello di lette Italy Sucking calf vitello di mare Italy Dogfish

vitellone Italy Meat from up to 3 year old beef cattle, darker than normal veal but lighter than beef

vitello tonnato Italy Cold roast veal coated with a sauce made from canned tuna, mayonnaise and lemon juice processed to a smooth mixture, the whole garnished with lemon wedges

vitelotte France A firm waxy variety of potato

Vitis labrusca Botanical name American fox grape

Vitis rotundifolia Botanical name American muscadine grape

Vitis vinifera Botanical name European grape

vitkålsoppa med kroppkakor Cabbage soup with dumplings

vitling Sweden Whiting, the fish vitlök Sweden Garlic

vitreous endosperm A wheat endosperm with a very dense structure

vitrified china Porcelain

vit sås Sweden Béchamel sauce vittals See viands (colloquial) vitt bröd Sweden White bread

Vivaro Italy A semi-hard scalded-curd cows’ milk cheese very similar to Montasio. The pale yellow paste has a few holes, a mild

volume measure

pleasant taste and is covered with a hard smooth brown rind.

viveiro de mariscos Portugal A shellfish stew viveur en tasse France A strong-flavoured bouillon or consommé, often with cayenne

pepper, served in a cup

vla Netherlands Custard, flan, tart vlees Netherlands Meat vleesnat Netherlands Gravy

voi 1. Finland Butter 2. Vietnam With, used as a linking word in many Vietnamese dish descriptions. See also Vietnamese names of dishes

volaille France Poultry, chicken

volaille, crème de France Cream of chicken soup

vol-au-vent England, France A round or oval puff pastry case filled with a cooked savoury mixture. It is made by rolling the pastry to 6 to 8 mm thick cutting out the shape, then half cutting a smaller shape in the centre. When baked the centre is removed and the crisp top replaced over the filling.

vol-au-vent à la toulousaine France A vol- au-vent with sweetbreads, mushroom and truffle filling

vol-au-vent régence France An oval vol-au- vent with a foie gras, mushroom, truffle and chicken quenelle filling

voleipä Finland Sandwich

voleipäpöytä Finland Hors d’oeuvres, smörgåsbord

volière, en France (Game) decorated with their own plumage

volpallière France Small chicken fillets, larded, braised and served with a truffle sauce

volume measure A convenient method of measuring ingredients by volume, reasonably accurate in the case of liquids but less so for solids. Volumes are measured in millilitres (ml) and litres (l) in the metric system used in most countries and in fluid ounces (fl oz), pints (pt) and gallons (gal) in the old imperial system taken over with different sizes in the USA. Other measures of volume are in use, e.g. cup measure, can measure and market measure. The disadvantages of volume measure are the variation in density (weight per unit volume) of any solid commodity with particle size and moisture content and the inaccuracy of dispensing from common measuring jugs, etc. Volume measures also include the standard teaspoon, dessertspoon and tablespoon. See also liquid measure, dry measure, cup measure, can measure, market measure

vongola

Volvariella volvacea Botanical name Straw mushroom

vongola Italy Clam, especially the warty venus clam used in a pasta sauce such as in spaghetti alle vongole

vongola grigia Italy Golden carpet shell vongola nera Italy Carpet shell clam vongola verace Italy Carpet shell clam voorgerechten Netherlands Canapés,

appetizers

voorjaarssla Netherlands Spring salad vorschmack Finland Minced mutton, beef

and salt herring cooked with onions and garlic

Vorspeisen Germany Hors d’oeuvres, first course, starters

vörtbröd Sweden Malt bread vørterkake Norway Spice cake

vrai(e) France True, real, as in vraie tortue, real turtle

vrilles de vigne France Young shoots or tendrils of grape vines, usually blanched and either dressed with vinaigrette or cooked in olive oil

vrucht Netherlands Fruit vruchtengelei Netherlands Jam

Vulscombe cheese England A goats’ milk cheese from Devon

vurty Czech Republic A short fat sausage

Wachholder Germany Juniper

Wachsbohnen Germany Wax beans, butter beans, yellow beans

Wachtel Germany Quail

wafer A thin, crisp, unsweetened biscuit with a papery texture made by cooking a batter between hot plates, served with ice cream and sometimes sandwiched together in several layers with a sweet or savoury cream filling to form a wafer biscuit

wafer biscuit See wafer

Waffel Germany 1. Waffle 2. Wafer

waffle A crisp golden brown pancake made by cooking a batter between two metal waffle irons which have corresponding indentations and protrusions so that the waffle when cooked has a series of indentations on both sides. Usually served hot with butter or maple syrup or cold with whipped cream or ice cream.

waffle iron Two thick metal plates hinged along one edge with handles at the opposite edge and with heated indented mating surfaces which give waffles their characteristic appearance

wah-bho-hmyit Burma Bamboo shoot

Wähe Switzerland An open-faced large pie or tart filled with fruit, vegetables or cheese waiter, waitress A male, female person who serves the customers in a restaurant and is usually responsible for laying up and clearing the tables, making the coffee and presenting the desserts and gateaux on a trolley. In some case waiters carve meat at a side table or in expensive establishments prepare food such as tournedos, beef stroganoff or steak tartare and flambé dishes in front of the

customers.

wajan Indonesia A type of wok but deeper than the Chinese and with straighter sides wakame Japan A type of curly leaved brown alga, Undaria pinnatifida, found in coastal waters, with a mild vegetable taste and a soft

texture. It is blanched in the whole leaf form and either sold undried in Japan or exported in dried form. The fresh and, after soaking, the dried form can be used in salads or as a vegetable after boiling for 10 minutes. Also called curly algae, curly seaweed, lobe leaf seaweed

wakegi Japan Scallion

wal South Asia Hyacinth bean pods Waldmeister Germany Sweet woodruff Waldorf salad A salad of chopped apple,

walnut and celeriac or celery, dressed on lettuce leaves with mayonnaise let down with lemon juice

Waldschnepfe Germany Woodcock Walewska, à la France In the style of

Comtesse Walewska (Napoleon’s mistress), i.e. garnished with lobster, truffles and a Mornay sauce

Walewska, fish As fish Mornay, but with a slice of cooked lobster and sliced truffles placed on the fish before coating with sauce

wali East Africa A Kenyan staple of rice with added fat and spices

wali wa nazi East Africa A Swahili dish of long-grain rice cooked with salt and twice its volume of coconut milk, half thin for the initial cooking and half thick to finish. Served with stews and curries.

wallenbergare Sweden Triple minced trimmed fillet of veal, seasoned, cooled, mixed with cooled egg yolks and double cream, made into egg-shaped balls, rolled in breadcrumbs and fried carefully in butter. Served with petit pois, creamed potatoes and cranberry sauce. (NOTE: Named after the Wallenberg family.)

walleye pike United States A freshwater pike with a firm, fine textured flesh found in the great lakes of North America

walleye pollack See Alaska pollack walleye pollock See Alaska pollack

wallies

wallies United Kingdom Pickled cucumbers (colloquial)

Walliser Raclette Germany, Switzerland The general name for the semi-hard scaldedcurd cows’ milk cheeses made in the Valais region and used as melting cheeses and for raclette

Walliskäse Switzerland A hard, cooked-curd cows’ milk cheese suitable for slicing or grating. See also Saanenkäse

walnoot Netherlands Walnut

Walnuss Germany Walnut

walnut The brown nut from the fruit of the walnut tree, Juglans regia and J. nigra, which when ripe has a crinkly brain-like appearance and is enclosed in a hard relatively smooth brown shell up to 4 cm in diameter. The nut has a distinctive flavour and is used in both savoury and sweet dishes. The unripe nuts and shells are often pickled in vinegar or preserved in syrup. Also called hickory nut, butternut

walnut oil A fine nutty-flavoured oil extracted from walnuts. Used as a flavouring.

walu jepan Indonesia Choko wan dou China Peas

wansuey Philippines Coriander leaves wappato Arrowhead

warabi Japan A fern sprout used in salads or as a vegetable

wara einab Middle East Salted vine leaves wrapped around a mixture of cooked rice, pine nuts and raisins and served cold as an appetizer. Also called waraq ainab

waraq ainab Middle East Wara einab waribashi Japan Disposable chopsticks warishita Japan The mixture of soya sauce,

sugar and mirin added to sukiyaki warka North Africa Warqa pastry

warkha pastry North Africa A type of flaky pastry

warm, to To heat slowly to around 50 to 80°C Warmbier Germany A soup made with beer warm-water octopus A small species of octopus, Octopus macropus, up to 1.2 m maximum length with thin tentacles found in warm waters throughout the world. The quality is not as good as the common

octopus.

warq South Asia Silver leaf used for decoration of foods

warqa pastry North Africa Very thin filo-type leaves of pastry made from a gluey dough. Requires great skill to make.

Warrigal greens Australia One of the first plants, Tetragonia tetragonoides, to be found by Joseph Banks when the Endeavour came into Botany Bay in 1770. The arrow-shaped

leaves are like spinach but firmer and they need to be blanched before use to remove some of the oxalic acid. The young leaves have the best flavour. Also called Botany Bay greens, native spinach, New Zealand spinach

(NOTE: Warrigal comes from an Aboriginal word meaning ‘dingo’)

warsche Scotland Lacking salt (colloquial)

Warszawski Poland A ewes’ milk cheese similar to Kashkaval

warty venus clam A plump, grey to browncoloured clam, Venus verrucosa, with raised rows of wart-like projections on the shell, up to 7 cm in diameter Found from southern England to the Mediterranean. Used in vongole sauce.

Wartzige Venusmuschel Germany Warty venus clam

wasabi The edible root of a plant, Wasabia japonica, which only grows in Japan. The skinned, pale green root has a fierce flavour rather like horseradish. It is grated and served like this or made into a paste for use with sashimi or in sushi. It can also be dried to a pale brown powder. Also called Japanese horseradish, mountain hollyhock, wasebi

Wasabia japonica Botanical name Wasabi wasa-vasi Sri Lanka Mace

wasebi See wasabi

washed curd Milk curds which have been separated from the whey then steeped in cold water one or more times. This lowers the acid content of the curds and gives a coarser cheese.

washed-rind cheese A surface-ripened cheese which relies on bacteria on the surface to develop the flavour. They are frequently washed to discourage mould growth and to encourage the growth of bacteria and usually have an orange-red rind and a pungent smell although the paste tends to be sweet to the taste. They are normally small to give a high surface to volume ratio. Pont l’Evêque and Munster are typical examples.

washing soda The crystalline hydrated form of sodium carbonate

Washington The original navel orange from which most navel varieties have been developed. Also called Bahia

Washington, à la France In the Washington style, i.e. garnished with sweetcorn kernels in a cream sauce

Washington clam Giant west coast clam

Wasser Germany Water

Wasserkresse Germany Watercress Wassermelone Germany Watermelon wastle cake Scotland A type of griddle cake

wat A traditional Ethiopian stew spiced with berbere or a similar mix of long pepper, black peppercorns, nutmeg and cloves, all dryroasted and ground to a fine powder with turmeric. The meat is usually beef or chicken but goat or mutton is also used. Very few vegetables are cooked with the meat. See also zegeni

water activity A measure of the effective water content (from the point of view of a microorganism) of a food, not necessarily related to the actual water content (% by weight). It is defined as the ratio of the pressure exerted by water vapour in equilibrium with the food to the pressure exerted by water vapour in equilibrium with pure water at the same temperature as the food. (Both increase with temperature but the ratio remains roughly constant.) A food containing no water has a water activity of zero and pure water has a value of 1.0. Freezing reduces water activity by turning liquid water into ice.

water apple A type of rose apple, Eugenia aqua, which is smaller, juicier and a deeper pink colour. It may be eaten as a fruit or the juice extracted. Also called watery rose apple

water biscuit A thin crisp plain biscuit made of flour, salt and water only, similar to a cream cracker and usually eaten with cheese

water-blommetjie bredie South Africa A Cape province stew made with waterlily stems

water caltrop The fruit of an aquatic plant, Trapa bicornis, with a shiny brown to black skin and two projecting horns. It has been used for food since neolithic times and is still grown and eaten in China, Korea and Japan. It has a semi-sweet potato-like flesh and must be boiled for an hour to destroy parasites. It is used in various dishes and preserved in honey or syrup. Unfortunately it is often misnamed water chestnut and a flour made from it is called water chestnut starch.

water chestnut The bulbous corm of the plants Eleocharis dulcis and E. tuberosa, types of sedge. It is used in Chinese and Thai cooking and can be purchased fresh or canned and eaten raw or cooked. It is used as a vegetable in the West but more usually to make desserts and drinks in Southeast Asia and used for its crunchy texture in Chinese cooking. Also called Chinese water chestnut. See also caltrops, water caltrop

water chestnut starch A grey starch made from the water caltrop. Considered to be very good for making crisp batters and coatings and for producing a good gloss in sauces.

waterzooi

water concentrations The highest water concentrations (% by weight) at which microbial spoilage will not occur are approximately 13 to 15% for wheat flour, 14 to 20% for dehydrated vegetables, 10 to 11% for dehydrated whole egg and 15% for fat-free meat. See also water activity

water convolvulus Swamp cabbage watercress A hardy aquatic perennial,

Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum, also called Nasturtium officinale, with a round, sharply flavoured green leaf, generally grown in slightly alkaline running water. Used principally as a garnish for roasts and grills, in salads and in soups. It was introduced to Asia by the British and is used in salads in Southeast Asia, as a garnish in Japan and is boiled in soup in China. (NOTE: Watercress is called winter rocket in the US)

waterfisch Netherlands 1. Freshwater fish 2. Fish sauce made from vegetables and Seville orange, cooked in fish stock, seasoned, flavoured with mustard and strained

water ice Fruit or liqueur-flavoured sugar syrup, frozen with continuous stirring to make a frozen dessert similar to sorbet

water icing See glacé icing

waterleaf West Africa A spinach-like plant, Talinum triangulare, grown throughout the tropics, similar to purslane. Also called bologi

water lemon Yellow granadilla

waterless cooking United States A style of cooking using very low heat, a pot or pan with a very tight fitting lid and not more than 1 tablespoon of water

water melon The large round or oval fruit of an annual warm climate trailing plant,

Citrullus lanatus, and C. vulgaris with a thick dark green, possibly yellow striped, skin enclosing a watery crisp, pink/red and slightly sweet flesh with embedded black seeds. Eaten raw as a thirst quencher. The seeds which are oily and nutritious can be eaten as a snack food.

water souchet United States The North American equivalent of waterzoetje

water spinach Swamp cabbage water wolf Pike

watery rose apple See water apple waterzoetje Netherlands Waterzooi waterzoie Waterzooi

waterzooi Belgium 1. A local Brussels dish of boiled chicken in a stock and white-wine- based cream sauce with julienned vegetables 2. A thin stew or thick soup made with mixed fish and julienned vegetables. Also called waterzoetje