A Dictionary of Food

wattleseed

wattleseed Australia The seeds of various Acacia species. The green pods can be eaten as a vegetable but generally the seeds are dried and ground and taste like a mixture of chocolate, hazelnut and coffee. It may be used as a beverage or a flavouring. Not all species are edible. An extract is also available.

waved whelk See whelk

wax bean A type of French bean with yellow waxy pods. Also called waxpod bean

wax gourd A very large (up to 45 kg) marrowtype vegetable, Benincasa hispida, from China with a thin hard waxy green skin, resembling a water melon in appearance. The flesh is cooked by steaming, braising or simmering. Cubes of the flesh are slit, stuffed and steamed as dim sum. The flesh and skin may also be candied or pickled. The skin lends itself to the carving of elaborate patterns. See also petha, dong gwa jong. Also called winter gourd, white gourd, winter melon, Chinese vegetable marrow, ash gourd

wax palm Carnauba waxpod bean See wax bean

wazan South Asia A master chef of Kashmir weakfish United States One of the drum family of fish, Cynoscium regalis, very similar to trout. Fished both for game and food off

the Atlantic coast.

weasand The lining of a pigs gullet used for casing sausages. Rather rare.

Webb’s lettuce A common crisphead lettuce Weckewerk Germany Pork and pigskin

boiled with white bread and flavourings wedding breakfast The celebratory meal

after a marriage ceremony which has taken place in the morning, much more elaborate than a breakfast

wedding cake A celebratory cake served at a wedding feast. In the UK it is a rich fruit cake covered with almond paste and royal icing elaborately sculpted. In France it is a conical heap of profiteroles, held together with caramel.

wedge A triangular cut from the circumference to the centre point of a round cake, cheese, pie, etc. Between 4 and 12 wedges are normally cut from a circle

wedgebone steak United States A steak cut from the sirloin

wedger A special tool that cuts tomatoes, lemons etc. into wedges

wedge shell clam A small white, brown or purple clam, Donax trunculus, up to 4 cm diameter, which is plentiful in the Mediterranean. Related to the American bean clam.

Wedmore England A semi-hard cheese from Somerset made with unpasteurized cows’ milk and with a band of chopped chives running through the centre

weever fish Various edible seawater fish of the genus Trachinus with upward-looking eyes and very sharp spines on the back and gill covers

Wegerich Germany Plantain

wei China Braising food in its own juice. See also dun

Weichkäse Germany The generic name for various fresh tasting soft cows’ milk cheeses with high water content, close-textured pastes and white bloom covered rinds

weight measure The most accurate method of measuring ingredients using the gravitational force exerted on the material to deflect a calibrated spring or by balancing the weight of the ingredient against a known weight using a lever. Weights are measured in grams (g) and kilograms (kg) and tonnes (1000 kg) in the metric system used in most countries and in ounces (oz) and pounds (lb) in the imperial system still in use in the USA. Other cultures, especially in country districts, still use local measures. See also volume measure

Weihnachtsbäckerei Austria, Germany

Small pastries and biscuits specially baked for Christmas

Weihnachtstollen Germany An enriched almond-flavoured bread popular at Christmas. See also Stollen

Wein Germany Wine

Weinbergschnecken Germany Snails

Weinkraut Germany 1. Sauerkraut heated with bacon fat, then simmered in reduced white wine for 10 minutes, seedless green grapes or peeled apple pieces added and simmered a further 5 minutes 2. Rue, the herb

Weinschaum sauce A German version of Zabaglione sauce often served with vanillaflavoured blancmange

Weintrauben Germany Grapes weiss Germany White

Weissbrot Germany White bread weisse Bohnen Germany Butter beans Weissfisch Germany Whiting Weissfleisch Germany White meat

Weisskäse Germany Cottage cheese Weisskohl Germany White cabbage

Weisslacher Bierkäse Germany Weisslacker

Weisslacker Germany A rectangular-shaped sharp-tasting semi-hard cows’ milk cheese with a very white heavily salted paste made from uncooked curd and weighing about 4

kg. The surface is covered in moulds which ripen the cheese from the outside. Also called Bierkäse, Weisslacher Bierkäse

Weissrüben Germany Turnips

Weisswurst Germany A mild-flavoured white sausage made from pork and veal with flavourings, similar to Münchener Weisswurst. Usually heated in water then fried and served with mustard and bread.

Weizen Germany Wheat

Weizenbrot Germany Brown bread

well done United Kingdom Cooked so that no trace of pinkness or free juice exists in the centre of the meat

Wellhornschnecke Germany Whelk

well hung (Meat or game) which has been hung sufficiently long to develop flavour and tenderness. The classic description is – hang two pheasants by their necks, when one drops off, cook the other.

wels A very large freshwater catfish, Silurus gianis, found throughout Central Asia and Central Europe

welscher Kohl Germany Savoy cabbage

Welsh apple cake Wales Tinker’s apple cake

Welsh blood pudding Wales See pwdin gwaed, pwdin gwaed gwyddau

Welsh cake Wales A drop scone mixture containing currants, cooked by shallow frying

Welsh cawl Wales A mutton stew with potatoes, cabbage and carrots

Welsh chicken Wales Diced bacon and carrots are sweated in butter in a large pan. Flour is added and cooked to a brown roux and one of two boiling fowl and a shredded cabbage are placed on top. Chopped leeks, herbs, dripping or butter, stock and seasoning are added and all simmered for 2 to 3 hours. Serve with the chickens on a bed of cabbage, garnished with the other vegetables and with the thickened cooking liquor poured over.

Welsh curd cakes Wales An open pie lined with shortcrust pastry and filled with a mixture of curds or cottage cheese, butter, egg yolks, sugar, cake crumbs and currants (8:4:3:1:1:1) plus lemon zest, brandy and a pinch of salt combined by the creaming method. Baked at 180 to 200°C for about 20 minutes.

Welsh faggot Wales As faggot but using oatmeal and never breadcrumbs

Welsh griddle cake Wales The normal drop scone mixture but often with dried vine fruits added, sometimes brought together with buttermilk. Also called teisen gri

Welsh onion A very hardy perennial, Allium fistulosum, with hollow leaves to 45 cm tall

Wensleydale cheese

and 1 cm in diameter, which grows in clumps like chives with thickened leaves below ground level. Either the leaves or parts of the clump are used, especially as a winter vegetable. Also called ciboule, European Welsh onion (NOTE: The Welsh onion is not from Wales: the name probably derived from the German welsch meaning ‘foreign’.)

Welsh pancake Wales Pancakes but made with buttermilk instead of milk and cooked thicker than normal. Served hot and buttered or may be filled with leftovers or specially prepared meat or fish fillings. Also called crempog

Welsh parsley pie Wales A type of quiche made with an egg custard containing a little flour and sugar and a good amount of chopped bacon and parsley. Baked at 205°C until cooked and the custard set. Also called pastai persli

Welsh potato cakes Wales A yeast raised potato cake made from milk, flour, boiled potatoes and butter (10:6:4:1). Yeast (1:12) on flour is mixed with the warmed milk and butter and made into a dough with the flour and potatoes, kneaded then proved for an hour, shaped into cakes and baked at 200°C until golden brown. Also called teisennau tatws

Welsh pudding Wales Butter, sugar, egg white and egg yolk (4:3;:2:2) made into a filling by melting the butter, beating in the egg yolks and then the sugar and folding in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Lemon zest is added and the mixture poured into a pie tin lined with puff pastry then baked at 180°C until cooked, about 1 hour. Also called pwdin cymreig

Welsh punchnep Wales Equal quantities of potatoes and turnips cooked and mashed separately with butter then combined and seasoned, placed in a dish, several depression made in the surface and covered with cream before serving

Welsh rabbit See Welsh rarebit

Welsh rarebit United Kingdom A piece of buttered toast covered with a thick cheese sauce made from a white roux, milk, possibly ale, French mustard, Worcestershire sauce and seasoning mixed with an equal weight of grated Cheddar until smooth, and the whole browned under the grill. The sauce may be kept in a refrigerator until needed. Also called Welsh rabbit

Wensleydale cheese England A hard cows’ milk cheese from Yorkshire, made from milk inoculated with a small amount of fermenting whey but not allowed to become acid. The curd is uncooked and cast in 3 to 4 kg discs. The white paste matures rapidly in 3 to 4

wentelteefjes

weeks to a mellow honey-like taste. It should not be yellow or sour. A blue-veined version is produced which is matured for 4 to 6 months and is similar to Stilton.

wentelteefjes Netherlands French toast, pain perdu

western United States Western sandwich western king prawn A greyish king prawn,

Penaeus latisulcatus

western rock lobster Australia A type of spiny lobster, Panulirus cygnus, found in Western Australia. It varies in colour from pink to deep reddish brown and is of excellent quality. Also called crayfish

(seawater)

western sandwich United States A scrambled egg or omelette sandwich with sautéed ham, sweet peppers and onions. Also called Denver sandwich, western

westfälische Blindhunde Germany Soaked haricot beans simmered with pieces of bacon until nearly tender, diced peeled and cored apples, French beans, carrots and potatoes added, seasoned and simmered a further 30 minutes until all tender

westfälische Bohnensuppe Germany

Puréed kidney beans let down with white stock and garnished with blanched julienne of celeriac, carrots, leeks and potatoes and sliced Bologna sausage

westfälische Kartoffeln Germany Mashed potatoes, mixed with mashed cooking apples and butter, covered with breadcrumbs and butter and browned under the grill

westfälischer Schinken Germany

Westphalia ham

West Indian cherry Acerola

West Indian curry powder A ground spice mix introduced to the Caribbean by Indian migrants consisting of coriander seeds, aniseed, cumin seed, black mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, black peppercorns and cinnamon, all dry-roasted, plus dry ginger and turmeric

West Indian lime The original true lime, Citrus aurantifolia, originating in or around Malaysia, now grown worldwide. It is a small round lime picked either green or yellow and it has a very acid light greenish yellow flesh with many seeds. Used to make lime juice. Also called Mexican lime, key lime, Galego lime

Westmorland pepper cake England A chemically-raised basic cake mixture with added fruit and flavoured with ground ginger, cloves and black pepper but with half the normal quantity of eggs. Made by the melting method and baked at 180°C until cooked.

Westphalia ham Germany A brine-cured boneless ham made from pigs fed on acorns. They are well rested before slaughter and completely desanguinated by massaging the meat. The pork is dry-salted for 2 weeks, immersed in a 20% brine for a further 2 weeks and cold-smoked over ash and beech wood with juniper berries for up to 5 weeks. Served raw in very thin slices.

Westphalian sausage Germany A sausage made from lean pork and fat pork (3:1) from the forequarter, minced, seasoned, flavoured with ground cloves, packed in casings and air-dried until yellow

Westralian jewfish Australia An outstanding deep-bodied table fish, Glaucosoma hebraicum, from Western Australia which commands high prices and appears only in the more expensive restaurants. It is silvery blue fading to light blue on the belly and is striped longitudinally. It can grow to more than 1 metre in length and should not be confused with the jewfish (mulloway) which, though similar in size, is not striped.

wet fish Fresh uncooked fish, hopefully so fresh that it is still twitching

wetha see pyan Burma Pork curry flavoured with lemon, turmeric, garlic and ginger served with boiled rice

wether A castrated male sheep. The flesh is considered to be less fine than a comparable young ewe.

wether gammon Leg of mutton

wet nellie United Kingdom A doughnut with jam in the centre (colloquial; North of England)

whale Animal of the largest mammal order Cetacea which, although it breathes air, lives in the sea. There are various species ranging in weight from 2 to 120 tonnes, although dolphins and porpoises which are the same family may be considerably smaller than this. They are hunted for their subcutaneous fat (blubber) which is further processed into whale oil, and the flesh which finds a ready sale in Japan and East Asia. Once a major food source for the inhabitants of Arctic and northern latitudes.

whale oil Oil rendered from whale blubber used after deodorization for margarine and soap manufacture

wheat The seed of a plant, Triticum aestivum, which is the most important food grain of the developed world. Used, when ground into flour and processed, to make bread, pastry and cakes, as a thickening agent and for a multitude of other uses. Also used as an animal feedstuff. Alternatively it can be cooked whole, dried and cracked to form

another food staple. It contains roughly 85% endosperm, 13% bran and 2% wheat germ. Also called corn

wheat classification Wheats are classified either as hard vitreous, hard mealy, soft vitreous or soft mealy. See also vitreous endosperm, soft wheat, hard wheat

wheat composition Protein 8 to 15% and fat around 2%. It is the protein type and not the percentage composition which is the underlying cause of hardness in wheat.

wheat duck United States A type of wild duck similar to widgeon

wheatear A small buff and grey European game bird, Oenanthe oenanthe, with a white rump (NOTE: From ‘white arse’.)

wheat flakes Partially boiled cracked wheat crushed between rollers then dried, lightly toasted and used in muesli and as a breakfast cereal

wheat germ The embryo of the wheat grain which is removed from white flour. It constitutes about 2% of the total weight of the grain, consists mainly of fat and protein and contains most of the B and E vitamins. Often sold separately as a food supplement.

wheat germ flour United States The pulverized germ of wheat usually dry-fried or roasted before use

wheat germ oil The oil extracted from wheat germ used as a health supplement and high in vitamin E, which is destroyed by heating wheat hardness A measure of the ease of grinding of wheat into flour determined either by standard milling tests (time to grind to a particular size in standard apparatus), by biting the wheat seed (miller’s test) or by measuring the force necessary to penetrate the wheat with a sharp point (micro

penetration test)

wheatmeal flour See brown flour

wheat starch A gluten free wheat flour consisting mainly of starch. It is used as a thickener and is mixed with tapioca starch (2:1) to make a boiling water dough suitable, after kneading and rolling or flattening, for wrapping small parcels of food such as dim sum. See also wheat starch dough

wheat starch dough A dough suitable for food wrappers made from 2 parts wheat starch, 1 part tapioca starch and a little salt, briskly mixed with 4 parts of boiling water and a little oil, kept warm whilst resting then kneaded to a silky soft dough. Small chestnut-sized pieces can be rolled out or pressed out with the fingers or back of a knife.

whelk A large (up to 4 cm across) carnivorous gastropod mollusc, Buccinum undatum,

whipped cream

with a grey/brown snail-like shell. They are usually boiled at the place of landing and checked for toxicity. They may be sold shelled or unshelled and are poached, baked or grilled. They are rather tasteless and therefore often served with vinegar. Also called waved whelk

whetstone cakes United Kingdom Hard round cakes made with flour, sugar and egg whites and flavoured with caraway seed. Baked in a cool oven until hard.

whey The translucent liquid which is formed when coagulated milk separates into a semisolid portion (curds) and a liquid portion (whey). It contains most of the lactose of the milk and a small amount of protein and fat. Usually a waste product but sometimes boiled or acidified to separate more solids from which a kind of cheese is made.

whey cream Any cream or fat still remaining in whey after the curds have been separated in cheese making

whey of butter Buttermilk whiff Megrim

whig Sour milk, whey, buttermilk whimberry Bilberry

whim wham England An 18th-century dessert of sponge fingers soaked in muscatel or sweet sherry with brandy, orange juice and grated orange zest, topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with almond praline

whip A dessert to which whipped cream or whipped egg white is added, often containing gelatine and with a light texture whip, to To beat one or a mixture of ingredients with a whisk, rotary beater or electrically-operated mixer to incorporate air and in some cases to form emulsions or to change the phase relationships in emulsions e.g. from oil in water to water in oil. Also

called whisk, to

whipkull Scotland A Yuletide drink from Shetland made from egg yolks, sugar and rum (4:2:1). The egg yolks and sugar are beaten to a cream over hot water and the rum added drop by drop whilst still beating. Poured into glasses and drunk whilst warm or eaten as a dessert when cold.

whipped butter Softened butter whipped to incorporated air so as to make it easy to spread

whipped cream Cream containing between 35 and 40% butterfat which is whipped to incorporate air and to begin linking up the fat globules to make it a semi-solid. If whipping is carried on for too long the fat will become the continuous phase and it will turn to butter. For this reason, food processors must

whipping cream

be carefully watched when being used to whip cream.

whipping cream United Kingdom Cream containing a minimum butterfat content of 35%. See also light whipping cream, heavy whipping cream

whip topping United States A non milk fat substitute for whipping cream

whisk An implement used for hand whisking, which can be a balloon whisk, a coiled wire whisk or a rotary whisk

whisk, to To whip

whisking method for cakes A method of making cakes by following the procedure for fatless whisking, then at the end folding in molten clarified or whole butter very gently (e.g. by simultaneously throwing in the fat while switching the machine off), used for making e.g. Genoese sponge

whistle pig United States Woodchuck

white asparagus Asparagus shoots cut below ground level when the tips protrude at most 5 cm into the light

white aubergine A very light green aubergine used in central China

whitebait Young sprats, herring and possibly other fish under 5 cm long, generally deepfried whole à l’anglaise and seasoned with salt and cayenne pepper. See also anglaise, fish à l’, sand eel

white beef stock Beef bones with fat and marrow removed, blanched and refreshed, simmered with aromatic vegetables and a bouquet garni for 8 hours, skimming continuously then strained. Proportions 4 bone, 1 vegetables and 10 water. Also called fond blanc, fond de marmite

white beet Chard

white bordelaise sauce See bonnefoy, sauce

white bread Bread made from a white flour dough

white butter fish Pomfret

white butter sauce See beurre blanc

white cabbage A spherical cabbage consisting of a tightly-packed ball of rather thick white leaves with a few green leaves surrounding it. Used for making coleslaw and sauerkraut and in the UK for institutional boiled cabbage.

white cake United States A cake made with all white ingredients, i.e. with no egg yolk or coloured fats, etc.

white chicken stock As for white beef stock but substituting chicken bones and carcasses for the defatted beef bones. Also called fond blanc de volaille

white chocolate A white, chocolate-tasting confectionery item made from bleached cocoa butter and white sugar

white cinnamon The inner bark of wild cinnamon

white crystal sugar United States Granulated sugar

white cumin Cumin, the common brown variety

white currant A variety of redcurrant which lacks the gene for the colouring matter

white curry Sri Lanka A mild curry based on coconut milk

white fish 1. A general name for any type of fish with white flesh and less than 6% fat in the flesh, such as haddock, whiting, cod, plaice, etc. 2. United States A small freshwater fish related to the salmon and trout. It is often smoked and the roe processed into a caviar substitute.

white flour Wheat flour from which the bran and wheat germ have been removed leaving between 72 and 74% of the original dehusked grain. Sometimes bleached chemically to enhance the white colour.

white fungus A white to golden-coloured crinkly and rather tasteless fungus, Tremella fuciformis, similar to cloud ear fungus and resembling a ball of sponge, normally available in dried form. Also called snow fungus, silver fungus, tremella

white gourd Wax gourd

white ladies pudding Central Asia A type of bread and butter pudding in which a wellbuttered pie dish is sprinkled with desiccated coconut and filled with triangles of buttered crustless white bread over which is poured a light vanilla-flavoured custard, milk, eggs and sugar (8:2:1). This is then baked in a bain-marie at 160°C for about 90 minutes until set, turned out and eaten hot or cold. (NOTE: The name comes from the village of White Ladies Aston where there used to be a Cistercian convent whose nuns wore white habits)

white long-grain rice A polished long-grain rice with the bran and outer coating removed giving separate fluffy grains when cooked. Requires about 15 minutes boiling to cook. white meat Term used for the breast flesh of poultry to distinguish it from the dark meat of

the legs. Also used of pork and veal.

white mugwort A hardy deciduous shrub,

Artemesia lactiflora, whose aromatic green leaves are used in stuffings for roast goose white mustard The pale yellow or fawn, pungent seed of an annual plant Brassica hirta or Sinapsis alba native to Southern Europe. This mild form of mustard is

combined with brown mustard, a more aromatic variety, in various proportions to give the variety of mustard-based condiments available.

white mutton stock As white beef stock but substituting mutton or lamb bones for beef bones. Also called fond blanc de mouton

white octopus Curled octopus white of egg See egg, egg white

white onion A variety of onion with a similar shape to the globe but with a silvery white skin. They have a mild sweet flavour and are usually served raw.

white onion soup Basic soup with onions. Also called oignons, purée d’

white pepper The dried dehusked berries of a vine, Piper nigrum, sold either as whole berries or ground to a fine fawn powder. Used in white sauces where the dark specks from the husks of black peppercorns would detract from the appearance. See also peppercorn

white pomfret The silvery-skinned variety of pomfret with the finer flavour

white pork United States The flesh of completely desanguinated young pigs

whitepot England A Devonshire custard made with eggs, flour, milk and cream

white pudding 1. Scotland Skirlie, packed into hog casings. Also called mealie pudding 2. A general name for sausages made from light-coloured offal and meats such as brains, tongue, lights, etc. mixed with whitish cooked grains such as pearl barley, oatmeal, etc., seasoned, flavoured and packed into off-white casings. Generally fried and eaten hot.

white radish Mooli

white roux Equal quantities of plain soft flour and butter, cooked together to a sandy texture for a few minutes without colouring. Used for béchamel sauce.

white sapote United States A type of baseball-sized custard apple with a green, shading to yellow, edible skin and soft flesh

white sauce See béchamel, sauce

white sesame seeds The white variety of sesame seeds used to make tahini. Used as a garnish in Asia and crushed for use in sauces and coatings. In Asia they are dryfried or roasted to release flavour.

white skate A variety of skate, Raja marginata, with a fawny red upper skin and white underside. Used as skate.

white sprouting broccoli See sprouting broccoli

white stew A stew made from poultry or veal with onions in a white sauce. See also blanquette

whortleberry

white Stilton A semi-hard, crumbly, slightly acid, whitish cheese which is young Stilton before the veining has started. It is matured for about 4 weeks, has little crust and does not keep. May be used as a substitute for Feta.

white sturgeon Osetrina sturgeon

white sugar Fully refined sugar, either granulated, caster or icing

whitetail A name for various game birds with white tails, e.g. wheatear

white tuna fish A variety of tuna with very pale flesh

white turmeric See zedoary

white veal stock As for white beef stock but substituting veal bones for beef bones. Also called fond blanc de veau

white vegetable stock Chopped aromatic vegetables simmered in water for 1 hour and strained. Proportions 1 vegetables, 4 water. white vinegar A colourless transparent vinegar either spirit vinegar or a decolorized

malt vinegar. Often used for pickling.

white wine court bouillon Equal quantities of white wine and water with 120 g of onion and 12 g of salt per litre together with parsley stalks, a little thyme and bayleaf and peppercorns added. Used for trout, eel, pike and most fish.

white wine sauce See vin blanc, sauce white yam A most important species of yam,

Dioscorea rotundata, which is grown in the high rainfall zone of West Africa where it is a staple food

whiting 1. A round bodied seawater fish,

Merlangus merlangus of the cod family found generally in the North Atlantic and weighing about 400 g. The upper skin is grey to dark green or blue and the flesh is lean, white and delicate and may be cooked in any way. See also King George whiting 2. United States Silver hake

Whitstable oyster England A fine native oyster

wholegrain wheat Dehusked wheat grains

wholemeal bread Bread made from wholemeal flour. Also called Graham bread

wholemeal flour A flour produced from dehusked wheat grains containing both the bran and the wheat germ. Also called wholewheat flour

whole milk 1. United Kingdom Full cream milk 2. United States Cows’ milk with a least 3.25% butterfat and 8.25% non fat solids

wholewheat flour See wholemeal flour whortleberry Bilberry

wiankowa

wiankowa Poland A hard sausage made from lean pork and pork fat, formed into the shape of a horseshoe. Also called wiejska

wichity grub See witchetty grub wickenin’ England Yeast

widgeon A small wild duck, Anas penelope which is normally plucked, drawn and trussed and roasted at 220°C for 20 to 25 minutes, garnished with watercress and lemon and served with an orange salad and a jus lié flavoured with redcurrant jelly or port wine. The shooting season is the 1st of September to the 31st of January. Hanging time 2 to 3 days. Also called wigeon

wiejska Poland Wiankowa

wiener United States Frankfurter sausage

Wiener Backhendl Austria Deep-fried panéed chicken meat possibly beaten out to escalope thickness

wienerbrød Denmark Danish pastry (NOTE: Literally ‘Vienna bread’.)

wienerlängd Sweden A cake made from a rolled out sheet of Danish pastry 40 by 15 cm. Crème pâtissière laid lengthways along the centre, the 2 sides folded in over part of the filling and pressed down, proved 40 minutes, baked at 230°C for 20 minutes, cooled, iced and cut across into individual pastries.

Wiener Schnitzel Austria, Germany A veal escalope or cutlet, panéed (sometimes olive oil in the egg) and fried in butter. Served with a wedge of lemon.

Wiener Schnitzel Holstein Austria A Wiener schnitzel topped with a fried egg

Wienerwurst Austria, United States A coarse sausage similar in shape to the Frankfurter made from veal or beef and pork lightly cured in sugar, salt and saltpetre, chopped separately, the pork finer than the veal or beef, mixed, seasoned, flavoured with coriander, garlic and grated shallots, filled into narrow sheep casings, lightly smoked, boiled until they rise to the surface, then airdried. Also called wienie, Würstel

wienie United States Wienerwurst

Wiesenschaumkraut Germany Lady’s smock wig England A small one-portion cake or bun wigeon See widgeon

wijen Indonesia Sesame seeds wijn Netherlands Wine

Wild Germany Game

wildappel Netherlands Crab apple

wild boar The original ancestor of the domesticated pig, sometimes hunted but now farmed in enclosed woodland. They grow slowly and the flesh is red and tastier

than ordinary pig. Generally killed at 14 to 18 months.

wildbraad Netherlands Game

Wildbret Germany Venison, game

Wildbret Pastete Germany Venison pie

wild celery A biennial plant, Apium graveolens, whose ground brown seeds are a constituent of celery salt. The chopped leaves may be used in salads, as a garnish or as an aromatic flavouring. Also called smallage

wild duck See mallard

wilde eend Netherlands Wild duck

Wildegeflügel Germany Game birds Wildente Germany Wild duck

wildfowl Game birds such as partridge, wild duck, etc.

wild goose Either pinkfoot or greylag. Shooting season 1st September to the 31st of January. Hanging time 2 to 9 days.

wild lime Australia The fruits of this true citrus, Eremocitrus glauca, are about 1 cm in diameter and have a thin porous skin. They are bitter and very acidic and are used in the same way as limes. Ten wild limes are the equivalent of one ordinary lime. Other similar limes are the finger lime, the round lime and the Russell river lime, some of which are larger.

wild marjoram Oregano

wild plum Australia Kakadu plum

wild raspberry Australia There are various wild raspberries, varying in size, colour and flavour. The Atherton raspberry is one that is commercially available.

wild rice A black and white seed of a rush plant, Zizania aquatica, which is grown in China, Japan and the USA. It is not a rice in spite of its name. It is now cultivated as well as being gathered in the wild. Cooked like rice, but requires about 45 minutes boiling. Also called Indian rice, tuscarora rice

wild rice shoot The young shoots of the wild rice plant, Zizania aquatica, used as a vegetable. They are up to 25 cm long and may be steamed, boiled, baked or stir-fried.

wild rose See rose

wild rosella Australia The edible, magentacoloured flower covering (calyx) of a naturalized hibiscus, Hibiscus sabdariffa, from the north. It has a sharp raspberry and rhubarb flavour and is available fresh in Queensland and frozen elsewhere. It makes excellent jams, sauces and relishes.

Wildschwein Germany Wild boar wild spinach United States Pig weed

wild strawberry A hardy evergreen plant, Fragaria vesca, whose small fruits have a

very fine flavour. Also called wood strawberry (NOTE: The cultivated strawberry was bred from imports, F. virginiana and F. chiloensis, in the 16th and 18th centuries.)

wild thyme Australia This low-growing herb,

Ocimum tenuiflorum, is a member of the basil family and has the same leaf structure and flavour as thyme but more intense and with hints of tarragon and rosemary. It is used sparingly in the same way as thyme. Also called native thyme

wild yeast A yeast which grows naturally on ripe fruit and will cause fermentation. Often a mixture of yeasts and bacteria especially in hot countries.

willick Ireland Winkle (colloquial)

willow grouse A member of the grouse family, Lagopus lagopus, widely spread throughout Scandinavia, northern Russia and the north of North America. It goes completely white in winter. Cooked as grouse.

willowleaf mandarin Mediterranean mandarin

willow partridge Ptarmigan

Wiltshire cure England The principal method of curing bacon in which the curing solution is injected under pressure into a whole side of pork through multiple hollow needles. The sides are then steeped in brine for 2 to 3 days and matured in a cold room for 7 days. At this stage it is known as green bacon. The sides may then be cold-smoked to give smoked bacon.

Wiltshire sausage England A sausage made from freshly killed lean pork, fat pork and rusk (7:3:1), minced, seasoned, flavoured with mace, ginger and sage, packed into hog casings and linked

windberry Bilberry

Windbeutel Germany A large hollow-centred choux pastry ball filled with whipped cream wind-blown whiting Scotland Blawn whiting wind egg An imperfectly formed egg with a

soft shell

Windermere char England The British version of the freshwater Arctic char from the lake of the same name

windfall Fruit which has fallen off trees and is usually bruised or damaged

Windsor bean Broad bean

Windsor red cheese England A mature Cheddar cheese flavoured and coloured with a red fruit wine to give a veined appearance wine 1. The juice of red or white grapes, fermented on or off the skins and matured for varying periods of time depending on quality. Used as a constituent of many sauces especially when reduced to

winter cress

concentrate the flavour, as a cooking liquor and as a constituent of a marinade. 2. Alcoholic drink made from various sources: palm wine, rice wine, barley wine, elderberry wine, etc.

wine ball A mixed culture of yeasts and fungi formed into small balls used for making Chinese alcoholic beverages and fermented red rice. Also called wine cube

wineberry The sweet and juicy fruit of a prickly shrub, Rubus phoenicolasius, rather like a conical red blackberry. It may be used as blackberries or raspberries. Also called

Japanese wineberry wine cube See wine ball

wine jelly A jelly made with wine, gelatine and flavourings. May be eaten as a dessert or as an accompaniment to meat and game.

wine plant United States Rhubarb (colloquial)

wine sauce Scotland Sweet white wine, thickened with 55 g of corn flour per litre then butter and brown sugar added both at the rate of 100g per litre and finally finely grated lemon zest to flavour. Served hot.

wine vinegar Wine in which the alcohol has been biologically oxidized to acetic acid. The normal concentration is 3 to 4 percent of acetic acid.

wing The feathered front limbs of a bird used for flying or fast ground running. Usually only the bone nearest the body is used, the remainder going into the stockpot. If very meaty the two bones may be used and are often marinated and grilled.

winged bean Asparagus pea winged pea Asparagus pea winged yam Asiatic yam wing kelp United States Alaria

wing rib of beef United Kingdom The last three ribs of beef closest to the sirloin and the choicest roasting joint. The wing rib with possibly some of the fore ribs is used for the traditional roast beef of England.

winkle A small herbivorous gastropod mollusc, Littorina littorea, up to 2.5 cm long found in most coastal waters and usually sold cooked either shelled or still in its shell. They have to be extracted with a long pin or winkle pick. Rather tasteless and usually eaten with vinegar. Also called periwinkle, willick

winkle pick A straight pin, 4 to 5 cm in length, used for extracting winkles from their shells

winter artichoke See Jerusalem artichoke

Winterbergminze Germany Winter savory winter cress United States A wild cress,

Barbarea vulgaris, with somewhat spicy

winter flounder

bitter leaves which may be used in salads. Can be cultivated throughout the winter under protection. Also called yellow rocket winter flounder A flatfish,

Pseudopleuronectes americanus, similar to a large plaice. It is found off the eastern coast of Canada and northern USA and moves towards the coast in winter. It weighs about 2 to 3 kg and averages 45 cm long. The upper skin is reddish brown. Cook as plaice. Also called common flounder, George’s bank flounder

winter frisée See endive winter gourd Wax gourd

wintergreen United States A native evergreen plant, Gaultheria procumbens, with deep green aromatic leaves and edible spicy berries used as a flavouring. Also called checkerberry

Winterkohl Germany Kale

winter melon A variety of sweet melon, Cucumis melo, with smooth yellow or yellow and green striped skin, weighing up to 1 kg and with a sweet juicy white to orange and green flesh. The melon is ripe when the skin gives slightly at the stalk end when pressed. Also called casaba melon (NOTE: The name is also used confusingly for the wax gourd)

winter mushroom Shiitake mushroom winter purslane A hardy invasive annual

plant, Montia perfoliata, with mild-flavoured, heart-shaped leaves and small flowering shoots, all of which are cut continuously for use in salads. Also called miner’s lettuce, claytonia

winter radish Varieties of radish which can be left in the ground throughout the winter

winter rape Rape

winter rocket United States Watercress winter savory A perennial herb, Satureja

montana, with small narrow pointed and folded leaves rather like thyme which is slightly milder than the summer variety. Used in bean and cheese dishes, on roast duck, to flavour vinegar, chopped to garnish soups and sauces and to flavour salami.

winter squash Various fruits of the genus

Curcubita, e.g. Curcubita maxima or C. moschata, which are used when fully ripe and the rind has hardened. They are peeled and the seeds removed before cooking. Used for pumpkin pie and soup. Examples are Hubbard, table queen or acorn, golden delicious, butter cup, butternut, turk’s cap, etc. They all have much the same flavour. They are often added to curries in India and used tempura-style in Japan. They may also be pickled or made into chutney. The salted

and dry-roasted seeds are eaten as a snack food.

winter wheat Wheat planted in the autumn. The young plants overwinter and growth recommences in spring. Harvested slightly earlier than spring wheat.

wishbone A thin V-shaped bone found in birds which connects the centre of the breast bone to the wing joints, equivalent to the collar bone of humans. It should always be removed from chickens and turkeys to aid carving and jointing.

witchetty grub Australia The large white larva of the Australian longicorn beetle about 6 to 10 cm long eaten after frying by the aboriginal population and becoming more generally popular. It tastes like fish cooked in cream. Also called wichity grub, witjuities

witch sole A small long deepwater flatfish,

Glyptocephalus cynoglossus, from north Atlantic European waters, up to 50 cm long and with a brown to grey upper skin.Somewhat thinner than the similar winter flounder. Cook as sole. Also called

Torbay sole, pole dab

witherslacks England A Lake District term for damsons (colloquial)

witjuites Australia Witchetty grub witlof Netherlands Belgian chicory witloof chicory Belgian chicory

wittebonen Netherlands White butter beans wittegoud Netherlands The thick white asparagus much liked by the Dutch and in season during May and June (NOTE: Literally

‘white gold’.)

wittekool Netherlands Cabbage

Wittling Germany Whiting

wohlriechende Süssdolde Germany Sweet cicely

wok China A thin steel pan with one or two handles made in the form of a section of a sphere which is used for very fast Chinese stir-frying. The wok is placed over a very intense heat source and different ingredients may be added to hot oil in order of cooking time. Cooked and part cooked food is often kept on the shallow sloping sides of the wok. Toward the end of the cooking process stock and sauces may be added to complete the whole dish of food. The wok is also used for rapid stir-frying of a single vegetable or item of food, for deep-frying and it can be used for steaming using bamboo nested steamers.

wok lok wuat China Cardamom

Wolfbarsch Germany Bass, the fish wolfberry The seed of the matrimony vine

which turns a bright red when cooked. It is used as a flavouring and as a tonic in Chinese medicine.

wolf fish Catfish

wolke England The Old English term for rolled or kneaded dough

Wollwurst Germany A finely minced and ground veal sausage from Bavaria. Normally fried in butter.

wonderberry A tropical and subtropical annual plant, Solanum x burbankii, which grows to 1 m and has oval light green leaves and clusters of purple berries each berry up to 1 cm diameter The young leaves and shoots are cooked as spinach. The ripe berries must be thoroughly cooked. Unripe berries contain a poisonous alkaloid. Also called sunberry

wong bok China Chinese leaves wong geung China Turmeric wong gwa China Cucumber wong keung China Turmeric

wong nga baak China Chinese leaves wong paan China Garoupa, the fish

won ton China A type of ravioli made with very thin 8 cm squares of noodle pastry with a small amount of a savoury mixture of meat, fish or vegetables placed in the centre, the pastry is then folded into a triangle, sealed and the two acute angles brought together and the right angle folded outwards. They are either deep-fried and served as an appetizer, boiled in a soup or poached until they float.

won ton skin See won ton wrapper

won ton wrapper Egg pasta or egg noodle dough rolled out as thinly as possible, cut into 8 cm squares and dusted with corn flour. Also called won ton skin

won yee China Cloud ear fungus woo chak China Cuttlefish

wood apple An edible fruit indigenous to the Indian sub-continent about the size of an orange. It is eaten raw or mashed with sugar and water and made into jellies or sherberts. Occasionally available in cans. Also called aegletree fruit, elephant apple

wood blewit A variety of edible fungus, Tricholoma nudum, with a relatively long cylindrical stem and a 5 to 14 cm diameter smooth cap, deep purple to brownish purple in damp conditions and beige brown during drought and when mature. The flesh has a pleasant scent and they grow in clusters on forest floors. See also blewit

woodchuck United States A North American burrowing rodent, Marmota monax, weighing around 2.5 kg in March to 4.5 kg in September prior to hibernation. The flesh when young resemble pork. Also called groundhog, whistle pig

Worcestershire sauce

woodcock 1. A small squat wild bird, Scolopax rusticola, from boggy land with mottled plumage, a long bill and large eyes. It weighs about 280 gram and forms one portion. Roasted with the head on, barded with bacon and without drawing the bird, at 190°C for 20 to 30 minutes. The trail (liver and heart) is spooned onto the bread on which they are served and the whole garnished with watercress and lemon and accompanied with a jus lié and cranberry sauce. The shooting season is the 1st of October to the 31st of January in England, 1st of September to the 31st of January in Scotland. Hanging time 1 to 3 days. 2. United States A slightly smaller relative, Philobela minor, of the woodcock found in Europe and Asia

wood dove See pigeon wood duck Carolina duck wood ear Cloud ear fungus

wood fungus Cloud ear fungus wood grouse Capercaillie

wood hedgehog United States A type of wild mushroom with a near white flesh and a bitter flavour

wood pigeon The wild pigeon, Columba palumbus recognized by its large feet. Young ones are barded with bacon and stuffed with shallots before roasting at 200°C for 30 to 40 minutes; older birds may be casseroled or stewed. There is no close season (May to October best) and no hanging time is required, although 2 to 3 days are recommended by some authorities.

woodruff See sweet woodruff

wood sorrel One of the sorrel family with small heart-shaped sour leaves used for flavouring and in salads and soups

wood strawberry Wild strawberry wooi heung China Fennel

woolly pyrol Caribbean Black gram. Sometimes grown as green manure.

woo lo gwa China Bottle gourd woon sen China Cellophane noodles woo tau China Taro

wop salad United States Lettuce with olives, anchovies, oregano, capers, and garlic dressed with olive oil (NOTE: A politically incorrect name and probably soon obsolete.) worcesterberry An intermediate-sized blueblack hybrid of the North American gooseberry and the blackcurrant. May be used instead of blackcurrants or blueberries.

Worcester sauce England A misspelling of Worcestershire sauce

Worcestershire sauce England A thin strong-flavoured sauce usually used to add