A Dictionary of Food

black sesame seeds

skin surmounted by a very sharp fin and weighs between 0.5 and 2 kg. It has firm white flesh and may be cooked in any way. Found in deep water off the eastern coast of the USA.

black sesame seeds A black coloured sesame seed used as a garnish in desserts and puddings and, when ground, in soup or to make gomasio

black soya bean A smaller variety of soya bean than the yellow. Served as a salad or, when puréed and sweetened, as a cake and bun filling.

blackstrap molasses The darkest variety of molasses being that black mixture of invert sugars and other compounds remaining after crystallization of raw sugar from sugar cane juice

black treacle A mixture of molasses and invert sugar syrup used as a general sweetener but particularly for treacle toffee and treacle tart

black tree fungus Cloud ear fungus black trumpet Horn of plenty

black turnip A large black-skinned turnip from Italy with a sharp, pungent, white and crisp flesh

black vinegar A dark, mild and sweetish vinegar similar to balsamic vinegar but made from fermented glutinous rice or sorghum. Presumably made in a similar way. Commonly added to many dishes as a flavouring in north and central China.

black walnut United States A variety of walnut tree with black coloured walnuts

bladder cherry Chinese lantern

blade bone United Kingdom A large beef joint from the top of the forequarter between the ribs and the neck and clod. Usually boned and sold as blade steak or chuck steak.

blade mace The one-piece outer lacy covering, the aril, of a nutmeg. See also mace

blade of pork United Kingdom The shoulder blade and surrounding muscle. Can be roasted or boned out and roasted or cut up for braising or stewing.

blade steak United Kingdom Blade bone blaeberry Bilberry

Blakeney fritters England Small balls of dough made from flour, butter, sugar and egg yolk, put on a baking sheet and a hole pressed into the centre of each. After the fritters have been glazed and baked at 180°C for 30 minutes, jam is put in the hole.

blakhan South Asia A strong-smelling dried paste made from small crustaceans. See also blachan

blanc 1. France White 2. France A cooking liquor consisting of water, lemon juice, flour and salt 3. See blanc de poulet

blanc, au France White in colour e.g. chicken or veal, or cooked in white stock

blanc de poulet France White meat or breast of chicken

blanc de volaille France Breast of chicken blanc d’oeuf France White of egg

blanch, to 1. To plunge items into boiling salted water or to bring to the boil in same and cook for 2 to 5 minutes, in order to part cook, retain colour and nutrients, to inactivate enzymes that cause changes in colour, flavour or nutritive properties during storage or, for a shorter time, to loosen tomato, almond and other skins prior to removing. Usually followed by refresh. 2. To partially cook chipped potatoes in the deepfryer, in order to prevent discolouring and to improve the texture, also to have them prepared ready for quick cooking

blanchaille France Young fish, similar to whitebait, but of sardines with possibly a few anchovies. Cooked as whitebait.

blanched almonds Almond kernels with the skin removed

blanchir France To blanch or scald blancmange United Kingdom A sweet, semi-

solid dessert made with milk, sugar, flavourings and colour, thickened with corn flour, poured into a mould and demoulded when set. Originally a medieval dish made with almonds. (NOTE: Literally ‘white eats’.)

blancmange mould same as jelly mould blanco South America A cows’ milk cheese

similar to Ricotta

blandade grönsaker Sweden A large white cauliflower cooked al dente and cored, placed at the centre of a dish, decoratively surrounded by small carrots, young beetroot, mangetout peas, spinach, petit pois and spring onions all cooked al dente plus hardboiled eggs, sliced tomatoes and sliced cucumber, all sprinkled with chopped parsley. Served with mousseline sauce or melted butter.

blandad frukt Sweden Mixed fruit

blangah Malaysia A terracotta cooking pot. See also belangah

blanket tripe A smooth tripe from the first stomach of the cow or ox. Considered to be the finest. Also called plain tripe

blanquette France A white stew of meat cooked in stock with onions and mushrooms, the cooking liquor then made into a sauce with a liaison of egg yolks and cream

blanquette de veau France Veal stewed in a lemon-flavoured white sauce

Blarney Ireland A firm, semi-hard palecoloured mild cows’ milk cheese with a few scattered large holes which resembles the Danish Samsø. The yellow paste is enclosed in a red rind. Contains 39% water, 29% fat and 24% protein. Also called Irish Swiss cheese

blast-freeze, to To rapidly freeze food items by subjecting then to a blast of air at –28°C

Blätterteigpastete Germany Vol-au-vent blau Germany Very rare. Used of meat. See

also bleu

Blaubeere Germany Blueberry

Blaufelchen Germany Pollan, the fish

blawn whiting Scotland Freshly caught whiting, cleaned and eyes removed, dipped in salt, which is immediately shaken off and the fish hung in a drying wind for 1 to 3 days depending on size, by passing string through the eye sockets. The fish are cooked by coating with molten butter and grilling on each side. Also called wind-blown whiting

blé France 1. Wheat 2. Corn

bleaching agent Any compound used to whiten flour or other food commodity, such as chlorine or chlorine dioxide

bleak A small freshwater fish of the carp family found in European rivers. Cooked like sprats.

bleeding bread Bread infested with Serratia marcescens, which causes red staining. In warm damp conditions this can occur overnight, and in medieval times there were reported cases of it being interpreted as a miracle and causing religious riots.

blended flour United States Two or more types of flour blended for making specific items, e.g. pretzels, cookies

blender 1. An electric machine consisting of a glass or plastic vessel with a fast rotating steel blade directly coupled to an electric motor below. This pulverizes, mixes, blends or emulsifies the contents of the vessel which can be wet or dry. 2. A hand-held electric machine with a fast rotating shrouded metal blade at the end of an extension on the motor, used for wet mixtures e.g. for making purées or emulsions such as mayonnaise. Also called liquidizer

blending method for biscuits A method of making biscuits by simply blending or mixing all the ingredients together, e.g. brandy snaps

blend to To mix into a homogeneous mass blenny A small slimy fish found both in the sea

and in rivers in Europe and North America, treated like whitebait

Bleu de Sassenage

blé noir France Buckwheat flour blette France Bette

bletted Very over-ripe, soft and almost disintegrating (fruit)

bleu France 1. Describes meat that is very underdone, the surface only being quickly browned 2. Describes cheese that is blueveined because of penicillium moulds grown within the paste, usually along cracks or needle holes (NOTE: Literally ‘blue’.)

bleu, au France A method of cooking fish or shellfish by plunging them alive into boiling water or court bouillon

bleu-blanc Belge Belgium A breed of cattle with a high yield of hindquarter, bred for its beef. Also called BBB

Bleu d’Auvergne France A soft blue-veined unpressed cows’ milk cheese made in small (up to 1 kg) and larger (up to 3 kg) cylinders. The starter is a spore suspension of

Penicillium glaucum and the moulded cheese is dry-salted for 5 to 6 days and ripened at high humidity for 2 to 4 weeks. The paste is white and creamy with evenly distributed veining and a pleasant but distinctive taste. Used as a dessert cheese. Made in the Massif Central and has Appellation d’Origine status.

Bleu de Bresse France A heavily promoted, modern French semi-hard, blue-veined cheese made from pasteurized cows’ milk and sold in small short cylinders. Also called

Bresse bleu

Bleu de Corse France A soft ewes’ milk cheese with a firm buttery texture, a strong flavour and a few blue-veined cracks. The best are ripened in the Rochefort caves.

Bleu de Gex France A semi-hard blue-veined cheese with AOC status, made from cows’ milk, cast into 7 to 8 kg rounds, pressed, drysalted and ripened for 3 to 4 months. Contains 31% water, 33% fat and 30 % protein.

Bleu de Haut-Jura France The official name for cheese made in the Haut-Jura region. The most well known are Bleu de Gex and Bleu de Septmoncel, both of which have AOC status.

Bleu de Laqueuille France A cheese similar to Bleu d’Auvergne but with a milder taste and dryer rind

Bleu de Quercy France A soft blue cheese made in Aquitaine from cows’ milk. It has a strong flavour and a greyish-green natural rind. It has Appellation d’Origine status.

Bleu de Sainte Foy France A strong-tasting blue-veined cows’ milk cheese from Savoie

Bleu de Sassenage France A semi-hard blue cheese from near Grenoble, similar to Bleu

Bleu des Causses

de Gex with slightly more water and less fat. Also called Sassenage

Bleu des Causses France A soft blue-veined cheese made from the milk of cows pastured on Les Causses (high limestone pastures) in southern France. The paste is firm, rich and evenly veined. It has Appellation d’Origine status.

Bleu de Septmoncel A blue cheese similar to Bleu de Gex but with a slightly smoother rind. It has AOC status.

Bleu de Thiézac France A blue-veined cows’ milk cheese very similar to Bleu d’Auvergne Bleu de Tigne France A blue-veined cows’

milk cheese from Savoie

blewit, blewits A variety of edible fungus, Tricholoma saevum, with a short stem with a blueish appearance thickening at the base and a 6 to 15 cm diameter, and a dirty yellow to greyish ochre smooth cap rather like a field mushroom. The flesh has a pleasant scent but should be thoroughly cooked. It grows in grass and pasture land along the edges of woods especially in warm areas.

Blighia sapida Botanical name Akee blind-cook, to To cook an open pie or tart

casing without the filling, usually by lining it with aluminium foil and filling it with dry beans so that it keeps its shape while cooking. The base is usually docked.

blinde vinken Netherlands A stuffed piece of veal or beef, especially a beef olive

Blindhuhn Germany A bean and bacon casserole with dried apples and vegetables from Hanover

blindjo Indonesia A small red fruit. See also melinjo

blind scouse Lobscouse without meat, eaten in very hard times

blini Russia Small pancakes made from a yeast-raised batter of buckwheat flour and milk, which is rested overnight, mixed with milk, plain flour, melted butter, egg yolks and salt, proved, has stiffly beaten egg whites folded in, and is then browned either side in 10 cm circles on a buttered griddle. May be kept for up to 2 days. Traditionally served with melted butter but may be garnished with various fillings. Also called bliny

blintzes A Jewish speciality of small pancakes made into turnovers with a sweetened cream cheese filling, sealed and fried in butter, sprinkled with cinnamon and served with soured cream

bliny See blini

bloater A whole herring, still containing the gut, which is lightly salted and cold-smoked. Has a gamey flavour. Sometimes gutted

herring that have been similarly treated are sold as bloaters. Grilled or fried.

block roux Roux made in large quantities, cast into blocks and portioned for use as required

block sausage Diced streaky pork mixed with finely chopped garlic, cardamom and seasoning, moistened with rum, packed into ox casings, air-dried, salted and coldsmoked

blodfersk Norway Blood fresh. Used of very fresh fish or meat.

blødkogt Denmark Soft-boiled, as of eggs blodkorv Sweden Swedish blood sausage blódmor Iceland Blood sausage blodpudding Sweden Black pudding bloedpens Belgium Boudin noir

bloedworst Netherlands A blood sausage containing raisins, oat bran and pork fat

bloemkool Netherlands Cauliflower

blomkål Denmark, Norway, Sweden

Cauliflower

blomkålsgratang Sweden Cauliflower au gratin

blommer Denmark Plums

blondir France To sweat (esp. onions) in fat or oil until they start to take a hint of colour

blond roux A mixture of equal parts of fat (dripping, clarified butter, etc.) and flour cooked to a sandy texture for slightly longer than a white roux with no more than a hint of colour. Used for thickening liquids, soups, veloutés, sauces, etc. Also called roux blond

blood The red oxygenating liquid that circulates around the body of animals, usually drained after killing and used as a commercial raw material. Pig’s blood is used for making black puddings, hare’s blood in jugged hare and chicken’s blood in coq au vin. It adds flavour and can be used in the same way as and with the same precautions as egg for thickening sauces. It is often sold in a coagulated cooked state for use in various dishes. When blood is not drained from the animal, the meat is very dark.

blood heat See lukewarm

blood orange Pigmented orange blood pudding Black pudding blood sausage Black pudding

bloom 1. The white coating on some fruits such as plums, grapes and peaches which is said to consist of wild yeasts 2. A white coating which appears on the surface of chocolate after variations in temperature over some time. Probably recrystallized fat and sugar.

bloomer A large loaf made from a roll of proven dough baked on a flat tray, diagonally

slashed and glazed with beaten egg or salt water

blotched mackerel Australia Queensland school mackerel

bløtkake Norway A cream filled sandwich sponge sometimes coated with marzipan

bløtkokt Norway Soft-boiled, as of an egg blower dryer The last stage of a continuous

dishwasher where the rinsed dishes are dried by blasts of hot air

blu, al Italy Plunged alive into boiling water. See also bleu, au

blubber The subcutaneous fat of the whale, seal and other marine mammals

blue 1. When applied to meat means the surface just seared brown whilst the interior is still raw 2. When applied to cheese means inoculated with various species of Penicillium using needles, to encourage the growth of the blue-green fungus within the cheese

blueberry 1. The highbush blueberry, from

Vaccinium corymbosum, has been bred from the American wild blueberry. The purple fruits with a grey bloom are produced in clusters on 1.5 to 2 m high bushes and are similar to bilberries. 2. Rabbit-eye blueberries, from Vaccinia ashei, are smaller and grittier than the highbush varieties. Both cultivated and wild varieties are used to make the well-known American blueberry pie.

blueberry muffin United States A slightly sweetened muffin mixture containing blueberries which have been washed, drained and added to the other dry ingredients. Baked at 200°C in muffin tins for 18 minutes.

bluebonnet rice A type of long-grain rice blue cheese dressing Soured cream, blue

cheese, vinegar, pepper and crushed garlic combined with mayonnaise

blue Cheshire England A blue-veined Cheshire cheese made in 8 kg cylinders and ripened for up to 6 months. It has a strongflavoured warm yellow paste.

blue cod Black cod

blue crab A mottled blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, up to 20 cm across, with blue claws and a very fine flavour often eaten just after it has shed its shell. Very popular in North America and caught off the southeastern coast of the USA, mainly in Chesapeake Bay, and in the eastern Mediterranean where it has been recently introduced. Also called

Atlantic blue crab, blue manna crab, sand crab

blue Dorset England A white, crumbly, blue cheese from Dorset with a brown, crusty rind

blue Shropshire

made with skimmed cows’ milk. It has a strong flavour similar to Stilton. The blue mould is evenly distributed through the paste and is not in veins. Also called Dorset blue, blue vinny, blue vinney

blue drawers Caribbean Duckanoo

bluefin tuna The tasty but very rare variety of tuna, Thunnus thynnus, growing to 2 m long and 150 kg. It migrates over wide reaches of the southern oceans and was once very common in the Mediterranean. Now a threatened species.

bluefish A medium-sized (up to 3 kg), oily seawater fish, Pomatomus saltarix, with a grey to greenish blue upper skin with firm, white flesh found in the warmer waters of the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean. It leaves the deep water for the coast during summer and is sometimes fished for sport. It can be poached, baked or grilled.

blue garoupa See garoupa

bluegill A freshwater fish, Leponis macrochirus, found in North America and farmed in the USA and Japan. Generally blue with dark blue gill covers and a firm moist flesh, weighing up to 0.5 kg. Usually shallow-fried or partly poached, skinned, battered and deep-fried.

blue ginger Ginger shoots blue hare See Scottish hare blue manna crab See blue crab

blue meat United States The meat of a suckling calf

blue melilot A Turkish melilot, Melilotus coeruleus, with blue flowers, now predominantly used to flavour the curds used for Sapsago cheese

blue mould Species which grow as surface moulds on e.g. bread and jam. See also mould

‘Penicillium’

bluemouth A type of deepwater scorpion fish,

Sebastes dactylipterus, with red skin mottled with black and with a blue flash on the gill covers. Used in bouillabaisse.

blue mussel The European mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, very similar to the common mussel

bluepoint United States A popular type of oyster found and farmed off the coast of Long Island

blue sausage Switzerland Sausages containing horsemeat which are dyed blue

blue shark A common European shark, Prionace glauca, sometimes passed off as tuna

blue Shropshire England A blue-veined cheese similar to Stilton but with a milder

blue Stilton

flavour and made in Leicestershire. Also called Shropshire blue

blue Stilton See Stilton blue trout Forelle blau

blue velvet swimming crab A gourmet crab from Spain

blue vinney See blue Dorset blue vinny See blue Dorset

blue Wensleydale England A blue-veined version of Wensleydale cheese. Very rare.

Blumenkohl Germany Cauliflower

Blumenkohlsuppe Germany Cream of cauliflower soup

Blut Germany Blood

Blut Schwartenmagen France A type of black pudding from Alsace. See also schwartenmagen

Blutwurst Germany A raw sausage made from pig’s blood with a variety of meat, bacon or offal additions, possibly onions, together with herbs and spices. May be poached or fried and eaten hot or cold.

BMR See basal metabolic rate bo Vietnam Beef

boar A species of wild pig, Sus scrofa and others, still hunted in parts of Europe and Asia. It is not bled after killing so has a very dark meat. Also called wild boar

boar’s head The head of a boar, almost exclusively used for decoration in the same way as a pig’s head

bob (plural bobi) Russia Bean

bo bay mon Vietnam An elaborate and costly meal of seven different beef dishes, starting with a beef fondue with vinegar and ending with a kind of gruel (chao thit bo). See also fondue chinoise (NOTE: Literally ‘beef in seven dishes’.)

bobe Italy A type of sea bream

bobolo Central Africa Treated cassava tubers. See also bâton de manioc

bobotee United States A pudding-like dish of almonds, onions and breadcrumbs in a seasoned white sauce

bobotie South Africa Cooked minced beef or lamb, mixed with milk-soaked bread, raisins, almonds, sweated chopped onions, vinegar or lemon juice, spices and seasonings, placed in a dish, covered in an egg custard and baked until set

bocas de la isla Spain A speciality of Cadiz made from the claw of the fiddler crab

bocca di dama Italy Fruit and nut cake bocca negra Italy Dogfish

bocconcino Italy Thin slices of ham, veal and cheese, panéed and fried

böckling Sweden Buckling

böckling-låda Sweden Buckling pie, made with cleaned and filleted buckling placed in a dish and covered with a rich seasoned egg custard mix sprinkled with chopped chives and cooked in the oven until set

böckling och purjolökslåda Sweden

Cleaned and filleted buckling laid in the base of a greased ovenproof dish, covered with alternate stripes of chopped hard-boiled egg yolk, egg white and raw leeks, seasoned, dotted with butter and baked in a moderate oven for 15 minutes adding double cream half way through

Bocksbart Germany Salsify Bockshornklee Germany Fenugreek

bockwurst United States As the German variety of Bockwurst, but with the addition of eggs and sometimes milk and flavoured with leeks or chives

Bockwurst Germany Similar in appearance to a long frankfurter but made from finely minced veal or beef together with pork, back fat, and seasoning, flavoured with nutmeg, coriander, ginger and garlic, packed into sheep casings, smoked and scalded. Poached in water. See also Frankfurter

boczek Poland Hard, smoked pork meat body mass index A measure of obesity in

human beings equal to a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in metres. If between 25 and 30, then the person is considered overweight, if over 30 they are obese. (Example weight 75 kg (168 lb), height 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in), body mass index = 75/(1.7 x 1.7) = 25.95, hence overweight).

body skirt United Kingdom The less muscular part of the diaphragm of beef cattle

boeren Netherlands Farm (NOTE: Printed on the rind of genuine Dutch farmhouse cheeses.)

boerenkool Netherlands 1. Kale 2. Broccoli boerenkool met worst Netherlands Broccoli or kale and mashed potatoes with sausage boerewors South Africa Pork or lamb sausages made from the principal meat mixed with other meats and bacon or pork fat, seasoned, flavoured with coriander and other spices and herbs, moistened with vinegar or wine and packed after standing into hog casings. Usually grilled. Also called

wors

boeuf France Beef or ox

boeuf, estouffade de France Braised beef, similar to boeuf en daube and enriched with pigs’ trotters

boeuf à la bourguignonne France A piece of beef, usually topside, larded and marinated in red wine and brandy for 12 hours,

drained, sealed, browned and braised in the marinade and brown stock to half-cover. Served with a sauce made from the degreased, strained and reduced cooking liquor and garnished with glazed button mushrooms and onions, fried diced bacon and heart-shaped croûtons.

boeuf à la ficelle France A fine, trimmed, boneless piece of fillet, rump or sirloin of beef, suspended in seasoned and boiling water with a mirepoix of aromatic vegetables, a bouquet garni and an onion clouté so that it does not touch the base of the pan and simmered very slowly at 35 minutes per kg. Served sliced with watercress, mustard, horseradish and pickles.

boeuf à la mode France Aiguillette of beef, larded, marinated and braised in red wine, served with vegetables

boeuf de Constance France Specially selected beef carcasses from animals that have been finished on yeasty beer with their fodder without exercise for the last three months to make their muscles tender and massaged daily during this period to push surface fat into the back muscles (NOTE: The technique was copied from the Japanese.)

boeuf en daube France Marinated and larded beef braised with the marinade and a bouquet garni in a daubière lined with salt pork for at least 4 hours and served as is. See also daube (NOTE: Sometimes used incorrectly of beef braised with wine, onion, vegetables and garlic.)

boeuf miroton France A dish of boiled beef. See also miroton

boeuf salé France Smoked brisket of beef. Also called pikefleisch

bøf Denmark Beef

bofu Japan The thin red stems from parsnips, split in four lengthwise using a skewer, curled in ice water and used as a garnish for sushi and sashimi

boga Italy, Spain Bogue, the fish bogavante Spain Large clawed lobster

bog butter Scotland A strong-flavoured butter made by burying firkins of butter in a bog to ripen it

boghe Italy Bogue, the fish

bog myrtle An aromatic bush, Myrica gale, with a flavour like bay which grows wild on boggy moors. Also called sweet gale (NOTE: The oil is said to be the best repellent for the ferocious Scottish midges.)

bogrács gulyás Hungary Hungarian goulash bogue England, France A small (up to 1 kg) round seawater fish, Boops boops, with a silvery yellow skin, interchangeable with

bream

bokko ko maasu

Bohemian pheasant Guinea fowl bohémienne France A very simple ratatouille

made from tomatoes and aubergines, separately cooked in olive oil before combining

bohémienne, à la France In the gypsy style, i.e. garnished with tomatoes, rice, fried onions and possibly sweet red peppers and paprika

bohémienne, sauce A cold sauce made like mayonnaise using a base of thick cold béchamel sauce, egg yolks, seasoning and a little vinegar into which olive oil and tarragon vinegar are whipped. Finished with mustard.

Böhmische Dalken Austria An egg yolk and sugar enriched yeast-raised dough, mixed with stiffly beaten egg whites before proving, made into a circular shape which has the centre indented after proving and served hot with red jam in the centre after baking

Bohnen Germany Beans

Bohnenkraut Germany Savory

boil, to To cook in water or a water-based liquid at its boiling point and with sufficient heat input to generate bubbles of steam which agitate and stir the mixture

boiled beef and carrots England A famous traditional London dish, the subject of a popular song. Made from soaked salted silverside or brisket simmered with an onion clouté, turnips, celery, leeks and small carrots until tender and served with the defatted and reduced cooking liquor.

boiled custard United States Custard made on top of the stove

boiled egg An egg cooked by boiling in its shell in water

boiled frosting United States American frosting

boiled icing United States American frosting boiled sweets Hard translucent sweets made by boiling sugar, glucose, acid and

flavourings to 149°C

boiler onions United States Small white mild onions used whole in soups, stews, etc. or may be puréed

boiling fowl Chickens older than 18 months weighing between 2 to 3.5 kg not suitable for roasting, grilling or frying. Usually a hen which has had 1 or 2 laying seasons. Used to produce a highly flavoured stock.

boissons France Drinks (NOTE: Boissons incluses means drinks included.)

bok choi Pak choy bok-choy Pak choy bokking Netherlands Bloater bokko ko maasu Nepal Goat

bokkoms

bokkoms South Africa Salted fish, a west coast speciality

boko-boko East Africa A type of porridge made from shredded meat, burghul and spices (cinnamon, cumin, turmeric and the like) cooked in a closed pot very slowly and for a long time in the cooking liquor in which the meat was boiled. When finished, butter and flavourings are stirred in to give a smooth porridge. Popular amongst the Swahili and introduced by the Arabs.

bolacha Portugal Crackers, the biscuits boles de picolat Catalonia Meatballs in

tomato sauce

Boletaceae A family or subgroup genus of the fungi of which Boletus edulis or cep is the most well known. All varieties are characterized by close-packed tubular structures under the cap in place of the more common gills and only one variety, the bitter boletus, is poisonous and is distinguished from the cep by its bitter taste. Of the others, the white boletus, B. albidus, the devil’s boletus, B. satanus, the red-stalked boletus, B. erthropus, and the yellow boletus, B. calopus, are inedible. All the other 23 varieties are edible. However all pickers should be trained by an expert.

bolet bronze France A variety of cep found in vineyards. See also cèpe de vendage

Boletus badius Bay boletus Boletus edulis Cep

bolinhos Portugal Small balls (of meat, fish, etc.)

boller Denmark Balls, as in fish or meatballs bollicina Italy Whelk

bollito Italy Boiled

bollito misto Italy A rich stew made by simmering boned pig’s head, flank of beef with bones in, shin beef, boiling fowl, tongue, sausage, sweated carrots, onions and celery, with seasoning in water for 4 hours. The boiling fowl and sausage are added towards the end. It is usually served from a special trolley with the meats carved at the table and presented with a sharp sauce. Used as a test of a good restaurant.

bollo Spain 1. A small loaf 2. A bread roll bõlo Portugal 1. Ball 2. Cake 3. Pie

bõlo de anjo Portugal Angel cake bologi West Africa Waterleaf

bolognaise, sauce France Bolognese sauce

Bologna sausage Salsiccia di Bologna Bolognese sauce A sauce made from fine-

minced beef fried in olive oil with chopped onions, garlic and skinned tomatoes, mixed with herbs and seasonings and simmered with stock or wine and/or tomato juice and

possibly thickened with flour. Served with spaghetti. Also called bolognaise, sauce

bolony United States Bologna sausage bomba di riso Italy A dish of cooked rice

moulded around a filling of cooked minced meat, herbs and seasoning, chopped mushrooms and diced cheese or ham

Bombay duck South Asia Sun-dried pieces of the bummaloe fish, Harpodon nehereus, found in Indian waters. It has a very strong smell and a not particularly pleasant taste. Served with curry. Also called bombil

bombe 1. France An ice cream speciality of different flavours in a near spherical or conical shape, often made by lining a bombe mould with one ice cream and filling the centre with another, possibly mixed with nuts, glacé fruits or liqueurs 2. Italy A breakfast roll

bombe glacée France A mixture of ice creams and flavoured ices

bombe mould A special mould for making ice cream bombes

bombil South Asia Bombay duck bombolette Italy Fritters bomeloe Bummaloe

bonalay Ale flip

bonavista bean Hyacinth bean

bonbon France Sweet, item of confectionery bondail A bondon type cheese flavoured with

garlic

Bondard See Bondon

Bondart See Bondon

bondas South Asia Spiced balls of mashed potatoes coated in a besan batter and deepfried

Bonde See Bondon

bondelle France Houting, the fish bondepige med slør Denmark A traditional

dessert made from layers of crumbled rye bread, sweetened apple purée and molten red jam, finished with a whipped cream and red jam topping

Bondon France A small bun-shaped, soft, whole cows’ milk cheese made in Normandy. Also called Bondard, Bondart, Bonde

bone, to To remove bones from animal carcasses and fish, generally with as little damage to the flesh as possible

boneless With any bones having been removed

boneless steak United States A steak without bone cut from the sirloin

bone marrow See marrow

bone marrow sauce See moelle, sauce bonen Netherlands Beans

bones The skeletons of animals and fishes together with connective tissue, gristle, etc.

Used to make stock by long simmering (4 hours plus) with water, aromatic vegetables and a bouquet garni to release flavour and gelatine. The simmering stock is repeatedly skimmed to remove fat and scum (coagulated protein and dirt). Bones are either browned or blanched before simmering. They are sometimes put in the bottom of a pan to prevent food sticking to the base and to add flavour to the dish.

bone taint A fault which can occur in meat on the bone preserved by surface salting, due to growth of species of Clostridium and Streptococcus around the bone which is furthest from the salt and the last part to become salted. Particularly noticeable if the meat is not correctly chilled. See also cold shortening

boniato Central America, Spain Sweet potato boning knife A thick, non-pliable, sharp knife used for boning animals or a thin, pliable

sharp knife for boning fish bonita Italy Bonito

bonite France Bonito

bonito 1. A fish, Katsuwonus pelamis, more correctly called Pacific bonito, whose dried flesh is used as a base for all Japanese broths and stocks. The dried flesh is grey black with a light grey coating of mould and is sold either in blocks (katsuo-kezuriki) or as very thin shavings (hana katsuo or kezuribushi). It is also ground and agglomerated into granules for making dashi. Also called frigate mackerel 2. See little tunny, skipjack tuna

bonito flakes Dried shavings or flakes of Pacific bonito used in Japanese cooking especially for making dashi. Removed from the dish after the flavour has been extracted.

Bonitol Germany Little tunny, the fish boniton France Little tunny, the fish bonnachen Scotland A sausage from the

Highland region made from 2 parts lean beef to 1 part suet with seasoning, saltpetre, sugar, ground ginger and cloves

bonne bouchée France A canapé or savoury food item served as an appetizer or at the end of a meal (NOTE: Literally ‘a good mouthful’.)

bonne femme France Simple; involving little or no complication. Used of cooking.

bonne femme, à la France In the housewife’s style, i.e. cooked with mushrooms, potatoes, onions and sometimes fried bacon

bonne femme, fish As for fish Bercy with the addition of sliced button mushrooms to the cooking liquor. The mushrooms are separated after poaching and used as a garnish.

borda

bonnefoy, sauce France A white bordelaise sauce made with dry white instead of red wine and a white velouté instead of espagnole sauce. Finished with a little chopped tarragon. Also called bordelaise au vin blanc, sauce

bønner Denmark Beans bönor Sweden Beans

Boodles’ orange fool England A type of syllabub made with filtered orange juice replacing the alcoholic liquid. Alternatively a bowl lined with slices of trifle sponge and filled with a type of fool made from sweetened orange and lemon juice with grated zest and whipped cream, allowed to soak, refrigerated and decorated with orange slices. Named after Boodle’s club.

Boodles’ stuffing Mashed ripe bananas mixed with an equal volume of wholemeal breadcrumbs, finely chopped onion, chopped tarragon and seasoning. Used to stuff quails, small birds or chicken breasts.

bookmaker sandwich An underdone minute steak between two slices of hot buttered toast

bookweeten janhinnerk Netherlands

Buckwheat pancake with bacon

boolawnee Central Asia Pastry turnovers with a leek and chilli filling. From Afghanistan.

boomla South Asia Bummaloe, the fish boontjie sop South Africa Bean soup made

from stock and dry beans (3 or 4:1), the beans soaked overnight and simmered in the stock with a chilli until soft, then all passed through a sieve

boova shenkel United States A meat stew with dumplings, originating with the Dutch immigrants to Pennsylvania

boquerones Spain Fresh anchovy fillets, pickled in salt and vinegar or crisp fried

borage A hardy annual herb, Borago officinalis, with hairy, cucumber-flavoured leaves and intense blue flowers. Used to flavour drinks and rarely in salads. The leaves can be cooked as spinach. The flowers may be crystallized for decoration.

Borago officinalis Botanical name Borage borani Central Asia An Iranian salad of various

cooked vegetables with garlic and nuts etc. dressed with drained yoghurt

borani esfanaj Central Asia An Iranian salad consisting of sautéed onion and garlic which has been cooked with chopped spinach until it has wilted, allowed to cool, seasoned and dressed with yoghurt

borassus palm Palmyra palm borda Hungary Chop

Bordeaux mustard

Bordeaux mustard A dark coloured, slightly sweet, prepared mustard often flavoured with herbs and milder than Dijon mustard bordelaise, à la France Incorporating wine sauce, bone marrow, ceps or a garnish of

artichokes and potatoes

bordelaise, sauce England, France A brown sauce made from a reduction of red wine, shallots, thyme, bay leaf and mignonette pepper, simmered with demi-glace for 30 minutes and strained. Finished with meat glaze and lemon juice and garnished with diced poached bone marrow if available. Used with steak.

bordelaise au vin blanc, sauce France A white bordelaise sauce. See also bonnefoy, sauce

border See bordure

border mould See ring mould

bordetto Italy A fish stew in tomato sauce from the north of Italy

bordure France A ring or border, usually of cooked rice or vegetables around the edge of a plate, used to contain other foods in the centre

borecole A flat-leaved variety of kale boreg See börek

börek Turkey A puff pastry or filo pastry pasty, sometimes filled with honey and nuts and soaked in a sugar syrup, or alternatively with a meat or cheese filling. The sweet variety is similar to the Greek bourekakia. Also called boreg

boretto Italy A saffron-flavoured fish stew. See also brodetto

borgmästarfläta Sweden Rectangles of Danish pastry, 40 cm by 8 cm, spread with cinnamon-flavoured butter cream followed by almond paste, rolled into long cylinders, 3 cylinders plaited, proved for 45 minutes, egg washed, sprinkled with flaked almonds and baked at 230°C for 15 to 20 minutes

borjú Hungary Veal

borjúpaprikás Hungary As paprikás csirke but substituting veal for chicken

borjúpörkölt Hungary Diced veal fried in lard with chopped onions, paprika and garlic then simmered with water, tomatoes or tomato purée and seasoning until cooked bornholmeræggekage Denmark An omelette filled with smoked herring, radish and chives

bornholmere Denmark Buckling

borowik szlachetny Poland Cep, Boletus edulis

borragine Italy Borage borrêgo Portugal Lamb

borride France A Provençal fish soup. See also bourride

bors Hungary Pepper borscht Poland Borshch

bors de fasole Romania A broth made with haricot beans, raw beetroot, onions, celery, spinach, tomatoes, oil, vinegar and seasoning

borshch Russia See bortsch

borshchok Russia A clear beetroot soup made by simmering beef or game stock with grated raw beetroot for 10 minutes and straining. The beetroot is acidified with vinegar or lemon juice before adding the hot stock ro preserve its colour. Served with croûtons. Also called bortschchock

borststuk Netherlands Brisket of beef bortsch Russia A generic name for various

soups based on beetroot, e.g. beetroot soup, beetroot consommé, borszcz, borshchok. Also called borshch

bortschchock Russia Borshchok

bosanske cufte Balkans A Bosnian speciality of meatballs made from seasoned minced lamb or beef, bound with egg and flour, baked in the oven and served reheated with an egg and yoghurt sauce flavoured with caraway seeds

bosanske lonac Balkans A rich casserole from Bosnia based on diced pork, lamb and beef cooked in wine with vegetables and seasoning, given body with a calf’s foot and flavoured with vinegar

bosbessen Netherlands 1. Blueberries 2.

Bilberries

boscaiolo, al’ (It) In the style of the forester, i.e. with mushrooms

bosega Italy Grey mullet

bossons macérés France A strong-tasting goats’ milk cheese from Languedoc soaked in olive oil, white wine and brandy

Boston baked beans United States White beans casseroled with salt pork, an onion clouté, mustard, sugar or treacle and salt for a long time until tender. Served with Boston brown bread.

Boston bean Navy bean Boston blue fish Coley

Boston brown bread United States A steamed, yeast-raised bread containing white and brown flour, fine cornmeal or semolina and treacle

Boston cracker United States A large, thin and slightly sweet cracker

Boston cream pie United States A sandwich sponge filled with crème pâtissière and coated with chocolate icing

Boston lettuce United States A small variety of butterhead lettuce

bot Netherlands Flounder, the fish

Botany Bay greens Australia Warrigal greens botargo England, Italy The salted, pressed and dried roe of the female tuna fish or grey mullet, which latter is often coated with a preservative wax. A popular delicacy or hors d’oeuvre in Italy, Greece and Egypt. Also

called bottarga

boter Netherlands Butter

boterham Netherlands Cold sliced meats, assiette anglaise

boterhammenworst Netherlands A boiled sausage made from minced fatty veal and pork back fat cured with a mixture of salt, sugar and saltpetre (6:2:1) for 2 days using 1 part of the curing mixture per 30 parts of meat mixture, this then mixed with flour, ground pepper, ginger, nutmeg and mace, packed into ox bungs, hot smoked and simmered in water

boterhammetje Netherlands Sandwich boterkoek Netherlands Butter cake, similar to

Scottish shortbread

bot gao Vietnam Rice flour

botifarra Catalonia A small firm sausage made with minced pork loin and belly, moistened with white wine, seasoned and flavoured with garlic, cinnamon and powdered cloves, air-dried for 2 days, boiled in salted water and air-dried again. Called butifarra in Spanish.

botifarra amb mongetes Catalonia Grilled white or black sausage with haricot beans botifarra blanca Catalonia A cooked white sausage containing pork tripe and pine nuts botifarra negre Catalonia A cooked black sausage made with pig’s blood, minced pork

belly and spices

boti kabab South Asia Small pieces of very tender meat, marinated for several hours, skewered and grilled under intense heat whilst being basted with ghee

bôt mì Vietnam Corn flour

bot nep Vietnam Glutinous rice flour

bot ngot Vietnam Monosodium glutamate bottagio Italy Pork stew

bottarga England, Italy The salted, pressed and dried roe of the female tuna fish or grey mullet. See also botargo

bottatrice Italy Eel pout

bottle, to To preserve food, usually fruit but sometimes vegetables, in sealed sterilized bottles. Prevention of bacterial spoilage is by heating to 130°C for 30 minutes, or by addition of acid, salt or sugar, all of which inhibit bacterial growth. Apart from fruit, most food is too difficult to bottle under domestic conditions.

boudin

bottle gourd Although often scooped out and dried for ornamental use, this fruit of the plant Lageneria siceraria is used when young as a somewhat bland vegetable after removing the large seeds. It looks like a smooth cucumber with a bulge at the flower end. Used to make kampyo. Also called trumpet gourd, calabash (when inedible), dudhi (when edible)

bottom round United States The bottom of the hindquarter of beef adjacent to shin beef Botton England A semi-hard Cheddar-like cheese made from unpasteurized cows’ milk

in Danby, Yorkshire

botulism Food poisoning caused by the toxin excreted by Clostridium botulinum, which is

astrict spore-forming anaerobe. It can therefore only grow in sealed cans and jars from which air is excluded or rarely in the centre of cooked food. Used to be responsible for deaths when home-bottling of vegetables was common. The toxin is destroyed and made harmless by boiling for

afew minutes. See also Clostridium botulinum

botvinya Eastern Europe A celebratory summer soup from the Ukraine made with white wine mixed with pickled beetroot juice, spinach and sorrel leaves, beetroot tops, pickled cucumber, shrimps, sturgeon, herbs, vinegar and seasoning, all cooled with crushed ice

bot xa xiu Vietnam Roast pork spices

bou a l’adoba Catalonia A peasant beef casserole

boucan Caribbean A wooden grid on which meat is sun-dried and smoked (boucanned) to preserve it

bouchée France A small filled vol-au-vent or puff-pastry shell made by cutting virgin puff pastry in a round and half-cutting the centre, cooking and scooping out the middle prior to filling. When half-risen in the oven it should be pressed down flat to give an even rise. (NOTE: Literally ‘a mouthful’.)

bouchées à la reine France Chicken-filled bouchées

bouchées de fruits de mer France Bouchées filled with diced mushrooms cooked in butter, which have been sweated with mixed shellfish, bound with sauce vin blanc and garnished with picked parsley

bou de Fagne Belgium A small soft brickshaped cheese made from cows’ milk. The paste has a pleasant taste and aroma with a few holes. The rind is orange-yellow with a slight bloom.

boudin 1. France Sausage or pudding as in black or white pudding, boudin noir or boudin