Recipe Terminology

Portion

A serving size for one person expressed in pieces, weight, or volume.

Recipe Categories

A way to group and organize recipes in a way that makes retrieval easier. Some common categories are: regional, main ingredient, main dish or dessert, specific meals, specific cooking method, etc.

Standardized recipe

A written recipe designed to suit the needs of an individual kitchen, usually a big part of a professional chef's work.

Recipe

A written record of the ingredients and preparation steps needed to make a particular dish. Also known as a formula, especially in baking.

Ingredients List

One of the most important elements of a recipe, usually listed in the order in which they will be used. The list contains the name and amount of the item needed. The description of the item may also include advance preparation required, such as dicing, melting, etc. or a specific brand.

Weight

The measure of an ingredient's mass or heaviness. Scales can measure liquid or dry ingredients. Weight measures are more accurate than volume measure.

Volume

The measure of the space occupied by a solid, liquid, or gas.

Count

The number of whole items in the ingredient list. Works well for standardized items such as eggs or butter.

Yield

The part of a recipe that describes the measured output of the recipe either as total weight, total volume, or the total number of portions.

Method

The portion of a recipe that has the detailed steps required to make the dish. Many recipes merely list the ingredients and a MOP (method of preparation)

Recipe Title

The title of the recipe identifies the food item or dish.