CHAPTER 7: cooking techniques, herbs, spices, condiments, nuts, flavorings

Brazil Nut

A 1-2 inch long nut that is white and richly flavored from the brazilian nut tree

Condiment

A Savory, Sweet, Spicy, or salty accompaniment that is added to or served with a food to impart a particular flavor that will complement the dish.

Cacao Bean

A bean extracted from the pods of the cacao tree.

Rub

A blend of ingredients that is pressed onto the surface of uncooked foods such as meat, poultry, and fish to impart flavor and sometimes tenderize.

Taste bud

A cluster of cells that can detect flavor characteristics.

Marinade

A flavorful liquid used to soak uncooked foods such as meat, poultry, and fish to impart flavor and sometimes to tenderize.

Spice

A flavoring derived from the bark, seeds, roots, flowers, berries, or beans of aromatic plants.

Herb

A flavoring derived from the leaves or stem of a very aromatic plant.

Mint

A general term used to describe a family of similar herbs, such as peppermint and spearmint.

Hazlenut

A grape sized nut found in the fuzzy outer husks of the hazel tree. Also known as a filbert

Filé Powder

A herb that is made from the ground leaves of the sassafras tree.

Basil

A herb with a pointy green leaf and is a member of the mint family.

Curry Leaves

A herb with a small, shiny green leaf from the curry tree.

Parsley

A herb with curly or flat dark-green leaves and is used as both a flavoring and a garnish.

Chervil

A herb with dark green, curly leaves with a flavor similar to parsley but more delicate and with a hint of licorice.

Sage

A herb with narrow, velvety, green-gray leaves and is a member of the mint family.

Rosemary

A herb with needlelike leaves and is a member of the evergreen family.

Lavender

A herb with pale-green leaves and purple flowering tops and is a member of the mint family.

Marjoram

A herb with short, oval, pale green leaves and is a member of the mint family.

Tarragon

A herb with smooth, slightly elongated leaves and is best known as the flavoring in béarnaise sauce.

Savory

A herb with smooth, slightly narrow leaves and is a member of the mint family.

Thyme

A herb with very small gray-green leaves and is a member of the mint family.

Dijon Mustard

A light tan mustard that has a strong, tangy flavor and is made from brown or black mustard seeds, vinegar, white wine, sugar, and salt.

Sauce

An accompaniment that is served with a food to complete or enhance the flavor and/or moistness of a dish.

Mustard Seed

An extremely tiny seed from the mustard plant and is used as a spice.

Flavoring

An item that alters or enhances the natural flavors of food.

Tea

Is a herb with jagged leathery leaves and comes from an evergreen bush in the magnolia family.

Mace (windu)

Is a spice made from the lacy red-orange covering of the nutmeg kernel.

Cassia

Known as Chinese cinnamon, is a spice made from the bark of a small evergreen tree.

Cilantro

Known as Chinese parsley, is a herb that comes from the stem and leaves of the coriander plant.

Lemongrass

Known as a citronella, is a stem herb with long, thin, gray-green leaves, a white scallionlike base, and a lemony flavor.

Salad Dressing

Known as a cooked dressing, is a cooked, mayonnaise-like product usually made from distilled vinegar, vegetable oil, water, sugar, mustard, salt, modified corn flour, and emulsifiers.

Achiote Seed

Known as an annatto seed, is a spice made from red, corn-kernel-shaped seed of the annatto tree.

Hoisin Sauce

A type of Asian Sauce made from fermented soybean paste, garlic, vinegar, Chiles, and sugar

Soy sauce

A type of Asian Sauce made from mashed soybeans, wheat, salt, and water.

Fermented Black Bean Sauce

A type of Asian sauce made from fermented and salted blackened soybeans mixed with garlic and spices.

Fish sauce

A type of Asian sauce made from liquid drained from fermented, salted fish.

Oyster Sauce

A type of Asian sauce made from the cooking liquid of boiled oysters, brine, and soy sauce.

Prepared yellow mustard

A type of bright yellow mustard that is mild in flavor and made from ground yellow mustard seeds, vinegar, and turmeric.

Leaf herb

A type of herb derived from the leaf portion of a plant.

Stem Herb

A type of herb that comes from the stem portion of a plant.

Pepper Sauce

A type of hot and spicy sauce made from various types of chili peppers and typically includes vinegar.

Chipotle Sauce

A type of pepper sauce made from dried, smoked jalapeño peppers.

Tabasco Sauce

A type of pepper sauce made from the Tabasco peppers and are exclusively to make Tabasco sauce.

Worcestershire Sauce

A type of sauce traditionally made with anchovies, garlic, onions, lime, molasses, tamarind, and vinegar.

Barbecue sauce

A type of sauce used to baste a cooked protein and is often made with tamatoes, onions, mustard, garlic, brown sugar, and vinegar.

Bark spice

A type of spice derived from the bark portion of a plant.

Bean spice

A type of spice derived from the bean portion of a plant.

Flower Spice

A type of spice derived from the flower of a plant.

Seed spice

A type of spice derived from the seed portion of a plant.

Berry Spice

A type of spice made from the berry portion of a plant.

English Mustard

A type of yellow mustard that has a hot, spicy flavor and is made from ground yellow and brown and black mustard seeds, wheat flour, and turmeric.

Allspice

Also known as Jamaican pepper, is a spice made from the dried, unripe fruit of a small pimento tree.

Cayenne Sauce

Also known as Louisiana-style hot sauce, is a type of pepper sauce made from cayenne peppers, vinegar, and salt.

Dill

Also known as dill weed, is a herb with feathery, blue-green leaves and is a member of the parsley family.

Cayenne pepper

Also known as red pepper. Is a spice made from dried, ground berries of certain varieties of hot peppers.

Oregano

Also known as wild Marjoram a herb with small, dark-green, slightly curled leaves and is a member of the mint family.

Vanilla Bean

The dark-brown pod of a tropical orchid.

Dry Rub

A mixture of finely ground herbs and spices that is rubbed onto the surface of an uncooked food to impart flavor.

Wet Rub

A mixture of wet ingredients and a dry rub and is rubbed onto the surface of uncooked food to impart flavor.

Chestnut

A nut from the rounded-off, triangular shaped kernal found inside the burrlike fruit of a chestnut tree

Cashew

A nut that is buttery in flavor and is the kidney-shaped kernal from the fruit of the cashew tree

Capsaicin

A potent compound that gives chilies their hot flavor.

Mustard

A pungent powder or paste made from the seeds of the mustard plant.

Asian Chili Sauce

A red colored Asian sauce made from puréed red Chile's and garlic.

Brine

A salt solution that usually consists of 1 Cup of salt per 1 Gallon of water.

Caraway Seeds

A small, crescent-shaped brown seed of the caraway plant and is used as a spice.

Sesame Seed

A small, flat, white or black seed found inside the pod on a sesame plant and is used as a spice.

Caper

A spice from the unopened flower bud of a shrub and is only used after being pickled in a strongly salted white vinegar.

Crushed Red Pepper

A spice made from a blend of dried, crushed berries from hot chili peppers. Known as crushed chiles or chili flakes

Anise

A spice made from a comma-shaped seed of the anise plant and is in the parsley family.

Paprika

A spice made from a dried, ground sweet red pepper berry that is often used as a colorful garnish.

Coriander

A spice made from a light-brown, ridged seed of the coriander plant.

Juniper Berries

A spice made from a small, purple berry of an evergreen bush.

Poppy Seed

A spice made from a very small, blue-gray seed of the poppy plant.

Nutmeg

A spice made from an oval, gray-brown seed found in the yellow, nectarine shaped fruit of a large tropical evergreen.

Tamarind

A spice made from seeds found in the long pods that grow on the tamarind tree.

Ginger

A spice made from the bumpy root of a tropical plant grown in China, India, Jamaica, and the United States.

Szechuan pepper

A spice made from the dried berries of an Ash tree.

Cardamom

A spice made from the dried, immature fruit of a tropical bush in the ginger family.

Cinnamon

A spice made from the dried, thin, inner bark of a small evergreen tree.

Clove

A spice made from the dried, unopened bud of a tropical evergreen tree.

Horseradish

A spice made from the large, brown-skinned root of a shrub related to the radish.

Wasabi

A spice made from the light-green root of an Asian plant.

Fenugreek

A spice made from the pebble-shaped seed of the fenugreek plant in the pea family.

Turmeric

A spice made from the root of a lily-like plant in the ginger family.

Garlic Chives

A stem herb with a solid, flat, grass-shaped sprout and a mild garlic flavor.

Chives

A stem herb with hollow, grass-shaped, green sprouts and a mild onion flavor. Chives add color and flavor to cream cheese, egg dishes, soups, and salads and are common garnish on top of baked potatoes with sour cream.

Macadamia Nut

A tan, marbel sized nut that has a hard shell and is the fruit of the macadamia tree.

Almond

A teardrop-shaped fruit that grows on small almond trees.

Bay leaf

A thick aromatic leaf that comes from the evergreen bay laurel tree.

Ketchup

A thick, Tamato based product that usually includes includes vinegar, sugar, salt, and spices.

Mayonnaise

A thick, uncooked emulsion formed by combining oil with egg yolks and vinegar or lemon juice.

Celery Seed

A tiny brown seed of a wild celery plant called lovage and is used as a spice.

Papillae

Small bumps found on the tongue that are covered with hundreds of taste buds.

Cumin

Spice made from a crescent shaped amber, white, or black seed of the cumin plant and is a member of the parsley family.

Fennel Seed

Spice made from an oval, light brown, and green seed of the fennel plant.

Saffron

Spice made from the dried, bright red stigmas of the purple crocus flower.

Coffee bean

The unripe bean extracted from the fruit of a coffee tree.

Nut

a hard-shelle, dry fruit or seed that contains an inner kernal