3.3 Glossary of Culinary Terms: F - K
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This article is from the Cooking and Conversions FAQ, by with numerous contributions by Victor Sack cooking.faq@mac.com others.
3.3 Glossary of Culinary Terms: F - K
FARINA - see Cream of Wheat
FAVA/BROAD BEANS - Favas as a green vegetable are popular in Europe. In
the North, e.g. Britain and Holland they are called 'broad beans' and
grown as a summer crop, planted in early spring, and in Italy they are
planted in fall and harvested in January, and also planted in January
and eaten in April and May. They are grown for animal forage in Italy
as well. They come in various sizes, but in general they are large and
flat.
FEIJÃO - Portuguese for beans, the default is black beans. Not to be
confused with:
FEIJOA - A waxy green fruit about 3" long. Although it is not a guava
you may know it as a Pineapple Guava. Feijoa sellowiana is an evergreen
shrub, growing to 10-16 ft. It thrives in subtropical regions but is
hardy & once established will tolerate moderate frosts. They are either
eaten raw (with or without the skin) or made into jellies, sauces &
chutneys.
FILBERTS - see Hazelnuts
FIVE-SPICE - A blend of star anise, cinnamon, cloves, fennel & Szechuan
pepper, used in Chinese cooking.
FLAGEOLET (FLA-ZHOH-LAY) - Also called fayot. These tiny, tender French
kidney beans range in colour from pale green to creamy white and are a
classic accompaniment to lamb.
FROMAGE BLANC - Literally, 'white cheese' in French. Smooth, creamy
low-fat fresh cheese somewhat similar to cottage cheese, with a slightly
sweet-and-sour taste.
GALANGAL - Used in Thai cooking, galangal is a rhizome similar to ginger
in many ways. Tom ka gai (chicken in coconut milk soup) uses galangal,
chicken, green chilies, lemon grass and lime juice as well as coconut
milk.
GARBANZO BEANS - see Chickpeas
GRAHAM CRACKERS - A wholemeal biscuit (cookie) with honey and soda
taste. Can be substituted for Digestive Biscuits but are not exactly
the same thing.
GRANULATED SUGAR - see section 1.5
GRAVLAX - Also called gravad lax. Scandinavian cured salmon. 'Gravad'
literally means 'buried'. Originally, salmon and other fish was
'buried' in the ground, or under snow and ice, to preserve it and to
keep it cool. Now, the salmon is cured in salt-sugar-pepper-dill mixture
while under refrigeration.
GREEN ONIONS - see Scallions
GREEN SHALLOTS - an inaccurate but occasionally used name for Scallions.
GRILL - In the UK, the same as US broiler; in the US, a device for
cooking food over a charcoal or gas fire, outdoors. Also see Broiling.
GRITS - Usually a breakfast item in the US Southern region. Made from
the kernel of corn. When corn has been soaked in lye and the casing has
been removed it becomes Hominy. The lye is rinsed out very well and the
corn is left to harden. Then the swollen hominy is ground up to the
texture of tiny pellets. Grits are cooked very much like rice, i.e.
boiled in water, usually with some salt (except you must stir grits).
Butter is most commonly added after cooking. It's used as a side dish
for a good old fashioned Southern breakfast. Eggs are frequently mixed
in with the grits (after having been served separately). Sometimes they
are made with cheese and garlic for a casserole. They are also served
with gravy, shrimps, etc.
HABAÑERO PEPPER - A type of hot chili. The Scotch Bonnet Pepper is
similar.
HALF AND HALF - a mixture of half cream and half whole milk
HARD ROLLS - A sandwich type of roll that is a little crusty on the
outside and soft on the inside. Can be made with poppy seeds or sesame
seeds or plain. Often called a Kaiser roll.
HARICOT - bean, in French. Haricot blanc: white bean, usually dried.
H. gris: green string bean mottled with purplish black; also called
pélandron. H. rouge: red kidney bean. H. vert: green bean, usually
fresh, also called French bean.
HARISSA - Harissa is a paste of chilis and garlic used to enhance North
African food (and is fairly popular in other parts of the Mideast,
though it is probably of Berber origin). It is fairly similar to the
Indonesian sambal olek.
HAZELNUTS - A small nut with a hard, glossy shell. Also known as
filberts.
HEAVY CREAM - see section 1.3
HERBES DE PROVENCE - A mixture of dried herbs widely used in (French)
cooking. Consists of thyme, oregano, summer savory and marjoram.
Bayleaf is often included, too. Depending on the dish, some or more of
the following can also be included: fennel, rosemary, basil, tarragon,
sage, lavender.
HIJIKI (HEE-JEE-KEE) - A type of dried black seaweed with an anise-type
flavour that's reconstituted in water and used as a vegetable in soups
and other dishes.
HING - Also known as asafoetida, and devil's dung. A light brown resin
sometimes used as a substitute for garlic and onions, or in its own
right and not as a substitute for anything, it can be found in Indian
groceries. Claimed properties : laxative, aphrodisiac, colic cure. A
required ingredient in the Indian Tadkaa - the small amount of oil used
to roast mustard seeds and similar other ingredients before adding them
to the main dish.
HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS - Also known as sprinkles or as nonpareils:
small round balls of multicoloured sugar used as toppings on cakes and
desserts.
ICING SUGAR - US confectioner's sugar.
JICAMA (HEE-KAH-MAH) - Often referred to as the Mexican potato, it's a
large root vegetable with a thick brown skin and white crunchy flesh
with a slightly sweet flavour. It should be peeled before eating raw or
boiling to cook. Raw, it often appears in Mexican-style recipes for
salads.
KAFFIR LIME LEAVES - These leaves have a mysterious flora-citrus aroma.
They are used to liven up many Asian dishes, like soups.
KALAMATA OLIVES (kahl-uh-MAH-tuh) - An almond-shaped Greek olive that
has a rich fruity flavour; not at all like the commonly found tangy,
salty Spanish olives.
KASHA - A Russian word meaning porridge or gruel made from any kind
of cereal, the grain being either whole or variously split or cracked.
There are millet, semolina, oat, buckwheat, rice, etc., kashas. In the
US-English, kasha, for some reason, came to mean buckwheat groats.
KETCHUP - Also called catsup. Today, ketchup is mostly tomato-based
condiment or sauce, but numerous other versions, such as mushroom or
fruit-based ketchups, exist, too. Vinegar, spices and sugar are often
present in the ingredient lists. According to the OED, both ketchup and
catsup are English variant spellings of the Chinese (Amoy dialect)
'keochiap' or 'ke-tsiap', 'brine of pickled fish or shellfish'.
KEY LIMES - Citrus fruit, about the size of golf balls, and round. The
fruits are pale yellow-green, the juice is yellow and very tart, more so
than standard limes. Grow in Florida, the Keys and other tropical
places in the Caribbean. Used in Key Lime Pie, with egg yolks and
condensed milk and in a Sunset Key with amaretto.
KIWANO (KEE-WAH-NOH) - This oval fruit has a bright yellow skin studded
with stubby "horns," which is why it's also called a horned melon. The
pulp is pale yellow-green with a jelly-like texture that tastes like a
tart combination of banana and cucumbers. Mostly eaten as a fresh
fruit.
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