Ever heard Gordon Ramsay speak something that sounded like jargon? How about someone closer to home like your mother or someone at a restaurant?
Knowing context-specific vocabulary is important as it helps you in communicating your needs and desires.
Understanding words related to cooking and food will not only enhance your vocabulary but also ensure that you are served dishes that are to your liking and taste.
You will also be able to follow cookbooks and recipes without having to reach out for a dictionary.
Let’s list down 15 cooking words that everyone should be aware of.
GRATING : Reducing into smaller particles by rubbing against a grater- grating cheese into the sandwich or grating carrots into a salad.
WHISK : Beating cream, eggs or some other mixture with the help of a fork or a whisk
Eg – She whisked some eggs in order to bake a cake.
DRAIN : To empty liquid or fat from a food through a strainer or a colander
Eg- She drained the pasta before adding the sauces.
SCRAMBLE : Method of cooking eggs in a pan by mixing both the egg white and the yolk together.
Eg – My mom made some scrambled eggs and fries for breakfast.
CARVE : To cut a large piece of meat into smaller halves by using a knife.
Eg : Carve the meat into slices before serving them to the guests.
RINSE : Washing something thoroughly with clean water.
Eg- Rinse all the carrots under a cold tap before peeling them.
SIMMER: Cooking food just below the boiling point so as to cook it gently and slowly.
Eg- The soup should simmer for another 20 minutes before it is served.
BATTER: Uncooked mixture that is pourable and made of flour , water and other seasonings.
Eg- The fish needs to be fried using the batter that’s just been made for it to be crispy.
DOLLOP: A spoonful of soft food like whipped cream, syrup or mashed potatoes.
Eg : I would need a dollop of hummus on my pita bread.
JULIENNE: To cut a food item into long and thin strips.
Eg – Shina spent half an hour julienning the vegetables for the spring rolls.
MACERATE: To soften food by soaking it in liquid so as to separate the parts.
Eg– The rum cake was garnished using cherries that were macerated in rum.
STIR FRY: Cooking small pieces of meat or other food over high heat while stirring continuously.
Eg : The vegetables needed to be stir fried.
PUREE: To blend and mash food so as to convert it into a liquid form.
Eg : Tomatoes need to be pureed before being added to the main curry.
DEFROST: To thaw food so that it becomes free of ice
Eg – It took over 3 hours to defrost the beef.
GREASE: To coat the surface of a cooking pan/ baking pan with shortening so as to prevent food from sticking to it during cooking.
Eg- Grease the baking trays before putting them in the oven.
Hope these come in handy!
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