Articles by admin

Noble grape

Noble grape Pronounce it: no-ble grayp In the competitive, commercial world of wine, some grape varieties are more equal than others – the traditional varietals of the classic grape growing regions – and these are…


Tortilla

Tortilla

Tortilla Pronounce it: tor-tee-ya In Spain, a tortilla is a kind of omelette, with ingredients added – frequently sliced cooked potato and onion. However, over in Mexico, a tortilla is a kind of flat unleavened…


Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc Pronounce it: sew-vin-yon blonk Mouthwatering and fresh When the world got tired of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc was ready to step into its shoes. The producers of New Zealand led the charge with their…


Butternut squash

Butternut squash Pronounce it: buttah-nut skwash Butternut squash is one of the most popular varieties of winter squash or pumpkins. That is, types that are long keepers rather than short, such as summer’s courgettes. All squash are native to…


Rocket

Rocket

Rocket Pronounce it: roh-ket Rocket is a very ‘English’ leaf, and has been used in salads since Elizabethan times. It has a strong, peppery flavour, and the leaves have a slight ‘bite’ to them. If…


Yeast

Yeast

Yeast Pronounce it: yee-st Yeast is a living, single-cell organism. As the yeast grows, it converts its food (in the form of sugar or starch) into alcohol and carbon dioxide through the process of fermentation….


Chicory

Chicory

Chicory Pronounce it: chik-or-ee Also known as endive, chicory is a forced crop, grown in complete darkness, which accounts for its blanched white, yellow-tipped leaves. It has a distinctive, cigar-like shape, about 12cm long, and…


Jackfruit

Jackfruit Pronounce it: jack-froot Jackfruit has become increasingly popular in the UK, featuring in vegan savoury dishes, including pulled jackfruit.  What is jackfruit? Jackfruit are extremely large compound fruit made of numerous yellow ‘bulbs’ of flesh…


Lime leaf

Lime leaf

Lime leaf Pronounce it: ly-m leef Lime leaves are obtained from the kaffir lime, which is not a true lime at all but rather a subspecies of the citrus family. Used widely in south-east Asian…


Muscat

Muscat

Muscat Pronounce it: muss-cat The ‘grapey’ wine Muscat has a long history. The islanders of Samos in Greece are part of that history and still make sweet and fortified wines much as they did centuries…