Zinfandel
Zinfandel Pronounce it: zin-fan-del The American hero Zin was originally thought to be or to be related to southern Italy’s Primitivo, a variety that also produces dark, plummy wines. It has now been proved that…
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Grapefruit
Grapefruit Pronounce it: grape-froot Named for the fact that the fruits grow in grape-like bunches, grapefruits are the largest citrus fruits, growing up to 18cm in diameter. Inside, the flesh is segmented, like an orange,…
Banana
Banana Pronounce it: bah-nah-nah Probably the best known, most popular tropical fruit, their name probably derives from the Arabic for finger, ‘banan’. There are a number of varieties, inluding red bananas (which have a yellow-pink…
Lemon grass
Lemon grass Pronounce it: le-mon gra-ss Although lemon grass is central to Asian cuisine, especially Thai, it works well in Western dishes, too. This mixing of flavours is sometimes called ‘fusion’. Also called citronella or…
Salted caramel
Salted caramel Pronounce it: sol-tid ka-rah-mel These two words are among the most over-used, misunderstood and thus potentially most disappointing in the current world of cooking and eating. Caramel is simply sugar that has been…
Barley
Barley There are two types of barley available- pot barley and pearl barley. Pot barley is the more nutritious of the two but is less readily available and takes longer to cook. It is less…
Wasabi
Wasabi Pronounce it: wah-sarb-ee The Japanese answer to horseradish, wasabi is related to watercress and grows in a similar way, with its roots in water. The root is pale green in colour, and either grated…
Viognier
Viognier Pronounce it: vee-oh-nyay A scented favourite Viognier is one of the great success stories of recent times. Never one of the easiest grapes to grow, production had shrunk back to a tiny amount in…
Red cabbage
Red cabbage Pronounce it: red cab-idge A favourite winter vegetable served hot with roasted game birds but equally good as a colourful and gratifying addition to any hot meal. It is usually long cooked with…
Tamari
Tamari Pronounce it: tam-aree Tamari is a Japanese version of soy sauce, the main difference being that it contains little or no wheat and thus little or no gluten, something that will be apparent on…