Angelica
Angelica Pronounce it: an-gell-ik-ah This sweet ‘herb of the angels’ is a member of the parsley family and was once thought to be a remedy against witchcraft, poison and plague. Its pale green, celery-like stalks…
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Albariño
Albariño Pronounce it: al-bar-een-yoh Spain’s seafood white In Spain, Albariño is one of wine’s new kids on the block. Twenty years ago it was little known – it was only in 1986 that the Rias…
Apricot
Apricot Pronounce it: ay-pree-kot A relative of the peach, nectarine, plum and cherry, apricots are fragrant, with a soft, velvety skin that ranges from pale yellow to deep orange. Inside there’s a large kernel that…
Asafoetida
Asafoetida Pronounce it: Ass-a-feh-te-dah/Ass-a-feh-tee-dah This is a gum from a variety of giant fennel, which naturally has a horrid and offensive smell, rather like rotting garlic, as in foetid. Yet it is considered the most…
Agave syrup
Agave syrup Agave syrup (also known as agave nectar) is a naturally occurring sweetener similar in consistency to honey, although slightly thinner. It is extracted from various species of the agave plant, which grows mainly…
Avocado
Avocado Pronounce it: av-oh-car-doh Although it’s technically a fruit, the mild-flavoured avocado is used as a vegetable. Native to central America, there are four main varieties: Hass (considered to be the best), which has a…
Arrowroot powder
Arrowroot powder Pronounce it: a-row-root Arrowroot powder is a type of starch that can be used instead of cornflour in many ways, including baking, but is most appreciated as a thickener of liquids because it…
Agar-Agar
Agar-Agar Pronounce it: ay-gar ay-gar (ay as in hay) This jelly-like food was discovered in the mid-17th century in Japan and is made from varieties of red algae, small salt-sea organisms indirectly related to larger…
Arborio rice
Arborio rice Pronounce it: ahh-bore-e-o rice The high-starch kernels of this northern Italian-grown grain are shorter and plumper than any other short-grain rice. When cooked the grains become soft in texture with a chalky centre….
Aubergine
Aubergine Pronounce it: oh-ber-geen Although it’s technically a fruit (a berry, to be exact), the aubergine is used as a vegetable. It’s native to South-East Asia, but is grown all over the world, and there…