Crab apple
Crab apple Pronounce it: crab app-el A tiny sour apple that either grows wild or is cultivated. There are several varieties that grow in the UK, North America and the Far East. Most crab apple…
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Cumin
Cumin Pronounce it: q-min An aromatic spice native to eastern Mediteranean countries and Upper Egypt. This warm, flavoursome and slightly bitter spice derives from the seed of the Cumin plant and is traditionally added to…
Cabbage
Cabbage Pronounce it: ka-badge The cabbage, or brassica, family is huge, and includes everything from the familiar red, white or green varieties with tightly packed leaves, to cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts as well as pak…
Celeriac
Celeriac Pronounce it: sell-air-e-ak The unsung hero of the vegetable world, knobbly, odd-shaped celeriac has a subtle, celery-like flavour, with nutty overtones. Try it as mash, in big-flavoured, slow-cook dishes, or in its classic form,…
Courgette flower
Courgette flower Pronounce it: korr-shgett fl-ow-er The edible flower of the courgette, or zucchini bush. There are two sorts of flower: the flower with the immature vegetable attached is the female and the more eyecatching…
Chestnut
Chestnut Pronounce it: chest-nut ‘Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…’ that kitsch old Nat King Cole song perfectly sums up the comforting, Christmassy appeal of this sweet, crumbly nut. In contrast to other nuts, chestnuts…
Carrot
Carrot Pronounce it: ka-rot The carrot, with its distinctive bright orange colour, is one of the most versatile root vegetables around – a result of its sweet flavour, which means it can be used raw…
Cashew
Cashew Pronounce it: ka-shoo The seeds from the ‘Cashew Apple’ – a tree which bears bright orange fruit and is native to Brazil and the West Indies. They have a sweet flavour and crumbly texture…
Coriander seed
Coriander seed Pronounce it: kor-ee-and-er seed The small, creamy brown seeds of the coriander plant give dishes a warm, aromatic and slightly citrus flavour totally different to fresh coriander leaves. They are commonly used in…
Cauliflower
Cauliflower Pronounce it: coll-ee-fl-ow-ah A brassica, like cabbage and broccoli, cauliflower is a mass of tiny, tightly packed flower heads (called curds), which grow from a thick central stem to form a single, round head,…