Merlot
Merlot Pronounce it: mer-low The crowd pleaser Merlot is the red that has come racing up the popularity stakes. It’s the variety – especially if it’s made in the New World – that you can…
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Moringa
Moringa Pronounce it: moor-ing-gah Promoted as one of the most nutritionally dense foods on the planet, the Moringa, Drumstick or Horseradish tree is credited with everything from sorting out sleep patterns to increasing libido and…
Mushroom
Mushroom Pronounce it: mush-room The mushroom is a fungus which comes in a wide range of varieties that belong to two distinct types: cultivated and wild. In myth and folklore mushrooms have always had something…
Mojito
Mojito Pronounce it: maw-hee-taw From nowhere to everywhere, the mojito is currently ruling the roost in pubs, bars and clubs. Perhaps this is because it is long, clear, bubbly and clean tasting and because the…
Maple syrup
Maple syrup Pronounce it: may-pul sir-rup The rising spring sap of a number of varieties of maple tree native to northeast America, mainly in Canada but also in such US states as Vermont. The syrup…
Martini cocktail
Martini cocktail Pronounce it: mah-teen-ee kok-tayl The word cocktail is vital when ordering in all except the grandest, smartest bars and restaurants. If you simply ask for a martini, you might get Martini vermouth. This…
Malbec
Malbec Pronounce it: marl-bek The Argentinian hero Malbec was once one of the regular participants in Bordeaux blends. Today it has fallen out of favour. Further south in Gascony it still has a role to…
Mulled wine
Mulled wine Pronounce it: mulld w-eye-n Like ice-cold Spanish sangria, warm mulled wine is essentially red wine that is slightly sweetened, flavoured with citrus, lightly spiced and, usually, finished with a spirit or liqueur. However, mulled wine…
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…
Molasses
Molasses Pronounce it: moh-lassiz More commonly known as treacle or black treacle or, in the US as blackstrap molasses, molasses are essentially what is left over after cane sugar is boiled to produce sugar and…