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Pak choi

Pak choi

Pak choi Pronounce it: pak-choy This member of the cabbage family has a number of different names, including pak choi, bok choy, horse’s ear, Chinese celery cabbage and white mustard cabbage. Its structure looks like…

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Plum

Plum

Plum Pronounce it: pl-um The juiciest fruit in the stone fruit family, plums come in many different varieties, some sweet, some slightly more tart. All plums however have certain characteristics in common, with smooth, richly…


Peas

Peas

Peas Pronounce it: p-ees A type of legume, peas grow inside long, plump pods. As is the case with all types of legume, their sugars start to turn to starch as shortly after they’re picked,…


Pineapple

Pineapple

Pineapple Pronounce it: pine-ap-pel With its tuft of spiky, dusty green leaves and cross-hatched, golden orange skin, the pineapple has an unmistakable appearance. A single pineapple is, in fact, a collection of multiple diamond-shaped fruits,…


Pepper

Pepper

Pepper Pronounce it: pep-iz Also known as capsicums, bell peppers, sweet peppers or by their colours, for example red and yellow peppers. These are a non-hot member of a large family that varies enormously in size,…


Pinotage

Pinotage

Pinotage Pronounce it: peeno-ta-zh South African speciality Pinotage is South Africa’s unique grape, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, created in 1925. For many years it was a workhorse providing quantity but not necessarily…


Paprika

Paprika

Paprika Pronounce it: pa-preek-ah A spice that’s central to Hungarian cuisine, paprika is made by drying a particular type of sweet pepper, then grinding them to a fine, rich red powder. Its flavour varies from…


Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir Pronounce it: peeno-nwar Pinot is the Don Juan of grape varieties: a really seductive charmer. It’s hard to grow, but in the right circumstances produces elegant wines of exceptional quality. Pinot will never…


Persimmon

Persimmon

Persimmon Pronounce it: pur-simm-un This thin-skinned, golden fruit requires thought and time to enjoy at its best. When ripe and firm the flesh of traditional varieties is very astringent and unpleasant. However, once fully ripened,…


Purple sprouting broccoli

Purple sprouting broccoli

Purple sprouting broccoli Pronounce it: pur-pel spr-ow-ting brok-o-lee This untidy-looking, colourful cousin of broccoli can be used in much the same way. Leafier and deeper in colour than calabrese, it adds vibrancy and crunch to…