Glossary

Samphire

Samphire

Samphire Pronounce it: sam-fire Though there are two types of samphire – marsh and rock – only marsh samphire is widely available. Marsh samphire has vibrant green stalks, similar to baby asparagus, with a distinctively…


Kirsch

Kirsch Pronounce it: kirr-ssh Produced in mainly in Germany, but also in Switzerland and the Alsace region of France, Kirsch’s full name is kirsch wasser (pronounced vasser), meaning cherry water. Originating from the Black Forest,…


Swiss chard

Swiss chard

Swiss chard Pronounce it: swiss shard Also known as plain chard, Swiss chard has large, fleshy, tender, deep green leaves and thick, crisp stalks. Although they’re unrelated, chard is similar to spinach, but with a stronger, more…


Cannellini bean

Cannellini bean Pronounce it: can-a-leen-ee been Slightly kidney-shaped with squarish ends, cannellini beans are from Italy and are creamy white in colour. When cooked, they have a fluffy texture and a slightly nutty, mild flavour….


Moringa

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…


Gnocchi

Gnocchi Pronounce it: noh-kee An Italian dumpling made with semolina, flour, potatoes or ricotta and spinach cooked and eaten in much the same way as pasta. Gnocchi is usually hand-shaped into shells, ovals or flat…


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….


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…


X.O cognac

X.O cognac

X.O cognac Pronounce it: exx-oh con-yak Created in 1870 for the personal use of Maurice Hennessy and his family and friends, X.O is a type of distilled wine and is widely considered the ultimate in…


Seaweed

Seaweed

Seaweed Pronounce it: see-weed No matter what the shape or size, and whatever their colour, which ranges from red to black via golds and greens, seaweeds have a common background flavour that might be described…