Negroamaro Pronounce it: negr-ah-mah-ro Southern Italian speciality Negroamaro means literally ‘black, bitter’ and that more or less describes the grape. The pleasure of Italy for the winelover is discovering its several hundred native grapes and…
Radish Pronounce it: rad-ish The root of a member of the mustard family, radishes have a peppery flavour and a crisp, crunchy texture. Among the most popular varieties are the small, cherry-sized common variety which…
Saffron Pronounce it: sah-fron The stigma of a type of crocus, saffron threads have a pungent and distinctive aroma and flavour – slightly bitter, a little musty, and with a suggestion of something floral. It’s…
Spinach Pronounce it: spin-atch Used in almost every cuisine across the world, spinach is an enormously popular green vegetable. The leaves can be either flat or slightly ruffled, and are a bright green when young,…
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…
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…
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…
Cinnamon Pronounce it: sin-ah-mun A fragrant spice which comes from the inner bark of a tropical tree. When dried, it curls into quills that are used to add a warm, distinctive flavour and aroma to…
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…
Pear Pronounce it: pair Like apples, to which they are related, pears come in thousands of varieties, of which only a small fraction are sold in the UK. Their fine, slightly granular flesh is much…