Glossary

Pumpkin

Pumpkin

Pumpkin Pronounce it: pump-kin Pumpkins are the most famous of all the winter squashes, and are most associated with Halloween lanterns. Inside the hard orange or yellow skin, the bright orange flesh is sweet and…


Apricot

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…


Shallot

Shallot

Shallot Pronounce it: shal-lot Related to the onion (as opposed to being a younger version of it), shallots grow in clusters at the leaf base. Most varieties are smaller than onions, have finer layers and…


Strawberry

Strawberry

Strawberry Pronounce it: straw-bare-ee Once available in Britain for just a brief period during the summer, strawberries are now a year-round fruit, thanks to imports from warmer climates. However, the varieties grown for export tend…


Fennel bulb

Fennel bulb Like Marmite, fennel is something that you either love or hate – its strong aniseed flavour leaves no room for the middle ground. From the same family as the herb and seed of…


Garlic

Garlic Pronounce it: gar-lik Part of the lily, or alium, family, of which onions are also a member, garlic is one of the most indispensible ingredients around, and plays a central role in Mediterranean and…


Capers

Capers Pronounce it: kay-per Capers are the small flower buds of the Capparis shrub, which grows in the Mediterranean. As they’re picked by hand they’re fairly pricey but they’re a versatile store cupboard ingredient, and…