Tahini
Tahini Pronounce it: ta-hee-nee Also known as tahina, this finely ground paste of husked and roasted sesame seeds is an absolutely basic ingredient and flavouring of Middle Eastern foods. It can be used in savoury…
Glossary
Vanilla
Vanilla Pronounce it: van-ill-ah The sun-dried seed pod of a type of climbing orchid, vanilla has an inimitable soft, sweet fragrance and flavour. The labour-intensive process involved in hand-pollinating and nurturing the flowers, together with…
Semillon
Semillon Pronounce it: sem-ee-yon Chameleon grape Semillon is a gorgeously adaptable grape that makes one of the most unique dry white wines as well as appearing in some of the world’s most famous sweet wines….
Okra
Okra Pronounce it: oh-kra Originally from Africa, okra is now widely used in cuisines such as Caribbean, Creole, Cajun and Indian. It’s also known as bhindi or lady’s fingers, in reference to the long, elegantly…
Goji berries
Goji berries Pronounce it: go-gee ber-reze Increasingly hailed as a superfood in the UK, goji berries have been eaten as a nutrionally rich food in China for around 2000 years. The bright red berries, sometimes…
Chestnut
Chestnut Pronounce it: chest-nut ‘Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…’ that kitsch old Nat King Cole song perfectly sums up the comforting, Christmassy appeal of this sweet, crumbly nut. In contrast to other nuts, chestnuts…
Gochujang
Gochujang Gochujang is a Korean condiment with a sweet-hot-salty flavour made from red chillies, fermented soybeans, glutinous rice and salt. These ingredients are ground to form a thick red paste that is traditionally used as…
Spring greens
Spring greens Pronounce it: sp-ring gr-eens Spring greens are the first cabbages of the year. They have fresh, loose heads without the hard heart of other cabbages. Availability Spring greens are at their peak from…
Whisk
Whisk Pronounce it: wi-sk A kitchen instrument manufactured with a series of thin metal wires, each formed into a loop so both ends of the wires attach to a handle. The loops, which are placed…
Damson
Damson Pronounce it: dam-sun A small fruit with vibrant dark blue skin and a strong, sour flavour, damsons are similar to plums and a member of the rose family. They have a large stone and…