Agar-Agar
Agar-Agar Pronounce it: ay-gar ay-gar (ay as in hay) This jelly-like food was discovered in the mid-17th century in Japan and is made from varieties of red algae, small salt-sea organisms indirectly related to larger…
Glossary
Coconut milk
Coconut milk Pronounce it: ko-ko-nut mill-k Coconut milk is not the slightly opaque liquid that flows from a freshly opened coconut – that is coconut water. Coconut milk is made by grating fresh coconut flesh and…
Miso
Miso Pronounce it: mee-soh One of the best-loved and most delicious fermented foods, miso is a Japanese flavouring made by the action of fermenting steamed soy beans with salt and the fungus aspergillus oryzae (kōji). It…
Couscous
Couscous Pronounce it: koos-koos Consisting of many tiny granules made from steamed and dried durum wheat, couscous has become a popular alternative to rice and pasta. It has a light fluffy texture which is a…
Xylitol
Xylitol Xylitol is an all-natural alternative to sugar. The substance derives from the fibres of plants and can be extracted from a variety of vegetation including berries, mushrooms, birch bark and corn husks. It’s also…
Sauté
Sauté Pronounce it: saw-tay A French term used to describe a method for cooking foods in a shallow pan using high heat. The food is cooked in the pan uncovered, in a small quantity of…
Turmeric
Turmeric Pronounce it: term-er-ik Turmeric is a fragrant, bright golden-yellow root that is most commonly seen and used dried and ground. Although sometimes suggested as an alternative to saffron, these flavours have nothing in common,…
Olive
Olive Pronounce it: ol-liv Widely grown all over the Mediterranean, where they’ve been cultivated since biblical times, olives are mainly green and black, but can also come in many different shades in between. The difference…
Leek
Leek Pronounce it: lee-k Like garlic and onion, leeks are a member of the allium family, but have their own distinct flavour – quite harsh when raw (only very young leeks are eaten this way)…
Tamarind
Tamarind Pronounce it: tam-ah-rin-d A seed pod from the tamarind tree that is used extensively in South-East Asian and Indian cooking to flavour curries, chutneys and bean dishes. Tamarind has a unique sweet and sour…