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Water chestnuts

Water chestnuts

Water chestnuts Pronounce it: war-ta chest-nutz An ingredient with a very unusual, utterly reliable crunch and light sweetness. They are not chestnuts or nuts but the corms of an aquatic vegetable that is native throughout…

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Wasabi

Wasabi

Wasabi Pronounce it: wah-sarb-ee The Japanese answer to horseradish, wasabi is related to watercress and grows in a similar way, with its roots in water. The root is pale green in colour, and either grated…


Walnut

Walnut

Walnut Pronounce it: wall-nut Walnuts are one of the most popular and versatile of all nuts. When picked young, they’re known as wet and their milky white kernels are mainly used for pickling. Far more…


Watercress

Watercress

Watercress Pronounce it: wort-er-cress With deep green leaves, and crisp, paler stems, watercress is related to mustard and is one of the strongest-tasting salad leaves available. It has a pungent, slightly bitter, peppery flavour and…


Wholemeal

Wholemeal

Wholemeal Pronounce it: hole-meel Wholemeal or wholegrain flour is made using the whole of the wheat kernel. It adds flavour and nutrition to baked products, especially bread. Wholemeal or wholegrain flour is always heavier than…


Wheat grass

Wheat grass

Wheat grass Pronounce it: weet grahss Wheat grass is the young shoots of wheat, triticum aestivum, and contains much chlorophyll (the green stuff) and other vitamins and minerals. But is it better than anything else?…


Whisk

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…


Whisky

Whisky

Whisky Pronounce it: wisk-ee Whisky usually means an ethanol-based spirit produced in Scotland. Ethanol is an intoxicating chemical liquid created by the fermentation of sugar by yeasts and has been used socially for millennia. Whisky…


Watermelon

Watermelon

Watermelon Pronounce it: wort-er-mel-on Thought to have originated in Africa, watermelons are distinct from musk melons such as cantaloupes, ogens, charantais, galia and honeydew in that they are very watery and have a far less…