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…
Redcurrant
Redcurrant Pronounce it: red-cur-rant These shiny little berries grow low on bushes, hanging from the branches like rows of miniature gems. Their flavour is a little tart but they’re still sweet enough to be eaten…
Rhubarb
Rhubarb Pronounce it: roo-barb Botanically, rhubarb is a vegetable (it’s related to sorrel and dock) but its thick, fleshy stalks are treated as a fruit, despite their tart flavour. Rhubarb grows in two crops. The…
Aduki bean
Aduki bean Pronounce it: a-dook-ee beens The aduki bean is a tiny, reddish-brown bean with a cream coloured seam and sweet, nutty flavour. It is particularly popular in Asian cooking, most often used for sweet…
Kiwi fruit
Kiwi fruit Pronounce it: kee-wee froot The brown and hairy exterior of this egg-shaped fruit doesn’t look promising, but inside it’s a different story – sweet, yielding, bright green flesh, prettily dotted with black seeds….
Semolina
Semolina Pronounce it: swiss shard Pronounce it: sem-oh-leen-ah Semolina flour is pale-yellow in colour, high in gluten and used for traditionally made pasta, pizza, bread and biscuit doughs. The term ‘semolina’ comes from the Italian…
Sweat
Sweat Pronounce it: sw-ett To cook food, generally vegetables, over a low heat, using a small amount of fat (vegan butter is often used, or a half-half mix of vegan butter and olive oil). This…
Mangetout
Mangetout Pronounce it: monj-too The French name tells you all; it means ‘eat it all’. Mangetout properly means a type of garden pea picked very young, so young that the pod is still flat and…
Asparagus
Asparagus Pronounce it: a-spa-ra-gus Labour-intensive to grow, asparagus are the young shoots of a cultivated lily plant. They’re considered to be one of the delicacies of the vegetable world, with a price tag to match,…
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…