Cooking Terms Glossary
Learn the language of cooking with our comprehensive glossary of culinary terms.
B
Bake
To cook by dry heat, either covered or uncovered, in an oven or oven-type appliance.
Baste
To moisten meat or other foods with pan drippings, fruit juice or a sauce. Prevents drying of food s...
Beat
To make a mixture smooth by introducing air with a brisk over and over motion using a spoon, or a ro...
Blanch
To make a mixture smooth by introducing air with a brisk over and over motion using a spoon, or a ro...
Blend
to combine two or more ingredients thoroughly.
Boil
To heat a liquid until bubbles continuously break on the surface
Braise
To cook slowly in a broiler or over hot coals.
Bread
To coat with flour, then dip into slightly diluted beaten egg or milk, and finally coat with bread,...
Broil
To cook by direct heat, under a broiler or over hot coals.
Brown
To cook at a medium heat until meat has turned brown.
C
Caramelize
To melt sugar, or foods containing sugar, slowly over low heat without burning, until it melts and...
Chop
To cut food into small pieces with a knife.
Clarify
To make a liquid (stock, broth, butter)clear by skimming away or filtering out fat or other impuriti...
Coat
To cover food evenly with flour, crumbs or batter.
Coddle
To cook food slowly in water just below the boiling point.
Compote
Fruit stewed or cooked in syrup, usually served as a dessert.
Cool
To let food stand at room temperature until it is no longer warm to the touch.
Cream
To make a fat, such as butter, soft and smooth by beating with a spoon or mixer. Also, to combine a...
Crumble
To break into small fragments or particles.
Cube
To cut a solid food into cubes of about 1/2 inch or more.
Cut in
To mix evenly a solid fat into dry ingredients (e.g. shortening and flour) by chopping with two kni...
D
E
Egg wash
Egg beaten with water
F
Fillet
A piece of meat, poultry or fish without bones.
Flake
To break food into small pieces, usually with a fork.
Flute
To make decorative indentations around the edge of pastries, fruits or vegetables.
Fold
To combine two ingredients. Using a spoon or rubber spatula, go down through the mixture on the far...
Fry
To cook in hot fat; pan-fry or saute in a small amount of fat, deep-fat fry in deep layer of fat tha...
G
Gash
To cut pattern into pie crust with a knife.
Glaze
To coat with a smooth mixture to give food a glossy appearance.
Grate
To rub food against a grater to form small particles.
Grill
To cook on a rack over hot coals or other direct heat.
Grind
To reduce to particles in a grinder, blender or food processor.
J
Julienne
To cut meat, vegetables or fruit into long matchlike strips.
K
Knead
To manipulate with a pressing motion accompanied by folding and stretching. For yeast bread: fold do...
M
P
Panbroil
To cook uncovered on a hot surface removing fat as it accumulates.
Parboil
To cook food in a boiling liquid until partially done. Cooking is usually completed by another metho...
Pare
To remove outer covering of fruit or vegetable with a knife.
Peel
To strip off or pull away outer covering of fruit or vegetable.
Poach
To cook slowly in simmering liquid such as water or milk.
Puree
To put food through a sieve, blender or processor to produce the thick pulp or paste with juice.
R
S
Saute
To brown or cook in a small amount of fat (see Fry).
Scald
To heat milk just below the boiling point, when tiny bubbles appear around the edge of the pan; to d...
Score
To make shallow slits into the surface of a food in a diamond or rectangular pattern.
Sear
To brown and seal surface of meat quickly with intense heat.
Shred
To cut into long, thin strips with a knife or shredder.
Simmer
To cook in liquid just below boiling point; bubbles form slowly and burst before reaching surface.
Sliver
To cut into long thin pieces with a knife; e.g. almonds or pimiento.
Steam
To cook in a covered container above boiling water.
Steep
To let stand for a few minutes in water that has just been boiled to enhance flavour and colour.
Stew
To simmer slowly in liquid deep enough to cover.
Stir
To mix ingredients in a circular motion until blended with uniform consistency.
Stir-fry
To cook in a frying pan or wok over high heat in a small amount of fat, tossing or stirring constant...
T
Toast
To brown with dry heat in an oven or toaster.
W
Whip
To beat rapidly with a wire whisk, beater or mixer to incorporate air to lighten and increase volume...