Kitchen glossary
66 words you’ll meet in recipes, restaurant news and food-safety alerts, in plain English. For whole techniques, read Kitchen School. Nutrition terms are general information, not medical advice.
Techniques
- Sauté #
- Cooking food quickly in a little fat over fairly high heat, moving it around the pan. Stories
- Sear #
- Browning the surface of meat or fish in a very hot pan for flavor and color. It doesn’t “seal in juices”; it adds flavor. Stories
- Braise #
- Browning food, then cooking it slowly in a small amount of liquid in a covered pot, which turns tough cuts tender. Stories
- Roast #
- Cooking food uncovered in the dry heat of an oven, so the outside browns while the inside cooks through. Stories
- Blanch #
- Boiling food briefly, then plunging it into ice water to stop the cooking — used to set color, loosen skins or prepare vegetables for freezing. Stories
- Poach #
- Cooking food gently in liquid that is hot but not boiling, such as eggs, fish or fruit. Stories
- Simmer #
- Keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles breaking the surface now and then. Stories
- Deglaze #
- Pouring liquid such as wine or stock into a hot pan to loosen the browned bits stuck to the bottom, which become the base of a sauce. Stories
- Emulsify #
- Whisking or blending two liquids that don’t normally mix, such as oil and vinegar, into a smooth sauce like vinaigrette or mayonnaise. Stories
- Caramelize #
- Cooking sugar, or foods with natural sugars such as onions, until they turn brown and sweet. Stories
- Maillard reaction #
- The browning reaction between proteins and sugars at high heat that gives seared meat, toast and roasted coffee their flavor. Stories
- Reduce #
- Simmering a liquid so some of it evaporates, concentrating its flavor and thickening it. Stories
Prep & knife work
- Mise en place #
- French for “everything in its place”: measuring, chopping and setting out every ingredient before you start cooking. Stories
- Dice and mince #
- Dicing is cutting food into even cubes; mincing is chopping it as finely as possible. Stories
- Chiffonade #
- Stacking and rolling leafy herbs or greens, then slicing them into thin ribbons. Stories
- Zest #
- The colorful outer layer of citrus peel, grated or peeled off for flavor; the white pith underneath is bitter. Stories
Baking & sweets
- Proof #
- Letting yeast dough rise before baking; also testing that yeast is alive by mixing it with warm water. Stories
- Fold #
- Gently combining a light mixture, such as whipped egg whites, into a heavier one with a spatula so it keeps its air. Stories
- Temper #
- Melting and cooling chocolate to set temperatures so it sets glossy and snaps — or slowly warming eggs with hot liquid so they don’t scramble. Stories
- Cream #
- Beating butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, which traps air and helps cakes and cookies rise. Stories
- Laminated dough #
- Dough folded again and again around a slab of butter to build hundreds of thin layers, as in croissants and puff pastry. Stories
- Blind bake #
- Baking a pie or tart crust before adding the filling, usually weighed down so it keeps its shape. Stories
Flavor
- Umami #
- The savory “fifth taste” — alongside sweet, salty, sour and bitter — found in foods such as soy sauce, parmesan, tomatoes, mushrooms and broth. Stories
- Acid #
- Sour ingredients such as lemon juice, vinegar or yogurt. A little acid brightens a dish the way salt deepens it. Stories
- Aromatics #
- Vegetables and herbs cooked at the start of a recipe to build flavor, such as onion, garlic, celery, carrot, ginger or chiles. Stories
Restaurants & dining
- Michelin star #
- The Michelin Guide’s top honor for restaurants. One star means high-quality cooking worth a stop, two means excellent cooking worth a detour, and three means exceptional cuisine worth a special journey. Stories
- Bib Gourmand #
- A Michelin Guide distinction for restaurants that serve good food at a moderate price. Stories
- Michelin Green Star #
- A Michelin Guide distinction for restaurants with outstanding sustainable practices. Stories
- James Beard Awards #
- Annual awards from the James Beard Foundation honoring chefs, restaurants, bars and food writers in the United States, often called the Oscars of the food world. Stories
- The World’s 50 Best Restaurants #
- An annual ranking of restaurants around the world, based on votes from a panel of chefs, critics and food experts. Stories
- Omakase #
- Japanese for “I’ll leave it up to you”: a meal, often sushi, where the chef chooses each course. Stories
Food safety
- Safe minimum internal temperature #
- The temperature, measured with a food thermometer, that food must reach to be safe to eat. The USDA lists 165°F for poultry and leftovers, 160°F for ground meats, and 145°F for whole cuts of beef, pork, veal and lamb (with a 3-minute rest) and for fish. Stories
- Danger zone #
- The range between 40°F and 140°F, where bacteria grow fastest. Keep cold food cold and hot food hot, and refrigerate leftovers promptly. Stories
- Cross-contamination #
- Spreading germs from raw meat, poultry, seafood or eggs to other food through hands, cutting boards, knives or counters. Stories
- Recall #
- When a company takes food off the market because it may be unsafe or mislabeled, usually announced through the FDA, or the USDA for meat, poultry and some egg products. Stories
- Recall classes #
- Agencies rank recalls by risk. Class I means a reasonable chance of serious illness or death; Class II, a remote chance of serious problems or a temporary one; Class III, unlikely to cause harm. Stories
- Public health alert #
- A warning from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service when food may be unsafe but a recall isn’t possible, often because the product is no longer for sale. Stories
- Market withdrawal #
- When a company removes a product for a minor problem that isn’t a safety violation, such as a quality issue. Stories
- Listeria #
- Bacteria that can grow even in the refrigerator and cause serious illness, especially for pregnant people, newborns, older adults and anyone with a weakened immune system. Stories
- Salmonella #
- One of the most common causes of food poisoning, often linked to raw poultry, eggs, produce and foods made with them. Stories
- E. coli #
- A large group of bacteria. Most are harmless, but some strains, such as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, can cause severe illness. Stories
- Major food allergens #
- The nine allergens U.S. food labels must name: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. Stories
Nutrition
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans #
- The federal government’s nutrition advice, published by the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services and updated every five years. Stories
- Registered dietitian #
- A credentialed nutrition professional (RD or RDN) who has completed a degree, supervised practice and a national exam — the right person to ask about your own diet. Stories
- Macronutrients #
- The three nutrients the body needs in large amounts for energy: carbohydrates, protein and fat. Stories
- Fiber #
- The part of plant foods the body can’t digest, found in whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables. It helps digestion and keeps you full. Stories
- Added sugars #
- Sugars and syrups put into foods when they’re made or prepared, as opposed to the sugar that occurs naturally in fruit or milk. Nutrition labels list them separately. Stories
- Ultra-processed foods #
- Industrially made foods with ingredients rarely used in home kitchens, such as many packaged snacks and sodas. Definitions vary; many researchers use the NOVA system. Stories
- Whole grains #
- Grains that keep all three parts of the kernel — bran, germ and endosperm — such as oats, brown rice and whole wheat. Stories