Culinary Terms and Concepts

Why You Absolutely Need This All-Inclusive Cooking Dictionary

Ever felt lost while reading a recipe? Maybe you’re standing in your kitchen, staring at a word like “julienne” or “deglaze,” wondering what on earth it means. Whether you're a newbie in the kitchen just trying to get dinner on the table or a seasoned home chef looking to fine-tune your skills, knowing your way around kitchen lingo is key to cooking with confidence. That’s where this detailed culinary dictionary steps in—it’s packed with 300 must-know cooking terms, techniques, tools, and ingredients that every food lover should have in their back pocket.

From timeless French cuisine techniques to the cutting-edge world of molecular gastronomy, this cooking dictionary offers:

  • Professional techniques that top chefs rely on
  • The essential kitchen gadgets and tools you should know
  • Crucial food safety principles and how to apply them
  • Ingredients, both classic and contemporary, broken down
  • Must-know baking and pastry terminology
  • Knife skills, cuts, and butchery terms explained
  • A dive into international cuisine methods and cultural terms
  • Sauce-making basics and the famous mother sauces
  • The art of plating and food presentation, demystified

This guide isn’t just for culinary students. Home cooks, food bloggers, aspiring bakers, or anyone obsessed with food will find this glossary to be a trusty sidekick. We’ve kept the explanations clear and easy to follow, turning those intimidating cooking words into something simple and approachable. Whether you're watching a chef on TV whip up a dish or reading a recipe with unfamiliar terms, this dictionary is your secret weapon for decoding it all.

How to Use This Cooking Glossary

You can either browse it casually or keep it nearby for quick reference whenever you stumble upon a word that has you stumped. Whether you’re tackling a complicated recipe, binge-watching cooking tutorials online, or just hungry for more food knowledge, this all-in-one kitchen vocabulary guide is exactly what you need to up your culinary game.

Culinary Terms and Concepts

A

  1. Al Dente - Italian term meaning "to the tooth," referring to pasta cooked until slightly firm when bitten.
  2. Aromatics - Vegetables, herbs, and spices that add flavor and aroma to dishes when cooked.
  3. Asiago - An Italian cow's milk cheese that can be fresh (mild) or aged (sharp).
  4. Aspic - A savory jelly made from meat or vegetable stock, used to hold other foods in place.
  5. Au Gratin - A dish topped with cheese and/or breadcrumbs and browned in the oven.
  6. Au Jus - Served with its own natural juices or gravy.
  7. Autolyse - A bread-making technique where flour and water are mixed and left to rest before adding other ingredients.

B

  1. Bain-Marie - A water bath used for cooking delicate dishes or melting chocolate.
  2. Baking Powder - A leavening agent containing baking soda and cream of tartar.
  3. Baking Soda - Sodium bicarbonate, used as a leavening agent in baking.
  4. Ballotine - Deboned meat, poultry, or fish stuffed and rolled into a bundle.
  5. Barbecue - A cooking method involving smoking food over wood or charcoal.
  6. Baste - To moisten food while cooking to add flavor and prevent drying.
  7. Batonnet - A knife cut creating stick-shaped pieces (1/4 inch × 1/4 inch × 2-3 inches).
  8. Béchamel - A white sauce made from butter, flour, and milk.
  9. Blanch - To briefly cook in boiling water, then plunge into ice water to stop cooking.
  10. Blast Chiller - A piece of equipment that rapidly cools food to safe temperatures.
  11. Bloom - To soften gelatin in cold water or to develop flavor and aroma in spices using hot oil.
  12. Bouillon - A clear, flavorful broth made by simmering meat, vegetables, and aromatics.
  13. Bouquet Garni - A bundle of herbs tied together and used to flavor soups and stews.
  14. Brine - A salt-water solution used for preserving or flavoring food.
  15. Broil - To cook food directly under high heat.
  16. Brunoise - A knife cut producing tiny cubes (1/8 inch × 1/8 inch × 1/8 inch).
  17. Burrata - A fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream.

C

  1. Caramelize - To heat sugar until it turns brown and develops a nutty flavor.
  2. Cartouche - A parchment paper lid placed directly on food while cooking.
  3. Charcuterie - The art of preparing and assembling cured meats and other meat products.
  4. Chiffonade - To finely slice leafy vegetables or herbs into long, thin strips.
  5. Chinois - A conical strainer with fine mesh used for straining sauces and soups.
  6. Clarified Butter - Butter with milk solids and water removed, leaving pure butterfat.
  7. Claw Grip - A knife handling technique where fingers are curled to prevent cuts.
  8. Confit - A method of preserving food by cooking it in fat at low temperatures.
  9. Coriander - The seeds of the cilantro plant, used as a spice.
  10. Court Bouillon - An aromatic poaching liquid for fish and seafood.
  11. Creme Fraiche - A thickened cream with a slightly tangy flavor.

D

  1. Daikon - A large white radish commonly used in Asian cuisine.
  2. Deglaze - To add liquid to a pan to loosen browned bits for making sauce.
  3. Demi-Glace - A rich brown sauce made from reduced stock and espagnole sauce.
  4. Denature - The physical change in protein structure caused by heat, acid, or agitation.
  5. Dice - To cut ingredients into small, uniform cubes.
  6. Dredge - To coat food in flour, breadcrumbs, or other dry ingredients before cooking.
  7. Dry-Aging - A process of aging meat to enhance flavor and tenderness.

E

  1. Emulsify - To combine two liquids that normally don't mix, like oil and vinegar.
  2. En Croute - Food wrapped in pastry and baked.
  3. Engastration - The practice of cooking one animal stuffed inside another.
  4. Entree - The main course of a meal.
  5. Espagnole - One of the five mother sauces, a basic brown sauce.
  6. Espalier - The horticultural practice of training fruit trees to grow flat against a wall.

F

  1. Farro - An ancient grain with a nutty flavor and chewy texture.
  2. Fat Cap - A layer of fat on top of meat cuts, often left on during cooking.
  3. Fermentation - A metabolic process that converts sugar to acids, gases, or alcohol.
  4. Fillet - To remove bones from fish or meat.
  5. Flambé - To cook with alcohol that is ignited.
  6. Fond - Browned bits of food left in a pan after cooking meat or vegetables.
  7. Frenching - To remove meat and fat from rib bones for presentation.
  8. Fricassee - A dish of stewed meat served in white sauce.

G

  1. Galantine - A French dish of deboned meat that is stuffed, rolled, and poached.
  2. Garde Manger - The cold kitchen where salads and cold dishes are prepared.
  3. Garlic Press - A tool used to crush garlic cloves.
  4. Gastrique - A sweet and sour sauce made with caramelized sugar and vinegar.
  5. Gazpacho - A cold soup made of raw vegetables, typically tomato-based.
  6. Ghee - A type of clarified butter used in Indian cuisine.
  7. Gnocchi - Small dumplings made from potato, semolina, or flour.
  8. Gougère - A savory choux pastry flavored with cheese.

H

  1. Haricot Vert - Thin French green beans.
  2. Harissa - A hot chili pepper paste used in North African cuisine.
  3. Herbes de Provence - A blend of dried herbs typical of the Provence region.
  4. Hollandaise - One of the five mother sauces, made with egg yolks and butter.
  5. Homogenize - To combine ingredients into a uniform consistency.
  6. Hors d'oeuvre - A small dish served before or outside of a main meal.

I

  1. Immersion Blender - A handheld blender used to puree or emulsify food.
  2. Infuse - To steep ingredients in liquid to extract flavors.
  3. Instant-Read Thermometer - A tool for quickly checking internal temperatures.
  4. Inverse Spherification - A molecular gastronomy technique creating liquid-filled spheres.

J

  1. Jacquard - A tool used to tenderize meat by creating small cuts.
  2. Jicama - A crisp, sweet root vegetable used raw or cooked.
  3. Julienne - To cut food into thin strips (1/8 inch × 1/8 inch × 2-3 inches).
  4. Jus Lie - Meat juice thickened with cornstarch or other starch.

K

  1. Kataifi - Shredded phyllo dough used in Middle Eastern pastries.
  2. Kirsch - A clear brandy distilled from cherries.
  3. Kitchen Twine - Cotton string used for trussing meat or making bouquet garni.
  4. Knead - To work dough by hand to develop gluten.

L

  1. Larding - Inserting fat into lean meat to add moisture during cooking.
  2. Liaison - A mixture of egg yolks and cream used to thicken sauces.
  3. Lox - Cured salmon, typically served on bagels.
  4. Lubricate - To coat a pan or dish with fat to prevent sticking.

M

  1. Macerate - To soften food by soaking it in liquid, often alcohol.
  2. Mandoline - A tool for slicing vegetables uniformly.
  3. Marinate - To soak food in a seasoned liquid before cooking.
  4. Marzipan - A sweet paste made from ground almonds and sugar.
  5. Matelote - A fish stew made with wine.
  6. Matignon - A combination of diced vegetables used as a flavor base.
  7. Meunière - A preparation method where fish is floured and cooked in brown butter.
  8. Microplane - A tool for finely grating ingredients.
  9. Mince - To cut into very small pieces.
  10. Mise en Place - French for "everything in its place," referring to ingredient prep.
  11. Miso - A fermented soybean paste used in Japanese cuisine.
  12. Molecular Gastronomy - The scientific study of physical and chemical processes in cooking.
  13. Monter au Beurre - To finish a sauce by whisking in cold butter.
  14. Mornay Sauce - A béchamel sauce with added cheese.

N

  1. Nappe - The consistency of a sauce that coats the back of a spoon.
  2. Nitrates - Compounds used in curing meats.
  3. Noisette - A small round piece of meat, typically lamb.
  4. Nori - Dried seaweed sheets used in Japanese cuisine.

O

  1. Offal - Organ meats or entrails used in cooking.
  2. Omakase - A Japanese dining concept where the chef chooses the dishes.
  3. Omelette Pan - A shallow, sloped pan designed for making omelettes.
  4. Organic - Produced without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.

P

  1. Pachyrhizus - The scientific name for jicama.
  2. Pan-Sear - To quickly cook food in a hot pan to brown the surface.
  3. Parchment Paper - Heat-resistant paper used in baking.
  4. Parmentier - A dish made with potatoes, named after Antoine Parmentier.
  5. Passatelli - An Italian pasta made from breadcrumbs, eggs, and cheese.
  6. Pasteurization - The process of heating food to kill harmful bacteria.
  7. Pâté - A spreadable paste made from ground meat, fish, or vegetables.
  8. Paupiette - A thin slice of meat rolled around a filling.
  9. Pectin - A natural thickening agent found in fruits.
  10. Persillade - A sauce made from parsley, garlic, and oil.
  11. Petit Four - A small confection served at the end of a meal.
  12. Phosphates - Compounds used as leavening agents or stabilizers.
  13. Pickling - Preserving food in an acidic solution or brine.
  14. Pilot Light - A small flame that stays lit to ignite a gas stove burner.
  15. Pinçage - The process of browning tomato paste to develop flavor.
  16. Pipe - To squeeze soft food through a pastry bag for decoration.
  17. Pith - The white, bitter part between citrus fruit skin and flesh.
  18. Plancha - A flat metal griddle used for cooking.
  19. Poach - To cook food gently in liquid below boiling point.
  20. Potability - The safety and palatability of drinking water.
  21. Pressure Cooker - A sealed pot that cooks food quickly using steam pressure.
  22. Prosciutto - Italian dry-cured ham.

Q

  1. Quenelle - An oval-shaped serving of food, often forcemeat or ice cream.
  2. Quick Bread - Bread made with leaveners other than yeast.
  3. Quinoa - A grain-like seed high in protein.

R

  1. Ramekin - A small dish used for baking individual portions.
  2. Ratatouille - A Provençal vegetable stew.
  3. Ravigote - A tangy sauce made with vinegar, herbs, and shallots.
  4. Reduce - To boil liquid to decrease volume and concentrate flavors.
  5. Render - To melt fat from meat over low heat.
  6. Rillettes - A spread made from slowly cooked, shredded meat.
  7. Rondeau - A wide, shallow pot with straight sides.
  8. Roux - A mixture of flour and fat used to thicken sauces.

S

  1. Sachet - A small bag of herbs and spices used to flavor dishes.
  2. Salamander - A very hot overhead broiler.
  3. Salmonella - A bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
  4. Sauté - To cook quickly in a small amount of fat.
  5. Scaloppine - Thinly sliced meat, usually veal or chicken.
  6. Schlep - To carry or move (kitchen slang).
  7. Score - To make shallow cuts in food before cooking.
  8. Sear - To brown food quickly over high heat.
  9. Shallow Fry - To cook food in a small amount of hot oil.
  10. Shiso - An aromatic leaf used in Japanese cuisine.
  11. Silpat - A non-stick silicone baking mat.
  12. Simmer - To cook just below boiling point.
  13. Slurry - A mixture of starch and cold liquid used to thicken.
  14. Smoke Point - The temperature at which oil begins to smoke.
  15. Sous Vide - A cooking method using vacuum-sealed bags in temperature-controlled water.
  16. Spatchcock - To remove the backbone of poultry to flatten it.
  17. Stage - To work briefly in a kitchen for experience (unpaid internship).
  18. Stock - Flavored liquid made by simmering bones, vegetables, and aromatics.
  19. Sweat - To cook vegetables over low heat without browning.

T

  1. Tamis - A drum sieve used for straining or sifting.
  2. Tandoor - A cylindrical clay oven used in Indian cooking.
  3. Tapenade - A spread made from olives, capers, and anchovies.
  4. Tempering - Gradually heating or cooling ingredients to avoid shock.
  5. Terrine - A loaf of forcemeat or similar preparation served cold.
  6. Thermador - A dish prepared with lobster, mushrooms, and béarnaise sauce.
  7. Timbale - A drum-shaped mold used for cooking and serving.
  8. Tomme - A type of cheese made in the French Alps.
  9. Tourné - A knife cut producing seven-sided football-shaped vegetables.
  10. Tranche - A slice of meat or fish.

U

  1. Umami - The fifth taste sensation, often described as savory.
  2. Unleavened - Made without rising agents.
  3. Urap - An Indonesian salad with steamed vegetables and coconut

V

  1. Vacherin - A type of Swiss or French soft cheese, or a dessert made with meringue.
  2. Vandyke - A zigzag cut made around the edge of vegetables for decoration.
  3. Velouté - One of the five mother sauces, made with stock and roux.
  4. Vent - A small hole made in pastry to allow steam to escape.
  5. Vinaigrette - A sauce made of oil and vinegar used for salads.
  6. Vittles - Food and provisions (colloquial term).
  7. Vol-au-vent - A small hollow case of puff pastry.

W

  1. Wanton - A type of Chinese dumpling.
  2. Warmed-Over Flavor - The unpleasant flavor of reheated meat.
  3. Wasabi - Japanese horseradish, a pungent green paste.
  4. Water Bath - See Bain-Marie.
  5. Whetstone - A stone used for sharpening knives.
  6. Wok - A round-bottomed cooking vessel used in Chinese cuisine.

X

  1. Xanthan Gum - A food additive used as a thickener and stabilizer.
  2. Xavier Soup - A cream soup made with rice and eggs.
  3. Xylitol - A sugar alcohol used as a sweetener.

Y 

  1. Yakitori - Japanese grilled chicken skewers.
  2. Yeast - A leavening agent used in baking.
  3. Yield - The amount of servings a recipe produces.
  4. Yorkshire Pudding - A British baked pudding made from batter.

Z

  1. Zest - The outer colored part of citrus peel used for flavoring.
  2. Zester - A tool for removing zest from citrus fruits.
  3. Zimmer - To cook food slowly until just done.

Numbers and Special Equipment 

  1. 86 - Kitchen slang for an item that is out of stock or no longer available.
  2. Anti-Griddle - A device that instantly freezes sauces and purees.
  3. China Cap - A conical metal strainer.
  4. Combi Oven - An oven that can cook with steam, convection, or both.

Cooking Methods 

  1. Blackening - A cooking technique using very high heat and spices.
  2. Braising - Cooking tough cuts of meat slowly in liquid.
  3. Ceviche - A method of "cooking" fish using citrus juice.
  4. Churrasco - A South American style of grilling meat.
  5. Confit - Cooking and preserving in fat.
  6. Curing - Preserving food by removing moisture or using salt.
  7. Deep Frying - Completely submerging food in hot oil.
  8. Dehydrating - Removing moisture from food for preservation.
  9. Dry Roasting - Cooking in an oven without added moisture.
  10. En Papillote - Cooking food in a sealed parchment paper packet.

Food Safety

  1. Danger Zone - Temperature range (40°F-140°F) where bacteria grow rapidly.
  2. FIFO - First In, First Out; a food storage and rotation method.
  3. HACCP - Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points; a food safety system.
  4. NSF - National Sanitation Foundation certification for equipment.
  5. Sanitizing - Reducing microorganisms to safe levels.

Kitchen Organization

  1. Brigade System - Traditional French kitchen hierarchy.
  2. Commis - A junior chef in training.
  3. Expo - Short for expediter, who coordinates kitchen and service.
  4. Line Cook - A cook who works at a specific station during service.
  5. Staging - An unpaid internship in a professional kitchen.

Knife Cuts

  1. Allumette - Matchstick-sized cuts (1/8 inch × 1/8 inch × 2-3 inches).
  2. Brunoise Fine - Extremely small dice (1/16 inch cubes).
  3. Chiffonade - Finely sliced leafy vegetables or herbs.
  4. Jardinière - Vegetable batons (1/8 inch × 1/8 inch × 1 inch).
  5. Macedoine - Diced vegetables (1/4 inch cubes).

Pasta Types

  1. Bucatini - Thick spaghetti-like pasta with a hole running through the center.
  2. Orecchiette - "Little ears" shaped pasta.
  3. Pappardelle - Wide, flat pasta noodles.
  4. Radiatori - Short, ridged pasta resembling radiators.
  5. Strozzapreti - "Priest-choker" twisted pasta.

Sauces

  1. Allemande - A velouté sauce thickened with egg yolks and cream.
  2. Charon - A béarnaise sauce with tomato purée added.
  3. Gribiche - A mayonnaise-style sauce made with hard-boiled eggs.
  4. Romesco - A nut and red pepper-based sauce from Catalonia.
  5. Sauce Robert - A brown mustard sauce.

Spice Blends

  1. Baharat - A Middle Eastern spice mixture.
  2. Garam Masala - An Indian spice blend.
  3. Quatre Épices - A French four-spice blend.
  4. Ras el Hanout - A North African spice mixture.
  5. Za'atar - A Middle Eastern herb and spice blend.

Kitchen Tools

  1. Benriner - A Japanese mandoline slicer.
  2. Chinois - A conical strainer with fine mesh.
  3. Mezzaluna - A curved knife with handles used for chopping herbs.
  4. Mouli - A hand-operated food mill.
  5. Spider - A wire mesh skimmer with a long handle.

Wine and Spirits in Cooking

  1. Coq au Vin - Chicken braised in wine.
  2. Deglazing - Using wine or spirits to dissolve food particles in a pan.
  3. Flambé - Setting alcohol alight in a dish for flavor and spectacle.
  4. Fortified Wine - Wine with added spirits, like port or sherry.
  5. Reduction - Concentrating flavors by simmering wine until reduced.

Bread Making

  1. Banneton - A basket used for proofing bread.
  2. Crumb - The interior texture of bread.
  3. Hydration - The ratio of water to flour in bread dough.
  4. Poolish - A type of pre-ferment used in bread making.
  5. Scoring - Cutting patterns in bread dough before baking.

Molecular Gastronomy

  1. Alginate - A compound used for spherification.
  2. Carrageenan - A seaweed-derived thickener.
  3. Lecithin - An emulsifier used to stabilize foams.
  4. Maltodextrin - A powder that turns fats into powder.
  5. Transglutaminase - "Meat glue" enzyme.

Cultural Cooking Terms

  1. Dim Sum - Chinese small plates served with tea.
  2. Mise en Place - French for "everything in its place."
  3. Omakase - Japanese chef's choice menu.
  4. Tagine - North African stew and the pot it's cooked in.
  5. Tapas - Spanish small plates.

Butchery Terms 

  1. Frenching - Removing meat from rib bones for presentation.
  2. Marbling - Fat distribution within meat.
  3. Primal Cut - Large initial separation of meat from carcass.
  4. Seam Butchery - Cutting along natural muscle separations.
  5. Tying - Trussing meat for even cooking.

Baking Terms

  1. Blind Baking - Pre-baking a pie crust without filling.
  2. Creaming Method - Mixing butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Lamination - Folding butter into dough for flaky layers.
  4. Proofing - Allowing yeast dough to rise.
  5. Tempering - Carefully melting chocolate for proper crystallization.

Fish and Seafood

  1. En Papillote - Cooking fish in parchment paper.
  2. Gravlax - Cured salmon with dill.
  3. Meunière - Dredged in flour and cooked in brown butter.
  4. Sashimi - Raw fish sliced for eating.
  5. Shucking - Opening oysters or other shellfish.

Garde Manger

  1. Canapé - A type of hors d'oeuvre on bread or crackers.
  2. Charcuterie - Prepared meat products.
  3. Crudités - Raw vegetables served as an appetizer.
  4. Galantine - Cold poached stuffed meat, usually poultry.
  5. Terrine - A loaf of forcemeat, served cold.

Modern Kitchen Equipment

  1. Circulator - A device for sous vide cooking.
  2. Cryovac - A vacuum sealing machine.
  3. Induction Burner - A cooktop that uses magnetic fields to heat.
  4. Pacojet - A machine that micro-purees frozen foods.
  5. Thermomix - An all-in-one cooking and mixing machine.

Plating and Presentation

  1. Garnish - Decorative edible elements on a dish.
  2. Negative Space - Empty areas on a plate for visual appeal.
  3. Quenelle - An oval-shaped scoop of soft food.
  4. Swoosh - A decorative sauce streak on a plate.
  5. Tuile - A thin, crispy garnish.

Kitchen Management

  1. MEP - Mise en place; preparation before service.
  2. Par Level - The minimum amount of an item needed for service.
  3. Recipe Costing - Calculating the cost of each dish.
  4. Yield Testing - Determining how much usable product results from processing.
  5. Workflow - The efficient organization of kitchen tasks.

Note for readers: Keep this glossary handy in your kitchen or bookmark it for quick reference. Understanding these culinary terms will not only improve your cooking skills but also help you communicate more effectively about food and cooking techniques.