C120 words · Advanced

Cooking & Taste vocabulary — C1

Cooking vocabulary for advanced kitchen technique, covering how to marinate, sear and sauté meat and describing flavour with words like succulent, tangy, pungent and aromatic.

20 questions

Words in this set

marinate
/ˈmɛrəˌneɪt/
To leave meat or fish soaking in oil and spices for a few hours before you cook it.
Example: I like to marinate the lamb overnight in yoghurt and garlic.
sear
/sɪr/
To cook the outside of meat very fast in a fiercely hot pan so it browns and keeps its juices.
Example: Sear the steak for two minutes on each side.
knead
/nid/
To push, fold and press dough with your hands until it turns smooth and stretchy.
Example: Knead the dough for ten minutes until it feels springy.
drizzle
/ˈdrɪzəl/
To pour a thin, slow stream of oil, honey or sauce over food in a light zigzag.
Example: Drizzle a little olive oil over the salad before serving.
poach
/poʊtʃ/
To cook eggs or fish gently in water or another liquid that is hot but never quite boiling.
Example: I like to poach an egg for breakfast at weekends.
sauté
To cook small pieces of food quickly in a little hot fat in a shallow pan, tossing them as you go.
Example: Sauté the onions until they turn soft and golden.
garnish
/ˈɡɑrnɪʃ/
To finish a dish by adding something small and attractive on top just before it goes to the table.
Example: Garnish the soup with a few coriander leaves.
sieve
/sɪv/
A round frame of fine wire mesh for sifting flour or straining food out of liquid.
Example: Push the sauce through a sieve to remove the seeds.
thaw
/θɔ/
To let frozen food slowly become soft again at room temperature before you cook it.
Example: Take the chicken out to thaw before you go to work.
pantry
/ˈpæntri/
A small room or tall cupboard at home where dry food is kept.
Example: There's a jar of olives somewhere in the pantry.
succulent
/ˈsʌkjəlɪnt/
Full of juice and tender enough to fall apart on the fork.
Example: The lamb was succulent and pulled apart with a fork.
savoury
Salty or meaty in flavour rather than sweet — the taste of pies, stews and cheese.
Example: I'd rather have something savoury than a dessert.
tangy
Having a sharp, pleasantly sour taste like lime or fresh yoghurt.
Example: A squeeze of lemon makes the dressing pleasantly tangy.
pungent
/ˈpʌndʒənt/
Having a strong, sharp smell or taste that hits you the moment it is opened.
Example: One whiff of that fish sauce is seriously pungent.
palate
/ˈpælət/
A trained sense of taste — the ability to judge fine differences in food and wine.
Example: Years of cooking gave her a very refined palate.
aromatic
/ˌɛrəˈmætɪk/
Having a strong pleasant smell that comes from spices or herbs and spreads through the room.
Example: The rice was fluffy and wonderfully aromatic.
gooey
/ˈɡui/
Soft and sticky enough inside to stretch when you pull it apart.
Example: The middle of the brownie was still warm and gooey.
flaky
/ˈfleɪki/
Made of thin light layers that break into small pieces and scatter when you bite into it.
Example: The pastry was beautifully flaky and buttery.
piquant
/ˈpikənt/
having a pleasantly sharp or spicy taste.
Example: The sauce had a piquant kick to it.
acquired taste
something you learn to enjoy only after trying it several times.
Example: Blue cheese is definitely an acquired taste.