General terms

General cooking and kitchen terms.

• À la carteA way of ordering in which each dish on the menu is chosen and priced separately, rather than as part of a set meal.
• À la minuteA kitchen term for food cooked to order at the last moment, rather than prepared in advance and held or reheated.
• À la provençaleA French description for dishes cooked in the style of Provence, typically with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and herbs, sometimes with olives or anchovies.
• À pointA French term for food cooked exactly right, and for steak, a level of doneness roughly between medium-rare and medium, still pink in the centre.
• AcidA sour-tasting ingredient, such as lemon juice, vinegar, wine or yoghurt, used to brighten flavour, balance richness and change texture.
• AcidificationThe process of making a food more acidic, either by adding acid or by letting bacteria produce it, as in cheesemaking, yoghurt and pickling.
• AcidityThe sour, sharp quality in food or drink that comes from acids, used to balance richness, sweetness and saltiness.
• AiguilletteA long, thin slice of meat, especially from duck breast, or the slender inner fillet that sits beneath a poultry breast.
• AlbuminA type of water-soluble protein found in egg white, milk, blood and some plants, which sets when heated.
• Amuse-boucheA tiny, bite-sized dish served free of charge before a meal, chosen by the chef to welcome guests and show off the kitchen's style.
• AssaisonnementThe French culinary term for seasoning, meaning both the act of seasoning food and the salt, pepper, acids, herbs and spices used to do it.
• Au gratinA French term for dishes topped with grated cheese, breadcrumbs or butter and browned under a grill or in the oven to form a golden crust.
• BatterA liquid or semi-liquid mixture of flour with eggs, milk, water or other liquid, used for pancakes, cakes and Yorkshire puddings or for coating food before frying.
• DegustationA meal of many small courses, chosen by the chef to showcase a range of dishes and flavours, often served with matching wines.
• Ground spicesThe powdered form of dried spices, such as cumin, coriander, cinnamon and paprika, made by grinding whole seeds, bark, roots or pods.
• InfusionThe process of steeping ingredients in a liquid or fat to extract their flavour, and also the flavoured liquid that results, such as tea.
• TatinA short name for tarte Tatin, and more broadly any upside-down tart in which fruit or vegetables are cooked under pastry and turned out to serve.
• WagashiThe family of traditional Japanese sweets, often made from rice flour, sweet bean paste, agar and sugar, and usually served with green tea.