Lifestyle/Food and Drink
Fruit
Golden Delicious – original tree was in West Virginia
Blenheim orange – apple grown in Oxfordshire
Pearmain is a generic name given to pear-shaped apple cultivars
Kumquat – small orange-yellow fruit of any of several evergreen trees native to East Asia and cultivated throughout the tropics. Means ‘gold orange’
Granny Smith apple – named after Maria Ana Smith, from Australia
Bramley apple – named after a Notts butcher, Matthew Bramley
Mangos are rich in vitamin A and vitamin C
Alphonso – type of mango
Cantaloupe – orange-fleshed melon
Ogen melon – named after a Kibbutz in Israel
Ogen melon – developed in Israel, this fruit has a smooth outer skin that changes from a green to gold-colored when it matures with yellowish-orange strips running the length of its oval shape. The inner flesh is pale green to cream
Yubari King – very expensive Japanese melon
Honeydew is a cultivar group of the muskmelon, which includes crenshaw, casaba, Persian, and winter
Oranges and bananas are native to South East Asia
Clementine – variety of mandarin orange. The traditional story is that it was ‘originally an accidental hybrid said to have been discovered by Father Clement Rodier in the garden of his orphanage in Misserghin, Algeria’
Plantain – related to the banana
Cavendish bananas are the most commonly sold bananas in the world market
Apricot – Prunus armeniaca, ‘Armenian plum’ in Latin
Kiwifruit is the edible berry of a cultivar group of the woody vine Actinidia deliciosa and hybrids between this and other species in the genus Actinidia. The Actinidia is native to South of China
Kiwifruit – Chinese gooseberry, originally known as yang tao
Pitaya (dragon fruit) is the fruit of several cactus species
Goldenberry – also known as Cape gooseberry, Inca berry, Aztec berry, Peruvian cherry
Durian – smelly fruit, known in Southeast Asia as the ‘king of fruits’
Jackfruit – largest tree-borne fruit in the world
Passion fruit – purple granadilla
Pear – genus Pyrus
Williams pear is known as Bartlett pear in USA
Avocado – ‘alligator pear’
Avocado (Persea americana) has the highest calorific value of any fruit
Ugli fruit – hybrid of tangerine and grapefruit
Auternique – tangerine and orange
Tangelo – cross of a tangerine and pomelo (grapefruit)
Nectarine – variety or mutation of the peach bearing fruit with smooth skin and (usually) yellow flesh
Carambola – starfruit. The fruit is oblong, with five deep flutings that run from top to bottom
Currant – dried grape
Granadilla – passion fruit (Genus – passiflora)
Papaya – also known as pawpaw
Tayberry – cross between a blackberry and a raspberry
Tayberry – named after the River Tay
Loganberry – cross between a blackberry and a raspberry
Loganberry – created by James Harvey Logan
Boysenberry – created by crossing a raspberry, blackberry, and a loganberry
Boysenberry – first cultivated on Rudolph Boysen's farm
Lingonberry – also known as cowberry and European cranberry
The sultana grape is cultivated in the United States under the name Thompson Seedless
Persimmon – also known as sharon fruit. Red in colour
Bing – a variety of cherry with juicy, sweet, deep red to nearly black fruit
Picota Cherries are a brand or marketing name for a grouping of sweet cherries
Cavendish – type of banana
Bananas use ethylene to stimulate fruit ripening
Ananas comosus – pineapple
Kiwi fruit – brought from China to New Zealand
Warwickshire Drooper, Kirke’s Blue – varieties of plum
Bartlett pear – also known as a Williams’s pear
Goldfinger – type of banana from Honduras
Warden pear – used to make warden pies
Guavas – plants in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae). The skin is usually green before maturity. Guava fruit generally have a pronounced and typical fragrance, similar to lemon rind but less sharp. Guava pulp may be sweet or sour, tasting something between pear and strawberry
Currants are dried berries of small, sweet, seedless grape variety Black Corinth
Cherimoya – a fruit which generally is thought to be native to the Andes
Greengage, also known as a Reine Claude, is the edible drupaceous fruit of a cultivar group of the common European plum
Prune – a plum preserved by drying
Vegetables
Tomato originated in South America
Potatoes were first eaten in Peru
Yam is sweet potato
Rhubarb leaves are poisonous as they contain oxalic acid
Allium porrum – leek
Allium cepa – onion
Allium sativum – garlic
Estima – variety of potato
Mooli – a long white radish
Radicchio, sometimes known as Italian chicory, is grown as a leaf vegetable which usually has white-veined red leaves
Scallion – spring onion
Cucumbers are usually more than 90% water
Carrots were originally purple. Orange-coloured carrots appeared in the Netherlands in the 17th century
Forced rhubarb is out-of-season rhubarb grown indoors
Pomodorini – cherry tomatoes
Tom Thumb, crisphead (iceberg), romaine (cos) – varieties of lettuce
The vegetable called salsify is usually the root of purple salsify
Vidalia onion – a sweet onion of certain varieties, grown in a production area defined by law in Georgia
Runner bean is known as scarlet runner bean since most varieties have red flowers and multicoloured seeds
Soubise – sauce made from onions
Boltardy – variety of beetroot
Parmetier potatoes are named after Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, a vocal promoter of the potato as a food source (for humans)
There are three commonly grown types of broccoli. The most familiar is Calabrese broccoli. Other types – Sprouting broccoli and Purple cauliflower
Woolton pie – dish of vegetables, created at the Savoy Hotel. It was one of a number of recipes commended to the British public by the Ministry of Food during the Second World War to enable a nutritional diet to be maintained despite shortages and rationing of many types of food, especially meat. It was named after Frederick Marquis, 1st Lord Woolton, who became Minister of Food in 1940
Sprout – type of cabbage
Champagne, Prince Albert, Strawberry – varieties of rhubarb
Kohlrabi – comes from the German Kohl (‘cabbage’) plus Rübe ~ Rabi (Swiss German variant) (‘turnip’)
Sauerkraut – known as ‘Liberty cabbage’ in USA in World War I
Cornichon – pickled gherkin
Arugula – American name for rocket
Gentleman's Relish is a type of anchovy paste. It is also known as Patum Peperium
Shiitake, morrell, button – types of mushroom
Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) – the Latin pleurotus (sideways) refers to the sideways-growth of the stem with respect to the cap while the Latin ostreatus (and the English common name, oyster) refers to the shape of the cap which resembles the bi-valve of the same name
Porcini – type of mushroom. Means ‘piglet’ in Italian
Duchess potatoes – finely shredded cooked potato, which is formed into shapes and baked, or used as a border on dishes
Baked beans – haricot beans
Fava bean – broad bean
Bean sprouts – mung beans
Swede is called a rutabaga in the US
Big Boy and Tiny Tim – varieties of tomato
Cranberry bean is a variety of common bean first bred in Colombia. Borlotti bean is a variety of cranberry bean bred in Italy to have a thicker skin
Butter bean – also known as lima bean
Herbs
Coriander – member of the carrot family
Coriander is known as cilantro in America
Rosemary – ‘for remembrance’
Tarragon is known as the ‘king of herbs’ in France
Tarragon is one of the main components of Bearnaise sauce. Fresh sprigs of tarragon may be steeped in vinegar to impart their flavor
Fines herbes is a combination of herbs that forms a mainstay of Mediterranean cuisine. The ingredients of fines herbes are fresh parsley, chives, tarragon and chervil
Chia is a species of flowering plant in the mint family. Chia is grown commercially for its seed, a food that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids
Chervil – an annual Eurasian herb in the parsley family, having aromatic leaves
Spices
Scoville scale is a measurement of the spicy heat of a chili pepper, due to its capsaicin content. The chilis with the highest rating on the Scoville scale exceed one million Scoville units and include specimens of naga jolokia or bhut jolokia and its cultivars, the ‘Dorset naga’ and the ‘Ghost chili’
Capsaicin is the active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus Capsicum
Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is known as a peppercorn when dried. Black peppers are native to India
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that can be used in both sweet and savoury foods
Star anise – spice that closely resembles anise in flavour, obtained from the star-shaped pericarp of Illicium verum, a small native evergreen tree of southwest China. The star shaped fruits are harvested just before ripening
Star anise – ingredient of five-spice powder
Paprika – a spice made from the grinding of dried fruits of Capsicum annuum (e.g., bell peppers or chili peppers)
In medieval Europe, turmeric became known as Indian Saffron, since it was widely used as an alternative to the far more expensive saffron spice
Curcumin – gives yellow colour to turmeric. E100
Cardamon is the world's third most expensive spice by weight, outstripped in terms of its market value by only saffron and vanilla
Nutmeg – comes from the Spice Islands
Seafood
Kipper – herring that has been gutted, salted or pickled, and cold smoked over smoldering woodchips
Manx kipper – herring
Bloater – lightly smoked, ungutted herring
Buckling – a form of hot-smoked herring similar to the kipper and the bloater. The head and guts are removed but the roe or milt remain
Buckling is hot-smoked whole, bloaters are cold-smoked whole; kippers, are split and gutted, and then cold smoked
Silver Darling – Scottish nickname for a herring
Rollmops are pickled herring fillets, rolled (hence the name) into a cylindrical shape around slices of onion, pickled gherkin, or green olive with pimento
Soused herring usually means 'soaked in a mild preserving liquid', and can be used to refer to raw herring in a mild vinegar pickle or the famous Dutch brined herring
Vongole – clams
Fish sauce is a staple ingredient in Thai and Vietnamese cuisine
Ormer – species of mollusc also known as the abalone, from the Channel Islands
In Jewish cuisine, Gefilte Fish consisting of chopped fish mixed with matzo meal, eggs and seasoning takes its name from the Yiddish for 'filled fish'. Popular in the Ashkenazi Jewish community
Arbroath Smokie – type of haddock
Finnan haddock – cold smoked haddock, representative of a regional method of smoking with green wood and peat in Northeast Scotland
Scampi – Dublin Bay prawn, and Norway lobster
Fair maids – Cornish term for pilchards
Holy fish – halibut
Stargazy pie – a Cornish dish made of baked pilchards (sardines) covered with a pastry crust
Ceviche is typically made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices such as lemon or lime and spiced with chili peppers
Lox – salmon fillet that has been cured
Lutefisk is made from whitefish and has an extremely strong, pungent odour
Gambas Al Ajillo – Spanish style garlic shrimp
Omelette Arnold Bennett – created at the Savoy Hotel. Contains smoked haddock
Coral – culinary term for the ovary of a scallop, this is orange in colour
Stockfish – unsalted fish, especially cod, dried by cold air and wind on wooden racks , mainly in Norway
Traditionally, the term caviar refers only to roe from wild sturgeon in the Caspian and Black Sea (Beluga, Ossetra and Sevruga caviars)
Pasta
Anellini – ring-shaped pasta
Capelli d'angelo, literally angel hair, is very thin pasta
Ditalini – type of pasta. Short tubes
Fettuccine (literally ‘little ribbons’ in Italian) is a type of pasta popular in Roman Cuisine. It is a flat thick noodle made of egg and flour wider than but similar to the tagliatelle typical of Bologna
Orecchiette – ear-shaped pasta
Pappardelle are large, very broad fettuccine
Rigatoni – tube-shaped pasta, with ridges
Tagliatelle – pasta, inspired by the hair of Lucretia Borgia
Pasta carbonara – contains bacon
Pasta Alla Norma – pasta with eggplant and tomato
Arrabiata – pasta sauce containing tomatoes
Al dente describes pasta that has been cooked so as to be firm but not hard. The term comes from Italian and means ‘to the tooth’
Spaghetti alla puttanesca (literally ‘whore's style spaghetti’ in Italian) is a spicy, tangy, somewhat salty Italian pasta dish
Cheese
Double Gloucester – crafted from a mixture of morning and evening milk
Cornish Yarg – a type of cheese, wrapped in nettle leaves
Windsor red – cheddar cheese with red wine
Only cheese produced in the three counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire, and made according to a strict code, may be called ‘Stilton’
Blue cheese is a general classification of cow's milk, sheep's milk, or goat's milk cheeses that have had cultures of the mold Penicillium added so that the final product is spotted or veined throughout with blue, blue-gray or blue-green mold
Blue Vinny cheese – from Dorset
Red, white, and blue – types of Cheshire cheese
Sage Derby – type of cheese
Cathedral City is a brand of Cheddar cheese manufactured by Dairy Crest, and the most popular brand of cheese in the United Kingdom. It is produced from a 25-year-old recipe at Davidstow in Cornwall
Mozzarella cheese – from buffalos
Mozzarella is the best-selling cheese
Parmesan – a hard granular cheese, also known as Parmigiano-Reggiano
Pecarino – a family of hard Italian cheeses made from sheep's milk. The word pecora, from which the name derives, means ‘sheep’. Most are aged and sharp
Dolcelatte – a blue veined Italian soft cheese. The cheese is made from cow's milk, and has a sweet taste
Formaggio – Italian cheese
Bel Paese – soft cheese from Lombardy
Port Salut is a semi-soft pasteurized cow's milk cheese from Brittany with a distinctive orange crust and a mild flavour. The cheese was originally invented by Trappist monks during the 19th century
Roquefort is a sheep milk blue cheese, supposedly discovered in a cave
Gruyere – Swiss cheese, has smaller holes than Emmental
Jarlsberg cheese is from Norway
Brunost or mysost (Norwegian) is a caramelised brown Scandinavian whey cheese. A variant, made using goat milk, is referred to and sold as geitost
Halloumi – Cypriot cheese. It is made from a mixture of goat's and sheep milk
Manchego cheese – a sheep milk cheese made in the La Mancha region of Spain
Limburger is a cheese that originated during the 19th century in the historical Duchy of Limburg, which is now divided among modern-day Belgium, Germany, and Netherlands
Havarti is a semi-soft Danish cow's milk cheese
Camembert is made in Normandy
Brie is a soft cow's milk cheese named after Brie, the French region from which it originated (roughly corresponding to the modern department of Seine-et-Marne
Pecorino Romano – a hard, salty Italian cheese, often used for grating, made out of sheep milk
Stinking Bishop – a soft washed-rind cheese produced since 1972 by Charles Martell and Son at Laurel Farm, Dymock, Gloucestershire
Brocciu is a whey cheese produced from sheep milk or goat milk. Produced on the island of Corsica
Production of Lymeswold cheese ceased in 1992. Similar to Brie
Velveeta – soft processed American cheese
Raclette is both a type of cheese and a Swiss and French dish based on heating the cheese and scraping off the melted part
Annatto – used to colour cheeses, notably Red Leicester
Meat
Dunmow Flitch – a side of bacon. Dunmow is in Essex
Lorne sausage – square sausage eaten in Scotland
Foie de veau – calf’s liver
Rognon – kidneys in a French dish
Pancetta – Italian bacon that is cured with salt, pepper, and other spices
Bridie – meat pie from Forfar
Tournedos Rossini – steak dish
Carpetbag steak contains oysters
Pigs in blankets – chipolata sausages wrapped in bacon
Filet Mignon (French) is a steak cut of beef taken from the tenderloin of the cow. The same cut of beef can also be called: French – chateaubriand, tournedos, filet de bœuf, English – medallions, tenderloin steak
Chateaubriand is named after a French writer, politician, diplomat and historian
A faggot is traditionally made from pig heart, liver and fatty belly meat or bacon minced together, with herbs added for flavouring and sometimes breadcrumbs
The stuffed pig's trotter or zampone is a specialty of Modena
Cuts of beef –
The forequarter, or shoulder, of the animal is known as the chuck or blade
The centre of the back is where the sirloin and fillet come from
The rump is not the buttock, but the area just in front of it – the small of the back
The topside from the top of the inside leg, the silverside from the outside of the thigh
The leg joint comes from the hind leg, with the shin from the foreleg
The brisket comes from the lower part of the animal’s front end
Thick flank – the joint from the front of the thigh
Thin flank – the area beneath the sirloin
Clod – between the neck and the shin
Baron of beef – a joint consisting of two sirloins left uncut at the backbone
Jerky is meat that has been cut into strips trimmed of fat, marinated in a spicy, salty or sweet liquid, and then dried with low heat
Oggy – Cornish pasty
Bigos – Polish meat dish
Chittlins – made from pig’s intestines
Pluck – heart, liver and lungs of a slaughtered animal
Bath chap – made from pig cheeks
Carpaccio is a dish of raw beef, veal or tuna traditionally thinly sliced or pounded thin served as an appetizer. Carpaccio was invented at Harry's Bar in Venice. The dish was named Carpaccio by Giuseppe Cipriani, the bar's former owner, in reference to the Venetian painter Vittore Carpaccio
Bresaola – air-dried salted Italian beef that has been aged about 2-3 months until it becomes hard and a dark red
Shropshire Black ham is made exclusively to a recipe originally created by Lord Bradenham in 1781
H bone – cut of beef
Coronation chicken – prepared for coronation in 1953
Jubilee chicken – prepared for the silver jubilee of George V in 1935
Scotch pie – a small, double-crust meat pie filled with minced mutton or other meat
Serrano – Spanish ham
Humble Pie – a pie formerly made by servants from the edible organs (umbles) of a deer or hog
Chorizo – a term encompassing several types of pork sausages originating from the Iberian Peninsula
Panaculty is a dish originating from the North East of England. It is a form of tinned corned beef (bully beef) hash, but started out as using any left over meat from the Sunday dinner and served the next day
Ragout – a main-dish stew
Boudin – a number of different types of sausage
Goujon – a small strip of fish or chicken, coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried
Scouse is a type of lamb or beef stew. The word comes from lobscouse, a stew commonly eaten by sailors throughout Northern Europe. Blind scouse contains no meat
Kofta – a Middle Eastern, South Asian and Balkan meatball or meatloaf
Guard of honour – two racks of lamb stood facing each other with the bones interweaved
Head cheese or brawn is a terrine or meat jelly made with flesh from the head of a calf or pig, and often set in aspic. A version pickled with vinegar is known as souse
Fajita – any grilled meat usually served as a taco on a flour or corn tortilla
Blue steak – very rare steak
Saltimbocca is a southern European dish made of veal lined or topped with prosciutto and sage
Angels on horseback – oysters wrapped in bacon
Devils on horseback – prunes wrapped in bacon
Sweetbreads – the thymus or pancreas glands of veal, young beef, lamb and pork
Beef tripe is usually made from only the first three of a cow's four stomach chambers, the rumen (blanket/flat/smooth tripe), the reticulum (honeycomb and pocket tripe), and the omasum (book/bible/leaf tripe). Abomasum (reed) tripe is seen much less frequently
Meguez – North African sausage
Tortier – meat pie
Noisette – lamb dish
Marbled meat is meat, especially red meat, which contains various amounts of intramuscular fat, giving it an appearance similar to a marble pattern
Gala pie – pork pie containing a hard boiled egg
Rocky Mountain oysters – bull calf testicles
Cuy – the animal and the meat of a guinea pig in the Andes
Pulled pork is a method of cooking pork where what would otherwise be a tough cut of meat is cooked slowly at low temperatures, allowing the meat to become tender enough so that it can be "pulled", or easily broken into individual pieces
Soup
Cullen Skink – soup, contains haddock
Parten Bree – Scottish soup containing crabs
Cock-a-leekie – chicken and leek soup flavored with thyme and thickened with barley
Mock turtle soup – made from head of a calf
Chicken soup – known as ‘Jewish penicillin’
Gumbo – thick spicy soup made with okra
Pho – a Vietnamese noodle soup, usually served with beef (pho bo) or chicken (pho ga)
Borscht – a soup of Ukrainian origins that is popular in many Eastern and Central European countries. In most of these countries, it is made with beetroot as the main ingredient
Cawl is the Welsh word for soup or broth. The term is used in English to refer to traditional Welsh stews, usually containing meat and vegetables
Bread
Puri – unleavened bread
Matzo – unleavened bread
Bara brith, sometimes known as ‘speckled bread’ (the literal meaning of the original Welsh-language name), can be either a yeast bread enriched with dried fruit or something more like a fruitcake made with self-rising flour
Soda bread – sodium bicarbonate (otherwise known as baking soda) is used as a raising agent rather than the more common yeast
Farl – any of various roughly triangular flat breads and cakes, traditionally made by cutting a round into four pieces
Farl – a thin Scottish griddle cake made of oatmeal or flour and cut into triangular wedges
Sourdough starter is traditionally made with a small amount of old dough, preferably saved from a prior batch. Used as a leavening agent
Cottage loaves are a particular shape of bread in which larger and smaller roughly spherical balls are squashed together, forming a cottage shape
Panettone is a typical bread loaf of Milan, usually prepared and enjoyed for Christmas and New Year
Laverbread is made from laver (an algae often considered to be a seaweed)
Langos – a Hungarian food speciality, a deep fried flat bread made of a dough with flour, yeast, salt and water
Wig – spiced bread
Challah – Jewish braided bread
Pita (or pitta) – a round pocket bread widely consumed in many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines
World cuisine
Indian
Bhindi – okra, ladies fingers
Biryani – derived from a Persian word which means ‘fried’ or ‘roasted’. Biryani is a family of Middle Eastern, South Asian dishes made from a mixture of spices, rice (usually basmati), meat/vegetables and yogurt
Brinjal – aubergine (eggplant)
Burfi – Indian cheesecake
Chapati – an unleavened flatbread
Dhal – dried peas, beans and lentils
Dhansak – sweet and sour curry with a lentil sauce, and coriander
Dopiaza – curry with extra onions
Gobi – cauliflower
Gulab Jam – fried balls of dough in syrup
Keema – minced meat, usually lamb
Kheer – rice pudding
Jalfrezi – hot dish cooked with fresh green chilies
Korma – prepared with single cream and coconut milk
Matar Paneer – curried peas and cheese
Murgh – chicken
Naan – a leavened, oven-baked flatbread
Pakoras are created by taking two or three ingredients, such as chicken, onion, aubergine, potato or spinach dipping them in a batter of gram flour and then deep-frying them
Paneer – curd cheese
Raita – dish of yogurt and chopped cucumbers and spices
Rogan Josh – lamb stew
Roti – an Indian bread made from stoneground wholemeal flour
Saag – spinach
Tikka – meat that has been marinated and cooked on skewers in a tandoor
Japanese
Menrui – Japanese dish containing noodles
Udon are the thickest of the noodles served in Japanese Cuisine
Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt
Nori – Japanese edible seaweed
Sushi – cold cooked rice dressed with vinegar that is shaped into bite-sized pieces and topped with raw or cooked fish
Sashimi – very thinly sliced raw fish
Teriyaki – a Japanese dish of grilled or broiled slices of marinated meat or shellfish
Wasabi – Japanese green horseradish powder. Turned into Wasabi Paste by stirring in water, drop by drop and used for dipping sauce with soy sauce when eating sushi and sashimi
The meat from wagyu cattle is known worldwide for its marbling characteristics, increased eating quality through a naturally enhanced flavor, tenderness and juiciness, and thus a high market value. In several areas of Japan, beef is shipped with area names, e.g. Kobe
Mishima – type of beef
Bento – a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine
Ramem – a Japanese noodle soup dish
California roll – a kind of sushi roll containing cucumber, crab meat, and avocado
Chinese
Five-spice powder – ingredient of Chinese cuisine
Hoisin sauce – means ‘seafood sauce’, is a Chinese dipping sauce for dishes including Peking duck, spring rolls and barbecued pork. Made from fermented soybeans
Chow mein – stir-fried noodles
Lo mein – a Chinese dish with wheat flour noodles
Pak choi – Chinese cabbage
French
Tarte Tatin – an upside-down tart in which the fruit (usually apples) are caramelized in butter and sugar before the tart is baked. Created accidentally at the Hotel Tatin in France in the 1880s by the Tatin sisters
Marron glace is a confection consisting of a chestnut candied in sugar syrup and glazed
Galette is a term used in French cuisine to designate various types of flat, round or freeform crusty cakes
Bisque – a smooth, creamy, highly-seasoned soup of French origin, classically based on a strained broth (coulis) of crustaceans)
Marmite – French cooking pot
Du Barry – dish served with cauliflower
Creme anglaise (French for ‘English cream’) is a light pouring custard used as a dessert cream or sauce
Chantilly – French whipped cream
Farci – French for ‘stuffed’ (food)
Mirepoix – the French name for a combination of onions, carrots, and celery
Macaron – a French sweet confectionery made with egg whites, icing sugar, granulated sugar, and almonds
Sous-vide (French for ‘under vacuum’) is a method of cooking food sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath for a long time
Crudites – traditional French appetizers comprising sliced or whole raw vegetables which are sometimes dipped in a vinaigrette or other dipping sauce
Sole meuniere – French dish consisting of sole that is dredged in flour, pan fried in butter and served with the resulting brown butter sauce and lemon
Tuile – a thin, crisp, sweet or savoury wafer made of dough or cheese. Originally from France, tuile means tile in French, and is named after the shape of French roof tiles it is supposed to resemble
Potage (from Old French pottage; ‘potted dish’) is a type of soup where meat and vegetables are boiled together with water until they form into a thick mush
Bearnaise sauce – made of clarified butter emulsified in egg yolks and flavored with herbs. From the Bearn region of France
A Mornay sauce is a Béchamel sauce with shredded or grated cheese added. Invented by Philippe De Mornay, who was known as ‘Pope of the Huguenots’
Vichyssoise soup is a thick soup made of pureed leeks, onions, potatoes, cream, and chicken stock
Veronique – dish prepared with grapes
Traditionally, a mille-feuille (vanilla slice) is made up of three layers of puff pastry (pâte feuilletée), alternating with two layers of pastry cream (crème pâtissière)
Vinaigrette – salad dressing made from oil and vinegar
Lyonnaise – dish which is ‘cooked with onions’
Poire belle Hélène is a dessert made from pears poached in sugar syrup and served with vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, and crystallized violets. It was created around 1864 by Auguste Escoffier and named after the operetta La belle Hélène by Jacques Offenbach
Aioli – garlic sauce from Provence
A la crecy – dish garnished with carrots
Florentine dish – French for ‘in the style of Florence’ and referring to dishes (usually of eggs or fish) that are presented on a bed of spinach and topped with Mornay sauce
Crepe Suzette consists of a crêpe with a hot sauce of caramelised sugar, orange juice, lightly grated orange peel and liqueur (usually Grand Marnier) on top, which is subsequently lit
Nicoise salad is a specialty of the region of Nice in France and is composed of raw vegetables, hard boiled eggs, anchovies and tuna, and olive oil
Nougat – from Montelimar
Croque-monsieur – a hot ham and cheese (typically gruyère) grilled sandwich. A croque-monsieur served with a fried egg on top is known as a croque-madame
A la normande – dish containing apples or (for fish) served with Normandy sauce and garnished with shrimps, truffles, crayfish, or mussels
Bouillabaisse is a traditional Provencal fish stew originating from the port city of Marseille
Tartare sauce is made from mayonnaise and finely chopped pickled cucumber, capers, onions (or chives), and fresh parsley
Rouille – a sauce that consists of olive oil with breadcrumbs, garlic, saffron and chili peppers. It is served as a garnish with fish, fish soup and, notably, bouillabaisse
A mirepoix can be a combination of celery, onions, and carrots. Similar combinations of vegetables are known as holy trinity in Creole cooking, refogado (braised onions, garlic and tomato) in Portuguese, soffritto (onions, garlic and celery) in Italian, sofrito in Spanish
Quenelle – a mixture of creamed fish, chicken, or meat, sometimes combined with breadcrumbs, with a light egg binding
Ganache – a glaze, icing, sauce, or filling for pastries made from chocolate and cream
Savarin – rum baba
Parfait – a rich cold dessert made with whipped cream, eggs, and fruit
Black truffle or black Perigord truffle (Tuber melanosporum) is named after the Perigord region in France and grows exclusively with oak
In preparing a veloute sauce, a light stock, such as chicken, veal or fish stock, is thickened with a blond roux
Sauce Espagnole is a fortified brown veal stock sauce, thickened with a brown roux
A dish bearing the name DuBarry indicates the presence of cauliflower. Named after Comtesse Du Barry, the last mistress of Louis XV, who was guillotined in 1793
Hollandaise sauce is an emulsion of egg yolk and butter, usually seasoned with lemon juice, salt, and a little white pepper or cayenne pepper
Escoffier defined the five fundamental ‘mother sauces’ – Bechamel, Espagnole, Veloute, Hollandaise, and Tomate
Tapenade is a Provencal dish consisting of pureed or finely chopped olives, capers, anchovies and olive oil
Italian
Cassata – ‘little cones’, Italian dessert
Pannacotta is an Italian dessert made by simmering together cream, milk and sugar, mixing this with gelatin, and letting it cool until set. It generally refers to a creamy, set dessert from the Northern Italian region of Piedmont
Frittata – Italian omelette
Zuppa Inglese – English trifle
Tortini – an Italian ice cream made with eggs and cream, typically served in a small cup and topped with chopped almonds or crumbled macaroons
Prosciutto or Parma ham is a dry-cured ham that is usually thinly sliced and served uncooked; this style is called prosciutto crudo in Italian and is distinguished from cooked ham, prosciutto cotto
Crostini – (meaning ‘little toasts’ in Italian) is an Italian appetizer consisting of small slices of grilled or toasted bread and toppings
Bruschetta – an antipasto from Italy whose origin dates to at least the 15th century. It consists of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil, salt and pepper
Granita – an Italian semi-frozen dessert made from sugar, water and various flavorings
Gelato – Italian word for ice cream. Made from whole milk and eggs
Cassoeula – cabbage dish popular in Lombardy
Ossobuco is a Milanese specialty of veal shanks braised with vegetables, white wine and broth
Grissini – breadsticks
Caprese salad – mozzarella, tomatoes and basil
White truffle or Alba madonna (Tuber magnatum) comes from the Langhe area of the Piedmont region in northern Italy and, most famously, in the countryside around the city of Alba
Balsamic vinegar is made by fermenting grapes. From Modena and Reggio Emilia
Greek
Greek salad is made of sliced or chopped tomato, cucumber, bell pepper and red onion, seasoned with salt, black pepper, and oregano and dressed with olive oil. Common additions include feta cheese, capers and kalamata olives
Saganaki – a salty and aromatic cheese-based Greek appetizer of fried or broiled cheese
Gyro or gyros – a Greek dish, consisting of meat, tomato, onion, and tzatziki sauce, and is served with pita bread
Tzatziki is made of strained yoghurt (usually sheep’s-milk or goat's-milk in Greece and Turkey) mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, usually olive oil, pepper, sometimes dill, sometimes lemon juice and parsley, and sometimes mint added
Souvlaki – a popular Greek fast food consisting of small pieces of meat and sometimes vegetables grilled on a skewer
Spanakopita or spinach pie is a Greek savoury pastry
Cakes
Pontefract cakes – (also Pomfret Cakes and Pomfrey Cakes), are small discs of liquorice sweetened with sugar
Sachertorte is a chocolate cake invented by chance by Austrian Jewish Franz Sacher in 1832 in Vienna. The cake consists of a dense chocolate cake meringue based with a thin layer of apricot jam on top, coated in dark chocolate icing on the top and sides
Lamingtons are sponge cake (or more traditionally, butter cake) cubes, coated in a layer of traditionally chocolate icing then desiccated coconut, and are commonly found in Australia
Madeira sponge cake – made with zest of lemon. The Madeira cake is sometimes mistakenly thought to originate from the Madeira Islands; however, that is not the case as it was instead named after the wine
Simnel cake – topped with marzipan, eaten at Easter. On the top of the cake, around the edge, are eleven marzipan balls to represent the true apostles of Jesus; Judas is omitted. In some variations Christ is also represented, by a ball placed at the centre
Simnel Cake – traditionally eaten on Mothering Sunday
Parkin – a soft cake associated with Yorkshire, traditionally eaten on Bonfire Night
Fat Rascal, also called the Yorkshire tea biscuit or Turf Cake, is a type of cake, similar to the scone
Pound cake refers to a type of cake traditionally made with a pound of each of four ingredients: flour, butter, eggs, and sugar
Dobos torte – a Hungarian sponge cake layered with chocolate buttercream and topped with caramel
Bundt cake – a cake that is baked in a Bundt pan, shaping it into a distinctive ring shape. The shape is inspired by a traditional European fruit cake known as Gugelhupf
Entremet – a multi-layered mousse-based cake
Stollen – from Dresden
A typical Victoria sponge consists of raspberry jam and whipped double cream or vanilla cream
Tottenham Cake was originally sold by the baker Henry Chalkley (who was a Friend or Quaker) at the price of 1 old penny. The pink colouring was derived from mulberries found growing at the Tottenham Friends burial ground
Opera cake was invented in 1955 by Cyriaque Gavillon from French patisserie house Dalloyau. It is made with layers of almond sponge cake soaked in coffee syrup
Black bun – a type of fruit cake completely covered with pastry. It is Scottish in origin, originally eaten on Twelfth Night but now enjoyed at Hogmanay
Almonds are used to decorate Dundee cake
Other food
Bosintang – Korean dog stew
Kimchi – a traditional Korean fermented dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings
Guinea Pig – national dish of Ecuador
Top vanilla produces – Indonesia, Madagascar, and China
Acorn, Butternut, Custard – types of squash
Carob – caffeine-free substitute for chocolate
Pesto – basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts and parmesan
Salep – flour made from the tubers of the orchid genus Orchis. Salep flour is consumed in beverages and desserts, especially in places that were part of the Ottoman Empire
Ensaimada – bun from Majorca
Macaroon biscuits contain almonds
Abernethy biscuit named after a Scottish surgeon
Baba Ghanoush – aubergine dip
Hummus – chick peas and tahini (ground sesame seeds)
Couscous – pasta of North African origin made of crushed and steamed semolina
Falafel – a Middle Eastern specialty made up of small, deep-fried croquettes or balls made of highly spiced, ground chickpeas (garbanzos). A yogurt or tahini-based sauce is often served with falafel
Harissa – hot paste used in North African cuisine, particularly in Tunisia
Mansaf – traditional Jordanian lamb dish
Melba toast – named after Dame Nelly Melba
Blinis – pancakes eaten by Russians. Known as buckwheat pancakes in America
Potato is the main ingredient of latkes (Jewish pancakes)
Arepas – maize pancakes in Venezuela
Marzipan consists primarily of sugar and almond meal (ground almonds)
Albert sauce contains horseradish
Stovies – Scottish dish containing meat, onions and potatoes
Maids of Honour – lemon and almond tartlets made for Anne Boleyn, in Richmond (Surrey)
Caraway used to flavour bread in Germany and Austria
Honeycomb – type of tripe
Tripe is usually eaten with onions
Helianthus tuberosus – Jerusalem artichoke
Sussex Pond pudding has a lemon in the middle
Arrowroot – used as a thickening agent
Gingili oil – sesame oil
Dulce – edible red seaweed
Compared to other common edible nuts such as almonds and cashews, macadamias are high in fat and low in protein. They have the highest amount of beneficial monounsaturated fats of any known nut. Originally from Australia
Scotch woodcock – a savoury dish consisting of scrambled eggs on toast with anchovies or anchovy paste
Singing hinnies – hotcakes, from Northumberland
Halva refers to many types of dense, sweet confections, across the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, the Balkans, and the Jewish world
Halva – a sweet dish or candy made from ground sesame seeds, fruit or vegetables
Barley sugar – boiled sweet, yellow or orange in colour, with an extract of barley added as flavouring
Russia grows the most potatoes
Coconut – largest seed
Fenugreek is cultivated worldwide as a semi-arid crop and is a common ingredient in dishes from the Indian Subcontinent, where it is known as methi
The caffeine-filled kola nut was originally an ingredient in Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola
Grits – broken corn grains that are boiled into porridge
Succotash is a food dish consisting primarily of corn and lima beans or other shell beans
Semolina – the coarse, purified wheat middlings of durum wheat
Tapioca – starchy root of the cassava plant
Cassava is also called yuca or manioc
Vegemite – made from brewer’s yeast
Kamut (QK-77) – type of wheat
Licorice flavored stalks from the Angelica plants are candied and used primarily in pastry making. Angelica is also used to flavor liqueurs
Dragee – a bite-sized, colourful form of confectionery with a hard outer shell, e.g. Jordan almonds
Globe artichoke – a species of thistle
Jerusalem artichoke – a species of sunflower
Chinese artichoke – a species of woundwort
Caesar salad is a salad of romaine lettuce and croutons dressed with Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, egg, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper
Caesar salad – invented by Mexican chef Caesar Cardini in 1924
Syllabub – a beverage made from a mixture of sweetened milk/cream, wine and spices
Pretzel – a baked snack that is traditionally twisted into a unique knot-like shape, which according to some people is meant to resemble two hands folded for prayer. The pretzel dough is made from wheat flour and yeast. During baking, a Maillard reaction then gives the pretzel its characteristic brown color and distinctive flavour
Turron – Spanish nougat
Paella is a typical Valencian rice dish, traditionally eaten on Sundays
Eton mess – type of strawberry dessert
Pinhead – type of oats
Succotash – native American stew consisting of kernels of corn, lima beans, and tomatoes
Pie and mash served with liquor (parsley) sauce
Risotto made from arborio rice
Partan bree – contains crab meat
Soul food is typically associated with African Americans of the Southern United States, e.g. black-eyed peas
Pie floater – Australian meat pie floating on pea soup
Frangipane is custard flavored with almonds and/or crushed macaroons
Garum, also called liquamen, is a type of fish sauce condiment that was popular in Ancient Roman society
Ful Medames – one of the national dishes of Sudan and Egypt, often eaten at breakfast. It consists of brown fava beans, partially or completely mashed, which are slow-cooked and served with olive oil, chopped parsley, onion, garlic, and lemon juice
Rojak is a fruit and vegetable salad dish commonly found in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia (where it is called Rujak)
Sofrito is a Spanish word for a well cooked and fragrant sauce
Queen of Puddings is a traditional British dessert, consisting of a baked, breadcrumb-thickened egg custard, spread with jam and topped with meringue
Meze – a selection of small dishes served to accompany alcoholic drinks as a course or as appetizers before the main dish in the Near East and the Balkans
Pearl barley – barley processed to remove its hull and bran
Pearl barley is used to thicken Scotch broth
Nice biscuit – named after the French city. Coconut flavoured
Bread sauce contains cloves and nutmeg
Figgy pudding – a pudding resembling something like a white Christmas pudding containing figs
Turkey is world’s largest producer of figs
Mojo – several types of sauces, varying in spiciness that originated in the Canary Islands
Garibaldi biscuit was first manufactured by the Bermondsey biscuit company Peek Freans in 1861
Fidget pie – bacon, onions and apples
Bulgur – a cereal food made from several different wheat species, but most often from durum wheat
Baba ghanoush – Arab dish of eggplant (aubergine) mashed and mixed with various seasonings
Tamale – a traditional Latin American dish made of masa (a starchy dough, often corn-based), which is steamed or boiled in a leaf wrapper
Borek – a family of baked or fried filled pastries made of a thin flaky dough known as yufka (or phyllo). It became a popular element of Ottoman cuisine
Olive oil is graded on its level of acidity: the lower the level of acidity, the more refined the oil will be. The best grade is extra virgin, with a maximum acidity of 1%
Nam Pla – Thai fish sauce
Melba sauce – made from fresh raspberries
Boxty is a traditional Irish potato pancake
Quorn is the leading brand of mycoprotein food product in the UK and Ireland. The mycoprotein used to produce Quorn is extracted from a fungus, Fusarium venenatum, which is grown in large vats
Scurly – onions and oatmeal
Satay sauce contains peanuts and coconut
Ackee and saltfish is the national dish of Jamaica. Ackee is a type of fruit
Marshmallow – the confection is the modern version of a medicinal confection made from Althaea officinalis, the marshmallow plant
Brochan – Scottish porridge
Praline can refer to confections made from nuts and sugar syrup, whether in whole pieces or a ground powder, or to any chocolate confection containing the ground powder or nuts
Mealie, corn – alternative names for maize
Ingredients of mince pies were traditionally a mixture of minced meat, suet, a range of fruits, and spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg
Baking blind is the process of baking a pie crust or other pastry without the filling
Guarana contains about twice the caffeine found in coffee beans
Yakult ,is a Japanese probiotic yogurt-like product made by fermenting a mixture of skimmed milk and sugar with a special strain of the bacteria Lactobacillus casei. It was invented by Kyoto University doctor Minoru Shirota in 1930
Rosti – a Swiss dish consisting mainly of potatoes
Mac Blacks – black raspberries grown in Britain. Rich in ellagic acid, anthocyanins and antioxidants
Rumbledethumps – traditional dish from the Scottish Borders. The main ingredients are potato, cabbage and onion
Aspic – a clear jelly typically made of stock and gelatin and used as a glaze or garnish or to make a mold of meat, fish, or vegetables
Filo is paper-thin sheets of unleavened flour dough used for making pastries in Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisine
Date is 50% sugar. Fruit of the date palm tree
Valencia, Jordan – types of almond
Saffron bun – a rich yeast dough bun that is flavoured with saffron and cinnamon or nutmeg and contains currants. In Sweden, no cinnamon or nutmeg is used in the bun, and raisins are used instead of currants
Paschka – Russian cheesecake, popular at Easter
Marie biscuit created by Peek Freans in London in 1874 to commemorate the marriage of the Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia to the Duke of Edinburgh
Blutwurst – German black pudding
Cajun cuisine is the style of cooking named for the French-speaking Acadian or Cajun immigrants deported by the British from Acadia in Canada to the Acadiana region of Louisiana
Tofu, also called bean curd, is made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks
Asafoetida, also known as devil’s dung and stinking gum, has a pungent, unpleasant smell when raw, but in cooked dishes, it delivers a smooth flavor, reminiscent of leeks
Galangal is a rhizome of plants in the ginger family. The rhizomes are used in various Asian cuisines
Carrageenans – a family of polysaccharides that are extracted from red seaweeds. There are several varieties of carrageen used in cooking and baking
Safflower flowers are occasionally used in cooking as a cheaper substitute for saffron, and are thus sometimes referred to as ‘bastard saffron’
Coconut milk is the base of many Indonesian, Malaysian, Sri Lankan and Thai curries
Jambalaya – a Louisiana Creole dish of Spanish and French influence
Shish kebab (Armenian word for ‘skewer’) is a dish consisting of meat threaded on a skewer and grilled
Doner kebab, literally ‘rotating kebab’ in Turkish, is sliced lamb, beef or chicken, slowly roasted on a vertical rotating spit
Spanisch Brotli is a speciality pastry from Baden, Switzerland
Eve's pudding is a type of traditional British pudding now made from apples and Victoria sponge cake mixture
Self-raising flour is sold premixed with chemical leavening agents, that cause a foaming action which lightens and softens the finished product
Reuben sandwich – a hot sandwich of corned beef, Swiss cheese, with Russian or Thousand Island dressing, and sauerkraut
A digestive biscuit, sometimes referred to as a sweet-meal biscuit, is a semi-sweet biscuit. The term 'digestive' is derived from the belief that they had antacid properties due to the use of sodium bicarbonate when they were first developed
Cronut – a croissant-doughnut pastry
Larding – inserting strips of fat or bacon in meat before cooking
Proofing, also called proving, is the final dough-rise step before baking
Quebec produces 70% of world’s maple syrup
Turkey is the largest producer of hazelnuts
Manuka – honey produced in New Zealand and Australia from the nectar of the manuka tree
Blondie – brownie made with white chocolate
Gelatinous extracts of the Chondrus crispus (Irish moss) seaweed have been used as food additives for hundreds of years. Carrageenan is a vegetarian and vegan alternative to gelatin in some applications
Cranachan – a traditional Scottish dessert usually made from a mixture of whipped cream, whisky, honey, and fresh raspberries, with toasted oatmeal
Green sauce – the name of several different sauces containing mainly herbs, namely the Italian salsa verde, the French sauce verte
Cotton candy – candy floss
Viennoiserie – baked goods made from a yeast-leavened dough in a manner similar to bread, or from puff pastry, but with added ingredients, e.g. croissants
Condensed milk is cow's milk from which water has been removed. It is most often found in the form of sweetened condensed milk, with sugar added
Evaporated milk is milk with about 60% of the water removed from fresh milk. It differs from sweetened condensed milk, which contains added sugar
Sago – a starch extracted in the spongy centre, or pith, of various tropical palm stems. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea
Gumbo – a dish that originated in southern Louisiana from the Louisiana Creole people during the 18th century
Butterscotch is a type of confectionery whose primary ingredients are brown sugar and butter
Albumen – egg-white
Eggs – were sizes 0 to 7, now small, medium, large and very large (Europe)
Pickled Nasturtium seeds are known as ‘poor man’s capers’
Praline – named after the 17th century sugar industrialist Marshal du Plessis-Praslin
Chocolate tempering is a method of increasing the shine and durability of chocolate
Poutine is a dish originating in Quebec, made with french fries, topped with a light brown gravy-like sauce and cheese curds
Salted caramel is a caramel candy topped with sea salt. It was popularized by French chef Pierre Hermé in the 1990s
E numbers
E numbers are codes for food additives and are usually found on food labels throughout the European Union. The numbering scheme follows that of the International Numbering System (INS) as determined by the Codex Alimentarius committee. Only a subset of the INS additives are approved for use in the European Union, giving rise to the 'E' prefix
E100 – E199 – colours (E100 – turmeric, E101 – riboflavin, E102 – tartrozine)
Carmine, also called Crimson Lake, Natural Red 4 or E120, is a pigment of a bright red colour obtained from the carminic acid produced by some insects, such as the cochineal
E200 – E299 – preservatives
E300 – E399 – antioxidants (E300 – E321), acidity regulators (E300 – ascorbic acid, E330 – citric acid)
E600 – E699 – flavour enhancers (E621 – monosodium glutamate)
Cocktails
Bellini was invented at Harry’s Bar, in Venice, in 1934
Between the sheets is called a "maiden's prayer" when made with gin, instead of rum and cognac
Blenheim contains brandy and yellow Chartreuse. It was created for Winston Churchill’s ninetieth birthday
Bloody Maria is a variety of a Bloody Mary, made with tequila and tomato juice
Virgin Mary is a non-alcoholic version of a Bloody Mary
Bronx is a martini with orange juice added
Caipirinha is Brazil's national cocktail
Cuba Libre is also known as Rum and Coke. It Originated after the Spanish-American war
There are several versions of daiquiri, but those that gained international fame are the ones made in the El Floridita bar in Havana
Death in the Afternoon was invented by Ernest Hemingway
French 75 is named after the French 75mm field gun
Gibson is often garnished with a pickled onion
Harvey Wallbanger is a variant of the screwdriver. It was created as a means of driving sales of Galliano
Kir is named after Felix Kir, mayor of Dijon in Burgundy, who was a pioneer of the twinning movement in the aftermath of the Second World War
Kir Royal is a variation on the Kir. It consists of cr3me de cassis topped with champagne
Long Island Iced Tea has a much higher alcohol concentration (approximately 22%) than most highball drinks
Mai Tai is one of the characteristic cocktails in Tiki culture
Martini is almost universally garnished with an olive. A vodka martini uses vodka instead of gin for the cocktail's base spirit
Mimosa is essentially the same as Buck’s Fizz
Mint julep is associated with the Kentucky Derby
Mojito is a traditional Cuban highball which became popular in the United States during the late 1980s
Moscow mule was popular during the vodka craze in the United States during the 1950s. Often served in a copper mug
Pina Colada is Spanish for ‘pineapple’ and ‘strained’
The pink colour of Pink Lady is caused by adding grenadine
Pisco sour is the national drink of Peru. The Chilean version uses Chilean pisco and Pica lime
Planter's punch said to have originated at the Planters Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina, but actually originated in Jamaica
Rob Roy was created in 1894 by a bartender at the Waldorf Astoria. A Rob Roy is like a Manhattan but is made exclusively with Scotch whisky
Sazerac was invented in New Orleans
Screwdriver is possibly named after the object used to stir the cocktail by oil workers
Singapore sling was developed by a bartender at the Long Bar in Raffles Hotel, Singapore. It was initially called the gin sling
Tequila sunrise is named for its appearance when served – with gradations of colour resembling a sunrise
John Collins is essentially a Tom Collins, evidently a latter name for the same drink
The Vesper was popularised by Ian Fleming in his novel Casino Royale in which James Bond invents the recipe and names the cocktail after Vesper Lynd
White lady is also known as a Delilah, or Chelsea Side-car. It is named in honour of Eveline Gorkiewicz, who helped British prisoners of war escape Turkey in World War I
The traditional cocktail known as a black Russian becomes a white Russian with the addition of cream
Zombie is a tiki cocktail
Bitters – a concentrated infusion of high-proof alcohol or glycerin with botanicals like roots, fruits, bark, leaves and herbs
Buck – a cocktail made with ginger ale or ginger beer
Fizz – a mixed drink category that features an acidic element (such as lemon juice), a sweetener, a base spirit, and carbonated water
Sour – a type of mixed drink made from a base liquor, a citrus (such as lemon or lime juice) and a sweetener
Cocktail ingredients
| Americano | Campari, vermouth, and soda water |
| Aperol spritz | Prosecco, Aperol, and soda water |
| Bellini | sparkling wine (traditionally Prosecco) and peach puree |
| Between the sheets | white rum, cognac, triple sec, and lemon juice |
| Bloody Mary | vodka, tomato juice, and usually other spices or flavourings such as Worcestershire sauce |
| Bramble | gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup, and creme de mure |
| Brandy Alexander | cognac, creme de cacao, and cream |
| Bronx | gin, vermouth, and orange juice |
| Caipirinha | cachaca, sugar, and lime |
| Champagne cocktail | champagne, cognac, Angostura bitters, and sugar |
| Cheeky Vimto | port and Blue WKD |
| Clover Club | gin, lemon juice, raspberry syrup, and egg white |
| Cosmopolitan | vodka, lime juice, Cointreau, and cranberry juice |
| Cuba libre | cola, rum, and lime juice |
| Daiquiri | rum, lime juice, and sugar |
| Dark ‘n’ stormy | dark rum and ginger beer |
| Death in the Afternoon | absinthe and champagne |
| French 75 | gin, champagne, lemon juice, and sugar |
| Gibson | gin and dry vermouth |
| Gimlet | gin and lime juice |
| Gin and it | gin and sweet vermouth |
| Gin fizz | gin, lemon juice, sugar, and soda water |
| Harvey Wallbanger | vodka, Galliano, and orange juice |
| Hanky panky | gin, sweet vermouth, and Fernet-Branca |
| Irish coffee | Irish whiskey, hot coffee, and sugar, which is topped with cream |
| Jagerbomb | Jägermeister and Red Bull |
| Kir | creme de cassis and white wine |
| Long Island iced tea | tequila, vodka, light rum, triple sec, gin, and a splash of cola |
| Mai Tai | rum, Curacao liqueur, orgeat syrup, and lime juice |
| Manhattan | rye whisky, dry vermouth, and angostura bitters |
| Margarita | tequila, triple sec, and lime juice |
| Martini | gin and dry vermouth |
| Mimosa | champagne and orange juice |
| Mint julep | mint, bourbon, sugar, and water |
| Monkey gland | gin, orange juice, grenadine and absinthe |
| Mojito | white rum, sugar, lime, soda water and mint |
| Moscow mule | vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice |
| Negroni | gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari |
| Old fashioned | whiskey, sugar, water, and bitters |
| Pina colada | white rum, coconut cream, and pineapple juice |
| Pink lady | gin, grenadine, and egg white |
| Pisco sour | Pisco, lemon juice, syrup, egg white |
| Planter’s punch | Jamaican rum, fresh lime juice, and sugar cane juice |
| Porn star martini | vodka, Passoã, passion fruit juice, lime juice |
| Rob Roy | Scotch whisky, vermouth, and angostura bitters |
| Rusty nail | Scotch whisky and Drambuie |
| Sazerac | cognac or rye whiskey, absinthe, bitters, and sugar |
| Screwdriver | vodka and orange juice |
| Sea breeze | vodka, grapefruit juice, and cranberry juice |
| Sex on the beach | vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice, and cranberry juice |
| Sidecar | cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon juice |
| Singapore sling | gin with cherry brandy, Benedictine, Angostura bitters, pineapple juice, and lime juice |
| Slippery nipple | Sambuca and Irish cream |
| Snowball | Advocaat, lemonade, and lime juice |
| Stinger | brandy and white creme de menthe |
| Tequila sunrise | tequila, orange juice, and grenadine syrup |
| Three wise men | Johnnie Walker, Jack Daniels, and Jim Bean |
| Tom Collins | gin, lemon juice, sugar, and soda water |
| Vesper | gin, vodka, and Lillet Blanc |
| Whiskey sour | bourbon whiskey, lemon juice, and sugar |
| Whisky Mac | whisky and ginger wine |
| White lady | gin, Cointreau or Triple Sec, and lemon juice |
| White Russian | vodka, coffee liqueur, and cream |
| Zombie | fruit juices, liqueurs, and various rums |
Wine
Cristal is the brand name of a well-known champagne produced by Louis Roederer. Cristal is easily recognized by its clear, ‘crystal’ bottle, anti-UV cellophane wrapper, and gold label
Champagne – Brut (driest), Sec, Demi-Sec, Doux (sweetest)
Veuve Clicquot was a woman who worked out how to remove sediment from champagne
A cuvée de prestige is a proprietary blended wine (usually champagne) that is considered to be the top of a producer's range
Cold Duck – mixing of all the dregs of unfinished wine bottles with champagne
Sauvignon Blanc grapes are mainly grown in the Loire Valley
Suhindol – Bulgarian wine-growing region
Russian River – wine producing region in Sonoma, USA
Pinotage – wine from South Africa
Hawkes Bay – wine producing region of New Zealand
Stellenbosch – South African wine-growing region
Barossa Valley, Hunter Valley – wine producing regions of Australia
While acreage of Malbec is declining in France, in Argentina the grape is surging and has become a ‘national variety’ of a sort that is uniquely identified with Argentine red wine. Grown in Mendoza region
Bekaa Valley is a wine-growing region in Lebanon
Tawny, ruby, vintage and white – types of port. Originally from the Duoro valley of Portugal
What makes Madeira wine production unique is the ‘estufagem’ aging process meant to duplicate the effect of a long sea voyage of the aging barrels through tropical climates
There are four major types of Madeira: Malvasia (also known as Malmsey or Malvazia), Bual (or Boal), Verdelho, and Sercial, the latter two being drier
There are four major categories of Italian wines:
Vino Da Tavola (VdT, in the wine books) is the lowest class of wine
Vino a Indicazione Geografica (IGT)
Vino a Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC)
Vino a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG)
Seco – Italian term for a dry wine
Retsina – a Greek wine that tastes strongly of the resin of particular trees, notably pine
En primeur – opening prices for a wine
Premier cru – first growth of a wine
Vino tinto – red wine
Commercial corked wine bottles typically have a protective sleeve called a capsule (commonly referred to as a ‘foil’) covering the top of the bottle
Must – freshly pressed fruit juice (usually grape juice) that contains the skins, seeds, and stems of the fruit
Pomace or marc – the residue of skins seeds and pulp left after pressing white wine grapes
Acids in wine – malic and tartaric (also lactic and citric)
Tough wine has too much tannin
Farr Vintners – Britain's largest wholesale fine wine merchant
Wine was first drunk in Mesopotamia
Merlot grape takes its name from French word for ‘blackbird’
Shiraz grape – proper name is Syrah
Secondary fermentation – entails a second period of fermentation in a different vessel than what was used when the fermentation process first started
Champagne is fermented twice – once in the vat, and once in the bottle
Buck’s Fizz is named after London's Buck's Club where it was invented
Fortified wine – Brandy added to dessert wine
Marsala wine – from Sicily
Muscadet is a white French wine. It is made at the western end of the Loire Valley, near the city of Nantes in the Pays de la Loire region neighboring the Brittany Region. More Muscadet is produced than any other Loire wine
Muscadet – maximum alcohol content of 12%
Pinot noir, Pinot meunier and Chardonnay – grapes used to make champagne
Sherry – a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the town of Jerez, Spain. After fermentation is complete, sherry is fortified with brandy
Pinot noir grape is chiefly associated with the Burgundy region
Fino – type of sherry
Oloroso – rich, dark-coloured sweet sherry
Amontillado is a variety of sherry, characterized by being darker than fino but lighter than oloroso
Spain has the largest area of vines in Europe
Spumante – Italian sparkling wine
Malbec – Argentinian wine
Semillon – a golden-skinned grape used to make dry and sweet white wines, most notably in France and Australia
Corsica has nine AOC regions and an island-wide vin de pays designation Vin de Pays de l'Ile de Beaute that accounts for two thirds of the island's entire wine production
Bardolino wine – from Italy
Frascati – white wine from the town of Frascati in the province of Rome in the Lazio region
Cava – sparkling wine, produced mainly in Catalonia. In the past, cava was referred to as ‘Spanish champagne’
Vinho verde – Portuguese wine from the Minho region. Known as green wine
Chablis – white wine from Burgundy, made from chardonnay grapes
Claret – red wine from Bordeaux
Sauternes – white wine from Bordeaux
Chateau d’Yquem – Sauternes wine
Saint-Emilion, Pomerol, Medoc and Graves are sub-regions of Bordeaux
Entre-deux-mers is a dry white wine made in Bordeaux. The appellation is one of the largest in the Bordeaux region and is situated between the Garonne and the Dordogne
Pradikatswein (formerly QmP) classification contains most high-quality German wines
Lacryma Christi (literally ‘tear of Christ’), is the name of a celebrated Neapolitan type of wine produced on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius in Campania, Italy. The name Lacryma Christi comes from an old myth that Christ, crying over Lucifer's fall from heaven, cried his tears on the land and gave divine inspiration to the vines that grew there
Chateauneuf-du-Pape is from the Rhone wine region. Means ‘The Pope's new castle’
Sangiovese is a red Italian wine grape variety whose name derives from the Latin sanguis Jovis, ‘the blood of Jove’. Though it is the grape of most of central Italy, outside Italy it is most famous as the main component of the Chianti blend in Tuscany
Soave – a dry white wine from the Veneto region in northeast Italy, principally around the city of Verona
Verdicchio a variety of white grape grown in the Marche region of Italy and gives its name to the varietal white wine made from it
Varietal – describes wines made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label. Examples of grape varieties commonly used in varietal wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot
Montepulciano is a red Italian wine grape variety
Grenache – variety of grape, used for making rose
Muscat – variety of grapes widely grown for wine, raisins and table grapes
Zinfandel (also known as Primitivo) is a variety of black-skinned wine grape. The variety is planted in over 10 percent of California vineyards. The grapes typically produce a robust red wine, although a semi-sweet rose (blush-style) wine called White Zinfandel has six times the sales of the red wine in the United States
Italy produces the most wine
Gloog – mulled wine
Prosek – a sweet dessert wine that is traditionally from Dalmatia, Croatia
Very Special (or Superior) Old Pale. Port, sherry or brandy between 20 and 25 years old
Whisky
The two best-selling single malt whiskies in the world, The Glenlivet and Glenfiddich, come from Speyside. Speyside has the greatest number of distilleries of any of the whisky-producing areas of Scotland
Glenfiddich is owned and produced by William Grant & Sons in Dufftown
Talisker is the only distillery on the Isle of Skye
Laphroig is a whisky distillery on Islay
Single malt whisky is more than three years old and made from barley
Malt whisky is distilled in copper stills
Bourbon is named for Bourbon County, Kentucky. By United States law, it consists of at least 51% corn, typically about 70%, with the remainder being wheat and/or rye, and malted barley. It is distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof, and aged in new charred oak barrels for at least two years
Rye whiskey is, by law, made from a mash of at least 51% rye. The other ingredients of the mash are usually corn and malted barley. It is distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof, and aged in oak barrels
Jack Daniels – from Lynchberg, Tennessee
Atholl brose – whisky and honey
Beer
Beer is made from water, yeast, hops and malt
Fuggles and goldings – varieties of hops
Wheat beer is a beer that is brewed with a significant proportion of wheat. It is common for wheat beers to also contain malted barley. The addition of wheat lends wheat beers a light flavour and pale colour
Wort – the liquid extracted from the mashing process during the brewing of beer or whisky. Wort contains the sugars that will be fermented by the brewing yeast to produce alcohol
Small beer – weak beer, second brew made from the wort of the first brew
Foster’s Twist – beer with a hint of citrus
Carlsberg Edge – lager with citrus
Carling C2 – 2% lager
Newcastle Brown Ale is brewed by Heineken at the John Smith's Brewery in Tadcaster
Valhalla Brewery – the most northerly brewery in the UK, on the island of Unst in Shetland
Skull Attack – Brains beer
Batemans brewery – in Lincolnshire
Ringwood brewery – in Hampshire. Brewers of Fortyniner, Old Thumper, Porter 4X, Boondoggle and 21 Not Out
Spitfire, Bishop’s Finger – Shepherd Neame beers
Doom Bar Bitter is named after a sandbank at the mouth of the Camel Estuary in North Cornwall
Lambic is a very distinctive type of beer brewed only in the Pajottenland region of Belgium and in Brussels
Framboise – Belgian beer fermented using raspberries
Chimay Brewery is located in the Scourmont Abbey, a Trappist monastery. They make Chimay Rouge, Chimay Bleue, and Chimay Blanche beers and four varieties of cheese
Jupiler is the top selling beer in Belgium
Germany’s best-selling beer brands – Oettinger, Krombacher, Bitburger
Stella Artois first brewed in 1366
Orval is a Trappist brewery located within the walls of the Abbaye Notre-Dame d'Orval in the Gaume region of Belgium
Duvel Moortgat Brewery is a Flemish family-controlled brewery founded in 1871
Grolsch Brewery founded in Groenlo, Netherlands in 1615
Lime was put in Mexican beer to keep the flies out
Asahi has a 40% share of the Japanese beer market
Kirin beer – from Japan
Liqueurs
Liqueur – an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar
Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur mainly produced in Southern Italy
Advocaat – a rich and creamy liqueur made from eggs, sugar and brandy
A grasshopper is a sweet, mint-flavored, after-dinner drink. The name of the drink is derived from its green color which is provided by the Creme de menthe
Carthusian monks sell chartreuse
Chartreuse is composed of distilled alcohol aged with 130 herbal extracts. The liqueur is named after the Monks' Grande Chartreuse monastery
Gers – place famous for distillation of Armagnac
Drambuie flavoured by heather honey
Recipe for Drambuie given to Bonnie Prince Charlie
Van Der Hum – South African tangerine flavoured liqueur
Amaretto is a sweet almond-flavoured liqueur of Italian origin. It is made from a base of apricot or almond pits, or sometimes both, with added spices and flavors
Amaretto is produced in Saronno, near Lake Como. Created by a widow who posed for Renaissance painter Bernardino Luini in 1525
Galliano – a sweetish, golden, Italian liqueur with an herby, spicy taste
Triple Sec – orange-flavoured liqueur
Curacao – made from peel of bitter oranges
Creme de cassis – blackcurrant liqueur
Parmait amour – a purple liqueur that is flavored with citrus fruits, cloves and other spices
Southern Comfort is flavoured with peaches
Kummel – a sweet, colourless liqueur flavored with caraway seed, cumin, and fennel, made in regions bordering the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea
Pastis – an anise-flavored liqueur and aperitif from France which emerged following the ban on absinthe
Sambuca is an Italian anise-flavoured, usually colourless, liqueur. Sambuca is commonly served neat with some floating coffee beans and then set alight for a few seconds
Ouzo effect – a milky oil-in-water microemulsion that is formed when water is added to ouzo and other anise-flavored liqueurs and spirits
Raki is the national drink of Turkey. It is an anise-flavored liqueur known as ‘lion’s milk’
Brandy
Cognac is a brandy produced in the region surrounding the town. It must be made from at least 90% Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, or Colombard grapes. It must be distilled twice in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in French oak barrels that are sealed air tight in order to be called cognac
Armagnac is a distinctive kind of brandy, made of mainly the same grapes as cognac and undergoing the same aging in oak barrels, but mainly with column still distillation (cognac and part of Armagnac is distilled in pot stills)
Calvados is an apple brandy from the French region of Basse-Normandie or Lower Normandy
Eau de vie is a French term for a colorless fruit brandy that is prepared via fermentation and double-distillation
Pisco – a strong, colorless grape brandy produced in Chile and Peru
Slivovitz – plum brandy
Grappa – brandy distilled from the fermented remains of crushed grapes
Applejack – brandy made by concentrating hard cider
Other alcoholic drinks
Juniper berries are used to flavour gin
Glog – drink in Sweden
Vermouth – an alcoholic drink consisting of wine flavoured with aromatic herbs, originally wormwood
Black Velvet – drink produced to mark the death of Prince Albert
Kumis – an alcoholic beverage made from fermented mare's milk; made originally by nomads of central Asia
Flor – a yeasty growth which is allowed to form on the surface of sherries after fermentation
Absinthe – la fee verte (the green fairy). Member of the Daisy family. Absinthe drinking was known as ‘strangling the parrot’ in Paris slang
Absinthe – a liqueur flavoured with wormwood and other herbs. Manufactured by Pernod
A perforated or slotted spoon is used to dissolve a sugar cube in a glass of absinthe, usually to sweeten the drink and counteract its mild bitterness
Schnapps is flavoured with caraway seeds
Metaxa is a Greek distilled spirit invented by Spyros Metaxas in 1888. It is a blend of brandy and wine
Muscadine, scuppernong – varieties of grape used in Cajun cookery
Tequila – an agave-based spirit
Akvavit or aquavit is a flavoured spirit that is produced in Scandinavia and typically contains 40% alcohol by volume. Its name comes from aqua vitae, the Latin for ‘water of life’
Perry – made from fermented pears
Magners cider originates from Clonmel
Campari is an alcoholic aperitif obtained from the infusion of herbs and fruit (including chinotto and cascarilla) in alcohol and water. It is a bitters characterized by its dark red colour
Grog – originally referred to a drink made with water or ‘small beer’ (a weak beer) and rum, which was introduced into the Royal Navy by British Vice Admiral Edward Vernon (nicknamed ‘Old Grog’ by the sailors) in 1740. Modern versions of the drink are often made with hot or boiling water
Cobbler is an old form of mixed drink that consists of a base spirit (originally some form of wine), sugar and fresh fruit
Negus – a beverage of wine, hot water, lemon juice, sugar, and nutmeg
Absolut Vodka is a brand of vodka, produced in southern Sweden. Absolut is owned by French group Pernod Ricard
Pimm's is a brand of fruit cups, but may also be considered a liqueur. It was first produced in 1823 by James Pimm and has been owned by Diageo since 1997. Pimm's No. 1 Cup is based on gin
Jagermeister is a German digestif made with 56 herbs and spices. The label on Jagermeister bottles features a glowing Christian cross seen between the antlers of a stag
Tea
Jagertee – drink made by mixing overproof rum into black tea
Earl Grey – contains Oil of Bergamot
Bergamot orange is a fragrant fruit the size of an orange, with a yellow colour similar to a lemon
Oolong is a traditional Chinese type of tea somewhere in between green and black in oxidation
The beverage Green tea is a ‘true’ tea (i.e., Camellia sinensis) that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing
Camomile tea – made from the flowers of Anthemis nobilis
Herbal tea, or tisane, is a herbal or plant infusion and usually not made from the leaves of the tea bush (Camellia sinensis)
Coffee
Coffee originated in Ethiopia
Nescafe – first instant coffee, in 1938
Starbucks and Costa were both founded in 1971
Blue Mountain coffee – from Jamaica
Americano – single shot of espresso
Ristretto – a short shot of espresso coffee made with the normal amount of coffee but extracted with about half the amount of water
Flat white – latte made with velvet micro-foam instead of stiff froth
Macchiato is an Italian word, meaning ‘stained’. It is frequently used to refer to two separate coffee drinks: Caffè macchiato – an espresso with a teaspoon of milk in it and a small ‘spot’ of foam on top of the crema, Latte macchiato – steamed milk served in a glass with ½ shot of espresso or less poured through it, leaving a 'spot' of crèma to indicate this is not a caffè latte
Frappuccino is a trademarked line of blended coffee beverages sold by Starbucks. It consists of coffee blended with ice and various other ingredients, usually topped with whipped cream
Caffe crema – old name for espresso
Caffè corretto, an Italian beverage, consists of a shot of espresso ‘corrected’ with a shot of liquor, usually grappa, brandy or sambuca
Kopi Luwak is coffee that is prepared using coffee cherries that have been eaten and partially digested by the Asian Palm Civet, then harvested from its fecal matter
Cafe Frappe – Greek shaken iced coffee
Other drinks
Perrier water – from Pergez, near Nimes
Dasani – Coca-Cola bottled water, withdrawn in 2004 as it was contaminated with bromate
Coca-Cola launched in 1886 as an ‘esteemed brain tonic and intellectual beverage’. Early version contained small quantities of cocaine. It has never been green
Merchandise 7X is the secret ingredient of Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola unveiled New Coke in 1985
VitaminWater is an energy water product distributed by Energy Brands, a subsidiary of Coca-Cola. Developed by 50 Cent using the product name Formula 50
Coca-Cola Life is sold in green cans and has fewer calories than Coke and less sugar due to a natural sweetener called stevia
Pepsi was first introduced as ‘Brad's Drink’ in New Bern, North Carolina, in 1898 by Caleb Bradham, who made it at his home where the drink was sold. It was later labeled Pepsi Cola, named after the digestive enzyme pepsin and kola nuts used in the recipe
Tizer – first soft drink available in cans, in 1970s
Cream soda is flavoured with vanilla
Dandelion and Burdock – Taraxacum and Arctium
Kvass – a fermented beverage made from black or regular rye bread
Root beer is a carbonated, sweetened beverage, originally made using the root of a sassafras plant (or the bark of a sassafras tree) as the primary flavour
The roots of the kava plant are used to produce a drink with sedative and anesthetic properties. Kava is consumed throughout the Pacific Ocean cultures of Polynesia
Fanta was created during World War II in Germany by the German Coca-Cola bottling company. Due to restrictions on shipping between Germany and the United States, the German bottling plant could not get Coca Cola syrup
Yerba mate is a species of holly, well-known as the source of the mate beverage (a traditional South American infused drink)
Irn-Bru is manufactured by AG Barr
Lassi – made by blending yogurt with water or milk and Indian spices. Traditional lassi is sometimes flavored with ground roasted cumin
A fruit cup, also known as a summer cup, is traditionally an English speciality drink designed to be made into a long drink with addition of a soft drink such as lemonade or ginger ale
