Download glossary of ethnic ingredients

GLOSSARY OF ETHNIC INGREDIENTS
Abalone (paua): Large, flat mollusk with finely textured, sweet flesh
in the broad muscular foot that holds it to rocks (must be
pounded before use). It is common in the waters off Asia,
California, Mexico, and New Zealand. Available fresh, frozen,
canned, and dried.
Abiu (caimito): Yellow egg-shaped or round fruit native to the
Amazon; popular throughout Brazil and Peru. Translucent white
flesh with caramel-like flavor.
Acerola cherries (Barbados cherries): Exceptionally sour Caribbean
berries resembling small, bright red cherries with orange flesh.
Achiote: See Annatto.
Adzuki bean (aduki, azuki; red bean): Small, dark red bean used primarily in Japanese cooking, often as a sweetened paste.
Ahipa: See Jicama.
Ajowan (ajwain; carom; omum or lovage seeds): Similar to celery
seeds in appearance and to thyme in flavor. Used in Asian-Indian
and Middle Eastern cooking.
Ajwain: See Ajowan.
Akee (ackee, ache; seso vegetal; pera roja): Red fruit with three segments containing large inedible seeds and flesh resembling
scrambled eggs. Nearly all parts toxic, causing fatal hypoglycemia. Fresh, dried, frozen akee banned in United States; some
canned types permitted.
Alligator: Reptile native to rivers and swamps throughout the southern Gulf Coast region, from Florida to Texas. Mild white meat,
with texture similar to veal. Tail and other parts eaten.
Almond paste: Arab confection of ground almonds kneaded with sugar
or cooked sugar syrup (some brands also contain egg white) used
in many European and Middle Eastern desserts. Marzipan is a type
of almond paste made with finely ground, blanched almonds.
Amaranth (tampala; yien choy; Chinese spinach): Leafy, dark green
vegetable similar to spinach; red and purple leaf varieties, also.
The high-protein seeds can be ground into flour and used in
baked products, or boiled and eaten as cereal. Popular throughout Asia and Latin America.
Ambarella (hog or Jew plum; kadondong; otaheite or golden apple;
vi-apple): Small, oval-shaped fruit with very strong flavor native
to Polynesia but also found in Southeast Asia and Caribbean.
Used unripe for preserves and ripe in desserts.
Amchoor (amchur; khati powder): Dried, unripe mango slices or
powder, with a sour, raisin-like flavor.
Angelica root: Herb with a licorice-flavored root common in European
dishes. Usually available candied. Used medicinally in China.
Annatto (achiote, atchuete): Seeds of the annatto tree used to color
foods red or golden yellow. Used in Latin America, India, Spain,
and the Philippines. In the United States annatto is added to
some baked goods, Cheddar-style cheeses, ice creams, margarines, and butter for color. May be cooked whole in oil or lard to
produce the right hue or used as a ground spice.
Apio: See Arracacha.
Apios: See Groundnuts.
Apon seeds (agonbono): Seeds of the wild mango commonly used in
West Africa. Basis of the soup known as agonbono.
Areca nuts: See Betel.
Arracacha (apio; Peruvian carrot): Starchy white root of the carrot
family with flavor similar to chestnuts and parsnips used in
South America, especially Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela.
Arrowroot (chee koo): Many varieties of a bland, mealy tuber found
in Asia and the Caribbean. When made into a powder, it is used
to thicken sauces and stews.
Artichoke (carciofo): Globelike vegetable member of the thistle
family, with multiple edible bracts (leaves) crowning the undeveloped edible flower (the heart). The flavor is slightly sweet.
Popular in Middle Eastern and southern European dishes.
Arugula (rocket): Small member of the cabbage family native to the
Mediterranean; the peppery leaves are popular in salads throughout Europe.
Asafetida (devil’s dung): Dried resin with a pungent odor reminiscent
of burnt rubber, which nonetheless imparts a delicate onion-like
flavor. It is available as a lump or powder and is commonly used
in Asian-Indian dishes.
Asian pear (apple pear): Round, yellow fruit from Asia with the crispness of an apple and the flavor of a pear.
Atemoya: Hybrid of the cherimoya and sweetsop. See Cherimoya;
Sweetsop.
Aubergine: See Eggplant.
Avocado (aguacate; alligator pear; coyo): Pear-shaped to round fruit
with leathery skin (green to black) and light green, buttery flesh.
Native to Central America. Numerous varieties; eaten mostly as
a vegetable, though considered a fruit in some cuisines.
Bacalao (bacalhau, baccala): Cod preserved by drying and salting,
popular in northern and southern European cooking (especially
Portuguese). Must be soaked, drained, and boiled before use.
Bagoong: See Fish paste.
Bagoong-alamang: See Shrimp paste.
Bambara groundnut (Congo goober; kaffir pea): Legume very similar
to peanuts, native to Africa.
Bamboo shoot (juk suhn): Crisp, cream colored, conical shoot of the
bamboo plant. Used fresh (stored in water) or available canned
in brine (whole or sliced).
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Glossary of Ethnic Ingredients
Banana flower (plantain flower): Native to Indonesia and Malaysia,
bananas are now found in most tropical regions. Male inflorescence
of the plant (female inflorescence that develops into fruit not eaten)
is sheathed in inedible red-purple petals. Starchy interior must be
boiled repeatedly to remove bitterness; used fresh in salads, cooked
in curries, soups, or as side dish in palm oil or coconut milk.
Bangus: See Milkfish.
Baobab (monkey bread, lalu powder): Slightly sweet seeds from the
large fruit of the native African baobab tree. Used roasted or
ground. Pulp of the fruit is also consumed.
Basmati rice: See Rice.
Bean curd (cheong-po, tempeh, tofu, tobu): Custard-like, slightly rubbery white curd with a bland flavor made from soybean milk.
Japanese bean curd (tofu) tends to be softer than Chinese, which
is preferred for stir-fried dishes. A chewier version common in
Southeast Asia is called tempeh. Cheong-po, a Korean bean curd,
is made from mung beans.
Beans: See specific bean type.
Bean sprouts (nga choy): The young sprouts of mung beans or soybeans popular in Asian cooking (sprouts may also be grown from
the tiny seeds of alfalfa or peas, also from legumes). The crisp
1- to 2-inch sprouts are eaten fresh or added to stir-fried dishes.
Belgian endive: See Chicory.
Berbere: Ethiopian spice mix (typically very hot) used to season
many foods, usually including allspice, cardamom, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, ginger, nutmeg, and
black pepper.
Bergamot orange: Pear-shaped orange with exceptionally tart flesh.
Rind used to flavor dishes in the Mediterranean and North
Africa; oil extracted from rind flavors Earl Grey tea.
Betel (areca nuts; catechu): The heart-shaped leaves of the betel vine
(related to black pepper) are used to wrap areca nuts (from the
Areca palm; the nuts are usually called betel nuts because of their
use with betel leaves) and spices for paan in India. Betel nuts and
leaves are chewed together in many Southeast Asian countries
and in India to promote digestion. May stain teeth red.
Bindi: See Okra.
Bird’s nest: Swallows’ nests from the cliffs of the South China Sea
made from predigested seaweed; added to Chinese soups or
sweetened for dessert. Must be soaked before use.
Bitter almond: An almond variety with an especially strong almond
flavor, often used to make extracts, syrups, and liqueurs. Grown
in the Mediterranean region, bitter almonds are used in European
dishes. They contain prussic acid and are toxic when raw (they
become edible when cooked) and are unavailable in the United
States.
Bitter melon (balsam pear; bitter gourd, foo gwa): Bumpy-skinned Asian
fruit similar in shape to a cucumber; pale green when ripe. The flesh
has melon-like seeds and an acrid taste due to high quinine content
(flavor and odor become stronger the longer it ripens).
Bitter orange: See Seville orange.
Black bean (frijol negro; turtle bean): Small (less than 1.2 inches)
black bean used extensively in Central American, South
American, and Caribbean cooking.
Black beans, fermented: Black soybeans salted and fermented to produce
a piquant condiment. Used in Chinese cooking as a seasoning or
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combined with garlic, ginger, rice wine, and other ingredients to
make black bean sauce.
Black-eyed peas (cow peas; crowder peas): Small legume (technically
neither a pea nor a bean), white with a black spot, native to
Africa and southern Asia.
Black mushrooms: See Mushrooms.
Blood orange: Old variety of orange with deep maroon–colored flesh,
sometimes streaked with white. Intense sweet-tart flavor.
Common in Spain and North Africa.
Blowfish (bok; fugu; globefish; puffer): A popular Japanese specialty,
blowfish contain a deadly neurotoxin in the liver and sex organs.
Must be carefully prepared by expert; flesh has a slight tingle
when eaten.
Bok choy (Chinese chard; pak choi; white cabbage): Vegetable of the
cabbage family with long, white leaf stalks and smooth, dark
green leaves used in Chinese cooking.
Boonchi: See Long bean.
Bottlegourd: See Calabash.
Boxthorn: See Matrimony vine.
Breadfruit: Large, round, tropical fruit with warty green skin and
starchy white flesh popular in nearly all tropical regions. It must be
cooked. Unripe, green fruits are generally prepared as a vegetable,
boiled, fried, or even pickled. In South Pacific may be fermented
to make poi-like starchy dish. Ripe, yellow-fleshed fruit usually
sweetened and served as dessert. Available canned; frozen.
Breadroot (Indian breadroot; prairie turnips; timpsila; tipsin): Hairy
perennial plant (Psoralea esculenta) with large brown root eaten
by Native Americans of the Plains and adopted by European
immigrants who knew it as pomme de prairie.
Brinjal: See Eggplant.
Buckwheat (kasha): Nutty-flavored cereal native to Russia (where it is
called kasha), sold as whole seeds (groats) and ground seeds
(grits if coarsely ground, flour if finely ground). It is common in
Russian and eastern European cooking.
Buffalo berry: Scarlet berry of the Sheperdia genus, so called because
it was usually eaten with buffalo meat by Native Americans of the
plains.
Bulgur (bulghur, burghul): Nutty-flavored cracked grains of whole
wheat that have been precooked with steam. Available in coarse,
medium, and fine grades.
Burdock root (gobo): Long thin root with thin brown skin and crisp
white flesh and an earthy, sweet flavor. Popular in Asian cooking.
Cactus fruit (cactus pears, cholla, Indian figs, pitaya, sabra, strawberry
pear, thang long): Succulent fruit of various cacti popular in
numerous nations. Red prickly pear cactus fruit—cactus pears,
cholla, Indian figs, sabra, tuna—common in Mexico, U.S.
Southwest, Central America, Israel and some other Middle Eastern
countries, Australia, South Africa, and Italy. Fruit of the organ pipe
cactus sold in the United States as strawberry pear or pitaya. Fruit
of saguaro cactus, nopales cactus, and apple cactus eaten in desert
areas of Mexico and U.S. Southwest. Climbing epiphytic cacti
common in South America, Australia, Israel, and Vietnam; one
variety called thang long red pitaya or dragon fruit.
Cactus pads (nopales, nopalitos): Paddles of the prickly pear cactus or
nopales cactus commonly eaten in Mexico and parts of the U.S.
Southwest, fresh, cooked, or pickled. Available canned.
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Glossary of Ethnic Ingredients
Cactus pears: See Cactus fruit.
Caimito: See Star apple.
Cajú: See Cashew apple.
Calabash (bottlegourd; calabaza; West Indian pumpkin): Gourd-like
fruit of a tropical tree native to the New World.
Calabaza: See Calabash; Cushaw
Calamansi (calamondin, Chinese or Panama orange, golden or scarlet
lime, musk lime): Small sour lime native to China but widely
distributed in Indonesia and the Philippines, also available in
Southeast Asia, Malaysia, and India. Prized for its sour flavor in
Filipino cooking.
Callaloo (cocoyam): Edible leaves of root vegetables, especially amaranth, malanga, and taro. Callaloo is sometimes the name of a
dish made from these leaves.
Camass root: Sweet bulb of the camass lily common in the U.S. Pacific
Northwest.
Candlenut (kemini; kukui nut): Oily tropical nut sold only in roasted
form (toxic when raw). Popular in Malaysia, Polynesia, and Southeast
Asia.
Càng cua: See Peperomia.
Cannellini: See Kidney bean.
Capers: Small gray-green flower buds from a bush native to the
Mediterranean; commonly pickled.
Carambola: See Star fruit.
Cardoon: Member of the artichoke family resembling a spiny celery
plant, popular in Italian cooking.
Cashew apple (cajú): The fleshy false fruit attached to the cashew nut.
Native to Brazil, it is also eaten in the Caribbean and India.
Casimiroa (white sapote, zapote blanco): Dark green to yellow fruit
native to Central America; resembles an Asian pear. Soft, white
flesh is eaten fresh or prepared as jellies, ices, milkshakes, and
fruit leather.
Cassarep: Caribbean sauce made from the juice of the bitter variety of
cassava cooked with raw sugar.
Cassava (cocoyam; fufu; manioc; yuca): Tropical Latin American
tuber (now eaten in most tropical areas of the world) with
rough brown skin and mild white flesh. Two types exist: bitter
(poisonous unless leached and cooked) and sweet. Flour used
in Africa (gari), the Caribbean, and Brazil (farinha). Cassava
starch (fufu) is used to make the thickening agent tapioca.
Leaves also consumed.
Caviar (red caviar, ikura, tarama, tobikko): Fish roe from a variety of
fish eaten worldwide, including sturgeon (technically the only
roe that is called caviar), salmon (red caviar, ikura in Japan),
flying fish (tobikko), carp (tarama, most often made into a paste
with lemon juice and other ingredients, in Greece called taramasalata), herring, and mullet. Sturgeon caviar graded according
to size and quality.
Celeriac (celery root): Gnarled, bulbous root of one type of celery,
with brown skin, tan flesh, and nutty flavor.
Cèpes: See Mushrooms.
Chanterelles: See Mushrooms.
Chayote (christophine, chocho, huisquil, mirliton, vegetable pear):
Thin-skinned, green (light or dark), pear-shaped gourd. Native
to Mexico, it is now common in Central America, the Caribbean,
the southern United States, and parts of Asia.
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Cheong-po: See Bean curd.
Cherimoya (anona, custard apple, graviola): Large, dimpled, light
green fruit native to South America. White, creamy, flesh has a
flavor reminiscent of strawberries, cherries, and pineapple. See
also Custard apple.
Chicharrónes (pork cracklings): Deep-fried pork skin, fried twice to
produce puffy strips.
Chickpeas (Bengal gram dal, chana dal, garbanzo bean): Pale yellow,
spherical legume popular in Middle Eastern, Spanish, Portuguese,
and Latin American cooking. Can be purchased canned or
dried.
Chico: See Zapote.
Chicory (Belgian endive, witloof): European chicory plant. Leaves
used as salad green; bitter root roasted to prepare a coffee substitute. Often added to dark coffee in Creole cooking.
Chile pepper: Although chile peppers, or chiles, are often called hot
peppers, the fruits are not related to Asian pepper (such as black
pepper) but are pods of capsicum plants, native to Central and
South America. The alkaloid capsaicin, found mostly in the ribs
of the pods, is what makes chile peppers hot. In general, the
smaller the chile, the hotter it is. More than 100 varieties are
available, from less than one-quarter inch in length to over eight
inches long. Used fresh or dried. Common types include mild
pods (see Peppers), slightly hot peppers such as Anaheim (also
called California or New Mexico chile) and Cayenne (used mostly
dried and powdered as the spice cayenne); dark green, medium
hot Jalapeño (often available canned—when smoked are known
as Chipotle); spicy, rich green Poblano (used fresh, or ripened
and dried, called Ancho); hot Serrano (small, bright green or
red); and very hot Chile de Arbol, Japones, Péquin (tiny berrylike pepper, exceptionally hot, also known as bird or bird’s eye
peppers), Piri-piri (favored in West Africa for sauces and marinades; also name of dishes that include some form of the pepper)
and Tabasco (small, red chiles, often used dried and for sauce of
same name). Those with extreme heat include Habanero and
Scotch Bonnet; similar varieties native to the Caribbean.
Chile pepper sauce/paste (harissa, kochujang, pili-pili, Tabasco):
Fiery condiments based on hot chile peppers. Sauce typically
made from fermented chile peppers, vinegar, and salt (Tabasco
sauce is the best-known U.S. brand). Pastes often include other
ingredients, such as garlic and oil (Chinese-style and North
African harissa). Pili-pili used in West Africa made with the
piri-piri chile (see Chile peppers) and other ingredients such as
tomatoes, onions, or horseradish. Korean kochujang includes
soybeans and is fermented.
Chili powder: Ground, dried chile peppers, often with added spices
such as oregano, cumin, and salt.
Chinese date (dae-chu; jujube): Small Asian fruit (not actually
belonging to the date family) usually sold dried. Red dates are the
most popular, but black and white are also available.
Chinese parsley: See Coriander.
Chitterlings (chitlins): Pork small intestines, prepared by boiling or
frying.
Chokecherry: Tart, reddish black cherry (Prunus virginiana) native to
the Americas.
Cholla: See Cactus fruit.
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Glossary of Ethnic Ingredients
Chrysanthemum greens (chop suey greens, crowndaisy greens, sookgat): Spicy leaves of a variety of chrysanthemum (not the
American garden flower), popular in Asian stir-fried dishes,
especially in Korea.
Cilantro: See Coriander.
Citron: Yellow-green, apple-size citrus fruit. Valued primarily for its fragrant peel that is used raw to flavor Indonesian foods, and candied
in European baked goods. Available crystallized and as preserves.
Citronella: See Lemon grass.
Clotted cream (Cornish cream, Devonshire cream): Very thick cream
made by allowing cream to separate from milk, then heating it
and cooling it so that it ferments slightly. Finally, the cream is
skimmed from the milk (although Cornish cream is skimmed
before heating and cooling). Popular in southwest England,
where it is spread on bread or used as a topping for desserts.
Cloud (wood) ears: See Mushrooms.
Coconut cream: High-fat cream pressed from fresh grated coconut.
Coconut milk: Liquid extracted with water from fresh grated coconut.
Cocoplum: Bland plum with white flesh native to Central America,
found in the Caribbean, Central America, and Florida. Eaten
fresh or dried.
Cocoyam: See Callaloo; Cassava.
Conch: Large, univalve mollusk found in waters off Florida and
Caribbean (where it is sometimes called lambi). Chewy meat
valued for its smoky flavor; can be bitter. Used especially in soups
and stews.
Copra: Dried coconut kernels used in the extraction of coconut oil.
Coriander (cilantro, Chinese parsley, dhanyaka, yuen sai): Fresh
leaves of the coriander plant with a distinctive “soapy” flavor,
common in Asian, Middle Eastern, Indian, and Latin American
cooking. Seeds used as spice; root used in Thai cooking.
Corn smut (huitlacoche): Fungus (Ustilaginales) that grows on corn
ears. Prized in Chinese, Mexican, and Native American cooking.
Couscous (cuscus, cuzcuz): Small granules of semolina flour used as
a grain in African, Italian, Brazilian, and Middle Eastern dishes.
Cow pea: See Black-eyed pea.
Cracked wheat: Cracked raw kernels of whole wheat used in Middle
Eastern cooking.
Crawfish (crawdad, crayfish, mudbug): Small freshwater crustacean,
4 to 6 inches long, that looks and tastes something like lobster.
Found in Europe and the United States (California, Louisiana,
Michigan, and the Pacific Northwest). The names crawfish and
crayfish are also applied to the langostino, a saltwater crustacean
that lacks large front claws.
Crème fraîche: Slightly thickened, slightly fermented cream popular
in France.
Culantro (bhandhani, ngo gai, recao, siny coriander): Herb (Eryngium
foetidum) that is close relative of cilantro (see Coriander); however,
looks more like a dandelion with a pungent flavor reminiscent of
crushed beetles. Used interchangeably with cilantro in the Caribbean
and Central America, especially associated with Puerto Rican sofrito. Seasons Thai curries, Malaysian rice dishes, Indian chutneys
and snacks; larger leaves used as a wrap for foods in Vietnam.
Reportedly high in riboflavin, carotene, calcium, and iron.
Curry leaves (kari): Herb with tangerine overtones used throughout
India, Sri Lanka, and in parts of Malaysia. Fresh leaves are briefly
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fried in ghee, then added to dishes before other seasoning. Not
usually a component of curry powder.
Curry powder: The western version of the fresh Asian-Indian spice
mixture (garam masala) used to flavor curried dishes. Up to
twenty spices are ground, then roasted, usually including black
pepper, cayenne, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, ginger,
cardamom, and turmeric for color.
Cushaw (calabaza, green pumpkin): Round or oblong winter squash
with yellow flesh and a flavor similar to pumpkin.
Custard apple (anona roja, bullock’s heart, mamon): Green-skinned,
irregular (heart-, spherical-, or ovoid-shaped) fruit about 3 to
6 inches in diameter, with granular, custardy flesh. Flavor sweet
but considered inferior to related fruits such as cherimoya and
sweetsop. See also Cherimoya.
Cuttlefish (inkfish): A mollusk similar to squid, but smaller. Available
fresh or dried.
Daikon (icicle radish, white radish, mooli): Relatively mild white
radish common in Asian cooking. The Japanese variety is the
largest, often 12 inches long, and is shaped like an icicle. The
Chinese variety tends to be smaller.
Dals: Indian term for hulled and split grains, legumes, or seeds. Many
types are available, such as lentils and split peas.
Dashi: Japanese stock made from kelp and dried fish (bonita).
Dashi-no-moto is the dried, powdered, instant mix.
Dilis (daing): Small fish related to anchovies, dried and salted. Used
in Filipino dishes.
Dragon’s eyes: See Longan.
Drumstick plant (horseradish tree, malunggay, reseda, sili leaves): Small,
deciduous tree native to India, now popular in India, Southeast
Asia, the Philippines, and West Africa. Fern-like leaves (very spicy
flavor), flowers, seeds (resembling bean pods but not a legume),
and roots (indistinguishable from horseradish) consumed.
Duhat: See Jambolan.
Durian: Football-size spiked fruit with a strong odor reminiscent of
gasoline or rotten onions and sweet, creamy flesh prized in
Malaysia, Southeast Asia, and parts of China.
Edamame: See Soybean.
Eddo: See Taro.
Eggplant (ai gwa, aubergine, brinjal, melananza, nasu): Large, pearshape to round member of the nightshade family with smooth,
thin skin (white or deep purple in color) and spongy, off-white
flesh. Native to India, where it is called brinjal, it has a mildly
bitter flavor. Especially popular in Mediterranean and Asian
cuisine. Asian varieties known as Japanese (nasu) and Chinese
(ai gwa) eggplant are widely available; the Thai type is small,
round, and white with green stripes and is less common.
Egusi: See Watermelon seeds.
Elderberries: Small shrubs up to 20 feet. Numerous species found
throughout northern hemisphere. In the United States the small,
dark purple berries used fresh and in preserves, pies, and wine.
Blossoms fried as fritters.
Enoki: See Mushrooms.
Epazote (Mexican tea; pigweed, wormseed): Pungent herb related to
pigweed or goosefoot (and sometimes called by these names).
Found in Mexico and parts of the United States. Often added to
bean dishes to reduce gas.
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Glossary of Ethnic Ingredients
Farinha: See Cassava.
Fava bean (broad bean, brown bean, horse bean, Windsor bean):
Large, green, meaty bean sold fresh in the pod. Smaller white or
tan fava beans are dried or canned and cannot be used interchangeably with the fresh beans. Common in Italian and Middle
Eastern cooking.
Feijoa (pineapple guava): Small (up to 3 inches), ovoid fruit with
greenish skin and white flesh. Flavor is similar to strawberries
and pineapple with minty overtones. Shrub native to central
regions of South America, but now also found in California,
Australia, and New Zealand.
Fennel (finnochio, sweet anise): Light green plant with slightly bulbous end and stalks with feathery, dark green leaves, a little like
celery. Used as a root vegetable, especially in Italy (known as
finnochio). Delicate licorice or anise flavor.
Fenugreek (methi): Tan seeds of the fenugreek plant, with a flavor similar to artificial maple flavoring. Essential in the preparation of AsianIndian spice mixtures. Leaves, called methi, also commonly eaten.
Fiddlehead ferns: Young unfurled fronds a specialty dish of the U.S.
Northeast and southeastern Canada. Roots were eaten by Native
Americans.
Filé powder: See Sassafras.
Fish paste (bagoong, kapi, pa dek, prahoc): Thick fermented paste
made from fish, used as a condiment and seasoning in the
Philippines and Southeast Asia.
Fish sauce (nam pla, nam prik, nuoc mam, patis, tuk-trey): Thin,
salty, brown sauce made from fish fermented for several days.
Asian fish sauces vary in taste from mild to very strong, depending on the country and the grade of sauce. Filipino patis is the
mildest; Vietnamese nuoc mam is among the most flavorful.
Nuoc cham is a sauce made from nuoc mam by the addition of
garlic and chile peppers.
Five-spice powder: A pungent Chinese spice mixture of anise, cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, and Szechuan pepper.
Fufu: See Cassava; Yam.
Fugu: See Blowfish.
Fuzzy melon (hairy melon, mo gwa): Asian squash similar to zucchini
with peach fuzz–like skin covering. Called fuzzy.
Gai choy: See Mustard.
Gai lan (Chinese broccoli, Chinese kale): Thick, broccoli-like stems
and large, dark or blue-green leaves, with slightly bitter flavor.
Used especially in stir-frying.
Garbanzo bean: See Chickpea.
Gari: See Cassava.
Geoduck: Large (up to 15 pounds) clam native to U.S. Pacific
Northwest, with neck or siphon as long as 3 feet. Neck used in
soups, stews; body sliced for steaks.
Ghee: Clarified butter (usli ghee) from cow’s or buffalo milk used in
India. The term ghee is also used for shortening made from palm
or vegetable oil.
Ginger root: Knobby brown-skinned rhizome with fibrous yellowwhite pulp and a tangy flavor. Used sliced or grated in Asian
dishes. Immature root with milder flavor used in some preparations, particularly pickled ginger popular in Japanese cuisine and
candied ginger. Dried, ground ginger provides ginger flavor
without the bite of fresh.
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Ginkgo nut: Small pit of the fruit of the ginkgo tree (ancient species
related to the pine tree), dried or preserved in brine, common in
Japan.
Ginseng: Aromatic forked root with bitter, yellowish flesh, used in
some Asian dishes and beverages; best known for therapeutic
uses.
Glutinous rice: See Rice.
Granadilla: See Passion fruit.
Grape leaves: Large leaves of grape vines preserved in brine, common
in Middle Eastern cooking.
Graviola: See Cherimoya.
Gravlax: See Salmon, cured.
Greens: Any of numerous cultivated or wild leaves, such as chard, collard greens, creases, cochan (coneflower), dandelion greens,
dock, kale, milkweed, mustard greens, pokeweed, purslane, and
spinach.
Grits: Coarsely ground grain, especially hominy, which is typically
boiled into a thick porridge or fried as a side dish. Served often
in the U.S. South.
Ground-cherries (Cape gooseberries, poha, golden berries): Yellow
fruit that looks similar to a tiny husked tomato, from a bush
native to Peru or Chile. Now popular throughout Central and
South America, Central and South Africa, and the South Pacific.
Also available in Australia, China, India, Malaysia, and the
Philippines.
Groundnuts (apios, Indian potatoes): South American tuber Apios
americana eaten by Native Americans, adopted by European settlers. Different from Africa groundnuts (referring to either peanuts or Bambara groundnuts).
Guanabana: See Soursop.
Guapuru: See Jaboticaba.
Guarana (Brazilian cocoa): Shrub, Paullinia cupana indigenous to the
Amazon. Dried leaves and seeds of the fruit are used to make a
stimulating tea (containing caffeine) or mixed with cassava flour
to form sun-dried sticks.
Guava (araca de praia, cattley guava, waiwai): Small sweet fruit with
an intense floral aroma, native to Brazil. Skin is yellow-green or
yellow, and the grainy flesh ranges from white or yellow to pink
and red. Many varieties are available, including strawberry guava
(also known as cattley guava, araca de praia, and waiwai) and
pineapple guava. Guava is popular as jelly, juice, or paste.
Guayo: See Mamoncilla.
Guineps: See Mamoncilla.
Headcheese: Loaf of seasoned meat made from the hog’s head and
sometimes also feet and organs.
Heart of palm (palmetto cabbage, palmito): White or light green
interior of the palm tree, especially popular in the Philippines.
Available canned.
Hickory nuts: Tree indigenous to North America, in same family as
pecans. Eaten fresh, roasted, or ground into meal or pressed for
a cream-like fluid by Native Americans; used in confections in
the U.S. South.
Hog peanut: A high-protein underground fruit that grows on the root
of the vine Falcata comosa in the central and southern United
States. The peanut has a leathery shell that can be removed by
boiling or soaking. The nut meat can be eaten raw or cooked.
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Hoisin sauce: Popular Chinese paste or sauce, reddish brown in color,
with a spicy sweet flavor. It is made from fermented soybeans,
rice, sugar, garlic, ginger, and other spices.
Hominy (posole, pozole): Lime-soaked hulled corn kernels (yellow or
white) with the bran and germ removed. Traditionally prepared
by some Native Americans with culinary ash, which increases
potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and other mineral values.
Ground, commonly called grits (see Grits).
Hot pepper: See Chile pepper.
Huisquil: See Chayote.
Icicle radish: See Daikon.
Ikura: See Caviar.
Imli: See Tamarind.
Indian breadroot: See Breadroot.
Indian fig: See Cactus fruit.
Indian potato: See Groundnuts.
Irish moss (carrageen): Gelatinous seaweed extract added to milk or
rum as a beverage in the Caribbean.
Jaboticaba (guapuru, sabara): Brazilian shrub or small tree with
0.5- to 1.5-inch fruit clustered like grapes. Gelatinous pulp is
mild and sweet.
Jackfruit: Large (up to 100 pounds) fruit related to breadfruit and
figs, native to India, now cultivated in Asia, Malaysia, and
Southeast Asia. Two varieties are widely eaten, one with a crisp
texture and bland flavor, the other softer and sweeter. Immature
fruit is usually prepared like other starchy vegetables such as
breadfruit and plantains, or pickled. Sweeter types are popular as
dessert. Available dried or canned.
Jaggery: Unrefined sugar from the palmyra or sugar palm common
in India.
Jagua: See Mamoncilla.
Jambolan (duhat, Indian blackberry, jaman, Java plum, rose apple, voi
rung): Small sour fruit grown in India and Southeast Asia, especially the Philippines. Used primarily in preserves, juices, and
sherbets.
Jerusalem artichoke (sunchoke, sunroot): Small nubby-skinned tuber
that is the root of a native American sunflower. It is neither from
Jerusalem nor related to the artichoke, though the flavor when
cooked is similar. It is used raw and cooked.
Jicama (ahipa, sa got, singkamas, yambean): Legume with medium
to large tuber with light brown skin and crisp white flesh, indigenous to Brazil. Used raw in Latin American cuisine, it has a
sweet, bland flavor, similar to peas or water chestnuts. Also
found in Asia, where it is typically stir-fried or added to other
cooked dishes.
Jujube: See Chinese date.
Juneberries (saskatoons, serviceberries; shadbush): Red to deep
purple berries on large bush native to the Great Plains region of
the United States and Canada. White blooms in June associated
with shad migratory run on East Coast; favorite of Native
Americans.
Juniper berry: Distinctively flavored dark blue berry of the juniper
evergreen bush, native to Europe. Used to flavor gin.
Kadondong: See Ambarella.
Kaffir lime (ichang lime, makrut, wild lime): Aromatic citrus popular
in Southeast Asia, especially in Thai cooking. Juice, rind, and
leaves used to flavor curries, salad dressings, and sauces.
34974_glos_ptg01_509-520.indd 514
Kamis: Sour, cucumber-like vegetable native to the Philippines. Used
to achieve a sour, cool flavor in Filipino cooking.
Kang kong: See Water convolvulus.
Kanpyo (kampyo): Ribbons of dried gourd used mostly for garnishing dishes in Japan.
Kaong: See Palm nuts.
Kapi: See Fish paste.
Kasha: See Buckwheat.
Kava: See Pepper plant.
Kemini: See Candlenut.
Kewra: See Pandanus.
Key lime (dayap, nimbu, West Indian or Mexican lime): Small, tart
lime indigenous to the Caribbean, popular in Florida Keys; also
used in east and north Africa, India, and Malaysia. Known best
as primary ingredient in key lime pie.
Khati powder: See Amchoor.
Kidney bean (cannellini, red peas): Medium-size, kidney-shaped bean,
light to dark red in color (a white variety is popular in Europe,
especially Italy, where they are known as cannellini). The flavorful
beans are common in Europe, Latin America, and the United
States.
Kochujang: See Chile pepper sauce/paste.
Kohlrabi (tjin choi tow): Light green or purple bulbous vegetable that
grows above the soil and produces stems bearing leaves on the
upper part. A member of the cabbage family, it can be eaten raw
or cooked.
Kola nut: Bitter nut of the African kola tree (extracts from this nut
were used in the original recipe for Coca-Cola).
Kudzu (ge gen, Japanese arrowroot): Japanese vine valued for its
tuberous root (up to 450 pounds) that is dried and powdered for
a starch used in sauces and soups and to coat foods before frying.
Now found in much of Asia and U.S. Southeast where it is best
known for its growth rate of up to 1 foot per day. May alleviate
hangovers or induce sobriety.
Kukui nut: See Candlenut.
Kumquat (kin kan): Small, bright orange, oval fruit with a spicy citrus
flavor common in China and Japan. Also available in syrup and
candied.
Laverbread: Thick purée of laver (see Seaweed) that is baked. Used in
sauces and stuffings in Great Britain.
Lemon grass (citronella root): Large, dull green, stiff grass with
lemony flavor common in Southeast Asian dishes. Available
fresh, dried, or powdered.
Lily buds (golden needles, gum chum): The buds of lily flowers used
both fresh and dehydrated in the cooking of China.
Lingonberry (low-bush cranberry): Small wild variety of the cranberry found in Canada and northern Europe. Usually available
as preserves.
Litchi (lychee): Small Chinese fruit with translucent white flesh and a
thin brown hull and single pit. The flavor is grape-like but less
sweet. Available fresh and canned. Dried litchis, also called litchi
nuts, have different flavor and texture.
Lobster: Ocean-dwelling crustacean valued for its sweet flesh. Two
main species consumed in United States. American lobster
(Homarus americanus) found from Labrador to North Carolina;
meat from large claws and tail, premature eggs called coral, and
liver eaten. Spiny lobster (Panulirus argus and other species) looks
7/27/11 7:41:14 PM
Glossary of Ethnic Ingredients
similar to American lobster but is a different animal. Found in
warm waters from North Carolina to Brazil; small claws, only tail
meat eaten.
Longan (dragon’s eyes): Fruit of an Asian Indian tree related to litchis.
Used fresh, canned, or dried.
Long bean (boonchi, dau gok, sitao, yardlong bean): Roundish
Asian bean, 12 to 30 inches long. Similar in taste to string
beans, long beans are softer, and chewier, less juicy, and less
crunchy than string beans.
Long-grain rice: See Rice.
Loquat (nispero): Slightly fuzzy yellow Asian fruit about 2 inches
across, easily peeled, with tart peach-flavored flesh. Cultivated
worldwide; available fresh, dried, and in syrup.
Lotus root (lian, lin gau hasu, renkon, water lily root): Tubular vegetable (holes, as in Swiss cheese, run the length of the root, producing a flower-like pattern when the root is sliced) with
brownish skin and crisp, sweet, white flesh. Becomes starchy
when overcooked or canned.
Lox: See Salmon, smoked.
Luffa (cee gwa, Chinese okra, loofa, padwal, silk melon): Long, thinskinned Asian vegetable, a member of the cucumber family, with
spongy flesh. Immature luffas consumed fresh, stir-fried, and in
curries; mature luffa becomes bitter. Also see Sponge gourd.
Lulo: See Naranjillo.
Lupine seeds (tremecos): Bitter seeds of a legume used primarily for
fodder. Must be leached in water before eating.
Macadamia nut: Round, creamy nut native to Australia, now grown in
Africa, South America, and Hawaii.
Mahi-mahi (dolphinfish, dorado): A saltwater finfish found in parts
of the Pacific and the Gulf Coast (not the mammal also known as
dolphin).
Mahleb: Middle Eastern spice made from ground black cherry kernels, which impart a fruity flavor to foods.
Makrut: See Kaffir lime.
Malagueta pepper (grains of paradise, guinea pepper): Small West
African berries related to cardamom, with a hot, peppery flavor.
In Brazil the term refers to a tiny Pequin chile pepper.
Malanga (cocoyam, tannier, yautia): Caribbean tuber with creamcolored, yellow, or pinkish flesh, dark brown skin, and nutty
flavor. Name also applied to other tubers (see Taro).
Mamey (sapote): Medium-size egg-shaped fruit with brown skin and
soft flesh ranging in color from orange to yellowish to reddish. It
has a flavor similar to pumpkin. See also Mammea.
Mammea (mamey apple): South American fruit with reddish-brown
skin and bright yellow flesh that tastes like peaches.
Mamoncilla (guayo, guineps, jaguar, macao, Spanish lime): Small
1- to 2-inch green fruit found in the Caribbean and South
America that grow in clusters like grapes but have thicker skin
and distinctive sweet, citrusy flesh around a large seed.
Mango (mangoro, mangue): Fruit native to India, now found throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, and parts of the South Pacific.
Yellow to red when ripe, averaging 1 pound in weight. The flesh
is pale and sour when the fruit is unripe, bright orange and very
sweet when it is ripe. Used unripe for pickles and chutneys, ripe
as a fresh fruit.
Manioc: See Cassava.
Marzipan: See Almond paste.
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515
Masa: Dough used to make tortillas and tamales. Made fresh from
dried corn kernels soaked in a lime solution, or from one of two
flours available: masa harina (tortilla mix made from dehydrated
fresh masa) or masa trigo (wheat flour tortilla mix).
Mastic: Resin from the lentisk bush that has a slightly piney flavor,
used to flavor Middle Eastern foods. Available in crystal form.
Matai: See Waterchestnut.
Mate: Plant in holly family native to South America. Dried, powdered
leaves, called yerba, are brewed to make a stimulating tea (containing caffeine) that is popular in Argentina, Brazil, and
Paraguay.
Matrimony vine (boxthorn, wolfberry): Asian vine with culinary and
medicinal uses; both leaves and fruit are used in China.
Mayhaw: Type of hawthorn tree found in U.S. South. Its fruit looks like
cranberries. Tart apple flavor. Used in preserves, syrups, and wines.
Methi: See Fenugreek.
Mikan: Japanese citrus related to tangerines and mandarin oranges.
Eaten fresh, frozen, and canned in syrup.
Milkfish (awa, bangus): Silvery, bony fish with oily flesh especially
popular in Filipino cooking.
Millet: Cereal native to Africa, known for its high-protein, low-gluten
content and ability to grow in arid areas. The variety common in
Ethiopia is called teff.
Mirin: Sweet rice wine used in Japanese dishes.
Miso: Fermented soybean-barley or soybean rice paste common in
Japanese cooking. Light or white (shiro miso) is mild flavored;
dark or red (aka miso) is strongly flavored. Also available sweetened and as powder.
Mizuna: See Mustard.
Morels: See Mushrooms.
Mullet (ama ama): Finfish of two families that can be black, gray, or
red. The flesh is a mix of dark, oily meat and light, nutty-tasting
meat. The texture is firm but tender.
Mung beans (green gram dal, mung dal): Yellow-fleshed bean with
olive or tan skin used in cooking of China, India. See also Bean
curd; Bean sprouts.
Mushrooms: Fresh or dried fungi used to flavor dishes throughout the
world. Common Asian types include enoki (tiny yellow mushrooms with roundish caps), oyster mushrooms (large, delicately
flavored gray-beige caps that grow on trees), shiitake (dark
brown with wide flat caps, available dried as Chinese black
mushrooms), straw mushrooms (creamy colored with bell-like
caps), and cloud ears or wood ears (a large, flat fungus with ruffled edges, available dried). Popular mushrooms in Europe, available both fresh and dried, include chanterelles (a golden
mushroom with an inverted cap), morels (a delicately flavored
mushroom with a dark brown wrinkled cap), and porcini or cèpes
(large brown mushrooms with caps that are spongy underneath;
also called boletus).
Musk lime: See Calamansi.
Mustard (Chinese green mustard, gai choy, kyona, mizuna, potherb):
Though best known for the condiment made from its seeds,
greens of several varieties are popular in Asia, called gai choy in
China (dark green-reddish leaves), mizuna (small yellowish,
notched leaves) in Japan. Usually steamed, boiled, or stir-fried.
Root also consumed.
Nam pla: See Fish sauce.
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Glossary of Ethnic Ingredients
Nam prik: See Fish sauce.
Nance: Small, yellow tropical fruit native to Central America and
northern South America. Similar to cherries with a slightly tart
flavor. Two varieties are available.
Napa cabbage (celery cabbage, Chinese cabbage, Peking cabbage,
wong bok): Bland, crunchy vegetable with broad white or light
green stalks with ruffled leaves around the edges. Several types
are available, similar in taste.
Naranjilla (lulo): Walnut-size, orange-skinned, green-fleshed fruit
indigenous to the Americas, used mostly for its juice. Particularly
popular in Central America.
Naseberry: See Zapote.
Nigella seed (“black cumin,” “black onion,” kalonji): Small, black seeds
native to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Sometimes
used as a substitute for black pepper, the flavor of the seeds
(which are related neither to cumin nor onions) is pungent,
slightly bitter. Added to spice mixtures in India and the Middle
East, sprinkled on savory breads and cakes in both regions, as
well as in Eastern Europe.
Nispero: See Loquat.
Nku: See Shea nut.
Nongus (palmyra): Fruit of the palmyra palm, grown in India,
Indonesia, and Malaysia primarily as a source of sugar. See also
Jaggery.
Nopales, Nopalitos: See Cactus pads.
Nuoc cham: See Fish sauce.
Nuoc mam: See Fish sauce.
Oca: Tuber of Andean plant (Oxalis tuberosa). Resembles a pink
potato. Tastes lemony when fresh, sweet after storage. Used in
South America, prepared like potatoes or eaten fresh.
Okra (bindi, lady’s fingers): Small, green, torpedo-shaped pod with
angular sides. A tropical African plant valued for its carbohydrates that are sticky and mucilaginous. Used as a vegetable and
to thicken soups and stews.
Olive: Fruit of a tree native to the Mediterranean. Green olives are
preserved unripe. Large, soft Kalamata olives are a medium size,
purplish Greek olive. Dark olives (such as Niçoise) are picked in
autumn, often cured in salt, with a tannic flavor. Ripe, black
olives are smooth-skinned and mild-flavored or wrinkled with a
strong tannic flavor.
Olive oil: Extracted from the olive flesh, it is labeled according to
percent acidity, from extra virgin to virgin (or pure). U.S. labeling
laws restrict the use of the term virgin to only olive oil made from
the first press; virgin olive oils mixed with refined olive oils to
reduce acidity are labeled pure.
Ostiones: Oyster native to the Caribbean that grows on the roots of
mangrove trees.
Otaheite apple: See Ambarella.
Oyster mushrooms: See Mushrooms.
Oyster sauce: Thick, brown Chinese sauce made with soy sauce, oysters, and cornstarch.
Pacaya bud: The bitter flower stalk of the pacaya palm found in
Central America. The edible stalk is about 10 inches long and is
encased in a tough green skin, which must be removed before
cooking.
Pa dek: See Fish sauce.
34974_glos_ptg01_509-520.indd 516
Palillo: Peruvian herb, used dried and powdered to provide a yellowish-orange color to foods.
Palmetto cabbage: See Heart of palm.
Palm nuts (kaong): Seeds from palms; pounded into palm butter in
West Africa. Also boiled and added to halo-halo mix in Philippines.
Available canned, in syrup.
Palm oil (aceite de palma, dende oil): Oil from the African palm,
unique for its red-orange color, used extensively in West African
and Brazilian Bahian cuisine. Crude oil contains high levels of
carotenoids and tocopherols; refined oil deodorized and decolorized, significantly reducing nutritional value. Oil from the seed of
the palm fruit high in saturated fats; should be labeled palm
kernel oil, but often mislabeled as palm oil.
Pandanus (flowers—kewra, screw pine; leaves—duan pandan,
pandan, rampa, screw pine): Perfume essence of the male screwpine flower Pandanus fascicularis used primarily in north Indian
cooking. Screw-pine leaves Pandanus amaryllifolius reminiscent
of mown hay, used to flavor the foods of Southeast Asia, Malaysia,
South India, Bali, and New Guinea. Fresh withered leaves used in
rice puddings and as wrappers for steaming foods in Thailand.
Bright green screw-pine essence also available.
Papaya (kapaya, pawpaw, tree melon): Thin-skinned green (underripe), yellow, or orange fruit with sweet flesh colored gold to light
orange to pink; native to Central America, now found throughout the tropics. Mexican (large and round) and Hawaiian
(smaller and pear shaped) varieties are commonly available. The
shiny round black seeds are edible. Unripe papaya is used in
pickles; the ripe fruit is eaten fresh.
Paprika: Powdered red peppers especially popular in Hungarian
cooking. Paprika is made from several types of pods related to
bell and chile peppers. Paprika is usually designated sweet or
hot. Spanish paprika, used in Spanish and Middle Eastern
dishes, is more flavorful.
Passion fruit (granadilla, lilikoi): Small oval fruit with very sweet,
gelatinous pulp. Its berries are used dried; leaves brewed to make
herbal tea.
Patis: See Fish sauce.
Pawpaw (Hoosier banana, Poor Man’s banana, tree melon): Light orange
fruit that tastes like a cross between a banana and a melon. Native
to the Americas, it is approximately 6 inches long. See also Papaya.
Peanuts (groundnuts, goobers, monkey nuts): Legume native to
South America, introduced to Africa by the Portuguese, then
brought to the United States in the 17th century by black slaves.
Eaten raw, roasted, or pulverized into peanut butter. Popular in
Africa and the United States; used in some Chinese, Southeast
Asian, and Asian-Indian dishes.
Pejibaye (peach palm): Fruit of a Central American palm, especially
popular in Costa Rica.
Peperomia (càng cua): Small plant with heart-shaped leaves Peperomia
pellucida found throughout Central and South America, Africa,
and Southeast Asia. Used as a culinary herb in Vietnam, and as a
medicinal herb in the Philippines, Polynesia, and parts of Latin
America.
Pepitas (cushaw seeds): Pumpkin or squash seeds, typically from
cushaw, common in Latin-American cooking. May be hulled or
unhulled, raw or roasted, salted or unsalted.
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Glossary of Ethnic Ingredients
Pepper plant (Piper methysticum): Leaves of the South Pacific plant
used to produce the intoxicating beverage called kava or awa.
Peppers: Misnamed pods of the capsicum plants native to South and
Central America (not actually related to Asian pepper plants,
which produce black pepper). Peppers are divided into sweet and
hot types (see Chile pepper). Sweet peppers include bell peppers
(green, red, yellow, and purple), pimentos, and peppers used to
make paprika (see Paprika).
Perilla (shiso; beefsteak plant; quen-neep): Aromatic herb with distinctive minty flavor; green or red. Available fresh or pickled.
Used mostly as a seasoning or garnish in many Japanese and
Korean dishes; sometimes served as a side dish or to wrap rice
and other items.
Pigeon pea: Small pea in a hairy pod (a member of the legume family,
but not a true pea) common in the cooking of Africa, the
Caribbean, and India. Yellow or tan when dried.
Pignoli: See Pine nut.
Pigweed: See Amaranth; Epazote.
Pili nut: Almond-like nut of a tropical tree found in the Philippines
eaten raw and toasted. Popular also in Chinese desserts.
Pili-pili: See Chile pepper sauce/paste.
Pine nut (pignoli, piñon seed): Delicately flavored kernel from any
of several species of pine tree. Pine nuts are found in Portugal
(most expensive type), China (less costly, with a stronger taste),
and the U.S. Southwest. Common in some Asian, European,
Latin American, Middle Eastern, and Native American dishes.
Pink bean (rosada): Small oval meaty bean that is a light tannish pink
in color.
Pinto bean: Mottled bean similar to kidney beans, especially popular
in U.S. Southwest and Mexico.
Pitanga (Surinam cherry, Brazilian cherry): Small, bright red, ribbed
fruit of shrub or small tree Eugenia uniflora native to northeastern South America; found also in the Caribbean and Florida.
Thin skin with orange flesh that melts in the mouth. Sweet with
a slightly bitter bite.
Pitaya, Pitahaya, Pitajaya: See Cactus fruit.
Plantain: Starchy type of banana with a thick skin, which can be
green, red, yellow, or black. There are many varieties, ranging in
size from 3 to 10 inches. The pulp is used as a vegetable and must
be cooked. It is similar in taste to squash. Flower also consumed
(see Banana flower).
Poha: See Ground-cherries.
Poi: See Taro.
Porcini: See Mushrooms.
Posole, Pozole: See Hominy.
Prahoc: See Fish paste.
Prairie turnips: See Breadroot.
Prickly pear: See Cactus fruit; Cactus pads.
Pulses: Term used especially in India for edible legume seeds, including peas, beans, lentils, and chickpeas.
Quinoa: Cereal native to the Andes, typically prepared like rice. Also
available as flour and flakes (hojuelas).
Radicchio: Magenta-colored, slightly bitter member of the chicory
family used throughout southern and northern Europe.
Rambutan: Bristly, juicy, orange or bright red fruit used in Southeast
Asian cooking; related to the litchi.
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517
Ramp: Strong-flavored indigenous American onion that tastes somewhat like a leek. Both leaves and bulbs are edible.
Recao: See Culantro.
Red bean: Small, dark red bean native to Mexico and the southwestern U.S.
Red caviar: See Caviar.
Red pea: See Kidney bean.
Rice: Grain native to India. More than 2,500 varieties are available
worldwide, including basmati rice (small grain with a flavor
similar to popcorn, very popular in India and the Middle East);
brown rice (unmilled rice with the bran layer intact; can be
short-, medium-, or long-grain); glutinous rice (also called sweet
or pearl rice; very short grain and very sticky when cooked);
long-grain rice (white, polished grains that flake when cooked,
common in China and Vietnam); and short-grain rice (slightly
sticky when cooked, popular in Japan and Korea). Rice flour is
used to prepare rice noodle, rice paper, and baked products.
Roseapple (pomarrosa, kopo): Small, thin-skinned pink or red fruit
native to Southeast Asia with somewhat spongy flesh that has
slightly acidic flavor.
Roselle (Florida cranberry; karkadeh; red sorrel; sorrel): Pods of a
hibiscus plant relative, common in Africa, the Caribbean,
Southeast Asia, Australia, and Florida. Used to make a tart tea
popular in Egypt and Senegal and a rum-laced punch in the
Caribbean. Also used for chutneys, preserves, and candies.
Young leaves are eaten raw as salad or cooked as greens.
Sabra: See Cactus fruit.
Saewujeot: See Shrimp paste.
Saffron: Dried stamens of the crocus flower. It has a delicate, slightly
bitter flavor and bright red-orange color. Available as threads or
powder.
Sa got: See Jicama.
Salal: Thick-skinned black berries of a native American plant in the
heath family. Used fresh and dried, good for preserves. Leaves
used for tea.
Salmon, cured: Salmon fillets cured in a mixture of salt, sugar, and
dill weed, common in Sweden (where it is known as gravlax),
Finland, and Norway.
Salmon, smoked: Raw, tender salmon slices lightly smoked and cured
in salt produced in Norway, Nova Scotia, and Scotland. Smoked
salmon soaked in a brine solution is called lox, a Jewish specialty.
Salmon roe: See Caviar.
Salt pork: White fat from the side of the hog, streaked with pork
meat, cured in salt.
Saluyot (jute, okra leaves, rau day): Leaves from Southeast Asian jute
bush with slippery texture when cooked (not related to okra).
Added to soups and stews in Filipino cooking.
Samphire (beach asparagus, glasswort, sea pickle, pousse-pied):
Several species of samphire thought to have originated in Brazil,
but now found worldwide, especially in Australia and the South
Pacific. Yellow- and purple-skinned varieties are available.
Passion fruit is often made into juice.
Sapodilla: See Zapote.
Sapote: See Zapote.
Saskatoons: See Juneberries.
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Glossary of Ethnic Ingredients
Sassafras (filé powder): Native American herb used to thicken soups
and stews.
Screwpine: See Pandanus.
Sea cucumber (sea slug): Brown or black saltwater mollusk up to
1 foot in length. They lack a shell, but have a leathery skin and
look something like smooth, dark cucumbers. Sold dried, they
are rehydrated for Chinese dishes, becoming soft and jellylike,
with a mild flavor.
Sea urchin roe (uni): Small, delicate eggs of the spiny sea urchin, popular in Japan.
Seaweed (kim): Many types of dried seaweed are used in Chinese,
Korean, and Japanese dishes, including aonoriko (powdered
green seaweed), kombu (kelp sheets), and nori (tissue-thin sheets
of dark green seaweed, also known as laver). Also popular in the
Pacific Islands. See also Irish moss; Laverbread.
Serviceberries: See Juneberries.
Sesame seeds (benne seeds): Seeds of a plant native to Indonesia.
Two types are available: tan colored (white when hulled) and
black (slightly bitter). Untoasted sesame paste popular in the
Middle East (tahini); toasted sesame paste and powdered seeds
common in Asia, especially Korea. Widely grown for their oil.
Light sesame oil is pressed from raw seeds, dark oil from
toasted seeds; the dark oil has a strong taste and is used as a
flavoring.
Seville orange (bitter orange; naranja aria, sour orange): Orange with
tough skin and dark flesh native to Mediterranean. Inedible raw;
juice used in liqueurs (Grand Marnier, Cointreau, Curaçao) and
in cooking of the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Central America,
and Korea.
Shadbush: See Juneberries.
Shallot: Very small bulb covered with a reddish, papery skin, related
to onions but with a milder, sweeter flavor.
Shea nut (bambuk butter, nku): Nut from the African shea tree,
grown for its thick oil, called shea nut butter or shea nut oil.
Shiitake mushrooms: See Mushrooms.
Shiso: See Perilla.
Short-grain rice: See Rice.
Shoyu: See Soy sauce.
Shrimp paste: Strongly flavored fermented Asian sauce or paste made
from small dried shrimp or similar crustaceans. Many types are
available (bagoong-alamang is the Filipino variety; saewujeot is
the Korean type).
Singkamas: See Jicama.
Snail (escargot): Small, edible land snail (a common variety of garden
snail, cleansed with a commercial feed), popular in France.
Giant, baseball-sized snails popular in parts of Africa and the
South Pacific.
Snow pea (Chinese pea pod, ho lan dow, mange-tout, sugar pea): Flat,
edible pod with small, immature peas.
Sorghum (guinea corn, kaffir corn): Cereal common to tropical
regions of Africa with seeds produced on a stalk. In the
Appalachians, Ozarks, and the U.S. South, sorghum is often processed to make sweet syrup.
Sorrel (dock, sour grass, wild rhubarb): Small, sour green popular in
Europe and parts of United States. See also Roselle.
Sour orange: See Seville orange.
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Soursop (guanabana): Large (often 12 inches long) rough-skinned
fruit with cottony, fluffy flesh that can be white, pink, or light
orange. Native to northern South America or the Caribbean, now
found in many parts of the Americas, Africa, India, China,
Southeast Asia, Malaysia, and South Pacific. Often made into
juice or conserves.
Soybean: Small high-protein bean common in Asia. Many varieties
of different colors, including black, green, red, and yellow, are
available; immature beans in the pod (called edamame) popular
in Japan. They are used fresh, dried, and sprouted, most often
processed into sauces, condiments, and other products (see
Bean curd; Bean sprout; Hoisin sauce; Miso; Oyster sauce; Soy
milk, Soy sauce).
Soy milk: Soybeans that are boiled, pureed, then strained and boiled
again to produce a white milk-like drink.
Soy sauce (shoyu, tamari): Thin, salty, brown sauce made from fermented soybeans. Several types are available. Chinese and
Korean soy sauces tend to be lighter in flavor than the stronger,
darker Japanese shoyu. Very dark soy sauces, such as Chinese
black soy sauce and Japanese tamari may be thickened with caramel or molasses.
Spicebush: Shrub (Lindera benzoin) with spicy-smelling bark and
leaves; red berries. Used to make Native American teas.
Spiny lobster: See Lobster.
Sponge gourd (luffa): Immature vegetable consumed in Asia fresh
and in soups; tough fibrous skin used for sponges (loofah), filters, and stuffing.
Star anise: Eight-armed pods from a plant in the magnolia family,
with an anise-like flavor. Native to China.
Star apple (caimito): Purple, apple-size fruit with mild, gelatinous,
lavender-colored flesh native to the Caribbean. Seeds form a star
around the center.
Star fruit (carambola): Small, deeply ribbed, oval fruit with thin
skin shaped like a star when sliced. Green and sour when
unripe, yellow and slightly sweet (though still tart) when ripe.
Unripe fruit is used in Indian and Chinese dishes. Ripe it is
eaten fresh.
Strawberry pear: See Cactus fruit.
Straw mushrooms: See Mushrooms.
Sumac: Sour, red Middle Eastern spice made from the ground berries
of a nontoxic variety of the sumac plant.
Sunflowers: Native to the United States (genus Helianthus); over 60
varieties. Seeds eaten by Native Americans raw, dried, and powdered (in breads). Unopened flower head can be cooked and
eaten like an artichoke. Petals are dried and used like saffron in
Southwest.
Sweet peppers: See Peppers.
Sweetsop (annona blanca, ata, sugar apple): Sweet, white-fleshed
fruit related to the cherimoya, custard apple, and soursop.
Szechwan pepper (fagara): Aromatic berries with a hot flavor popular
in some Chinese and Japanese dishes.
Tabasco sauce: See chile pepper sauce/paste.
Tahini: See Sesame seeds.
Tamarind (imli, tamarindo): Tart pulp from the pod of the tamarind
bean. Available in the pod, as a paste, in a brick, or as a liquid
concentrate. Unripe pulp used extensively in flavoring numerous
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Glossary of Ethnic Ingredients
foods and beverages, especially Asian Indian and Latino dishes,
as well as Worcestershire sauce and prepared salad dressings.
Ripe pulp eaten fresh.
Tampala: See Amaranth.
Tannier (tannia): See Taro; Malanga.
Tapioca: See Cassava.
Taramasalata: See Caviar.
Taro (cocoyam, eddo, dasheen, tannier, malanga, yautia): Starchy
underground vegetable similar to cassava with brown hairy skin
and white to grayish flesh, common in the Caribbean and
Polynesia. In Hawaii the boiled, pounded taro paste called poi is
a staple in the traditional diet. The young shoots and large leaves
are also eaten (see Callaloo; Malanga).
Tarpon: Large silver fish of the herring family found off the coasts of
Mexico and Central America.
Teff: See Millet.
Tempeh: See Bean curd.
Tepary beans: Small, high-protein bean with wrinkled skin. Grows
wild in the U.S. Southwest.
Ti: Tropical plant popular in Polynesia (not related to tea). Ti leaves
are used to wrap food packets, and the root is eaten and brewed
for a beverage.
Tilapia: Small freshwater fish with sweet, firm, white flesh.
Timpsila: See Breadroot.
Tipsin: See Breadroot.
Tobikko: See Caviar.
Tobu, Tofu: See Bean curd.
Tomatillo (husk tomatoes, miltomate): Small, light green, tomato-like
fruit surrounded by a green or tan papery husk, common in
Mexico. The flesh is slightly tart and is eaten cooked, usually in
sauces and condiments. Available fresh or canned.
Tremecos: See Lupine seeds.
Truffle: Black (French) or white (Italian) fungus found underground.
Truffles vary from the size of small marbles to as large as tennis
balls and are distinctively flavored, similar to a wild mushroom.
Available fresh or canned.
Tuk-trey: See Fish paste.
Tuna: See Cactus fruit.
Turtle: Popular in Caribbean, Central America, and U.S. South.
Diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is the primary
ingredient in turtle soups of the Atlantic states. Green turtle
(Chelonia mydas) is a sea turtle, commonly eaten as steaks or
stews. Other turtles eaten occasionally (including eggs) are alligator snapping turtle, common snapping turtle, and loggerhead
turtle.
Ugli fruit: Citrus fruit that is a cross between a pommelo and a mandarin orange, with a very bumpy yellow-orange skin and a sweet
orange-like flavor. Especially popular in Jamaica.
Uni: See Sea urchin roe.
Usli ghee: See Ghee.
Verjuice: Juice of unripe lemons used in Middle Eastern fare to give a
tang to dishes.
Voi rang: See Jambolan.
Wasabi: Light green Japanese condiment from root of plant similar to
horseradish with a powerful pungency. Available fresh or powdered; green-dyed horseradish often sold as wasabi.
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519
Water chestnut (matai): Aquatic, walnut-size tuber with fibrous
brown peel and crunchy, sweet, ivory-colored flesh. Available
fresh or canned.
Water convolvulus (kang kong, ong choi, rau muong, water spinach)
Plant related to sweet potato valued primarily for its sprouts and
young leaves. Natives to China; significant crop in Southeast
Asia, Malaysia, and South India.
Watermelon seeds: Seeds often eaten in Africa (called egusi, toasted
and ground or pounded into meal or paste for thickening soups
and stews) and in Asia (toasted as a snack; sometimes flavored or
dyed red).
White bean: Three types of white bean are widely used: cannellini
(see Kidney bean); Great Northern beans, which are large, soft,
and mild tasting; and the smaller, firmer navy beans.
White radish: See Daikon.
Wild rice: Seeds of a native American grass.
Winged bean: Edible legume called the soybean of the tropics. All
parts of the plant are consumed, including the shoots, leaves,
flowers, pods and seeds, and tuberous root. The pods are large,
from 12 to 24 inches long, and feature wing-like flanges.
Winter melon (dong gwa, petha, wax melon/gourd): Round greenskinned member of the squash family with a waxy white coating
and translucent white green or pink flesh. Similar in taste to zucchini, it is used cooked in Chinese dishes. Called fuzzy melon when
immature, winter melon when mature. See also Fuzzy melon.
Witloof: See Chicory.
Wolfberry: See Matrimony vine.
Wong bok: See Napa cabbage.
Worcestershire sauce: Sauce developed by the British firm of Lea and
Perrins including anchovies, garlic, onions, molasses, sugar or
corn sweetener, tamarind, and vinegar, among other ingredients.
Yacón (yakon, leafcup): Sweet-tasting root, Polymnia sonchifolia, with
brown skin and white flesh native to Andes. Eaten throughout
South America; in some regions confusingly called jicama (See
Jicama).
Yam (ñame; yampi; cush-cush; mapuey): Tuber with rough brown
skin and starchy white flesh (not related to the orange sweet
potato called yam in the United States). Numerous varieties; may
grow quite large, up to 100 pounds. Found in all tropical regions.
Yam paste called fufu in West Africa.
Yambean: See Jicama.
Yard-long bean: See Long bean.
Yautia: See Malanga; Taro.
Yerba buena: A variety of mint used in some Native American teas.
Yuca: See Cassava.
Yucca (Navajo banana): Spiky-leaved desert plant (Yucca baccata)
with large, pulpy fruit that ripens in summer. Eaten fresh, boiled,
baked, or dried into fruit leather.
Zapote (chico, black sapote, naseberry, sapodilla): Drab-colored fruit
of the sapodilla tree (which is the source of chicle used in chewing gum). It has granular, mildly sweet flesh, which can be
yellow, red, or black. The zapote is a member of the persimmon
family. Potato valued primarily for its sprouts and young leaves.
Native to China; significant crop in Southeast Asia, Malaysia, and
South India.
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