Some Cooking Terms You Should Learn

Ever wondered what the chefs were talking about in the food channel on televisions? You seem to have a clue sometimes but get lost most often because you didn’t just understand what they were talking on about. Well it couldn’t be easier than you think, most of these words are easily understandable, while some can be outright confusing.

Here are cooking terms you have to know:

Boil

This means heating a liquid till it boils or to cook a meal in boiling water.

Broil

This means using direct heat to cook.

Coat

Means to cover entire surface with a mixture such as flour or any other substance.

Core

Means to use a sharp knife to remove the core/seeds of a fruit.

Cream

This means to stir one or more foods until they are soft.

Crisp-tender

This describes vegetables when they are cooked only until tender and remain slightly crisp in texture.

Cut in

To cut in means to mix fat into dry ingredients using a pastry blender or fork with as little blending as possible until the fat is in small pieces.

Dice

To dice food means to cut into small, square-shaped pieces.

Marinate

To marinate is to allow food to soak in liquid so as to increase flavor and tenderness.

Mince

To mince means to cut or chop food into small pieces.

Mix

To mix means to combine different ingredients using.

Oil

To oil food means to apply a thin layer of vegetable oil on a dish or pan.

Sauté

To sauté means to cook in a small amount of fat or water.

Scald

To scald means to heat milk until bubbles appear on the surface.

Shred

To shred food means to rub foods against a grater to divide into small pieces.

Simmer

Simmering food means to cook at a temperature that is just below the boiling point.

Steam

To steam food means to cook over boiling water.

Stir-fry

Stir-fry is a method of cooking in which vegetables are fried quickly to a crisp-tender state while stirring constantly.

Stock

Stock is water in which vegetables or meat has been cooked.

Drain

To drain is to put food and liquid into a strainer, or to pour liquid out of a pot by keeping the lid slightly away from the edge of the pan and pouring away from you.