Culinary & Technical Glossaries

Culinary & Technical Glossaries

This glossary is to familiarize the reader with all the nomenclature associated to the culinary arts. This section will be an ongoing project, as I'll be adding new terms as they come up in recipes. 

Since we want to be very precise with our use of language, to eliminate misunderstandings, we must learn, and sometimes re-learn definitions for words. Once we all agree on exactly what something means, then it is easy for people get on the same page, so to speak. 

I have decided to break the glossary into sections, to supply some context for the vocabulary, which I think makes for easier leaning and greater retention, 

Culinary Glossary

Acids Chemicals that react, often strongly, with a range of materials and which neutralize alkalis. Edible acids, such as citric and acetic acids are generally sour tasting. Acids turn vegetable blue colors to red colors.

Crystallization The act of growing a crystal of a substance from a disordered phase. The disordered phase may be either the molten substance itself (for example when growing ice crystals from water) or a solution of the substance (for example when salt crystals grow as water evaporates from a saline solution).

Deglaze The process of removing all the "tasty" browned bits from a pan in which some meat has been cooked . To deglaze a pan add some boiling water or stock, and scrape around the pan with a spoon or spatula until all the dark brown material is dissolved in the water and then pour off the liquid and keep it for further use.

Emulsion A dispersion of small drops of one substance inside another. Butter is an example of an emulsion of drops of water suspended in a solid fat. Mayonnaise is an example of an emulsion of oil drops suspended in water.

Enzyme Enzymes are naturally occurring chemicals that help to promote bio-chemical reactions. Nearly all biological processes are controlled by the production, or suppression of the appropriate enzyme.

Gluten A protein complex (a combination of two or more proteins) formed by mechanical deformation of mixtures of the wheat flour proteins gliaden and glutenin with a little water. Gluten is generally formed when flour doughs are kneaded.

Protein Long polymer molecules made by joining together many amino acids. There are several amino acids and these can be joined in any order so that there is an infinite set of possible proteins.

Rennin An enzyme from the lining of calves' stomachs that prevents the casein in milk from forming stable micelles and results in the formation of a curd.

Umami The flavor sensation provided by, for example, mono-sodium glutamate (MSG). The Umami sensation is best described as a rounding off, or enhancing effect. It is present in many foods, especially tomato purees and parmesan cheese.

Unleavened Breads made with no yeast, so that they do not "rise" and contain lots of bubbles.

Viscosity The ratio of the pressure applied to a liquid flowing through some apparatus and the rate at which it flows. The resistance to flow. Stabilize.



Technical Glossary

Aldehydes A class of chemicals related to alcohols (Aldehydes are formed by removing two hydrogen atoms from alcohols). Many aldehydes are strong flavor molecules.

Alkalis Chemicals such as caustic soda that neutralize acids. Alkalis turn vegetables red colors blue, yellows brown and purples green.

Amylopectin The branched molecules in starch which consists of many glucose rings joined together to form long molecules with a number of short side branches.

Amylose The linear molecules in starch which consists of many glucose rings joined together to form long molecules with no side branches.

Atoms The small particles which are the basic building blocks of all matter.

Bound water Water that is "linked to" or "tied up within" other matter, usually proteins, so that it is no longer in a liquid form and is unable to flow freely.

Carbon dioxide A simple gas the molecules of which are made from two atoms of oxygen joined to one atom of carbon. Carbon dioxide is generated by yeast and baking powder to provide the rising action in cakes and breads.

Casein The collective name for a group of proteins found in milk which are precipitated in an alkaline environment.

Cellulose A long carbohydrate molecule made from many glucose rings joined together. Cellulose differs from Amylose in the ways in which the glucose rings are fixed to one another.

Colloid A dispersion of one (normally liquid) substance (in the form of small drops) within another liquid substance. The drops of the dispersed liquid phase are usually less than 1/1000 of a millimeter in size. In cookery, mayonnaises are examples of colloids where very small oil droplets are dispersed in a watery phase.

Crystal A highly ordered solid in which the molecules are arranged on a regular repeating lattice.

Degrade, degradation When a long molecule is heated or stretched too much it is sometimes unable to take the strain and breaks into two smaller molecules . This process of breaking large molecules into smaller pieces by mechanical force, or heat, is called degradation.

Denaturation, denature, denatured In their natural state, proteins adopt a specific conformation or shape. All molecules of the same protein have identical shapes . It is this shape that gives them their biological function. If a protein loses its natural shape, through heating, or other means it is said to be denatured.

Density The ratio of an object's weight to its volume . Every material has its own density; metals, such as iron and lead which may seem heavy have a high density, while other "lighter" materials such as wood and plastics have lower density.

Di-sulphide bridge One of the various types of chemical bonds that occur within protein molecules and help to hold them in their "natural" shape.

Exponentially, exponential increase These are mathematical terms describing series that increase very rapidly. If you place one penny on one square of a chessboard, two on the second, four on the third, eight on the fourth, sixteen on the fifth, and so on; doubling the number of pennies on each successive square, then you could say the number of pennies on each square is increasing exponentially.

Fibril Literally, a small fibre. When describing muscle structure, fibrils are the smallest units that the individual muscle fibers can be seen to be composed of.

Gliaden One of the proteins in wheat flour which, together with glutenin, can form gluten. Gliaden is distinguished from glutenin by being soluble in alcohol.

Glutenin One of the proteins in wheat flour which, together with gliaden, can form gluten. Glutenin is distinguished from gliaden by being insoluble in alcohol.

Hydration The act of adding water to a substance - usually referring to situations where the water either reacts chemically with the substance, or is ab- sorbed by it.

Hydrogen bond One of the various types of chemical bonds that occur within protein molecules and help to hold them in their "natural" shape .

Hydrolysis A chemical reaction where a molecule is split into two separate, smaller, molecules by the addition of a water molecule.

Hydrophilic Has a liking for, or is attracted to, water. Alcohol mixes easily with water and is hydrophilic. The opposite of hydrophobic.

Hydrophobic Dislikes, or is repelled from, water. Oils do not mix with water and are hydrophobic. The opposite of hydrophilic.

Inter-protein bonds Chemical or physical bonds between different protein molecules. When many protein molecules are bonded together they form gels.

Intra-protein bonds Chemical of physical bonds that occur within a single protein molecule . These are the bonds that help to hold it in its natural shape.

Ion, ionic bond Ions are atoms that have either gained, or lost, one or more electrons so that they are electrically charged. Ions can form bridges, ionic bonds, between (or within) molecules joining together charged regions.

Maillard reactions A complex set of chemical reactions that occur between sugars (including polysaccharides and small sugar molecules) and proteins. The reactions only occur at an appreciable rate at high temperatures (above about 140°C). Many of the reaction products are small, flavor molecules - providing, for example, the "meaty" flavor of cooked meats. The Maillard reactions are also sometimes called the browning reactions as they occur when food is browned in the oven, or under the grill.

Metabolize The action of enzymes to promote the reduction of complex food molecules into smaller more useful molecules .

Micelle A small aggregate of molecules such as soaps, or casein proteins. Micelles are relatively stable in colloids.

Molecule A group of atoms chemically bonded together.

Nucleate, Nucleation When a crystal, or a bubble, starts to grow, the very first stage is the formation of a nucleus (nucleation). If the nucleus is too small, then the bubble will collapse, or the crystal melt. The nucleus has to have a sufficient size before it becomes stable and the crystal, or bubble, can grow.

Ordered When describing molecules in the solid state, we may say they are "ordered" or "disordered". In an ordered solid, the location and orientation of one molecule influences that of its neighbors, while in a disordered solid it does not. A very well ordered solid would be a crystal where each molecule occupies an identical site on a repeating lattice.

Oxidation Chemical reaction where oxygen is added to a substance. In fats, oxidation makes them become rancid. 

Polysaccharides Long polymer molecules made by joining together many sugar molecules. There are several different sugars and each can be joined through different carbon atoms in their rings so that there is an infinite set of possible polysaccharides.

Shear-thinning Many complex fluids have odd properties when they flow. If the viscosity (the resistance to flow) reduces as the rate at which the liquid flows increases it is said to be shear-thinning.

Starch granule A granule made up from concentric layers of amylose and amylopectin molecules .

Surfactant A molecule, usually with one hydrophobic end and one hydrophilic end, that modifies, or stabilizes a surface, in particular detergents and soaps which are able to stabilize oil-water emulsions. 

Thixotropic Many complex fluids have odd properties when they flow. If the viscosity (the resistance to flow) decreases as it is sheared, or spread out it is said to be thixotropic.

Trigeminalsense The sense that allows us to"taste"chilies,etc.