Food and Cooking
Glossary
O
Offal
The internal organs and innards of an animal or fish, including
brain, liver, kidney, tripe, and heart. It can also refer to
the animal's extremities, too, such as head, tail, trotters
and tongue.
Okra
Also known as ladies' fingers because of their shape, this is
a vegetable that's widely used in Indian, Middle Eastern, Caribbean
and southern US cookery, where it's an essential ingredient
of gumbo. A long green pod with a slightly fuzzy skin, it's
full of edible creamy seeds.
Olive
The small oval fruit of the olive tree, widely cultivated in
Mediterranean countries such as Spain, Italy, France and Greece.
Olive oil
Pressed from olives, this is a rich, fruity oil used for marinades,
dressings, baking and shallow frying. Hundreds of varieties
of olive are used to make olive oil so the range available is
huge, varying in colour, flavour, aroma and character.
Oregano
A pungent green culinary herb with a great affinity for a variety
of foods, from lamb to vegetables, stuffings and egg dishes.
There are many species and varieties of the genus Origanum,
each with quite different characteristics and flavours.
Oyster
A saltwater bivalve with a sea-salty flavour and a succulent
texture. Aficionados insist that they’re best eaten raw,
perhaps with freshly ground black pepper and a squeeze of lemon
juice or a drop of Tabasco sauce. However, they can be steamed,
grilled or poached, too, and they make excellent canapés.
Oyster Sauce
Oyster sauce is a thick, rich brown southern Chinese condiment,
flavoured with extract of oysters. Spend a bit more on a good
brand of oyster sauce - it will have more natural oyster flavour
and less monosodium glutamate (MSG).
