Food and Cooking
Glossary
T
Tabasco
Tabasco is the trade name of a range of hot, spicy chilli sauces
made in the US state of Louisiana. The original Tabasco sauce
is fiery red and made from a variety of chilli pepper called
Tabasco, combined with vinegar and salt and matured in oak barrels.
Other varieties include a milder green Tabasco sauce made from
jalapeño peppers and green peppers. Just a few drops
of Tabasco adds a spicy, chilli flavour to meats, sauces, burgers,
salad dressings or cocktails.
Tabbouleh
Tabouli (or tabbouleh) is a Middle Eastern vegetarian salad.
Its primary ingredients are typically bulgur, lemon juice, tomato,
mint, parsley and other herbs. It is served cold.
Taco
A taco is a traditional Mexican dish comprising a rolled or
folded, pliable tortilla (of either maize or wheat flour) filled
with meat (generally grilled beef or pork), chili-based salsa,
guacamole, and garnishes such as pico de gallo or cilantro.
It may also contain just about any other filling that lends
itself to it, generally meats or vegetables that are chopped
and fairly dry. There are many subvarieties of the taco, and
most of them have a certain set of traditional fillings. The
normal presentation of the taco is served flat on a tortilla
that has been warmed up on the comal; since the tortilla is
still soft, it can be folded over or pinched together into a
U-shape for convenient consumption.
Tagine
Morocco and other Northern African peoples can be experienced
more fully using a tagine (or tajine). The conical lid provides
the enclosure that makes it act like an oven. Most can be used
to cook either in the oven or on top of the stove.
Tagliatelle
Long thin ribbons of pasta sold either in curled nests or straight,
like spaghetti. Tagliatelle can be plain or green (flavoured
with spinach) and is available fresh or dried. It goes well
with thick creamy sauces that cling to the pasta well.
Tamale
A tamale or tamal (from Nahuatl tamalli) is a traditional Latin
American food that begins with corn (maize) flour mixed with
water and lard. This mixture (masa) is then filled with meat
or cheese or any preparation according to taste. Tamales are
an ancient American food, made throughout the continent for
over 5000 years. Their essence is the masa dough, usually filled
with a sweet or savory filling, wrapped in plant leaves or corn
husks, and cooked, usually by steaming, until firm. Tamales
were developed as a portable ration for use by war parties in
the ancient Americas, and were as ubiquitous and varied as the
sandwich is today.
Tamari
A type of soy sauce that's made without wheat and is therefore
suitable for those with wheat allergies or coeliac disease.
Tamari is dark in colour and has a rich flavour, making it useful
in marinades and dressings. It's also good as a dip. If you
can't find it, substitute dark soy sauce.
Tamarillo
A red, egg-shaped tropical fruit about the size of a plum. It's
sometimes called a tree tomato.
Tamarind
A flavouring agent made from the fruit of the tamarind tree.
The fruit is shaped like a long bean, inside which is a sour
pulp. The pulp can be pressed to form a 'cake' or processed
to make a paste. Small pieces of tamarind cake can be broken
off and infused to create an acidic liquid flavouring used in
Asian and Caribbean cooking.
Tandoori
A tandoor is a tall, cylindrical clay oven found in countries
stretching from the Arabian peninsula to India. Naan breads,
as well as various meats and kebabs, are traditionally cooked
in a tandoor. The term 'tandoori' pertains to dishes cooked
in such a clay oven.
Tangerine
A generic name given to numerous small orange citrus fruits,
more commonly known as mandarins. Satsumas are simply a different
variety and clementines are a hybrid between the tangerine and
the sweet orange.
Tapenade
Tapenade is a spread consisting of, at the least black olives
and olive oil pureed or chopped finely. It can also contain
anchovies, capers, garlic, or parsley.
Tapioca
Tapioca is an essentially flavourless starchy ingredient, or
fecula, produced from treated and dried cassava (manioc) root
and used in cooking. It is similar to sago.
Taramasalata
A thick, creamy Greek dip made from olive oil, fish roe, breadcrumbs
and seasonings. It’s usually served as a mezze dish or
as an hors d'oeuvre. It can be bought ready-made but avoid tubs
of electric pink taramasalata with too much food colouring.
Tarragon
An aromatic herb, often used in French cooking. Its long, soft
green leaves have a distinctive aniseed flavour and can be used
to flavour oils and vinegars. Dried tarragon retains much of
the flavour of fresh, so it's fine to use if you can't find
fresh. It's one of the herbs that makes up fines herbes and
is also used in béarnaise sauce. Tarragon is particularly
good with chicken but also use it to flavour salads and egg
dishes and as a flavouring for fish.
Tartare
The term tartare can be used in two ways. Tartare sauce is made
from mayonnaise, gherkins and capers and is the traditional
accompaniment to fish. Steak tartare is made with minced beef
served raw with egg yolk and seasoning.
Tea Egg
Tea eggs are simply hard boiled eggs that have been further
stewed in a salted tea liquid. The shell of each egg is lightly
cracked without peeling before being stewed. This serves the
dual purpose of letting the flavour of the tea into the egg,
while colouring the surface egg white with a blurry cracked
pattern that is somewhat reminiscent of marble.
Tempe
Tempe is made of whole, cooked soybeans infused with a culture
to form a dense, chewy cake. It is a good source of fiber protein,
polyunsaturated fats and lecithin, as well as calcium, iron,
magnesium, potassium, and some B vitamins.
Tempura
Tempura refers to classic Japanese deep fried batter-dipped
seafood and vegetables. The batter is made of ice cold water,
flour, and egg yolks. Small dry bite-sized pieces of food are
dipped in flour, then in batter, and then deep fried for 2-3
minutes. In high class restaurants, sesame oil or a mixture
of sesame and other cooking oils is used. Because of the cost
of sesame oil, this is rarer in lower grade restaurants. Western
chefs frequently include tempura dishes on their menus but seldom
with 'authentic' results. This largely stems from a misunderstanding
about mixing the batter which, in classic cookery, must be beaten
until homogeneous. Good tempura batter is mixed with chopsticks,
for only for a few seconds. This leaves numerous lumps in the
mixture and results in the unique tempura structure when cooked.
Also crucial is that tempura batter be made freshly, in small
batches.
Tequila
Tequila is a strong distilled alcoholic beverage made primarily
in the area surrounding Tequila, a town in the western Mexican
state of Jalisco, 50 km from Guadalajara. It is made from the
agave plant (also called maguey) - a succulent, similar to the
lily, which is native to Mexico.
Teriyaki
Usually, a Japanese dish consisting of beef, chicken or fish
that has been marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, sugar,
ginger and seasonings before being grilled or fried. However,
the term can be used to describe the sauce itself or the cooked
dish made with the sauce. The sugar in the marinade gives the
cooked food a slight glaze.
Terrine
Pork and duck terrineThis term usually describes a kind of pâté
and is also the term to describe the ovenproof dish that pâté
is cooked in - usually ceramic and similar to a loaf tin.
Thyme
Thyme is often used to flavour meats, soups and stews. It is
used in French cuisine, where it is an important element in
a bouquet garni, as well as in Herbes de Provence. It is also
widely used in Caribbean cuisine. In Jordan the condiment zahtar
contains thyme as vital ingredient. Thyme should be added early
in cooking so that its oils have time to be released.
Tilapia
Tilapia has white or pinkish flesh that's firm, low in fat,
sweet and mild in flavor. The tender skin is edible. Tilapia
can be baked, broiled, grilled, or steamed. In the U.S., all
tilapia is farm-raised and of lesser quality than the wild variety
harvested in Asia and Africa. Tilapia is often marketed as a
lower-priced substitute for red snapper, although its meat is
not nearly as prized.
Tiramisu
An Italian dessert, similar to a trifle, made with Italian sponge
biscuits or macaroons soaked in coffee, brandy or liqueur, with
mascarpone cheese and chocolate. Tiramisu translates as 'pick
me up'.
Tofu
White and wobbly and often misunderstood, tofu (also called
bean curd) is an important protein source in oriental cooking.
It's extremely versatile and, with the right addition of flavours,
tofu can be delicious.
Tomato
Categorized botanically as fruits, are eaten as a vegetable,
enjoyed for their combination of sweetness and acidity. They
are at their best during summer, although fresh varieties are
available all year. Colors vary from red to yellow to green
and purple and shapes from the bulky beefsteak and the large
common tomato to the small cherry tomato. At other times of
year, plum, or Roma, tomatoes, may have the best flavor and
texture. Tomatoes are sold fresh or in cans. Sweet, chewy dried
tomatoes come plain or packed in oil.
Topside
This is a prime lean cut of beef from the rear of the animal,
usually sold rolled and tied with a layer of fat for roasting.
It can also be pot-roasted, braised or boiled.
Tortilla
A staple of Mexican and Central American cuisine, a tortilla
is a kind of unleavened bread, made from maize (corn) or wheat
flour. The Spanish tortilla, an unrelated dish, is a type of
omelette. Indians have a similar dish, Roti which is made essentially
from wheat flour.
Trans Fatty Acids
A trans fatty acid (commonly shortened to trans fat) is an unsaturated
fatty acid whose molecules contain trans double bonds between
carbon atoms, which makes the molecules less kinked compared
with those of 'cis fat'. Research suggests a correlation between
diets high in trans fats and diseases like atherosclerosis and
coronary heart disease. The US National Academy of Sciences
recommended in 2002 that dietary intake of trans fatty acids
be minimized.
Tripe
The stomach of a cow, pig, sheep or ox - ox having arguably
the best flavour. Tripe is usually sold specially prepared or
cleaned for cooking and is very much an acquired taste. Depending
on which animal it comes from, it will have a different appearance
('honeycomb' tripe is reckoned by some to be the best for cooking).
Trout
Trout meat is usually pale orange-pink, sometimes a deeper red-pink
(though young trout are often white-fleshed). It is rich and
full-flavored, with a firm yet creamy texture and moderate to
high fat content. Note: Wild trout are usually much more flavorful
than the farm- raised variety. Whole trout is often stuffed
and baked. Fillets can be pan-fried, poached, steamed, broiled,
or grilled (use a grilling basket). Look for bright, shiny skin
and flesh that shimmers reflectively.
Turbot
A fairly expensive flat sea fish with good-flavoured firm flesh,
on a par with Dover sole. It's available as fillets, steaks
or whole. Buy it whole when you can because the bones help to
add flavour to the flesh, but the fillets are good for poaching
or grilling and can be served with sauces such as parsley sauce
or hollandaise.
Turmeric
A bright yellow spice that comes from the rhizome of a plant
in the ginger family. It's sometimes available fresh, but is
usually sold dried and ground, in powder form. Turmeric is often
a component of curry powder and it's used on its own in many
Asian dishes, including fish curries, dhals, pilafs as well
as in many North African meat and vegetable dishes.
