Food Preparation Terms

Mechanical Techniques

Chopping

• To cut into small pieces

Dicing

• To cut into very small size cubes of even size.

Grinding

• To mechanically break down a food into a finer texture.

Julienne

• To cut food into thin, stick-size strips

Knead

• To work a dough by pressing it with the heels of the hand, folding it, turning it, and

repeating each motion until the dough is smooth and elastic

mash

• To break a food by pressing it with the back of a spoon, a masher, or forcing it through a ricer

Mince

• To cut or chop into very fine pieces

Peel

• To remove the outer layer.

Blend

• To mix two or more ingredients thoroughly

Basting

• . To spoon pan juices, melted fat, or another liquid over the surface of food during cooking to keep the food moist and add flavor

Grate

• To reduce a food into small bits by rubbing it on the sharp teeth of a utensil

Mix

• To combine two or more ingredients into one mass

Chemical Techniques

Brine

• a process similar to marination in which meat is soaked in brine before cooking.

Ceviche

• Citrus-marinated seafood

Drying

• a method of food preservation that works by removing water from the food, which inhibits the growth of microorganisms and hinders quality decay

Fermentation

• conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions

Marinate

• the process of soaking foods in a seasoned, often acidic, liquid before cooking

Pickling

• process of preserving food by anaerobic fermentation in brine (a solution of salt in water) to produce lactic acid, or marinating and storing it in an acid solution, usually vinegar (acetic acid)

Salting

• the preservation of food with dry salt

Smoking

• the process of flavoring, cooking or preserving food by exposing it to the smoke from burning or smoldering plant materials, most often wood

Souring

• a cooking technique that uses exposure to an acid to effect a physical and chemical change in food

Sprouting

• practice of soaking, draining and then rinsing seeds at regular intervals until they germinate, or sprout

Other Food Preparation Terms

Sauté

• To cook food in a small amount of hot fat

Beat

• To mix ingredients together with a circular up and down motion using a spoon, whisk, or rotary or electric beater

Bone

• To remove bones from fowl or meat

Bread

• To coat with dry bread or cracker crumbs

Caramelize

• To heat sugar until a brown color and characteristic flavor develop