Every shorthand word that turns up in the recipes — the French phrases, the chemistry, the bakery jargon — defined here once so the recipes don't have to keep doing it. Search for a term; pick a category; read the answer.
§ 01 — The entries
44 terms.
Alphabetical · A → Z
A3
AcidSensory
One of six sensory axes. Sharpens, lifts, breaks fat. Lemon, vinegar, tamarind.
Al dentePasta
Italian, 'to the tooth.' Pasta cooked to the point where it offers slight resistance at the center — about 60 seconds before fully tender.
AutolyseBread
Hydrated flour resting before salt or starter is added, typically 20–60 minutes. Develops gluten passively.
B6
Bain-marieMethod
Hot-water bath. Used for melting chocolate, holding sauces, or baking custards. Heat is gentle and even.
Beurre blancSauce
Wine-and-shallot reduction emulsified with cold butter, off heat. The classic French butter sauce; breaks at a bare simmer.
Beurre montéSauce
Butter melted into water just below a simmer, holding emulsion at 82–88 °C. The 'finishing fat' chefs poach meat in.
Bouquet garniStock
Tied bundle of herbs (typically thyme, bay, parsley stems) added to stocks and braises, fished out before serving.
BraiseMethod
Sear first, simmer second. Tough cuts cooked low and slow in a small amount of liquid, lid on. Two hours minimum.
BriningMethod
Soaking protein in a 0.9% saline solution before cooking. Seasons evenly and increases moisture retention.
C5
CaramelizeMethod
Pure sugar browning, distinct from the Maillard reaction. Pan caramelizing onions involves both.
ChiffonadeKnife
Stacked-and-rolled herbs sliced into thin ribbons. Basil, mint, sorrel.
ConfitMethod
Slow-cooking in fat at low temperature (≤95 °C). Originally for preservation; now for texture.
CoulisSauce
Smooth purée of fruit or vegetables, strained. Thinner than a sauce, thicker than a juice.
CureMethod
Preservation by salt or sugar (or both), with or without nitrites. Drives water out, concentrates flavor.
D3
DashiStock
Japanese stock from kombu (kelp) and katsuobushi (bonito flakes). The umami foundation of Japanese cooking.
DeglazeMethod
Liquid added to a hot pan to dissolve the fond (browned bits) into the developing sauce.
DredgeMethod
Coating in dry flour or starch before searing or frying. Builds crust; helps Maillard.
E1
EmulsionChemistry
Suspension of two unmixable liquids — usually fat in water, or vice versa. Mayonnaise, vinaigrette, beurre blanc.
F2
FermentationChemistry
Microbial transformation of food by bacteria, yeast, or mold. Sourdough, miso, kimchi, vinegar.
FondMethod
Browned bits stuck to the pan after searing. Deglazed into sauces; full of Maillard products.
G2
GlutamateChemistry
Amino acid responsible for umami. Concentrated in aged cheese, fermented soy, dried mushrooms, tomato.
GlutenBread
Protein network in wheat dough, formed by water and kneading. The thing that holds the air pockets.
H1
HydrationBread
Water as a percentage of flour weight in dough. 65% is a sandwich loaf; 80% is a wet sourdough.
I1
IMPChemistry
Inosinate, an umami nucleotide. Found in dried bonito; multiplies umami when combined with glutamate.
J1
JulienneKnife
Thin matchstick cuts, typically 2 × 2 × 50 mm. Used for raw veg in salads, garnish, slaw.
K1
KojiChemistry
Aspergillus oryzae, the fungus that breaks down starch and protein. The base of miso, soy, sake, mirin.
L1
LaminationBread
Folding butter into dough to create alternating layers. Croissants, puff pastry, kouign-amann.
M3
Maillard reactionChemistry
Browning reaction between amino acids and sugars above ~140 °C. Sear, crust, toast, roast.
Mise en placeMethod
French, 'put in place.' All ingredients prepped and bowled before cooking starts. The most important habit in the kitchen.
Mother sauceSauce
One of five French foundational sauces: béchamel, velouté, espagnole, tomate, hollandaise. Everything else is a derivative.
N1
NappantSauce
Sauce thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. The visual benchmark for emulsion stability.
P1
PickleMethod
Preservation in acid (vinegar) and/or salt brine. Quick pickles take hours; lacto-fermented pickles take weeks.
R3
ReductionSauce
Liquid simmered to concentrate flavor and thicken. A 4-to-1 reduction is the standard for veal demi-glace.
RenderingMethod
Slowly cooking fat out of meat or skin. The basis of crisp chicken skin, schmaltz, lardo.
RouxSauce
Flour cooked in fat. White, blonde, brown, dark — the longer it cooks, the more flavor and the less thickening power.
S3
SearMethod
Cooking at very high heat to develop Maillard browning. Salt heavily, pat dry, oil the protein not the pan.
Sous videMethod
Vacuum-bagged cooking in a temperature-controlled water bath. Precise; texture-first.
SweatMethod
Cooking aromatics over low heat without color. Onions translucent and soft, never brown.
T1
TemperMethod
Bringing two components to a compatible temperature before combining. Eggs into hot dairy; chocolate into stable crystal form.
U1
UmamiSensory
The fifth taste. Glutamate plus nucleotides equals depth and length on the palate. Parmesan, anchovy, soy, mushroom.
V2
VeloutéSauce
Mother sauce. Light stock (chicken, fish, or vegetable) thickened with a blonde roux. The base of countless sauces.
VinaigretteSauce
Emulsion of acid and oil, typically 3:1. Salt dissolves in the acid before the oil is added; mustard helps the emulsion hold.
W1
Whip vs. whiskMethod
A whip is an action; a whisk is a tool. Whisking is the deliberate, controlled motion; whipping is faster and intends to incorporate air.
Z1
ZestSensory
The outermost colored layer of citrus peel, where the aromatic oils live. The white pith below is bitter; avoid it.
§ 02 — Frequently asked
The glossary, asked and answered.
4 questions · answered
Who it's for, where to go deeper, and how to suggest a term.
Home cooks who keep running into French and Italian shorthand in recipes and want plain-English answers. We've kept the definitions short and the examples specific.
Every term here shows up in at least three pieces on the site. The glossary is the cross-reference layer — if you encountered "fond" in the cacio e pepe writeup and "Maillard" in the brining piece, the definitions live here so the recipes don't have to keep re-explaining them.
Three places. Cooking science: On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee. Technique: The Professional Chef from the CIA. Fermentation: The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz. None of those are affiliate links.
Yes. Email us the term, the definition you'd write, and the recipe or context it came up in. We add to the glossary as we publish; sourced suggestions get credited.