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Questions tagged [language]

Questions about naming and translation of culinary terms and phrases.

Although this site is in English, we have a number of users from non-English-speaking countries. If any user has a question about the proper terminology for a concept, tool, or food in English or in other languages, this is the proper category. This is also the tag to use for translation questions either from or into English.

This tag is also used for differentiation between two terms with similar meanings (parboil vs. blanching, noodle vs. pasta) or for request for definitions for classification.

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Translating cooking terms between US / UK / AU / CA / NZ

This post is an attempt to keep track of the terms that differ between dialects of English or exist in some dialects but not others: British (UK) / Australian (AU) / Canadian (CA) / American (US) / New Zealand (NZ), etc. Please note that Canada may…
Joe
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Why isn't Almond Milk (and other non-animal based 'milk') considered juice?

As per the title, I consider "Milk" to be the substance secreted by living being to sustain their young, whether they be human, cow, dog, etc... Almonds do not produce milk to sustain their young, in fact they are simply crushed. This reminds me…
Shadow
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What's the difference between a cupcake and a muffin?

I was debating with someone today whether what we were eating was a cupcake or a muffin, but realized we didn't really know the difference. So what's the difference between a cupcake and a muffin in American English? In case you're wondering, what…
msh210
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Stock vs Broth - What's the difference in usage?

I've now learned (from this site) that broth and stock are not the same product (see this great answer). So, in any given scenario, why should one use stock rather than broth, or vice versa? i.e. What's the practical difference? EDIT: I'm mostly…
JustRightMenus
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What does "natural" actually mean?

More and more I see "natural" or "all natural" labels on the slightly-cheaper alternatives next to "organic" products, and I find it somewhat confusing. I know that (for example) tofu does not occur in nature, so obviously "natural" does not refer…
Robert
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What is it about boring, normal ketchup that makes it "fancy"?

Ketchup, at least in the USA, is about as boring as a condiment can possibly get. It's hard to imagine anything "fancy" coming out of a tube like this: Why, then, is it frequently called "fancy"? Is there some other type of tomato ketchup that is…
Flimzy
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What does "do." mean in old recipes?

I'm reading through a book of cocktails from 1865 and I often seen the measurement for a given ingredient listed as "do.". What does this mean? Examples: 40 1/2 ounces of roast and ground cocoa. 6 2/3 do. ground cardamom seeds. 6 2/3 do. ground…
Yamikuronue
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What's (really) the difference between fruit and vegetables?

I was wondering what's (really) the difference between fruit and vegetables. Obviously I can name different fruits and vegetables, but if you ask me what's really the distinguishing factor, I wouldn't know. Things that I think may be the difference…
Kevin
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What should I use for old recipes that call for 'buttermilk'?

Old-school buttermilk is the milk left after churning butter and is not today's 'cultured buttermilk'. A recent answer to the question about what to use for 'sweet milk' mentions : Buttermilk was what was left after the soured milk had been churned…
Joe
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What is "layering flavors"? What does it accomplish and how do I do it?

Recently I've been into cooking videos and tutorials and something that stands out to me is this concept of "layering flavors" that some chefs use when they add ingredients. Example: We're only sweating the onion, afterwards we'll add some garlic…
David DPG
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What are things like Bread, Rice and Cereal collectively known as?

I'm not sure if this belongs here or in the English language stack exchange but here goes: We have broad classifications like "Fruit" and "Vegetable" and "Meat"/"Protein". What do you collectively call bread, rice, pasta, cereal etc. My first guess…
ColonD
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What does al dente really mean?

Initially I was told that al dente meant that the pasta was cooked but still firm, definitely not soggy or overcooked. Later, someone told me that it meant not quite cooked all the way through. Actually many people began telling me this. In…
Theorian
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Is there a word for the flavour shared by onion, spring onion, shallot, leek, and chive?

Among the flavours of onions, spring onions, shallots, leeks, and chives there is one that they share. Is there a name for it?
user60495
25
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Difference between soup and stew

What are the technical differences between a soup and a stew. Specifically, I've always had some confusion on the differentation of stew and soup. For the most part, you can tell the difference by visual cues but sometimes some soup or stew looks…
Jay
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What do American chefs mean by "Red pepper flakes"?

I see the term "Red pepper flakes" used often by American chefs, but to the European mind this term is very confusing. It could mean flaked and dried: Red chilli (e.g. Kashmiri, Birds Eye etc.) Red pepper (Capsicum) Red pepper (Jalapeno) Other…
Greybeard
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