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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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Chilli powder in the UK

Today, chilli powder in the UK, as sold by the major supermarkets and the largest independent brand, is a US/Mexican style blend of powdered red chillis with herbs, spices and seasonings such as oregano, garlic, cumin and salt, as used for seasoning…
David Richerby
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Unambiguously referring to "spiciness"

Anyone who likes (or hates) spicy food has been in the situation: You're at a restaurant, your mother-in-law is preparing dinner, or you're preparing dinner for your best friend, and the question comes up: How spicy do you want it? But how can one…
Flimzy
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What's the difference between a cobbler, crisp, crumble, buckle, and betty?

I've heard all these terms at different times but never really understood the differences. What distinguishes various fruit-and-topping desserts such as a cobbler, crisp, crumble, buckle, or betty -- or are they all the same dish but with different…
Erica
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Japanese term for when the Sushi chef prepares meal for you

What is the Japanese term for when the sushi chef prepares a sushi meal for you based on what the sushi chef deems to be fresh and good, as well as what you would be interested in eating? I believe this is a term or style. There's generally no…
spong
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What is 'Musk' as used in this recipe

I recently made this truffle ravioli dish, it was an easy enough recipe, but I was confused about one thing: it calls for 'musk'. I didn't know what this was, my research only turned up musk melon, which I think is probably different. So, I skipped…
Tom Hennen
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What is the difference between grits and polenta?

I've eaten both and except for the fact that sometimes polenta is a little bit more firm, they taste the same...Any southerners out there that can help?
AttilaNYC
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What is slow cooking and what it is good for?

I've read several question about slow cooking, but I don't know what is it and what it's good for. Can someone explain it? Thank you!
Wizard79
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What does "curd" mean in a South Asian recipe?

I've seen the word "curd" used in a few South Asian recipes (like, notably, some "Butter Chicken" recipes). In one video, it kind-of looks like it might be cottage cheese (or something like that), which would make sense given what "curd" means to…
Pointy
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Is there a difference between green and spring onions?

I've seen some recipes call for green onions but always use spring onions? Is there a difference between them? Is there a better substitute?
rose
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What kind of yeast is this?

I have a type of yeast that I'm finding hard to identify by English standard. These are picture of it: Whole, uncut. cut in half In my country, Bulgaria, we call it "live" yeast, despite that both kinds of yeast sold here are actually live. The…
mummy
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Can a fish living in fresh water be called seafood?

Pangasius (Wikipedia) says: Pangasius is a genus of medium-large to very large shark catfishes native to fresh water in South and Southeast Asia. ... In 2011, Pangasius was sixth in the National Fisheries Institute’s "Top 10" list of the most…
Tim
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Name of an Indian dish with stuffed whole potatoes

I had a lovely Indian meal which I would like to find the name of. There were small whole potatoes with a little hole cut into them and filled with spices and (I think) some lamb mince. They were served in a spicy tomato sauce. Any idea what this…
Carla Dolfing
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What is "hand hot"?

How hot is "hand hot"? Should it be about the temperature where you can stand leaving your hand in the water ... but any degree hotter and it wouldn't be tolerable? Or is that way too hot? For example in a bread recipe which calls for hand hot…
Tea Drinker
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What is this type of cookware called used for roasting and baking?

I'm looking for the English name for this cooking utensil: It can be used for roasting on top of the stove, or it can be put in the oven for slow cooking. I've stumbled upon 'roasting dish', or 'baking dish'. But when I search for these terms, I…
Velvel
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Is Irish buttermilk different from Estonian buttermilk?

I'm Irish but living in Estonia. Just now, I decided to make some soda bread which I have made a couple of times before. I bought some "pett", which Google translate and a professional chef told me is the translation for buttermilk, but what I got…
Keith Loughnane
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