Top 10 Foodie Words

Knowledge is power my friends, so it’s time to ‘foodie-fy’ your vocab with some of the words that are constantly being tossed around in the food media these days.

1. Confit: means to cook in its own fat, usually slowly braised, like duck confit, and served succulently juicy.

2. Foam: made with a nitrogen gun, which traps gas bubbles and stabilises emulsifiers. Used a lot in molecular gastronomy and usually added to a dish for a contrast of flavour and texture.

3. Two ways: when something is said to be cooked two ways, it is cooked by two different cookery methods, i.e. it could be poached then fried, or braised then sautéed.

4. Slow food: is not a stew, in fact it is a movement that promotes regional cuisine and defends farms that are biodynamic and go back to traditional ways of growing and eating.

5. Umami: is the fifth taste produced by amino acids, a common one being MSG that makes you want to go back for more.

6. Mise en place: is French for everything in its place, usually used in reference to prep before service in a restaurant, meaning to have everything ready to go.

7. Heirloom: are seeds that aren’t used in large scale agriculture – they’re old seeds passed down from one generation of growers to another used to grow beautiful produce. Their taste: magnifique!

8. Fusion: brought on by multiculturalism, fusion is when two culinary styles are employed in the one dish.

9. Sous vide: to vacuum. The flavour, nutrients and integrity of the ingredients are kept and sealed in a plastic vacuum packed bag, which can be cooked at a low temperature for a long time.

And last but not least…
10. Foodie: someone who is obsessed with everything to do with food.

By Samantha Coutts
Photo: Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/galant/3268338756/