A Dictionary of Food

staple crops

Staphylococcus aureus A food poisoning bacterium whose toxins are not destroyed by cooking. It is found in meat pies and meat products containing salt and in confectionery. The incubation period is 2 to 6 hours and the duration of the illness 6 to 24 hours. The symptoms are nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain without fever. There may be collapse and dehydration in severe cases.

Staphylococcus carnosus Bacteria used as a starter culture for lactic fermentation in meat products such as salami and in vegetables such as cucumbers

staple crops Food plants which provide the major source of energy and/or protein for most of the world’s population. The five most important are rice, wheat, corn (maize), cassava (energy only) and beans.

star anise The dried fruit of a Chinese tree, Illicium verum, which has the appearance of an eight-pointed star, each point containing one seed. It has a sweetish aniseed/liquorice flavour and is used in Chinese and Vietnamese cooking.

star apple The fruit of a subtropical tree,

Chrysophyllum cainito, about 7.5 cm diameter with a white to purple, sticky, inedible skin, a white sweet pulp containing inedible black seeds in a star-shaped core rather like an apple core. Eaten on its own or in fruit salad.

starch An odourless and tasteless polysaccharide which is the principal carbohydrate store in plant tissues, tubers and seeds and is an important constituent of the human, herbivore and omnivore diet

star fruit See carambola, babaco

star gazey pie England A fish pie from Cornwall made with whole pilchards cooked beneath a crust of pastry with their heads poking up through the pastry around the rim of the dish. The pie also contains a sauce flavoured with onion, bacon, parsley, vinegar or cider and seasoning, which is thickened with breadcrumbs and eggs.

starjerska kisela corba Balkans A soup from Slovenia made with pigs’ tails and trotters, vegetables, garlic, seasoning and a little vinegar and thickened with flour

stark senap Sweden Hot (English) mustard starna Italy Grey partridge

starna di montagna Italy Grouse

star ruby A highly pigmented grapefruit variety developed by an artificially induced mutation using ionizing radiation

starter 1. The first course of a meal 2. A bacterial or fungal culture used to initiate fermentation, and thus flavour development,

in fermented foods, e.g. Lactobacillus in milk to make yoghurt, Rhizopus oligosporus in tempeh or the lactic cultures used to replace the microorganisms and enzymes lost during milk pasteurization preparatory to making cheese

station waiter A waiter in charge of a certain number of tables in a restaurant

steak 1. England, France A piece or slice of meat or fish up to 2.5 cm thick usually cut across the muscle fibres and sufficiently tender to be grilled or fried 2. A general name for lean muscle from animals used for braising, stewing, grilling or frying depending on the muscle concerned

steak and kidney pie United Kingdom Pieces of cheek of beef marinated in red wine, dried, fried in oil and butter, dusted with flour, simmered until tender in clarified marinade and beef stock, lightly fried pieces of veal or beef kidney added, poached oysters and mushrooms added if required, cooking liquor reduced and all combined in a bowl and precooked tops (skullcaps) of puff pastry placed over. Served piping hot. A simpler version is made from precooked steak and kidney stew baked quickly between a top and bottom crust of pastry.

steak and kidney pudding United Kingdom

A pudding basin lined with suet crust pastry, filled with diced stewing beef and kidney, onions, seasoning and thickened stock, covered and sealed with more pastry, vents cut in the top, covered with cooking foil and boiled or steamed for 3 to 3.5 hours. Served from the basin or, less formally, turned out on a plate.

steak au poivre France Pepper steak

steak diane Tail end of fillet of beef, batted out, sautéed in butter, flambéed with brandy and served with a sauce made from pan juices, sliced mushrooms, Dijon mustard, double cream and demi-glace

steak haché France Hamburger steak steak tartare Chopped (not minced) tail end

of fillet of beef, mixed with chopped onions, gherkins and capers, shaped on the plate like a steak and served with a raw egg in a depression on top of the steak. Mixed at the table by the customer and eaten raw.

steam, to To cook in the vapour from boiling water. See also steamer, atmospheric steamer, pressure cooker

steamboat Southeast Asia An implement for cooking at the table consisting of an annular vessel containing cooking liquor (stock) around a circular chimney at the base of which is a source of heat. Prepared food is cooked by diners using fondue forks, chop

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sticks or wire mesh baskets. Various dips are usually supplied and the stock is often consumed after all the solid food has been cooked and eaten. See also Mongolian hot pot

steamed pudding Puddings based on sweetened suet pastry or a cake sponge mixture with additions and flavourings, cooked in a pudding basin, in a cloth or in a special hinged closed container using either steam or boiling water. Usually served with a sweet sauce which may be cooked as an integral part of the pudding.

steamed pudding mixture United Kingdom

Made from self-raising flour, shredded beef suet or softened butter, caster sugar and beaten egg (6:3:2:2), the flour, fat and sugar combined with a little salt, then brought together with the beaten egg and sufficient milk to produce a soft dropping consistency

steamed rice See absorption method steamer A double or triple saucepan with a

top lid in which the compartments above the bottom pan are perforated so that steam generated at the bottom can circulate around the food items in the upper compartments

steamer clam Soft-shell clam

steam table A stainless steel table or counter with openings to take food containers heated by steam or hot water. Used to keep food hot prior to service. See also bain-marie

stearic acid One of the main saturated fatty acids in hard beef and lamb fats, responsible when esterified with glycerine for the hardness of the fat

stearyl tartrate An ester of stearyl alcohol and tartaric acid with the same uses as sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate

stecche, al Italy On a skewer stecchi Italy Attereaux

Steckerfisch Germany Fish on a stick

steel A tapering rod either of hardened steel with very small longitudinal sharp edged grooves, carborundum stone or diamond dust coated metal, used to put a sharp edge on knife blades. The knife blade is stroked across and down the steel at an angle of about 45° or less on either side removing a small amount of metal from the edge. After considerable sharpening on a steel a knife needs to be reground professionally.

steel-cut oatmeal See pinhead oatmeal steep, to To macerate

steer A castrated male of the bovine species, 2 to 4 years old

steg Denmark Steak

stegt Denmark Roasted. Also called stægt

stekt vildand

stegtgås gylat med svedsker Denmark

Roast goose stuffed with prunes

stegt kylling Denmark Braised chicken stegt svinekam Denmark Roast pork with red

cabbage

Steinbuscher Germany A soft cheese made with whole or partially skimmed cows’ milk. It is brick-shaped and has a smooth buttery paste with a few holes. It comes from from the east of the country and is similar to Romadur. Contains 52% water, 21% fat and 24% protein.

Steinbutt Germany Turbot

Steingut Germany Earthenware

Steinpilz Germany Cep

stekt Norway, Sweden Fried or roasted stekt ägg Sweden Fried egg

stekt and Sweden Roast duck, usually stuffed with apple, prunes and the chopped up liver and heart

stekt fläsk med löksås Sweden Fried strips of fresh or salt pork served with onion sauce (löksås)

stekt gås Sweden Roast goose, the cavity stuffed with parboiled prunes and cored, peeled and sliced apples sprinkled with ground ginger, basted with stock from time to time and accompanied with jus lié made from the defatted pan juices. Served with roast potatoes, chestnut purée and red cabbage.

stekt kalvbräss Sweden Calves’ sweetbreads prepared as for kalvbräss-stuvning, sliced, panéed and fried in oil and butter. Served with petit pois.

stekt potatis Sweden Fried potato slices stekt rödspätta Sweden Fried plaice usually

skinned whole, panéed and fried slowly in butter

stekt salt sill med lök Sweden Fried salt herring which have been soaked, filleted and coated with flour and toasted breadcrumbs. Served with sliced onions which have been fried until brown in the butter in which the fish is later fried and the pan residues deglazed with thin cream. A traditional Monday lunch.

stekt salt sill papper Sweden Filleted salt herrings soaked, dried and baked or fried en papillote with the usual additions (butter, dill, parsley, chives, etc.)

stekt sjötunga Sweden Fried sole usually prepared as stekt rödspätta

stekt vildand Sweden Wild duck usually potroasted for 45 minutes with soured cream and milk after seasoning and browning the bird and its liver. Served with a jus lié made from the roux thickened cooking liquor

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stellette

finished with double cream and a little blackcurrant jelly.

Stellaria media Botanical name Chickweed stellette Italy Very small pasta stars used in

soup. Also called stelline

stellina odorosa Italy Sweet woodruff stelline Italy Stellette

stem ginger Peeled ginger rhizome, macerated and preserved in a sugar syrup to give a soft translucent confection

stem lettuce United States Celtuce

Stephanie Cremetorte Austria An over-the- top sweet dessert invented for Crown Princess Stephanie who complained of the ‘coarseness’ of Viennese cooking, consisting of chocolate and hazelnuts plus layers of raspberry, hazelnut and chocolate cream

Stepnoi Russia Steppe Stepnoj Steppe Stepnoy Steppe

Steppe A strong-flavoured cows’ milk cheese similar to Tilsit and sometimes flavoured with caraway made in Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, Russia and Canada. Also called

Stepnoi, Stepnoj, Steppen, Stepnoy

Steppen Steppe

sterilize, to To heat food to between 115 and 140°C depending on the type of food and the time at the high temperature. This kills all pathogenic organisms and most microorganisms and spores. See also ultraheat treated

sterilized cream Tinned cream sterilized at about 120°C. It has a slight caramel flavour and cannot be whipped.

sterilized milk Milk heated to 120°C for a few minutes or to just over 100°C for 20 to 30 minutes and aseptically sealed in a narrow necked bottle with a crown cork. This process kills all pathogenic and most other microorganisms and spores and the milk will keep for 1 to 2 years. The milk is off white in colour and has a characteristic caramel, boiled milk taste which is not to everyone’s liking.

sterlet A small and very rare sturgeon, Acipenser ruthenus, found in the Volga river and Caspian Sea and famed for its golden caviar, the caviar of the Tsar. The fish, which is ugly and eel-like, is served baked with vegetables.

sterlyad Russia Sterlet steur Netherlands Sturgeon

stew A mixture of meat, usually tough and cut into small pieces, cooked slowly with vegetables, cooking liquor and flavourings on top of the heat source until tender, a process which can take many hours

stew, to To simmer meat and poultry with cooking liquor and vegetables in a heavy pan with a tight fitting lid or to cook fruit in water until soft, possibly with the addition of a sweetening agent

Stewart cheese Scotland A mild cheese which comes in both a white and a blue variety. The white is saltier than the blue and is an acquired taste.

stewed fruit Fruit simmered in sweetened water until soft

stick bean See runner bean

sticking piece England Clod (of beef) sticky bun United Kingdom A sweet yeast-

raised bun often flavoured with cinnamon and coated with a soft icing

sticky rice See glutinous rice

stifado Greece A stew based on meat, poultry, octopus or squid with oil, onions, garlic, tomatoes, shallots, wine, wine vinegar, herbs and seasoning

stiff dough United States A very stiff mixture of 2 parts flour to one part water. The exact proportions depend on the flour used.

stiffen, to To briefly cook flesh in water or fat until it stiffens but is not coloured

stifle United States A salt pork and vegetable stew from New England

Stilton England An uncooked curd, blueveined, semi-soft cows’ milk cheese with a creamy yellow paste made only in Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland. The blue variety is inoculated with Penicillium roquefortii spores and the edges of the cheese are hand-rubbed to exclude air, slow down development and give the characteristic hard greyish-brown rind. The cheeses are needled after 10 weeks to encourage veining and may be sold after 12 weeks. Often sold in small earthenware pots and prized as a dessert cheese.

Stilton pears England A starter made from cored but not skinned Comice pears stuffed with a mixture of Stilton and curd cheese, refrigerated, halved and fanned on individual plates, covered in seasoned mayonnaise thinned with oil and lemon juice and flavoured with mustard

stinco Italy Shank of veal stinging nettle See nettle stink bean Parkia

Stint Germany Smelt, the fish

stir, to To agitate a liquid, semi-solid, or powder mixture with a spoon or spatula to bring to a uniform consistency or a liquid mixture to prevent sticking or burning during heating

stirabout 1. An oatmeal or maize porridge made with water or milk, originally from

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Ireland 2. England Chopped or small whole fruits mixed with a coating consistency batter enriched with sugar and butter and baked for about 30 minutes at 220°C

stir-fry, to To cook small thin pieces of meat or vegetables very rapidly using hot oil in a wok by continuously moving them and turning them over. Used extensively in preparing Chinese food.

stivaletti Italy Small pasta shapes (NOTE: Literally ‘small boots’.)

stoccafisso Italy Stockfish

stock Water flavoured with extracts from herbs, spices, vegetables and/or bones by long simmering

stock cube A mixture of salt, MSG, vegetable and/or meat extracts and various flavourings pressed into soft crumbly cubes or blocks each individually wrapped. One stock cube will usually make 0.4 litres (0.75 pints) of stock. The salt and fat content and their flavour make them unsuitable for the finest cooking. See also bouillon. Also called bouillon cube

Stockfisch Germany Stockfish

stockfish Air-dried cod from Norway which is very popular in Italy. Requires prolonged soaking in water.

stock pot A large cylindrical vessel with a draw off tap between 2 and 5 cm from the base in which stock is prepared and into which all the suitable trimmings of a professional kitchen together with the usual stock ingredients are put, and stock drawn off as required. It is usually kept simmering all the time and cleaned out and replenished on a regular basis.

stock syrup A basic sugar solution with many uses containing 0.3 kg of granulated sugar and 0.1 kg of glucose per litre of water. Often 0.4 kg of granulated sugar with no glucose is used, but it may tend to cause crystallization.

stodge Heavy starchy solid food such as overcooked stews, suet puddings and the like (colloquial)

stoemp Belgium A dish similar to colcannon made with mashed potatoes and vegetables

stoke Laver

Stokenchurch pie England A Buckinghamshire baked pie filled with minced meat in a sauce mixed with macaroni

stokkfisk Norway Stockfish

Stollen Germany A sweetened enriched yeast dough rolled in a rectangle, filled with dried vine fruits, nuts and sometimes marzipan, folded or rolled, baked, brushed with molten butter and dredged with icing sugar. Eaten

stove, to

during the Christmas season. Also called

Christollen

stomna kebab Bulgaria A lamb stew with butter, tomatoes, spring onions, herbs and seasonings, thickened with flour and cooked in an earthenware pot

stone The hard central seed of fruits such as cherry, peach, mango, plum, olive, etc., usually with a hard woody shell enclosing a soft kernel. Also called pit

stone, to To remove the central stone from a fruit. Also called pit, to, destone, to

stone crab United States A large edible crab, Menippe mercenaria, with very large claws, from the coast of Florida

stone cream England A very old Buckinghamshire dish which is a gelatinestabilised mixture of milk combined with lightly whipped cream and egg whites, sweetened with vanilla sugar and poured before setting into glasses with jam on the base. Approximately equal quantities of milk and cream are used and gelatine is required at the rate of 40 to 50 g per litre of liquid.

stoneground flour Flour which has been ground between a stationary and a rotating stone as opposed to rollers which are used to grind most flour nowadays. The slight frictional heating modifies the flavour of the flour.

stone plover Plover

stoneware Coarse ceramic dishes, pots and jugs etc. which are often only glazed on the inside

stör Sweden Sturgeon Stör Germany Sturgeon

storage temperatures Recommended storage temperatures for food are precooked, –3°C for up to 5 days; chilled, less than 5°C; eggs in shell, –10 to-16°C for up to 1 month; bakery produce, –18 to – 40°C, blanched vegetables, less than –18°C; apples and pears, –1 to +4°C

store A designated room, cupboard, refrigerator or freezer where foods are kept in their purchased or partially processed condition prior to use

Störe Germany Sturgeon

store to To keep foods and articles for future use, either in a dry store, vegetable store, refrigerator or freezer

storione Italy Sturgeon

stortini Italy Small pasta crescents used in soup

stove, to Scotland A Scottish term dating from the 17th century derived from the French étouffer, meaning to cook in a closed pot, generally in the oven at around 150°C, e.g. stoved chicken

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stoved chicken

stoved chicken Scotland A dish of chicken pieces sealed and casseroled in a closed pot with bacon, potatoes, onions, thyme, seasoning and chicken stock at 150°C in the oven

stovies Scotland Boiled potatoes (colloquial) stoviglie Italy Earthenware

straccetti Italy Thin slices

Stracchino Italy A soft cows’ milk cheese from the north cultured with Streptococcus thermophilus, coagulated with rennet, the curd then heated to 80°C for 6 to 10 hours in square 20 cm moulds, salted in brine and matured for 7 to 10 days. Also called crescenza (NOTE: Originally made in the autumn from the milk of cows’ brought down from Alpine pasture, from stracche meaning ‘tired’)

Stracchino di Gorgonzola Italy The original Gorgonzola made from an evening’s and the following morning’s milking of cows being brought down from mountain pasture and resting at the town of Gorgonzola. The evening curd which cooled overnight was mixed with the next morning’s curd and gave a heterogeneous mixture which encouraged mould growth.

stracciata Italy Chiffonade of e.g. lettuce stracciate Italy A flat cake

stracciatella Italy A beef or chicken broth into which a mixture of beaten eggs, semolina and grated Parmesan is whisked to give solid ragged-looking strands

stracciato Italy Scrambled, of eggs

stracci di antrodoco Italy Pancakes layered with cheese, meat and vegetables

Strachur haddock Scotland Finnan haddock poached for 4 minutes then skinned, deboned and flaked, placed in a buttered ovenproof dish, covered with double cream, peppered, baked for 10 minutes at 180°C then flashed under the grill (NOTE: After the Scottish village of Strachur, which lies on the eastern shore of Loch Fyne, in the Firth of Clyde)

stracotto Italy A very slowly cooked pot roast or meat stew

straight neck squash A summer squash common in the US

strain, to To pass a mixture of solid particles and liquid through a strainer, colander, sieve, chinois, muslin cloth, etc. to separate the solid and liquid either of which may be the desired product

strain 0157:H7 A strain of the gut bacteria, Escherichia coli, found in hamburger-type minced beef which has picked up toxinproducing genes from Shigella. These toxins can destroy gut and kidney cells, leading to

diarrhoea and kidney failure. The incubation period is 3 to 4 days. Common in the USA, and has occurred in Europe, Africa, Australia and Japan. The organism is killed by a temperature of 70°C for 2 minutes.

strainer General name for colander, sieve or chinois

straining bag A cloth bag used to filter liquids

Strandkohl Germany Sea kale Strandkrabbe Germany Shore crab strangolapreti Italy Small dumplings similar

to strozzapreti and for the same purpose, i.e. to strangle, figuratively, the priest. There are many local spellings all beginning with strang- for what was obviously a widespread problem.

strapazzato Italy Scrambled, e.g. of eggs strasbourgeoise, à la France In the

Strasbourg style, i.e. cooked with sauerkraut, bacon and foie gras

Strasburg sausage Australia A manufactured slicing sausage rather like garlic sausage

strascinati Italy Baked ravioli with sauce

Strassburger Truffelleberwurst Germany A liver sausage flavoured with truffles

stravecchio Italy Very old, mature. Used of cheese or other food items which might improve with age.

strawberries Romanoff United States

Strawberries steeped in an orange-flavoured liqueur and served with crème chantilly

strawberry The sweet, flavoursome and decorative fruit of a ground-creeping perennial plant, Fragaria x ananasa, generally conical, up to 5 cm long and consisting of a cluster of small fleshy globules, each of which has a single seed on the outer surface, around a central fleshy stem, with the remains of the calyx at the broad end. Eaten on their own with cream and possibly caster sugar or in made-up desserts, tarts, cakes and jams. See also wild strawberry, alpine strawberry

strawberry beets United States Very small beetroots used for pickling or in salads

strawberry guava A smaller and sweeter version of the guava, Psidium cattleianum, from Brazil with small reddish-purple fruit. Also called cattley

strawberry shortcake United States A large scone-like cake split whilst warm, buttered and made into a sandwich with whipped cream and sliced strawberries as a filling

straw chips See straw potatoes

straw mushroom A globular, stemless edible mushroom, Volvariella volvacea, grown on beds of straw in China. Available canned, but not dried, for use in Chinese and Japanese dishes. It is fawn when young but becomes

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grey-black and gelatinous as it matures. Also called grass mushroom, yellow mushroom, paddy straw mushroom

straw potatoes Well-washed and drained julienne potatoes deep-fried at 185°C until golden brown and crisp, drained and lightly salted and used as a garnish for grilled meat. Also called pommes pailles, straw chips

straws See cheese straws

streaky bacon Bacon from the rib cage and belly of the pig which when sliced shows alternate strips of lean and fat. Often used to line terrines and pâté dishes.

Streckrübe Germany Swede

Streichwurst Germany The generic name for any paste-like spreading sausage

Streptococcus A genus of bacteria used for the production of lactic acid in the manufacture of cheese and sauerkraut. Some of the species are pathogenic.

Streptococcus lactis ssp. cremoris One of the microorganisms used in the starter cultures for soured cream, buttermilk and English cheeses

Streptococcus lactis ssp. diacetilicos As

S. lactis ssp. cremoris.

Streptococcus lactis ssp. lactis As S. lactis ssp. cremoris.

Streptococcus thermophilus One of the microorganisms used in starter cultures for yoghurt and continental cheeses

Stretford black pudding England Black pudding flavoured with ground marjoram, mint and pennyroyal

streusel United States A mixture of flour or breadcrumbs with sugar, butter and spices used as a crumble topping on baked goods streusel cake A slightly sweet yeasted cake with a crumble topping of sugar flavoured with cinnamon or mixed spice from Central

and Northern Europe

Streuselkuchen Germany Streusel cake string bean 1. United States French bean 2.

United Kingdom Runner bean

string cheese United States A cows’ milk cheese similar to Mozzarella which originated in Armenia and Georgia and is shaped as a small cylinder. Sometimes flavoured with caraway. Also called braid cheese

string hoppers Sri Lanka A thin pouring appa batter poured into hot fat through a moving funnel to give long threads of cooked dough. Also called hoppers

striped bass A medium-oily seawater fish,

Morone saxatilus and Roccus saxatilus, which spawns in fresh water and is found off the coasts of North America. It has a deep olive-green body with longitudinal stripes

strudel

and weighs up to 2.5 kg. The flesh is white and flaky and it may be cooked in any way. Also called rockfish

striped bream A small seawater bream,

Lithognathus mormyrus, with transverse dark grey stripes on a silvery background

striped mullet United States A species of mullet, Mugil cephalus, with longitudinal lines of dark grey on a silvery grey background

strip loin 1. Australia The fillet steak usually of lamb or pork, i.e. the longitudinal muscle that runs along the backbone between the inside of the ribs and the vertebrae. Usually sold as the long muscle. 2. United States The round longitudinal muscle from the back of the beef equivalent to the eye of a lamb loin, boneless and trimmed and usually cut in steaks

strip steak United States A beef steak cut from a boneless short loin and sirloin after the fillet has been removed. Popular in New York.

stroganoff See beef Stroganoff, bef stroganov strömming Sweden High-quality herring and sprats found only in the Baltic and

commanding a premium price

strömming à la Operakällaren Sweden

Cleaned and rinsed herrings and sprats with fins and tails removed, salted, marinated in a mixture of whipped egg and double cream (2:5) for at least an hour, removed, coated in wholemeal flour and shallow-fried in butter until well browned. Served with a simple parsley and lemon wedge garnish.

strömmingslada Sweden Young herrings filleted kipper-style (from the back), bones removed as far as possible, seasoned, placed in a buttered baking dish and gratinated with grated Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs in the oven until browned

strong flour Flour of any type made from a hard wheat, usually containing between 11 and 12% protein which is mostly gluten. Used mainly for bread and puff and choux pastry.

stroop Netherlands Syrup or molasses strozzapreti Italy Flourand egg-based

dumplings or gnocchi flavoured with spinach, basil, nutmeg and grated cheese, poached and served with a tomato sauce (NOTE: Literally ‘choke the priest’, allegedly to fill up the priest when he called on his parishioners.)

struccoli Italy Sweet pastry rolls filled with fruit or cream cheese

strudel, Strudel Austria, Italy A generic name for a rectangle of strudel pastry spread with a sweet or savoury filling, layered or rolled up

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strudel pastry

like a Swiss roll and, after further proving and egg-washing, baked at 190°C for approximately 1 hour

strudel pastry A wafer-thin pastry common in Austria and Hungary but originating in the Middle East and brought to Europe in the Ottoman invasions of the 15th century. Made from strong white bread flour, beaten egg, melted butter (4:1:1), vinegar and salt, all mixed to a silky dough, rested, rolled out and stretched until thin, then layered to build up thickness. Other formulations omit the vinegar and include milk, sugar and lemon zest and use yeast to raise the dough as in bread dough production. See also filo pastry

struffoli Italy A pasty filled with cooked sliced onion

strutto Italy Lard

Stück Germany 1. Steak 2. A piece

stucolo Italy A north Italian version of strudel, usually layered rather than rolled

stud, to To insert small items such as cloves, sprigs of herbs or slivers of garlic or the like regularly at intervals over the surface of a food item such as an onion or a joint of meat. Also called piqué, to

stuet Norway Creamed stufatino Italy Stufato

stufato Italy Beef braised in red wine with onions, tomatoes, celery, garlic and ham. Also called stufatino

stuff, to To fill the central abdominal cavity of animals or fish or of hollowed out vegetables or fruit with a sweet or savoury stuffing or forcemeat

stuffau Italy A beef stew from Sardinia. See also ghisau

stuffed derma Kishka

stuffed olive A green preserved olive which has been destoned and the central cavity filled with a small piece of anchovy, a piece of sweet red pepper, a caper or the like

stuffing A sweet or savoury mixture or forcemeat used to fill the cavity of animals, fish or hollowed out vegetables or of fruits prior to cooking. See also forcemeat

stump England A northern vegetable purée made from a combination of carrots, swedes and potatoes mashed with milk, butter and seasoning

sturgeon A medium to large anadromous fish found in the rivers that flow into the Caspian Sea, Black Sea, the western Pacific and the eastern Atlantic oceans. It has a firm white to pink flesh which may be baked, fried, grilled or smoked. They have armour-plated bodies and an elongated snout with a dark greygreen back. The females, which are caught in the estuaries of the rivers to which they

return to spawn, are the source of caviar which may amount to 22 kg from a single fish. There are about 24 species but the important ones in order of size are the sterlet and the sevruga, osciotre, common and beluga sturgeon.

stuvad Sweden Creamed

stuvad kalvbräss Sweden Kalvbräss-stuvning stuvas potatis Sweden Diced potatoes, sweated in butter, boiled with minimum milk and salt until tender, seasoning adjusted and

flavoured with chopped herbs stuvet Denmark Creamed

stuvet oksekød Denmark Stewed beef stuvning Sweden Stew

su 1. Japan Rice vinegar 2. Turkey Water sua Vietnam Milk

sua bhati South Asia Dill seed suacia Italy Scald, the fish

su-age Japan Deep-frying of food without any coating

suan China Preliminary boiling of large cuts of meat prior to other forms of cooking

suan la tang China Hot and sour soup from Canton

suan mei jiang China Hoisin sauce suan niu nai China Yoghurt

suave Mexico Mildly and subtly flavoured sub United States Hoagie

sub gum geung China Chow chow preserve submarine United States Hoagie

subo benachin West Africa A stew from Gambia made with beef, lamb or fish together with onions, chillies, tomatoes, rice and seasoning

subrics France Croquettes sautéed without being panéed or coated

subtilisin A protease obtained from various Bacillus strains of bacteria, used for flavour production from soya bean and milk protein (casein)

succari orange Egypt A variety of acidless orange with a highly adhering skin and a large number of seeds, very sweet but without the familiar orange flavour

succinic acid See E363 succo Italy Juice succory Belgian chicory

succotash United States A Native North American dish taken over and adapted by the Pilgrim Fathers, consisting of cooked lima beans and sweetcorn kernels heated together with cream and seasoning. Often served at Thanksgiving.

succu tundu Italy Fregula

suck cream England A Cornish dessert made from cream and egg yolks (2 yolks per litre)

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which are mixed with lemon juice and zest and sugar to taste and heated over a double boiler until thick. The mixture is then poured into glasses and eaten cold with long pieces of toast off which it is sucked.

sucker United States Various freshwater fishes of the Catostomidae family, with a thick-lipped mouth adapted for sucking, most with sweet white flesh

suckling A young unweaned animal suckling pig, sucking pig A small unweaned

baby pig 3 to 6 weeks old which is usually roasted

suco Portugal Juice

suco de laranja Portugal Orange juice sucre Catalonia, France Sugar

sucré(e) France Sweetened or sweet (as opposed to savoury)

sucre cristallisé France Granulated or caster sugar. See also sucre en poudre, sucre semoule

sucre d’orge France Barley sugar

sucre en morceaux France Lump or cube sugar

sucre en poudre France Castor sugar sucre filé France Spun sugar

sucre glace France Icing sugar

sucre semoule France Granulated sugar sucrose A disaccharide composed of a

glucose and a fructose unit which is the normal commercial variety found in cane and beet sugar

sucuk Turkey Sausage flavoured with garlic and herbs

sudachi Japan A small citrus fruit, Citrus sudachi, similar to kabosu but only about one third of its weight. Used in the same way.

sudako Japan Octopus pickled in vinegar Sudanese pepper A dried and ground hot

chilli pepper from the Middle East sudare Japan Makisu

sudulunu Sri Lanka Garlic suduru Sri Lanka Cumin

suédoise France A dessert of sugared fruit and jelly

suédoise, sauce France Mayonnaise mixed with apple purée and grated horseradish

suen China Bamboo shoots suen tau China Garlic suer, faire France To sweat suero Spain Whey

suet The hard fat surrounding kidneys which has very good cooking properties. Used for suet pastry and puddings and in sweet mincemeat fillings. Commercial suet is granulated and coated with up to 15% flour or starch to prevent sticking.

sugar cooking

suet crust pastry See suet pastry

suet pastry Self-raising flour and shredded beef suet (2:1) with a little salt brought together with water, kneaded slightly and rested. Also called suet crust pastry

suet pudding United Kingdom A traditional pudding made from chopped or granulated suet, breadcrumbs, flour, sugar, eggs, milk and flavourings, steamed or boiled in a covered pudding basin and served with a sweet sauce

sufed kaddu South Asia Wax gourd suffle Italy Soufflé

Suffolk ham England Ham cured in beer and sugar or molasses. It has a deep golden skin and a rich red-brown meat with a blue bloom.

Suffolk sausage England A meaty pork sausage flavoured with herbs

suffritu Italy Soffrito calabrese

sugar The sweet-tasting water-soluble monosaccharides and disaccharides crystallized from plant juices (sucrose, fructose) or obtained, usually as syrups, by breaking down starch (glucose, maltose). See also jaggery, palm sugar, brown sugar, lump sugar

sugar apple Sweet sop

sugar batter biscuit method A method of making biscuits, e.g. langues de chat, by creaming butter and sugar, mixing in eggs to form a stable emulsion, then blending in the dry ingredients

sugar beet A variety of beet, Beta vulgaris, whose roots when mature contain a high concentration of sucrose which is extracted using water and crystallized from the solution sugar cane The thick bamboo-like canes of a tropical grass, Saccharum officinarum, about 2 m long by 4 to 5 cm diameter Sometimes sold in pieces as a sweet for children to chew, but usually chopped and crushed to a give a liquid from which sucrose

is crystallized

sugar cooking The process of modifying sugar (pure granulated sucrose) by dissolving it in a little water then heating it without stirring to various temperatures to produce various non-crystalline consistencies until finally there is caramelization which changes its flavour and chemical composition. The stages are: small thread (103°C), large thread (107°C), soft ball (115°C), hard ball (121°C), hard crack (157°C), and caramel (182°C). With practice these stages can be judged by the behaviour of the sugar between the fingers or when dropped into cold water or on a cold plate. In the USA the stages recognized are thread

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sugar crust pastry

(110°C), soft ball (112°C), firm ball (118°C), soft crack (132°C), hard crack (149°C) and caramel (154 to 170°C). The differences may be due to differences in the sugar. In France and Europe generally, the density of the sugar water mixture in °Be is often used but is rather inconvenient. Many names for the various stages exist and the above are not exclusive. Also called sugar boiling

sugar crust pastry United States Sugar pastry sugared almond A large Spanish almond coated with a layer of amorphous coloured and flavoured sugar. Also called Jordan

almond

sugar loaf A brickor cone-shaped mass of refined sugar made by pouring wet sugar crystals into moulds to dry. Sugar used to be sold in this form.

sugar loaf chicory A green leaved chicory, Cichorium intybus, which forms a conical head rather like cos lettuce. The leaves may be harvested separately or the whole head cut when mature. The inner leaves are naturally blanched and are less bitter than the outer leaves.

sugar lump See cube sugar

sugar maple tree A variety of maple, Acer saccharum, found in North America. The spring sap obtained by boring a hole in the trunk contains 1% to 4% saccharose and is used to prepare maple syrup and maple sugar.

sugar orange See acidless orange

sugar palm A large palm tree, Arenga saccharifera or A. pinnata, which grows to over 15 m. The sugary sap is obtained by beating the feathery immature male flower spike for 14 days, then as soon as the flowers open the spike is cut off at the base of the flowers and the sap collected. The beating and slicing off of a little more of the flower stem continues until the flow of sap stops.

sugar pastry Pastry made from soft flour, butter, eggs and sugar (8:5:2:2) with a little salt using the creaming or rubbing in method. Used for flans and fruit tartlets. Also called sugar crust pastry

sugar pea Mangetout sugar-snap pea Mangetout sugar sorghum Sweet sorghum

sugar substitutes See artificial sweeteners sugar syrup A solution of sugar in water. See

also syrup, light syrup

sugar thermometer A thermometer used to measure the temperature of boiling sugar syrups, usually calibrated from 50 to 200°C, sometimes marked with the stages of sugar cooking

sugna Italy Lard

sugo Italy Gravy, juice, sauce

sugo, al Italy Served with any sauce sugo di carne Italy Meat gravy

suif France Mutton fat or suet suiker Netherlands Sugar

suimono Japan A delicate clear soup served in a fine lacquered bowl with traditionally three additional ingredients, a few pieces of fish, shellfish or chicken, a few decorative vegetables, mushrooms or pieces of seaweed and a piquant or fragrant addition such as ginger juice, lemon peel or yuzu. Often accompanied by sashimi.

suino Italy Pig, pork

suisse France An unsalted soft fresh cheese made from cows’ milk enriched with cream. The mixture is curdled with a small quantity of rennet and left to stand for 1 to 2 days. The soft curd is then collected and packed into 60 g pots for immediate consumption. Served with fruit, desserts, etc. See also petit-suisse, demi-suisse

suji South Asia Semolina

suka Philippines A low acidity (1 to 3% acetic acid) vinegar with a pleasant aroma made from coconut sap

sukade Netherlands Candied peel sukat Norway Candied lemon peel

sukha bhoona South Asia Sautéing in Indian cooking. See also bhoona

sukiyaki Japan Very thin slices of beef fried at the table in oil, soya sauce, rice wine, sugar and water added followed by squares of bean curd and sliced vegetables, the whole cooked for a few minutes, then taken by guests, dipped in beaten raw egg followed by a dipping sauce and eaten with rice (NOTE: Literally ‘broiled on a ploughshare’.)

sukiyakinabe Japan A shallow iron pan used for cooking sukiyaki

sukker Denmark, Norway Sugar sukkererter Norway Petit pois, sugar peas sukkerkavring Norway Sweet biscuit suklaa Finland Chocolate suklaakuorrute Finland Chocolate icing

sukuma wiki East Africa A Kenyan dish made by simmering left-over chunks of cooked meat with onions, tomatoes and sweet peppers and a large amount of green leaf vegetable (NOTE: Literally ‘push the weak’, i.e. for the time when there is nothing better to eat.)

Sulperknochen Germany Pickled pork boiled with sauerkraut

sulphites Salts of sulphurous acid which is formed when sulphur dioxide is dissolved in excess water, used as food preservative.

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Common in the food industry are sodium sulphite E221 and calcium sulphite E226. sulphur dioxide E220, a pungent and irritating gas which dissolves in water to form sulphurous acid or its salts the sulphites, hydrogen sulphites and metabisulphites, all of which liberate the gas in solution. It is one of the most common preservatives used in

foods.

sulphuric acid See E513

sultanas Dried seedless white grapes kept light-coloured by treatment with sulphur dioxide

sultanina Italy Sultana Sultanine Germany Sultana

Suluguni Southwest Asia A Georgian cheese rather like haloumi

sülün Turkey Pheasant

-sülze Germany In aspic

Sülzwurst Germany A type of brawn made with large pieces of cooked pork from the head and leg, sometimes with sliced mushrooms, in a wine-flavoured aspic jelly. Usually sliced and served with French dressing.

sumac England, France The dried red berries of a Middle Eastern bush, Rhus coriaria, containing several small brown seeds with a sour flavour. Commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking.

Sumach Germany Sumac

suman Philippines Glutinous rice or other starchy material possibly mixed with coconut cream and sweetened, wrapped in young banana leaves, boiled and served with grated coconut as a dessert

sumibiyaki Japan Charcoal grilling. Often done at the table, especially in ryotei.

summer flounder United States A large flatfish, Paralichthys dentatus, related to plaice but up to 1 m long with a dark grey to brown spotted skin, found all along the east coast of North America. It is mainly caught in summer when it moves to shallow waters. The flesh is firm, white and non-oily and may be cooked in any way. Also called northern fluke

summer melon Fuzzy melon

summer pudding United Kingdom A uncooked pudding of soft fruits and bread made from a sauce of sieved raspberries, icing sugar and liqueur, which after warming slightly is mixed with a variety of soft fruits. White crustless bread soaked in the juice from this mixture is used to line a mould, the fruits are packed into the lined mould which is covered with more sauce-soaked bread and the whole left under pressure and

sunflower seeds

chilled. When firm the pudding is demoulded onto a plate and garnished as appropriate.

summer purslane A half-hardy low-growing plant, Portulaca oleracea, with slightly succulent leaves used in salads or as a vegetable. There are two varieties, green leaved with the better flavour and the yellow or garden type which looks better in salads. The leaves may be cut regularly during the summer. Also called pigweed, portulaca, common purslane, green purslane

summer sausage United States The general term for keeping sausages made with cured pork and beef, similar to cervelat. Sometimes dried and smoked.

summer savory An annual herb, Satureja hortensis, with a taste like a mixture of rosemary and thyme with a hint of pepper. It has slightly larger and more rounded leaves than the winter variety and a sparser habit. Used in the same way as winter savory.

summer squash Various fruits of the genus Cucurbita, which are normally harvested when immature before the skin hardens, and the whole fruit used as a vegetable. The most common is the vegetable marrow, the juvenile version of which is the courgette. Examples of USA squashes are crookneck, straight neck, scallop or patty pan, cocozelle, beinz and vegetable spaghetti.

sumo domoda West Africa A meat or fish stew from Gambia containing fried onions, tomato purée, peanut butter, chillies and seasoning

Sumpfmyrte Germany Bog myrtle su mui jeong China Plum sauce

sunberry 1. Wonderberry 2. A hybrid blackberry of the genus Rubus

sunchoke United States Jerusalem artichoke

sundae An elaborate decorated dessert made with ice cream, whipped cream, fruit or chocolate sauces and chopped nuts

sunflower A tender annual, Helianthus annuus, which grows up to 3 m high with a large yellow daisy type of flower. The seeds are a major source of vegetable oil and are often eaten raw or roasted especially as a snack. The flower buds may be steamed and served like globe artichokes.

sunflower (seed) oil One of the commonest European vegetable oils extracted from sunflower seeds. Suitable for all culinary uses and used to make margarine. Can be heated to high temperatures without burning.

sunflower seeds The seeds of the sunflower, eaten raw or roasted as a snack or used in salads

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