Glossary of Food and Cooking Terms - C

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Caerphilly
A mild, crumbly, moist, and slightly sour cows' milk cheese.

Calvados
A spirit made from distilled cider, in France.

Canapés
Small savoury appetisers served with drinks.

Cape Gooseberries
A small round fruit.

Capers
Pickled flower buds that originate in the Mediterranean.

Cape Gooseberries
A small round fruit.

Capon
A castrated cockerel, no longer legal to produce in the UK.

Capsicum
Generic name for the pepper family.

Caramelise
Heating sugar to the point where it melts and sets later to a hard glaze. Or, cooking fruit or vegetables until natural sugars are released and it becomes brown.

Cardamom
A small pungent seed pod used as a flavouring.

Cardoon
A large winter and spring vegetable, related to the artichoke, very popular with the Victorians.

Carob
A sweet fruit pod used in baking.

Cashew
A nut eaten dried, roasted and salted as a snack or in salads.

Casserole
Concoctions of food that are baked in various-sized deep dishes. Usually all the ingredients are mixed together or layered before cooking and topped with cheese.

Castor Sugar
Superfine sugar.

Caul Fat
A lacy fatty membrane from the internal organs of an animal, often used for wrapping faggots or pâtés.

Caviar
The salted and matured eggs or roe of sturgeon fish, Beluga is most expensive, followed by Oscietra and Sevruga.

Cavolo Nero
A strong flavoured cabbage, with dark green leaves

Cayenne Pepper
A hot ground spice used for flavouring.

Celeriac
A large root vegetable.

Celery Seeds
Dried celery seeds of, used in bread making, egg and fish dishes and Bloody Marys.

Chantilly Cream
Whipped cream sweetened and flavoured with vanilla.

Charcuterie
The term for pork meat or offal products, including cured and cooked meats.

Charlotte
A waxy, small, yellow potato, used in salads.

Chicon
A single bulb of chicory.

Chiffonade
Vegetables or herbs cut into fine strips.

Chinois
A conical strainer.

Chipolata
A small pork or beef sausage with special flavourings.

Chipolata
A small pork or beef sausage with special flavourings.

Choux Pastry
A light, double-cooked pastry used for cakes and buns.

Chowder
A thick, chunky seafood soup

Chuck
A cut of beef used for casseroles and stews.

Chump
A cut of lamb or pork.

Chutney
A spicy relish, often preserved.

Cilantro
The American name for coriander.

Clarified Butter
Butter that has been heated and strained and all impurities removed, cooks at a higher temperature without burning.

Clotted Cream
Thick, baked cream, from Cornwall or Devon.

Coconut
The fruit of the coconut palm, used in both sweet and savoury dishes.

Cod
A sea fish with flaky, white flesh.

Collar
A cut of pork.

Coral
Orange shellfish roe.

Cordial
A thick liquid, often fruit flavoured, usually intended for dilution as a drink.

Coriander
Used in both seed and leaf forms, coriander is used throughout the world for its unique flavoring. Also known as Cilantro.

Cornbread
Bread made from cornmeal flour.

Cornflour
A starch extract used to thicken sauces.

Corn Syrup
Very sweet syrup similar to golden syrup.

Coulis
A thick, smooth sauce made from fruit or vegetables.

Court-bouillon
An aromatic, spiced stock used for cooking fish and shellfish

Couscous
Course semolina that is used in many North African and Middle Eastern dishes. Usually it is steamed and served as a side dish to lamb or other meats.

Crab Apple
A small sour wild apple.

Cream of Tartar
A potassium salt of tartaric acid, used in baking powder, as well as in self-raising flour, in combination with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda).

Creaming
Mixing ingredients together until they become fluffy like whipped cream.

Crème Anglaise
The French name for custard.

Crème Brûlée
An egg custard dessert with a hard caramel topping.

Crème Fraîche
A sharp flavoured thick cream made from pasteurised milk.

Crêpe
Thin French pancake.

Croquette
Chopped meat or vegetables bound with a sauce, crumbed and fried into a crisp, brown cylindrical shape.

Croustades
The word derives from croute and literally means "pie". They can be made with boiled rice, mashed potates or hollowed out loaf of crusty bread. The croustades are then filled with ingredients and baked.

Croûtons
Small cubes of crispy, fried bread used as a garnish.

Cumberland Sauce
A cold sauce, served with ham, sausages and pâté.

Curd
The solid residue of coagulated milk that is separated from liquid whey after acidification in cheese making.

Curry Powder
A mixture of spices used as a flavouring.

Custard
A thick, sweet milk based sauce, served hot or cold with desserts.