Vocab Flashcards
A la minute
A manner of doing things at the last minute.
Achiote
A shrub or small tree known for the seeds from it’s fruit, “Annato Seeds”, used in achiote paste, typically used to color and marinade meats.
Adobado
Immersion of raw food in a stock/sauce usually including paprika, oregano, salt, garlic, and vinegar. Preserves and enhances the flavor of the original raw food.
Aguamiel
Maguery cactus sap.
Ahogada
Drowned in sauce or wet. As in quesadilla ahogada or torta ahogada.
Al Carbón
Barbecued over wood or charcoal. (i.e., Pollo Al Carbón)
Al Pastor
A dish developed in central mexico, likely as a result o the adoption of the Shawarma spit-grilled meat brought by Lebanese immigrants to Mevico. Being derived from shawarma, it is also similar to the Turkish done kebab and the Greek gyros. Whereas shawarma is usually lamb-based (thus the “shepard style” name), gyros and tacos al pastor are made from pork.
Anaheim Pepper
Mild variety of the New Mexico chile pepper. When they are grown in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico they are referred to as Hatch Chiles.
Ancho Chile
Aged, dried Poblano peppers.
It is broad and 3 to 4 inches long, a deep-reddish brown; it ranges in flavor from mild to pungent.
Asado
Marinated then broiled meats
Atole
Hot, masa based corn beverage. Usually Masa, piloncillo, cinnamon, vanilla. Often served with chocolate, which is called “Champurrado”.
Bacalao
Salted cod, which has been preserved by drying after salting.
Drying preserves many nutrients and process of salting and drying codfish is said to make it tastier. In some regions of Mexico, it is soaked in warm water overnight and then dipped in flour, battered and egg and fried. Once the fish is fried, it is then simmered in red sauce and served on Christmas dinner.
Barbacoa
A style of cooking, the original “barbecue” (from the Taíno people in the Carribean). Can be slow cooked over fire, or buried and steamed under manguey leaves. Can refer to any meat that’s steamed until tender.
Barley
Cereal Grain. Mainly used for adding malt. Present in most beer.
In 2005, Barley ranked fourth in quantity produced and in area of cultivation of cereal crops in the world.
Blanch
To plunge a food item into salted boiling water very briefly, and then into ice water, to stop the cooking process.
Bolillo
Crusty rolls used for tortas. A variant of a baguette.
Bolsa
Bag.
Bolsa
Bag.
Brunoise
A mixture of vegetable that has been finely diced. Or a knife cut measuring 1/8th of an inch.
Cajeta
A Mexican confection of thickened syrup, made of sweetened caramelized goat’s milk. This is the goat’s milk version of dulce de leche.
Calamansi
A bitter lime from the Philippines. It has a fragrant, orange flesh, and a dark green skin.
Camotes
Translates to “sweet potatoes”, traditionally glazed with piloncillo.
Canela
Cinnamon
Carnitas
Literally means “little meats”, this style originated in Michoacán. Pork is braised or simmered in oil or lard for several hours until tender and juicy. Typically served with cilantro, onion, salsa, guacamole, refried beans and tortillas.
Cascabel
Also known as the rattle chili, because it has the tendency of its loose seeds to rattle inside a dried casabel when shaken. Color of the fresh chiles blend from green to red, but darkens when dried.
Cayenne
Pepper, typically ground and made into spice.
Cebada
Translates to “barley” in Spanish, but refers to the beverage known as “Agua de Cebada”. Similar in recipe to Horchata, this is a barley-based beverage. The barley is soaked and boiled with water, and creates a milky liquid. Most recipes add cinnamon and vanilla, then served over ice.
There is cebada in the Gringo cocktail.
Ceviche
A style of cooking raw fish without heat– instead acid (usually citrus, lime or lemon) is added to the fish which “cooks” it.
Chapulín
Small grasshoppers, a commonly eaten snack in Mexico—especially Oaxaca. Typically they are toasted on a comal with garlic, lime, and salt, which gives them a sour-spicy-salty taste.
Chicharrones
Technically this refers to a cooking technique of frying something very thing to make it puffy and crispy.Colloquially, it refers to pork skin prepared in this style.
Chile Meco
Chipotle pepper. Smoke dried Jalapeno.
Chile Toreado
A chile rubbed between your hands (like a tornado, hence the name) to loosen the seeds and the veins and increase the heat of the chile. Usually served alongside a meal, and you’re meant to alternate bites between the food and the chile.
Chivo
Goat.
Chorizo
A type of pork sausage made since Roman times. While exact styles vary worldwide, Mexican Chorizo is usually flavored with native chili peppers and encased in a natural intestine casing. They can be fresh, in which case they must be cooked before eating, or fermented/cured/smoked to be a dry sausage, which can be sliced and eaten or added to other dishes.
Churro
a fried dough (choux) pastry, often incorporating cinnamon, chocolate, and other spices. Sometimes served knotted, sometimes long and thick, and often dipped in hot chocolate or café con leche.
Cilantro
The bright green leaves and stem of the coriander plant. Has a soapy, citrusy taste. Often used alongside hot/spicy foods.
Coctel
Spanish for cocktail, usually refers to poached or marinated seafood in a tomato based cocktail sauce.
Comal
Smooth flat griddle typically used to cork tortillas. Generally made of heavy cast iron.
Coriander
Spice made from the seed of the coriander plant. Similar flavor to lemon, sage, caraway. Not similar in flavor to Cilantro, despite the shared parent.
Cotija Cheese
A hard cow’s milk cheese that originated in Mexico. Comes as “Cotija de Montaña/ Grain Cheese” which is dry, firm, and salty. “Tajo” cheese is moister and fattier, not dissimilar to parmesan or feta.
Crema Sorbet
Crema is 2 parts cream to 1 part buttermilk. No eggs.
Crémeux
French for “creamy”, its a dense, soft, classic pudding.
Cryo-Vac
Vacuum sealing
Doritos (AKA Duros)
Popular Mexican snack food made of puffed wheat, flavored with chili and lime. Not available in Cool Ranch or Nacho Cheesier.
Dulce de Leche
Literally “milk candy” in Spanish, it is a confection made by slowly heating sweetened milk that results in a sweet, caramel-like mixture.
Escabeche
A pickling mixture. At BS Taqueria, it has onion, garlic, carrot, and chiles.
Espelette Pepper
Although not native to the basque region— it was brought to the area from Mexico in the 16th century— the Espelette pepper has become a specialty of the region. This chili pepper is bright red, with a long tapered body and a flavor that’s slightly sweet and rich with spicy heat similar to a Jalapeño. The basques use this pepper much like black peppercorn is used in the states. The pepper holds the french AOC certification, which means only peppers sold in Espelette (or one of 9 other villages) that have been sun dried for 15+ days can be sold as Espelette Peppers.
Esquites
A small snack of boiled, then sautéed corn. The word comes from the Nahiatl word “ízquitl”, which means “toasted corn”. The corn used is not dried, but fresh. Its boiled then sautéed with butter and onions and topped with lime juice, chile powder, salt and mayonnaise. Usually served in a cup.
Fleur De Sel
Sea Salt
Fennel
A broad bulbous base treated like a vegetable. Both base and stem can be eaten. Flavor is sweeter and more delicate than anise.
Romanesco
Romanesco broccoli, also known as Romanesque cauliflower or simply as Romanesco, is an edible flower bud of the species Brassica oleracea. First documented in Italy, it is light green in color. Romanesco has a striking appearance because its form is a natural approximation of a fractal. When compared to a traditional cauliflower, its texture as a vegetable is far more crunchy, and its flavour is not as assertive, being delicate and nutty.
