Your Go-To Source for Culinary Vocabulary

The Kitchenary

We have all been there...halfway through a recipe, knife in hand with a pan sizzling in the background, and suddenly stumped by a cooking term you aren't sure about. What does deglazing mean? Why do I want to reduce the yummy sauce I am making? How are you supposed to cream ingredients when there is no cream in sight?

Well...this is your comprehensive source for 444+ culinary terms: from the basics to expert lingo, all explained in real-life language. And, if you're a seasoned home cook, don't worry - there are plenty of tips, tricks, and handy references to explore as well.

Ready for a little retro fun? If you’d like to see how they explained things back in the day, enjoy the video below (1949’s finest mansplaining included).

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A small bundle of herbs – traditionally parsley, thyme, and bay leaf – used to infuse flavor into soups, stews, stocks, and braises. Typically composed of fresh or dried herbs tied together with a string or enclosed in cheesecloth (with whole spices). Usually the bouquet garni is added near the end of cooking and removed prior to serving.

Bouquet Garni

A small bundle of herbs – traditionally parsley, thyme, and bay leaf – used to infuse flavor into soups, stews, stocks, and braises. Typically composed of fresh or dried herbs tied together with a string or enclosed in cheesecloth (with whole spices). Usually the bouquet garni is added near the end of cooking and removed prior to serving.

Mise en Place

Means "everything in its place," is the professional kitchen practice of preparing and organizing all ingredients, tools, and equipment before beginning to cook. This includes washing, chopping, measuring, and arranging everything needed for a recipe. It's considered the foundation of efficient cooking and reduces errors.

Blend

A mixing technique that combines ingredients uniformly without incorporating excess air. Blending can be done by hand, with electric mixers, or with blenders, depending on the consistency desired.

Roux

A mixture of equal parts flour and fat (usually butter) cooked together to varying degrees of doneness, serving as a thickening agent for soups, sauces, and gravies. The cooking time determines the roux's color and flavor: white roux (3 to 5 minutes) for béchamel and cream sauces, blonde roux (5 to 10 minutes) for velouté, and brown roux (15 to 20 minutes) for darker sauces like espagnole. Proper roux technique requires constant stirring to prevent burning and achieve smooth consistency. The darker the roux, the less thickening power it has but the more complex flavor it provides.

Slice

Slicing creates uniform, thin pieces by cutting straight down through food with a smooth, rocking motion from knife tip to heel. This fundamental technique forms the basis for most knife work, requiring proper blade angle and consistent thickness for even cooking. Good slicing technique involves moving the knife, not the food, while maintaining the claw grip for safety.

Toast

(Not the breakfast food.)

To brown food by dry heat, either in a toaster, oven, or skillet, intensifying flavor and crispness (e.g., bread, nuts, spices).

Mother Sauces

The five classic French base sauces (béchamel, velouté, espagnole, hollandaise, and tomato) from which many other sauces are made ("Daughter Sauces").

Béchamel

One of the five French mother sauces, béchamel is a white sauce made from butter, flour (roux), and milk. It serves as the base for many other sauces and is essential in dishes like lasagna and gratins.

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