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Table Salt
A finely ground sodium chloride, often with additives to prevent clumping and sometimes with iodine for nutritional supplementation. It dissolves quickly, delivers a strong salty taste, and is frequently used in both cooking and at the table for finishing dishes. Its flavor is distinct and sometimes sharper than kosher or sea salt.
Tempering (Cooking)
The careful heating or cooling of ingredients to blend without curdling, cooking, or deflating—often used with eggs, chocolate, or combining mixtures at different temperatures.
Temping
Temping in culinary contexts has two common meanings:
Measuring the internal temperature of foods using thermometers for safety and quality.
The process of bringing foods—especially meats—to room temperature before cooking for more even heat distribution and better texture. Allowing meat to come to room temperature before cooking helps prevent uneven doneness and ensures a juicier, more tender result when seared or roasted. The process usually involves removing the meat from refrigeration and letting it rest, covered, on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour (depending on thickness and size).
Terpene
A large class of aromatic compounds found in many herbs, spices, citrus, and plants that contribute distinctive flavors and fragrances to foods.
Texture
The physical feel and structure of food in the mouth (crunchy, creamy, chewy, smooth, etc.) a key part of the eating experience and food acceptance.
Thermometer, Candy
Measures high temperatures (up to ~400°F) for evaluating sugar stages (thread, soft ball, hard crack, etc.) during candy making or deep frying.
Thermometer, Meat
Thermometers designed to monitor the internal temperature of cooking meats for safety and preferred doneness.
Thinly Slice
To cut food into very slender, even pieces, enhancing tenderness, flavor absorption, and quick cooking.
Thread (Candy)
The first sugar-cooking stage reached when boiling sugar syrup for confections and syrups. At this point, sugar syrup is heated to approximately 230 to 235°F (110 to 113°C), and when a spoonful is dripped into cold water, it forms fine, flexible threads that do not ball up. This stage is primarily used for making syrups, icings, and liqueurs rather than firm candies.
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).
Torching
The technique of applying direct flame—usually via a handheld culinary torch—to food surfaces for caramelizing, browning, or adding smoky notes. It's widely used for finishing crème brûlée, meringues, roasted peppers, or even meats.
Toss
To toss is to gently mix ingredients (often salads or vegetables) by lifting and turning with utensils to coat them evenly.
Truss
To tie or secure poultry or meat with string or skewers to maintain shape and encourage even cooking.
Taste
The basic sensations sensed by taste buds—sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami—in food. It combines with aroma, texture, and temperature to form "flavor."
Tempering (Spices)
Commonly known as tadka, or chhonk in South Asian cuisine. This involves briefly frying whole spices (sometimes also aromatics like garlic, ginger, and chiles) in hot oil or ghee to release essential oils and enhance their flavors. The infused oil and spices are then added at the beginning or end of a dish to build layers of aroma and taste.
Tenderize
To break down tough protein fibers in meat, making it softer and easier to chew, using physical methods (mallet, needling), chemical (marinade), or low/slow cooking.
Terrine
A French dish made from finely or coarsely ground meats, fish, poultry, or vegetables, layered and baked in a covered earthenware or metal mold in a water bath (bain-marie), then served cold or at room temperature in neat slices. It often contains fat and seasonings, and sometimes dried fruits, aspic, or decorative garnishes. Once chilled, it is typically unmolded and sliced for serving, offering varying textures and flavors in each bite.
Thaw
The process of moving frozen food to a temperature above freezing so it becomes soft and safe for cooking.
Thermometer, Instant Read
Instant-read thermometers give quick temperature readings (usually digital) for a wide range of foods, helping ensure ideal doneness and food safety.
Thin
To thin means to dilute a mixture or batter by adding liquid until desired consistency is reached.
Thread (Skewering)
To pass pieces of food (meat, vegetables, fruit) onto a skewer for grilling, broiling, or serving.
To Taste
A culinary phrase instructing cooks to add an ingredient—usually salt, pepper, spices, or acid—in an amount that achieves the flavor intensity they personally desire, rather than following a fixed measurement. This method relies on the cook actively tasting the food during preparation and adjusting seasonings to suit individual or group preferences as well as the characteristics of the ingredients. It allows for flexibility in recipes, accommodating variations in ingredient freshness, cooking method, and personal palate. The goal is to balance and enhance flavor, not necessarily to reach a universally "correct" amou
Tongs
Handheld utensils resembling large tweezers or scissor-like implements, with two arms joined by a spring or pivot. They feature scalloped, flat, or silicone-coated ends designed to grip, lift, turn, and serve foods safely and precisely. Tongs come in various lengths - from 6 to 16 inches - to suit tasks ranging from plating delicate garnishes to flipping large cuts of meat on a grill. Their design allows cooks to handle hot or slippery items without risking burns or dropping food, offering superior control compared to spatulas or forks.
Toss-Up
A colloquial kitchen term describing a dish or situation that is left to chance, quick improvisation, or whatever ingredients or outcome is easily available—it’s often used for clean-out-the-fridge meals or informal mixing.
Tournier
French knife technique used to cut vegetables into a football shape with seven curved equal sides and flat ends. French cuisine has standard sizes varying in length and thickness: Chateau, Anglaise, Cocotte, and Olivette.
