* roasted barley flour, a primary foodstuff of many Himalayan communities
tuckahoe * a starchy rootstock and formerly a staple plant food of Native Americans
tummelberry * a large Scottish hybridized raspberry, new to the market
urad * the mungo bean, an Indian pulse commonly used in the preparation of dhal
vadouvan * a masala paste featuring curry spices aromatized with garlic and shallots
vanaspati * a thick Indian vegetable oil used as a substitute for butter and ghee
vergaloo * a variety of white pear noted for its soft flavoursome flesh
verjuice * a condiment for the epicure, being the pressed sour juice of unripe fruit
vincotto * “boiled wine,” a thick kitchen stock obtained by cooking down grape must
wakame * “sesame seaweed,” an edible kelp skilfully exploited in East Asian cuisine
walmore * a dated name for the parsnip, carrot, or similar tuberous vegetable
wampee * the “yellow skin,” a citrusy food fruit cultivated widely throughout Asia
wardon * an ancient English cooking pear formerly renowned for its use in pies
wasabi * Japanese horseradish paste, a pungent accompaniment to sushi dishes
watercress * a peppery herb nowadays typically used as a garnish in sandwiches
waxpod * an edible dwarf French bean
wheatmeal * flour from whole wheat grains, with some loss of bran and germ
wineberry * a contender for the earliest word for grape in the English language
winter banana * an apple cultivar recommended for eating fresh in the hand
witherslacks * a Northern dialectal term for damsons
witloof * the Belgian endive, a type of chicory mostly grown as a salad green
xocolatl * chocolate, or “bitter water” in the original Nahuatl; a plant food produced from roasted cocoa beans and spices given to Aztec warriors as a reward for bravery
yatsufusa * a hot speciality chilli pepper native to Japan
ynneleac * an Anglo-Saxon onion; as the name suggests, onions and leeks are alliaceous vegetable cousins
youngberry * a raspberry, blackberry, and dewberry triple-hybrid food fruit
yuca * cassava or manioc root, an edible tuber rich in starch
yuzu * a fragrant Japanese citrus fruit; the rind is a garnish and the juice a seasoning
za’atar * Middle Eastern spice mix
zahidi * a common semi-dry date; it “dates” as a human food crop to 4000 BCE
zedoary * white turmeric, an aromatic culinary root with qualities similar to ginger
zenvy * ground wild mustard seeds used as a food spice in West Country patois
zerumbet * Indian “bitter ginger,” a rare traditional spice and flavouring agent
zinziber * an archaic name for ginger
zizypha * a cover term for a range of sweet edible berries or dates, or “jujubes”
zucchini * the courgette as it is known stateside, a popular summer squash
Items and Ingredients from the Animal World
“Nothing helps scenery like ham and eggs.”
—Mark Twain
abalone * a species of edible marine snails, enjoyed raw or cooked
acacia * the most popular variety of honey among modern consumers
aileron * in culinary parlance, poultry wings or fish fins used as food
aitchbone * a beef cut lying over the buttock, or rump bone, of cattle
albacore * a commercially important table fish, being the chief source of canned tuna
albondigas * small Spanish or Latin American-style meatballs
alecs * herring; a name also sometimes given to pickled anchovies
amberjacks * a genus of food and game fish found in temperate and tropical waters
andouille * a spicy smoked pork and tripe sausage popular in Cajun cooking
angelot * a soft, rich cheese from Normandy
animelles * a culinary term for testicles, most especially from oxen and sheep, cooked and served as food
anthotyros * a fresh, “flowery” traditional Greek whey cheese
appetitost * a nutty semisoft Danish cheese made from sour buttermilk
asadero * a flavourful semisoft white cheese from Mexico
asetra * a highly prized type of caviar, obtained from the Ossetra sturgeon
asiago * a many-textured Italian cow’s milk cheese
aspic * a clear jelly obtained from meat stock used to glaze cold savoury dishes
Australorp * a breed of chicken with a reputation as a copious egg producer
axayacatl * “Mexican caviar,” aquatic insect eggs enjoyed since Aztec times
ayren * hen’s eggs, as they were known in days of yore
baconer * a pig reared solely to produce bacon
barramundi * the Asian sea bass, a popular item in Thai cuisine
bêche-de-mer * the flesh of the sea-worm, esteemed in the Far East as a delicacy
beefalo * a bovine-bison hybrid; its meat is lower in fat and cholesterol than beef
beestings * the protein-rich super-milk yielded by a cow or goat upon giving birth
beluga * the world’s most expensive type of caviar, from the fish of the same name
bierkase * a semisoft “beer cheese” originating in Germany
biltong * “buttock-tongue,” strips of lean, cured meat eaten as field rations in the veld
bindenfleisch
