cook's glossary

Also known as kanah, gai lum, chinese broccoli and chinese kale. Can be served steamed or stir-fried, in soups and noodle dishes.

Also known as ka, a rhizome with a hot ginger-citrusy flavour. Sometimes known as thai, siamese or laos ginger, it also comes in a dried powdered form called laos. Fresh ginger can be substituted but the flavour of the dish will not be the same.

blend of ground spices, including cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, cloves, coriander and fennel

also known as chinese chives; have a wide, flat and hollow stem and posses a distinct garlic flavour

mixture of fine garlic powder and free-running table salt

Powdered gelatine can be used as a setting agent. It is also available in sheets called leaf gelatine.

Clarified butter; with the milk solids removed, this fat can be heated to a high temperature without burning.

FRESH also known as green or root ginger; the thick gnarled root of a tropical plant. Can be kept, peeled, covered with dry sherry in a jar and refrigerated, or frozen in an airtight container.
GLACÉ fresh ginger root preserved in sugar syrup
GROUND also known as powdered ginger; used as a flavouring in sweet dishes but cannot be substituted for fresh ginger
PICKLED PINK gari sweet pink pickled ginger eaten with sushi and sashimi.
PICKLED RED beni-shoga savoury red pickled ginger is sometimes used as a filling in sushi rolls.

japanese grates more finely than Western graters to produce fresh ginger pulp, from which ginger juice can be extracted. Use a pastry brush to remove ginger.

Mixed fruits cooked in a heavy sugar syrup then dried.