The language of English cuisine is unusual in that it uses many words of foreign origin, often
in their original spelling. The purpose of this dictionary is to give short definitions of these
words so that both the practising chef and the amateur enthusiast, the gastronome and the
student may quickly determine the meaning. It is not a recipe book or a repertoire, but it
does give the ingredients of classic and well-known dishes, together with a brief summary of
the cooking processes. A picture of a chef’s hat indicates dishes that the professional or
amateur cook could, after a little experimentation, roughly reproduce.
As in all dictionaries, the compiler has had to be selective in the words chosen for inclusion.
Even so, the dictionary lists over 24,000 words, of which very few are not in current use
somewhere in the English-speaking world. Some entries have been included for historical
reasons and the browser will find much of interest. Classic dishes, ingredients, cooking
processes, cooking implements and equipment, descriptions of function and details of
service are included as well as scientific, botanical, medical, technological, hygienic and
nutritional terms. Many single words appertaining to the catering industry from the countries
of the European Union are translated, and the dictionary is of use in translating menu items
not included. Drinks, wines and spirits are not included except where they are used as
flavourings in food and food preparation.