Food Glossary

Question 1

Semolina

sem-uh-lee-nuh

Answer 1

Semolina is a type of durum wheat used for pasta making and other applications where high gluten is needed. Gluten, a protein found in cereal grains, is what gives pasta its chew or texture when you bite into the noodle.

Question 2

Prosciutto

proh-shoo-toh

Answer 2

Prosciutto is an Italian ham cured by drying and typically served in very thin slices.

Question 3

Guanciale

wahn-chall-eh

Answer 3

Guanciale is an Italian cured meat product prepared from pork jowl or cheeks. Its name is derived from guancia, the Italian word for ‘cheek’.

Question 4

Prosciutto Cotto

proh-shoo-toh k-oh-t-oh

Answer 4

Prosciutto Cotto or “cooked ham” is bright pink in color and lighter in flavor than its crudo cousin.

Question 5

Allium

AL-lee-um

Answer 5

All onions, garlic, shallots, chives, green onions

Question 6

Nightshade

nahyt-sheyd

Answer 6

tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant

Question 7

Legume

le-gyoom

Answer 7

beans, peanuts, peas, etc.

Question 8

Aioli

ahy-oh-lee

Answer 8

a flavored sauce made of garlic, salt, mayo, and olive oil

Question 9

Crudo

kroo-doh

Answer 9

a dish of raw fish or seafood, typically dressed with oil, citrus juice, and seasonings

Question 10

Hamachi

ha-mah-chi

Answer 10

the Japanese name for Pacific yellowtail, especially when used in sushi and sashimi.

Question 11

Sumac

soo-mak

Answer 11

a shrub or small tree of the cashew family, with compound leaves, fruits in conical clusters, and bright autumn colors.

Question 12

Bomba Sauce

Bomb-ba saws

Answer 12

Bomba is a traditional sauce from Calabria, Italy. Our sauce is made from eggplant, garlic, calabrian chili, red wine vinegar, fennel pollen and olive oil

Question 13

Mignonette

min-yuh-net

Answer 13

a condiment usually made with minced shallots, cracked pepper, and vinegar. It is traditionally served with raw oysters.

Question 14

Puccia Bread

poo-chi-uh bred

Answer 14

traditional bread baked on an open fire from Puglia, Italy. Ours is made using our long-fermented pizza dough in the pizza oven.

Question 15

Crudites

crew-da-tay

Answer 15

assorted raw vegetables served as an hors d’oeuvre, typically with a sauce into which they may be dipped.

Question 16

Pomodoro

Pom-uh-door-oh

Answer 16

freshly made tomato sauce

Question 17

Marcona Almonds

mar-cone-uh all-monds

Answer 17

a type of sweet, gourmet almond from Spain that is very popular in Mediterranean countries.

Question 18

Capers

kay-purs

Answer 18

Capers are the pickled flower buds of a thorny, trailing shrub that grows like a weed all over the Mediterranean. It’s a stubborn, ornery plant, difficult to cultivate, with a preference for dry, stony places. You’ll find it growing from rocky cracks and crevices and climbing stone walls, like a Mediterranean ailanthus.

Question 19

Cacio e Pepe

kach-e-oh pep-ay

Answer 19

a pasta dish from the cuisine of the city of Rome. Cacio e pepe means “cheese and pepper” in several central Italian dialects.

Question 20

Vongole

von-goal-ay

Answer 20

denoting pasta served with clams and a light sauce of olive oil, garlic, and sometimes tomatoes.

Question 21

Frisee

friz-zay

Answer 21

a type of chicory that has exploded onto gourmet plates. The exotic plant resembles a lettuce gone horribly awry, with a pale green explosion of frizzy leaves that adds a frisky note to green salads.

Question 22

Endive

en-dive

Answer 22

an edible Mediterranean plant whose bitter leaves may be blanched and used in salads.

Question 23

Pepperoncini

pep-per-on-chi-knee

Answer 23

Pepperoncini are known as fairly mild peppers. The Italian word “pepperoncini” is the plural form of “pepperoncino.” In Italy, it actually refers to the hotter varieties of chili peppers generically known as “pepperone.”

Question 24

Branzino

bruhn-zee-no

Answer 24

mild white fish popular in Italian cuisine and usually roasted whole and served with lemon. Also called European bass.

Question 25

Micro Marigolds

mahy-kroh mar-ee-golds

Answer 25

small yellow, orange and/or dark orange blossoms on green stems. They have a citrusy, minty herb flavor that works well in salads and as an edible garnish on some dishes.

Question 26

Burrata

boo-rah-tuh

Answer 26

an Italian cow milk cheese (occasionally buffalo milk) made from mozzarella and cream. The outer casing is solid cheese, while the inside contains stracciatella and cream, giving it an unusual, soft texture. It is typical of Apulia.

Question 27

Diavola

dee-uh-vohl-uh

Answer 27

a spicy tomato sauce for pasta or seafood, made with crushed red pepper, garlic, and fresh herbs like parsley and basil. The sauce is made by sauteing chopped onions in olive oil, then adding tomatoes (canned or fresh), crushed red pepper and garlic. Some recipes add white wine.

Question 28

Dorade

do-rod

Answer 28

Found mainly in the Mediterranean Sea, dorade is a medium-small fish with silver skin and white flesh that imparts a rich, meaty flavor when grilled, baked, or braised. While dorade hails from the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean, overfishing has caused a short supply of wild fish, so now there are various farms around the world that raise it.

Question 29

Porcini

por-che-knee

Answer 29

oletus edulis, the scientific name for the porcini mushroom, is a great gift to humanity. It is a rich, heady, meaty mushroom that is amazingly versatile, delicate enough to give grace to an elegant stew or sauce, and yet vigorous enough to stand up to something as flavorful as a thick grilled steak.

Question 30

Farro

fahr-oh

Answer 30

an ethnobotanical term for three species of hulled wheat: spelt (Triticum spelta), emmer (Triticum dicoccum), and einkorn (Triticum monococcum). Hulled wheat is wheat that cannot be threshed. In Italian cuisine, the three species are sometimes distinguished as farro grande, farro medio, and farro piccolo.

Question 31

Sorrel

soar-ehl

Answer 31

a leafy herb that grows low to the ground with slender stems. It has bright lime-green leaves with dark maroon stems and veins that run the entirety of the leaf. Red sorrel leaves are shaped like an arrow with slightly curled edges.

Question 32

Shishito Peppers

shi-she-to pep-per

Answer 32

is a mildly spicy, East Asian pepper variety of the species Capsicum annuum. It is known as kkwari-gochu ( 꽈리고추; “ground cherry pepper”) in Korea because its wrinkled surface resembles ground cherries.

Question 33

Tarragon

tayr-ah-gon

Answer 33

also known as estragon, is a species of perennial herb in the sunflower family. It is widespread in the wild across much of Eurasia and North America , and is cultivated for culinary and medicinal purposes.

Question 34

Fior Di Latte

fee-yor dee lah-tay

Answer 34

translates to “milk flower”. A typical product of the dairy heritage of Southern Italy, the fior di latte is spheroidal in shape, weighing between 20 and 250 grams: it has no rind and is covered with a thin, smooth, shiny, milk-white film. The taste is slightly acidulous, the structure is fibrous and at the moment of cutting it releases a sort of milky liquid.

Question 35

Panna Cotta

pan-nuh cot-tuh

Answer 35

Panna cotta is an Italian dessert of sweetened cream thickened with gelatin and molded. The cream may be aromatized with coffee, vanilla, or other flavorings.

Question 36

Torta

tor-tuh

Answer 36

Torta is a culinary term that can, depending on the cuisine, refer to cakes, pies, flatbreads, sandwiches, or omelets; in our case, cakes.

Question 37

EVOO

Answer 37

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Question 38

Ladyfinger

lay-dee-fing-gur

Answer 38

a small finger-shaped sponge cake.

Question 39

Salsa Rosa

sahl-suh row-zuh

Answer 39

Our salsa rosa is made from Calabrian chili, garlic, parsley, red wine vinegar, olive oil

Question 40

Colatura

Answer 40

a rich ingredient mainly used to add a flavor boost to pasta and vegetables. This classic condiment is made much like its Southeast Asian counterpart, using only two ingredients—in this case, anchovies and salt. It’s popular in Italy as a finishing product on just about anything where you’d like to add a savory, umami kick.