Cabillaud – Cod fish (French)
Cabra – Goat (Spanish)
Cacahuates – Peanuts (Spanish)
Café – Coffee (Spanish)
Café con Leche – Espresso coffee with steamed milk (Spanish)
California Roll – Sushi roll with crab meat, roe, avocado, and cucumber
Callos – Scallops (Spanish)
Calzone – Savoury turnover made with pizza dough
Camarones – Shrimp (Spanish)
Canapé – Small open-faced sandwiches served as snacks
Canard – Duck (French)
Canela – Cinnamon (Spanish)
Cangrejo – Crab (Spanish)
Cannelloni – Hollow cylindrical pasta that is stuffed and baked
Cannoli – Sicilian pastry with crisp tubes filled with sweetened ricotta
Cantaloupe – Melon (Spanish)
Capellini – Fine strands of pasta usually used in soup
Capers – Sun-dried flower buds pickled in vinegar
Capicolla – Coarse Italian pork sausage
Capon – Castrated chicken savoured for delicate taste
Caponata – Spread or salad containing aubergine, celery, tomatoes
Capsicum – Family name for sweet and hot peppers
Caracol – Snail (Spanish)
Caramel – Melted sugar to brown stage
Caramelise – Process of cooking sugar until it browns
Carbonara – Rich sauce made with cream, eggs, Parmesan, and bacon
Cardamom – Aromatic seeds used for baking and flavouring
Cardoon – Vegetable from artichoke family that looks like celery
Carne – Meat (Spanish)
Carob – Seed from carob tree used as chocolate substitute
Carpaccio – Raw beef appetiser topped with mustard-mayonnaise sauce
Cartouche – Greased round of paper used to cover meats during cooking
Casserole – Fireproof dish, or food prepared in casserole dish
Cassoulet – Dish from southwest France of white beans and assorted meats
Caul Fat – Stomach lining of pork used in place of back fat
Cava – Spanish sparkling white wine
Caviar – Salted and cured eggs of sturgeon
Cayenne Pepper – Made from drying and grinding small orange-red chillies
Cebolla – Onion (Spanish)
Celeriac – Root of type of celery with firm texture
Celsius – Temperature scale where 0° is freezing and 100° is boiling
Cena – Supper, evening meal (Spanish)
Cèpe – Wild mushroom of boletus family
Cerdo – Pork (Spanish)
Ceviche – Spanish/Latin American dish of raw fish marinated in citrus juices
Chaat – Salty snacks served with chutneys (Indian)
Chai – Indian name for tea, often served with milk and sugar
Chanterelle – Wild mushroom with golden colour and funnel-shaped cap
Chantilly – Sweetened whipped cream flavoured with vanilla
Chappati – Unleavened Indian flatbread made from wheat flour
Charcuterie – French term for variety of pork preparations
Charlotte – Dessert made with bread or cake lined in mould
Chateaubriand – Thick slice of beef from heart of tenderloin
Chaud-froid – Food coated with cold, white sauce
Chawal – Rice (Indian)
Chef de Cuisine – Executive chef
Chèvre – French word for goat, referring to goat’s milk cheeses
Chicharrón – Crispy fried pigskin used in Mexican cooking
Chicken Tempura – Chicken and vegetables lightly fried (Japanese)
Chicory – Type of lettuce, sometimes called curly endive
Chiffonade – Very fine julienne of vegetables, usually leafy herbs
Chilaquiles – Crushed corn tortilla chips cooked with chicken (Mexican)
Chili Bean Sauce – Thick, spicy sauce made from fermented soybeans (Chinese)
Chili Rellenos – Mexican dish of batter-fried, cheese-stuffed chili pepper
Chimichanga – Fried flour tortilla stuffed with meat or vegetables (Mexican)
Chinese Dried Sausage – Sweet, salty pork sausage that resembles pepperoni
Chinois – Very fine conical strainer
Chipotle – dried and smoked jalapeno chili
Chirashi Sushi – an assortment of sliced raw fish and vegetables on sushi rice
Chive – Fragrant herb with slender, hollow stems
Chocolate – Product of cocoa beans mixed with cocoa butter
Chop – To cut into non-uniform pieces
Chop Suey – a Chinese dish of small pieces of meat with bean sprouts and vegetables
Chorizo – spicy pork sausage common in Hispanic countries
Choron – variation of Béarnaise sauce with tomato purée
Choucroute – the French word for sauerkraut
Chounk – a mélange of spices, herbs, oil, and vegetables (Indian)
Churro – Fritter, deep-fried tube of batter (Spanish)
Chutney – Sauces or relishes made with fruits, vegetables, and herbs (Indian)
Ciabatta – Flattish Italian bread with pale crisp crust
Cilantro – Fresh, green coriander (American term – coriander in UK)
Cinnamon – Highly aromatic inner bark of laurel trees
Cioppino – Rich fish stew from San Francisco
Clarify – Process of making liquid clear by removing impurities
Clotted Cream – Thick cream speciality of Devonshire, England
Coat – To cover food with another product
Cocido – Long simmered stew based on chickpeas (Spanish)
Cocotte – Small oven-proof dish
Codfish – Cod, favourite in Spain since medieval times
Coeur à la Crème – Soft cheese dessert drained in mould
Compote – French dessert made from fruit cooked in sugar syrup
Concassé – Term for chopping vegetable coarsely, usually tomatoes
Confit – Preparation for preserving meat by cooking slowly in fat
Consommé – Clarified broth used as base for sauces and soups
Coq au Vin – Chicken stewed in red wine with bacon and mushrooms
Coquille – cooked and served in shell
Coriander – warm, sweet, aromatic herb (fresh leaves also called cilantro)
Corn Syrup – syrup used in baking to prevent crystallisation of sugar
Coulibiac – a Russian pie with alternating layers of salmon, eggs, rice
Coulis – purée of fruit or vegetables used as sauce
Court Bouillon – poaching liquid used to cook fish
Couscous – Pasta made from semolina; also North African dish
Crackling – crispy pieces of skin remaining after fat is rendered
Cream – Portion of milk that rises to top, defined by butterfat content
Crème Anglaise – Custard made of milk and eggs
Crème Caramel – Baked custard flavoured with caramel
Crème Fraîche – Naturally thickened fresh cream with sharp, tangy flavour
Crème Pâtissière – Thick pastry cream made of milk, eggs, and flour
Crêpe – Very thin pancake used for sweet and savoury fillings
Crepinette – Small sausage patty wrapped in caul fat
Croissant – Crescent-shaped French roll
Croque-Monsieur – French version of grilled ham and cheese sandwich
Croquembouche – Grand dessert made of cream puffs dipped in caramel
Croquetas – Breaded croquettes filled with thick béchamel (Spanish)
Croquette – Thick patty of cooked foods, breaded and fried
Crostini – Toasted bread slices brushed with olive oil
Croutons – Bread cut into pieces and toasted until crisp
Crudité – Selection of raw vegetables served with dip
Cumberland Sauce – English sauce for ham, game, and pâtés
Cumin – Aromatic seed Cookery Terminology Cused to flavour savoury dishes
Curry – Spicy powder made by grinding various herbs and spices (Indian)
Curry Powder – Mix of spices that varies by region and cook