Larding – Technique inserting thin strips of back fat into meat
Lardons – Pieces of pork fat used as flavouring
Lasagne – Wide, flat ribbon-shaped pasta sheets
Lassi – Frothy yogurt drink, sweet or salty (Indian)
Leaven – Yeast; also process of whipping egg whites
Lemon Grass – Subtropical root that imparts fresh lemon flavour
Liaison – Process of thickening sauce, soup, or stew
Linzertorte – Austrian pastry with almond and hazelnut crust
Lo Mein – Chinese dish where boiled noodles are added to other ingredients
Lychee – Plum-sized fruit with thin, hard shell and white, juicy flesh
M
Macédoine – Mixture of fruit or vegetables
Macerate – Soaking fruit or vegetables in wine, liquor, or syrup
Madeleine – Small shell-shaped cookie made from rich batter
Mahi Mahi – Warm water, flavourful fish with medium textured dark flesh
Maître d’Hôtel Butter – Compound butter flavoured with lemon and parsley
Maki – Japanese dish of sushi rice and vegetables wrapped in seaweed sheet
Mango – Oval, tropical fruit with very juicy, sweet flavoured orange flesh
Marble – To swirl one food into another to create ribbon effect
Marinade – Liquid sauce used to soften and flavour meats before cooking
Marinara – Traditional Italian vegetable sauce with tomatoes, onions, olive oil
Marinate – To soak in marinade
Marmite – Stockpot
Marsala – Sweet Italian dessert wine
Marzipan – Almond paste with egg whites, kneaded smooth
Masala – Hindi word for “spices”; blend of spices, herbs, seasonings (Indian)
Mascarpone – Rich, delicately flavoured triple cream cheese
Matzo – Unleavened bread eaten during Jewish Passover
Medallion – Small piece of meat lightly pounded into oval or round
Melba – Dessert of poached peach halves with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce
Meringue – Whipped egg whites with sugar added to form stiff paste
Meuniére – Cooking method where meat or fish is dredged in flour and shallow fried
Mille-Feuille – Small rectangular pastries of crisp puff pastry layers
Mince – To chop into very fine pieces
Mincemeat – Sweet spicy mixture of candied fruits, wine, spices, beef fat
Minestrone – Italian vegetable soup with beans and pasta or rice
Mirepoix – Mixture of chopped onion, carrot, and celery used to flavour stocks
Mirin – Non-alcoholic version of sake (rice wine); sweet and syrupy (Japanese)
Mise en Place – “Everything in its place” – proper planning procedure
Miso – Salty paste made from fermented soy beans (Japanese)
Mochi – Steamed rice pounded into sweet glutinous cake (Japanese)
Molasses – Syrup resulting from crystallisation of raw sugar
Mole – Assortment of thick sauces used in Mexican cooking made of chillies
Morel Mushroom – Wild mushroom with honeycomb cap and hollow stem
Mornay Sauce – Béchamel sauce with Gruyère cheese
Mortadella – Large, lightly smoked sausages made of pork, beef, or veal
Mount – Addition of small pieces of cold butter to sauce as finishing process
Moussaka – Layered dish of aubergine and lamb with tomatoes and béchamel
Mousse – Sweet or savoury dishes made of blended ingredients, lightened with egg whites
Mousseline – Fine purées lightened with whipped cream
Mozzarella – Fresh, soft, white, mild Italian cheese with creamy texture
MSG – Chemical food enhancer extracted from seaweed and vegetables
Mulligatawny – Curried chicken soup adapted by British from India
Mung Bean – Small green beans frequently used when sprouted