The Cook's Bible of Ingredients E-Book

Margaret Brooker

• Herausgeber: IMM Lifestyle Books
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Seitenzahl: 278

Beschreibung

Celebrating the diversity and bounty of foods available today, The Cook's Bible of Ingredients is a visual Encyclopedia of more than 1200 foods and ingredients. Each of the 12 chapters is devoted to a particular group of ingredients, be it meat, fish, vegetables or oils and flavourings. Attractively presented full-colour photographs present a scrumptious visual gallery of food and food ideas from all over the world. Complementing the photos are extended descriptions of the characteristics, origins and uses of each ingredient, and each chapter is introduced by a short thematic essay. This book is an invaluable reference source for anyone who loves to cook or who just loves food.

Leseprobe

The Cook’s Bible of Ingredients

The Cook’s Bible of Ingredients

MARGARET BROOKER

Published in 2012 by New Holland PublishersLondon • Cape Town • Sydney • Aucklandwww.newhollandpublishers.com

First edition published in 2005 by New Holland Publishers.

The Chandlery Unit 114 50 Westminster Bridge Road London SE1 7QYWembley Square, First Floor Solan Street Gardens Cape Town 8000 South AfricaUnit 1, 66 Gibbes Street, Chatswood, NSW 2067, Australia218 Lake Road, Northcote, Auckland, New Zealand

Text copyright © 2012: Margaret BrookerPhotography copyright © 2012 New Holland Image Library with the exception of those listed on p272.Copyright © 2012 New Holland Publishers Ltd

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers and copyright holders.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

eISBN 9781607651949

Publisher: Fiona SchultzPublishing managers Claudia Dos Santos & Simon PooleyCommissioning editor Alfred LeMaitreEditor Gill GordonDesigner Geraldine CupidoPicture researcher Karla KikProduction Director: Olga DementievProofreader Elizabeth WilsonConsultants Sarah Jane Evans, Beverly LeBlanc

Printed and bound by Toppan Leefung Printing Ltd, China

Contents

INTRODUCTION

GRAINS & CEREALS

Rice

Corn

Rye and Barley

Wheat

Wheat-based grains

Oats

Cereals and Starches

Other flours and Starches

NOODLES & PASTA

Wheat noodles

Rice and Bean noodles

Asian wrappers

Flatbreads

Pasta shapes

Long and Ribbon pasta

Filled pasta

VEGETABLES & FUNGI

Lettuce

Leaves, Shoots and Stems

Roots and Tubers

Squashes and Pumpkins

Cucumbers and Marrows

Onions, Leeks and Garlic

Legumes, Pods and Seeds

Brassicas

Tomatoes and Fruit vegetables

Peppers and Chillies

Mushrooms and Fungi

FRUIT

Deciduous fruit (apples and pears)

Stone fruit (peaches, plums and cherries)

Citrus fruit

Melons

Grapes

Berries

Tropical fruit

Exotic fruit

Dried fruit

Nuts

PULSES & SEEDS

Seeds

Pulses (beans)

Peas and Lentils

DAIRY

Milk and Cream

Butter, Yoghurt and Non-dairy milk

Eggs

CHEESE

Hard and Semi-soft cheese

Hard cooked cheese

Stretched curd cheese

Blue-veined cheese

Washed-rind cheese

Ewe and Goat’s milk cheese

MEAT

Beef

Pork

Lamb

Veal

Game and Venison

Offal

Ham and Bacon

Sausages

Delicatessen meats

POULTRY

Chicken

Turkey, Duck and Goose

Poultry products

Game birds

FISH & SEAFOOD

Freshwater fish

Saltwater fish

Pelagic fish

Reef fish

Boneless fish

Cod family

Flat fish

Crustaceans

Shellfish (Molluscs)

Smoked fish and Seafood

Fish products and Seaweed

HERBS, SPICES & SEASONINGS

Herbs

Spices

Oils

Non-dairy Fats and spreads

Stock and Savoury pastes

Vinegars and Other acidifiers

Condiments and sauces

Asian sauces

Mustards

Indian and Thai pastes

Pickles, Chutneys and Achaar

Olives

SWEETENERS & FLAVOURINGS

Sugar and Honey

Sweet flavourings

Chocolate

Syrups, Spreads and Jams

Raising and Setting agents

Pastry

Alcohol for cooking

BIBLIOGRAPHY

MORE INGREDIENTS

INDEX

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Introduction

Ingredients matter. As the component parts of composite food, ingredients are fundamental to its ultimate quality. Not only should they themselves be of good quality, they should be suitable for their purpose. To cook well, a cook needs to understand the attributes of ingredients he or she is using. The aroma, taste, texture and colour of an ingredient, how it interacts with other ingredients, how it responds to heat, air, liquid or acid, for example, all affect the end result.

With the advent of modern methods of food transportation and conservation, a cook has an ever-increasing, and often bewildering, choice of ingredients; ingredients hitherto only available in their place of origin are now on offer in far flung markets. This affords the home cook much greater scope, and requires more knowledge.

The Cook’s Bible is intended to help the cook identify and appreciate the salient characteristics of a multitude of ingredients. A visual reference, with photographs supported by explanatory captions, it will benefit both novice and more experienced, enquiring cooks. Anyone who has occasion to ask ‘what food is that?’, ‘what is its flavour?’, or ‘how is it used?’ will find it enlightening.

In scope this book is international, catering for cooks world-wide, both in the ingredients featured, and the terms of their descriptions. The world of ingredients is vast. Within the numerous food categories and species, there are many variants and sub-species. It would be impossible to include every known ingredient individually in a single book. However, by featuring representative ingredients from a category, this book is as comprehensive as possible.

Such breadth of subjects necessarily imposes limitations of space. Within this constraint, the maximum of information useful to the cook is imparted in a succinct yet accurate manner. As appropriate, the nature of the ingredient, its particular properties, its place of origin, the way it is prepared, and its applications in cookery are described. Common and alternative names are given, and regional variations in nomenclature are clarified. Flavour profiles can be especially difficult to describe. How flavours are perceived is essentially subjective; the descriptions seek to convey sufficient of an impression to enable the cook to judge whether an ingredient is suitable.

The book is arranged in the order of the recommended dietary food pyramid, commencing with grains and cereals and foods made with those ingredients, progressing through vegetables, fruits, pulses and seeds, dairy products and cheeses, meat, poultry and fish to flavourings and sweeteners. Within each chapter the ingredients are logically grouped by type.

Fresh, seasonal ingredients should form an essential part of daily meal planning. They can be supplemented and enhanced by items from a well-stocked pantry.

Markets always offer the freshest seasonal produce available locally, as well as being a source of less-common ingredients that are sometimes hard to find.

Along with understanding an ingredient, the cook should appreciate the factors which influence its quality. Generally its source is of utmost importance. In the case of ingredients where freshness is vital, such as vegetables, fruits and fish, less time is likely to have elapsed between being harvested and reaching the market with local ingredients than those from further afield. Less time in transit also means that they can be picked riper, and so reach their full potential of flavour and sweetness, as well as arrive in better condition.

Foods raised in their natural environments and at their own pace are usually better. Grown in soil, not hydroponically, sun-ripened, not hot-housed, fruits and vegetables achieve greater depth of flavour. Livestock raised free range, without growth promotants, also develops more texture and flavour. It follows, therefore, that produce out of season is either not local or not naturally grown and, conversely that seasonal food is always likely to be better.

Without detailed labelling, it may be difficult for the purchaser to know where and how an ingredient has been produced. Shopping at local and farmer’s markets, as well as at reputable food stores with well-informed staff will obviate this problem to a degree.

Supplied with good quality ingredients and informed of their salient attributes, any cook can go into the kitchen and prepare meals with confidence. More than merely inform, it is hoped that the Cook’s Bible will encourage and inspire cooks to experiment with the world of ingredients.

Grains & Cereals

Cereals are plants of the grass family. The many separate dry fruits they produce are grains. Certain cereal grains are edible. Used as a food since the earliest times, cereal grains have been hugely important in human history. Their small bulk and excellent keeping qualities made them a crucial survival food. As the first plants to be cultivated, their domestication marked the transition of humans from hunter-gatherers to agriculturalists and enabled the foundation of civilizations. Cereal grains continue to be essential human fare and today constitute the most important single class of food in the world.

As a plant’s embryonic offspring, packaged with food for its development, cereal grains are concentrated sources of nourishment. They contain protein and either carbohydrates or fats. However, all grains are deficient in one or more of the essential amino acids, making them an incomplete protein source for animals.

All grains have the same basic structure. Beneath the protective fibrous outer layers, collectively called ‘bran’, is the endosperm, which comprises most of the grain’s volume and stores most of its carbohydrate and protein. At the base of the endosperm is the oil-rich embryo or ‘germ’. Both the bran and the germ contain B-group vitamins and minerals.

Cereals are principally consumed cooked; as grain, they are often eaten in the form of porridge, or as various bread doughs, ground into flour.

Although cereals have many common characteristics, their individual differences have resulted in diverse culinary traditions. Staple cereals differ with geographic zones. Their adaptability to local conditions, yield, and comparative culinary qualities, determined their distribution, as cereals native to one region were introduced elsewhere.

Wheat became the foremost cereal due to the unique quality of its protein. The gluten that forms when wheat flour is mixed with water both resists and stretches under pressure. Because it can expand to accommodate gases produced by yeast, yet contain them, wheat breads can be leavened (caused to rise).

Pseudo-cereals, while not grasses, have a similar nutrient composition to cereals and are treated as such.

Rice

Jasmine riceA slender, long-grained, aromatic white rice, which clings together slightly when cooked. Grown predominantly in Thailand, where it is the preferred variety, it is also known as Thai or Fragrant rice.

Black Thai riceA long-grained rice with its black bran intact which, cooked, colours the entire grain purple. Also called Black Sticky and Black Glutinous rice, it is typically used for desserts in SE Asia.

White long-grained riceLong-grained types of rice from which the bran coat has been completely removed. When cooked, the grains generally remain separate and become fluffy-looking. (See also white short-grain rice on p15.)

Brown long-grained riceLong-grained types of rice which retain their bran layers. Also called whole and unprocessed, brown rice is often heat-treated to slow rancidity of the bran. It requires longer cooking than white rice.

Basmati riceAn aromatic, narrow, very long-grained variety grown in northern India; valued for its fragrant flavour and firm texture. When cooked, the grains remain separate and dry. The rice for biriani and pilaf.

Wild riceNow cultivated, a black/brown, elongated, hard seed of a marsh grass native to the Great Lakes region of N. America, distantly related to common rice. Expensive, it is appreciated for its chewy, nutty quality.

Mixed brown and wild riceA mixture of long-grained brown rice and wild rice, both chewy textured and nutty-flavoured, usually combined to extend the more expensive wild rice. Used in pilafs, stuffings and salads.

White short-grained riceRound, short-grained types of rice, with the bran coat completely removed. The grains cook to a soft consistency and cling together. Also called pudding rice.

Brown short-grained riceRound, short-grained rices which retain their bran layer. As well as sharing the general characteristics of unpolished rice, the grains become soft and sticky on cooking.

ArborioA plump, large-grained, starchy Italian rice, graded superfino. Able to absorb a lot of liquid without bursting, it is particularly used for risotto.

Vialone nanoA plump, medium-grained, starchy Italian rice, graded fino, particularly used for risotto due to its capacity to absorb twice its weight in liquid without bursting.

CarnaroliDubbed ‘the king of Italian rice’, this large-grained starchy rice, graded super-fino, remains firm while absorbing much liquid, so is prized for risotto.

SushiStubby, short-grained white rice with a high starch content which becomes sticky when cooked. Flavoured with sweetened vinegar, it forms the basis of Japanese sushi.

Red riceA hard, unmilled rice, actually russet-hued, due to the colour of the bran layer. The French Camargue variety is short-grained, chewy, nutty and slightly sticky when cooked.

White sticky riceMostly short-grained rice that becomes sticky when cooked. Also known as glutinous or sweet rice, it is used mainly for desserts.

Rice flourPowdery, finely ground rice, non-glutinous or glutinous. Entirely starch, with no gluten-forming proteins, it is used as a thickening agent, to make crunchy coatings and in baked goods for crispness.

PohaVery light flakes with jagged edges and a rough texture, made by flattening parboiled rice grains with rollers, then drying them. An Indian ingredient, also called pawa or pounded rice, the flakes are fried or cooked in milk.

Rice flakesParboiled rice which has been flattened under heavy rollers, then dried. The resultant fine flakes are used by the food processing industry.

Ground riceCoarsely ground, non-glutinous rice. Used for its crisp granular texture in, for example, classic Scottish shortbread and, for its thickening properties, in the Indian blancmange firni. Roasted, it is sprinkled over Thai and Vietnamese dishes.

RICE BRAN

The outer seed-coat of the rice grain, rubbed off after removal of the hull during milling and processing. Rich in oils and vitamins, rice bran quickly becomes rancid unless defatted. Stabilized, it is used in food manufacture for its foaming qualities.

In Japan, rice bran is roasted to extract the flavour, then mixed with water and salt, before being used to pickle vegetables such as daikon, cucumber and carrot.

Corn

Corn flakesA breakfast cereal, made by rolling then toasting cooked grits, the coarsely ground endosperm of corn or maize. Light and crisp when dry, they are principally consumed doused with milk.

PopcornA variety of maize, the starchy interior of which cooks and swells when heated, the pressure eventually bursting the kernel and turning it inside-out. Typically the light crisp puffy white kernels are salted and eaten as a snack.

CornmealGround dried maize (corn) kernels, termed cornmeal in the UK and cornflour in the USA. It may be fine or coarse in texture, depending on the milling, and yellow, white or blue, depending upon the variety of maize, blue being softer and less starchy.

CornflourA fine powder made from the ground endosperm of maize kernels, known as cornflour in the UK and cornstarch in the USA. Almost pure starch, and containing no lump-forming gluten, it is mainly used as a thickening agent. Virtually flavourless.

PolentaCornmeal, fine or coarse, yellow or white. A staple of N. Italy, it is traditionally boiled with water to make a thick porridge, and either served warm, or cooled then fried, grilled or baked.

Rye and Barley

Rye flourMilled from a hardy cereal grass, rye flour is historically the bread-making staple of northern Europe and Nordic regions and is the defining ingredient in pumpernickel, black bread and crispbread. With a faintly bitter flavour, it is grey in colour, either light or dark according to the amount of bran remaining. Because rye is low in gluten, breads made from only rye flour are dense. A moisture-trapping gum in the grain gives rye doughs a characteristic stickiness and keeps the bread moist.

Rye flakesFlakes formed by flattening whole rye grains between rollers. Also called rolled rye, the flakes are cooked as a breakfast porridge or toasted and added to commercial breakfast cereals. Due to their unusual configuration, the sugars in rye break down very slowly to simple sugar and thus take a long time to digest, effectively reducing appetite.

Pearl barleyBarley grains with their husks and pellicles (outer layers) removed, then steamed and polished until round and shiny. Pearl barley, the most common form, is used to thicken stews and soups, notably Scotch broth, and has little taste of its own. Pot barley, which has had some of the bran removed, requires long cooking to soften it.

Barley flakesThe flakes produced by flattening whole grains of barley, outer husks removed, between rollers. Used to make milk puddings, porridge and added to breakfast cereals such as muesli, they have a distinct flavour and are slightly chewy. Flakes may be softened by soaking before being used in baked products.

Barley flourGround and powdered pearl barley. Because barley contains little gluten, leavened breads made with only barley flour are dense and heavy. Most barley breads are unleavened griddle breads. For leavened breads, barley flour is best mixed with wheat flour. Lacking the water-retaining properties of the gluten network, barley bread goes stale quickly. Barley meal is a wholemeal flour that is coarsely ground from hulled barley.

Wheat

Whole-wheat flourMilled from the entire wheat kernel, whole-wheat flour contains all of the grain’s bran, germ and endosperm. Also known as wholemeal and, in the USA, graham flour, it is used for baking and general cooking. In unbaked doughs the fibrous bran pierces the gluten network, damaging its structure. Thus breads and cakes made with whole-wheat, rather than refined, flour rise less and bake to a closer texture.

Wheat flakesThe large, thick, firm flakes produced when whole-wheat kernels are steamed, then flattened between rollers. Because the flakes retain the bran and germ, most of the kernel’s nutrition remains, although the oils in the germ rapidly become rancid. Also called rolled wheat, the flakes, like rolled oats, are cooked as porridge or added to baked goods.

Wheat germThe small flakes milled from the embryo, or germ, which is separated from the wheat grain during the milling of white flour. Rich in nutrients, it is added to baked goods and breakfast cereals, or sprinkled over dishes, adding a nutty flavour. Because the germ’s high oil content causes it rapidly to become rancid, it should be stored airtight, and chilled.

Unbleached wheat flourCreamy coloured flour which has not undergone an artificial bleaching process. As it ages, wheat flour naturally bleaches from the oxygen in the air, resulting not only in bread with a whiter crumb but also a greater volume, plus a finer, softer crumb. Bleached flour is treated with oxidizing agents to simulate this process, albeit more quickly.

WheatmealWheat flour containing 80 to 90 percent of the whole grain, the bulk of the bran being removed in milling but much of the germ remaining. In colour, flavour, baking and keeping qualities, it falls midway between wholewheat and white flours. Wheatmeal is also known as brown flour.

White flourA fine powder, ground principally from the starchy endosperm of the wheat grain, with almost all the bran and germ removed during milling. For baking, flour is distinguished by degrees of hardness; the harder the flour the more gluten-forming proteins it contains. Thus hard flour, called strong flour in the UK, and bread flour or hard flour in the USA, is better for yeast-raised products, while weaker, soft flour, called plain or all-purpose flour in the UK, and cake flour or soft flour in the USA, being more able to absorb fat, is better for cakes and short pastry.

Wheat branFlakes, fine or coarse, of the fibrous outer layer of the wheat grain, separated during milling. Consisting mostly of indigestible cellulose, bran is consumed for the health benefits of roughage. However, its consumption does have a negative effect. The fibre renders bran’s high concentrations of minerals and vitamins digestively unavailable and its phytic acid impairs the absorption of calcium. Bran is sprinkled over fruit, or added to breakfast cereals, and baked goods such as breads, biscuits and muffins.

Wheat-based grains

Cracked wheatWhole-wheat grains broken into coarse, medium or fine fragments during milling. Also called kibbled wheat, it is added, soaked, to bread.

Bulgar wheatHulled wheat grains, steamed, dried, then crushed in coarse or fine grades. A Middle Eastern staple, also known as burghul, bulgur, pourgouri and pligouri, it is the basis of tabbouleh and kibbeh.

Atta flourA fine wholemeal flour made from soft, low gluten wheat. Used to make Indian flatbreads, it is also called chapati flour.

TrahanaA Greek pasta of dough made from flour and milk (sometimes sour), grated into tiny barley-shaped pellets, then dried. Traditionally it is used in soups and porridge.

ARAB SPECIALITIES

Two wheat products little known beyond Arab countries, where they are specialties, are Freekah and Moghrabbiyeh.

Freekah, or ferek, is roasted green wheat. Bunches of freshly harvested green wheat stalks are roasted over an open fire and the cooled ears shucked. The grain is either left whole or coarsely cracked: when cracked it is greenish-brown with a distinct smoky taste; whole it is brown and relatively bland. Both forms are cooked like rice or bulgar.

Moghrabbiyeh (maghrebia, Israeli couscous), is flour and water hand-rolled into balls the size of small peas, then dried. Typically they are cooked in broth.

CouscousTiny pellets made from semolina flour, moistened with salted water and hand-rubbed with flour until coated, then dried. To cook, the granules are steamed until swollen and fluffy, with each granule separate. The staple dish of the Maghreb (Northwest Africa), it is traditionally cooked in a couscoussier over a fruity, spicy meat stew with which it is served. Elsewhere, couscous is likely to be pre-cooked and requires only swelling in boiling water.

Semolina flourSemolina is the coarsely ground endosperm of hard wheat, usually durum wheat. Semolina flour is a finer ground version, sometimes called durum flour. With its high protein content, semolina flour is characteristically tough. Its granularity gives a light, crumbly texture to baked goods. Because it does not become a starchy paste when cooked, it is used to make dried pasta, yet it is also used as a thickener.

Oats

GroatsGrain which has been hulled and, usually, coarsely crushed. While ‘groats’ can denote any such grain, unqualified in the UK it generally refers to oats. In the USA ‘grits’ is the more common term. High protein and fat content make oats among the most nutritious of cereals. However, unless steam-treated, the fat, combined with an enzyme in the bran, rapidly causes rancidity. Groats can be prepared as porridge or like rice.

Rolled oatsOats which have been hulled, steam-softened, then rolled flat. The heating destroys the enzymes in the bran which would otherwise cause the fat in the germ to go rancid. Rolled oats therefore keep well. The various sizes of flakes depend upon whether the whole groat or pinhead oatmeal was rolled. As well as relatively fast-cooking porridge, rolled oats are used in muesli and biscuits.

Oat branFine pale-brown flakes of the thin, fibre-rich layer of cells located under the rough outer hull of the groat, more accurately named oat fibre. Because the adherent layer is impossible to remove cleanly, small creamy fragments of the nutritious centre of the grain speckle the fibre. Containing significant water-soluble dietary fibre, oat bran is consumed for its cholesterol-reducing properties and added to baked goods.

Oat flourA fine powder ground from husked oats, distinct from superfine oatmeal which still has a granule. It is used for general baking but, with no gluten-forming proteins of its own, for risen baked goods it must be combined with another flour that contains gluten-forming proteins. Because oat flour includes the germ and the bran, which together rapidly go rancid, it does not keep well and should be freshly ground.

OatmealGranules of milled oat grains processed to varying grades of fineness. For the coarsest, pinhead meal, the groat is cut into several pieces. When ground, pinhead progressively becomes rough, medium-rough, medium, fine and super-fine oatmeal. Unless heat-treated, oatmeal does not keep well, rapidly going rancid. An historical staple of Scotland, oatmeal is primarily used in porridge and oatcakes, and is a key ingredient in Atholl brose and haggis.

Cereals and Starches

BuckwheatThough botanically not a true cereal, buckwheat is treated as such. Once husked, the whole seeds, which are triangular in cross section with pointed ends, may be cooked in the same way as rice, most famously in kasha, the porridge-like dish of Russia. Ground into a black-flecked greyish flour, it is made into pancakes, notably Russian blini and Breton galettes, noodles, especially the Japanese speciality soba, and cakes. It has a strong, distinctive taste.

QuinoaPronounced ‘keen wa’, these are tiny discs of grain girded by a small band of bran. A staple of the Andes, this pseudo-cereal has a high concentration of amino acids so, unlike other grains, it is a complete protein. When cooked it expands to four times its original volume and becomes translucent, the bran visible as a curly tail. Cooked quinoa has a delicate flavour and a texture akin to caviar, and can be served like rice, couscous or millet. The uncooked seeds can be ground into flour.

SagoThe virtually pure starch extracted from the sago palm, which is made into a paste and dried to become sago flour or pressed through a sieve, then dried, to become pellets known as pearl sago. Cooked, sago turns from white to transparent, and is bland, its texture resiliently squishy. The basis of British nursery puddings, sago is now little used in Western cooking. In Asia, sago is used in both forms, notably with coconut milk and palm sugar in the dessert gula melaka.

TapiocaThe starch extracted from the roots of cassava or manioc plants, which are refined to a paste, dried, then heated to form flakes or pellets, called pearls, or ground into flour. Used in puddings and to thicken soups and stews, tapioca becomes translucent when cooked, gelatinously chewy in texture and has a subtle taste. In some Asian countries, it is much used in sweets and drinks. In the UK, it is historically known as the ingredient in a milk pudding.

LinseedThe tiny seed of the flax plant, also known as flax seed. Primarily used to produce oil, it is sometimes used as a food grain, sprinkled over dishes and mixed into baked goods, sprouted, or ground into flour, which becomes mucilaginous (glutinous) when wet. Rich in nutrients, especially omega-3 fatty acids, linseed is consumed more for its health benefits than its mildly nutty taste. Its high oil content means it goes rancid quickly.

MilletThe general name applied to many similar but distinct cereals, most of which have alternative names. All are very small grains, with a high protein content, but otherwise vary in their quality and flavour. They are consumed whole, or ground into a coarse flour, typically as porridge or flatbreads. Able to grow in poor conditions, millet is a staple in hot, dry regions but not much eaten in western countries.

Other flours and Starches

Soya flourA fine creamy-yellow powder ground from grits of hulled soya beans from which the oil and soluble carbohydrates have been removed. Although it contains no gluten-forming proteins, it is rich in other forms of protein and fat and low in carbohydrates, and is usually mixed with other flours to improve the protein, volume and keeping-quality of baked goods. Food manufacturers exploit its binding qualities. In Japan, where it is called kinako, it is used for confectionery.

Potato flourA very fine, brilliant white powder made by grinding either steamed, dried potatoes or the starch extracted from pulverized potatoes by a washing process. Also called potato starch, farina and, in France, fécule, it is used as a thickener, producing clear, light sauces. Being more effective than cereal starches, less is required. It is used in baked goods for its gluten-free status and for the moist crumb it gives.

UradA creamy-white powder ground from hulled urad or urd black lentils, also known as black gram. It is the basis of the traditional idlis (dumplings) and dosas (pancakes) of South India and is also used to make poppadoms.

SpeltAn ancient, non-hybridized cereal grain related to common wheat, also known by the German name of dinkel. It contains more protein, and thus forms more gluten, than common wheat, yet seems to be better tolerated by those with gluten allergies. Ground into flour, spelt can be substituted for common wheat flour and behaves like whole-wheat flour, imparting a distinct nutty, wheaty flavour.

ArrowrootA fine white powder extracted from the rhizomes of the tropical maranta plant. Containing 80 per cent starch, it is used as a thickener for sauces and glazes. Because it becomes clear when cooked and has no taste, it is considered superior to cornflour. To avoid lumps it should be slaked in cold liquid before cooking. It breaks down if overcooked, causing sauces to separate. Easily digestible, it is a traditional food for invalids

Matzo mealCrumbled matzos, the thin unleavened Jewish Passover bread made according to strict regulations to avoid any fermentation, from wheat flour and water. Available in fine and medium grinds, it is used like breadcrumbs, as a thickener for soups, to bind gefilte fish, for breading foods to be fried, as an ingredient in dumplings (matzo balls or knaidlach) and, soaked and squeezed dry, in cakes and pancakes.

Noodles, Pasta & Flatbreads

Noodles, pasta and flatbreads are essentially doughs made from starch and water, thinly shaped and quickly cooked. The many permutations of these basic features give rise to a huge diversity in all three foods.

‘Noodles’ is a generic term encompassing both the various oriental pastas and certain occidental pastas. The commonality of noodles and pastas is often attributed to them having a single origin. Although the origins are unknown, the theory that Marco Polo introduced pasta to Italy from China has been discredited; pasta existed in Europe before the 14th century. Noodles are such a simple concept that their discovery by more than one culture is likely.

Asian noodles are categorized by their major ingredient. The diversity of their various starch bases results in very different flavours and textures. In shape they vary between wide and narrow, flat and round, thin and fat, but are always long. Pasta, conversely, is always made from wheat flour or semolina; hard wheat flour, often mixed with eggs, is used for fresh pasta, and the even harder durum wheat semolina preferred for dried, commercial pasta. There are over 300 pasta shapes, which may be generally classified as long, short (which includes soup shapes or ‘pastine’), and filled. Most shapes are named, in Italian, after the object they resemble, their size often further described by diminutives and superlatives. Confusingly, nomenclature is not standard. Particular pastas suit certain styles of sauce. Basically, the sauce should adhere to the pasta, yet not overwhelm it. Both the delicacy of the pasta, relative to the sauce, and its shape must be considered; ribbed (‘rigate’) and hollow shapes trap sauce best.

Flatbreads were the earliest form of bread. Originally primitive pastes crudely baked on a hot surface, they evolved into a multiplicity of breads. Variously made from different grains, tubers and legumes, leavened and unleavened, and baked in ovens and skillets, grilled and fried, they range from parchment thin to relatively thick, brittle to pliable. Their defining characteristic is that they are flat.

Wheat noodles

Soba (buckwheat) noodlesSlender noodles, square in cross section, made with buckwheat flour or, more usually, buckwheat and wheat flour, water and salt. Nutty flavoured, soba vary in shades of mushroom brown, the darkest (yabu soba) being made from the whole grain and the palest and most prized (gozen soba) from the kernel. A speciality of northern Japan and Tokyo, soba are typically served cold with a dipping sauce, or hot in soup. Pale green chasoba are flavoured with green tea.

Egg noodlesGolden noodles made from a paste of wheat flour, water and egg, extruded into round and flat ribbon shapes of varying widths. The classic fine strands (pictured) may be fresh or dried, while the fatter versions, such as the thick, round Hokkien noodles, are sold fresh and often oiled. Already steamed, egg noodles require little cooking. The all-purpose Chinese noodles, they are also used throughout Asia in soups, and stir fries, enjoyed for their rich flavour and soft texture.

SomenVery fine, creamy-white, straight Japanese noodles made from wheat flour, salt, water and oil, generally sold dried, in even-length bundles. Formed by pulling the dough, somen differ from other Japanese noodles, which are rolled then cut. Somen are a summer food, traditionally served chilled.

Wheat noodlesThin, pale strands of various widths made, at their most basic, from a dough of wheat flour and water. Often flavoured with ingredients such as shrimp, crab or spinach, wheat noodles are sold fresh or, more commonly, dried. They are versatile noodles, inherently resilient, and readily absorb flavours. In northern China, where they originated, they are typically served in soups or stir-fried.

UdonPlump, white Japanese noodles made from a dough of wheat flour and water, and sometimes vinegar to make them whiter. Udon are formed in various dimensions: the fresh ones are usually fat and square-cut, while the dried versions may be flat, square or round in cross section. Neutral in flavour, their character is in their texture – soft, chewy and slippery. Udon are popular in the south of Japan, where traditionally they are served in soups.

PREPARING NOODLES

Noodles are generally boiled, or reconstituted in boiling water, until they are softened but still firm, before further preparation.

Rice and Bean noodles

Rice vermicelli