Glossary of Cutting Techniques

Chopping = cutting into pieces

Brunoise = small size dicing, produced from further cutting of julienned food

Dicing = cutting of food into small blocks.  There are 3 types of dicing : large 20mm cube, medium 10mm cube and small 5mm cube.

Grinding = reducing to fine particles by pounding or crushing

Julienning = food item is cut into long thin strips, normally a thick rectangular stick 6-7cm x 1-2mm length x 1-2mm width

Mincing = food ingredients, eg. Garlic, ginger, herbs, meats, are finely divided, to allow more evenly distributed flavour in a mixture.

Peeling / Skinning = removing of outer layer of fruits or vegetables

Rinding = removing of thick outer layer of food eg. watermelon, citrus, bacon

Slicing = cutting into slice 

Shaving = cutting into thin slice

Grating = reducing to small particles by rubbing against a rough surface or a surface with many sharp-edged openings.

Glossary of Chinese Cooking Techniques 烹制法

油传热

· 炒 = 锅内加少量食用油，以旺火加热至250°C左右，加入原料后急速颠翻，调味。

· 爆炒 = 小块原料在油锅用旺火快速加热至断生，捞出后加铺料、调味急炒。例：酱爆肉丁、葱爆羊肉、芫爆肚丝、辣爆鸡胗。

· 溜炒 / 滑炒 = 原料调味挂浆后，放入中等热油中，滑开后既沥干。然后在炒匀中放少量底油，加上主、配料和葱蒜等煸炒，勾芡出锅。例：清炒虾仁。

· 煸炒 = 原料快速翻炒至熟透，调味而成。例：回锅肉、生炒鸡。

· 干炒 / 焦炒 = 原料切细条、丝或片，调味后加入旺火热油，快速翻炒，直到汤汁蒸发。例：干炒牛河、干炒四季豆。

· 煎 = 少量油锅里加热，再把食物放进去，使其熟透。表面会稍成金黄色至微煳。例：饺子、烟肉、鸡蛋。

· 贴 = 只油煎食物的其中一面。例：锅贴。

· 炸 = 多量的食用油加以滚佛，再把食物放进去，使其熟透且表面呈黄色。例：炸油条、炸鸡。

· 溜 = 主料炸或炒后，另起锅，放入主料，加上勾芡的调味汁而成。例：烧汁鱼。

炒后水传热

· 熬 = 原料先炒，然后加汤至熟。  

· 烩 = 出锅前勾芡，余同熬。

· 焖 = 先炒，后加汤和调味料，微火至熟。  

· 烧 = 加汤和调料后，微火至接近熟，再也旺火收汤， 余同焖。

· 扒 = 出锅前勾芡，余同烧。

水传热

· 汆（拼音：cuan）= 食材放入佛水中片刻，以去除肉类血水的效果。　　　　

· 煮 = 投食材于水，加热至熟。

· 炖 = 旺火收汤，余同煮。　　　

· 煨 = 主要用于不易酥烂，如鸡脚，宽汤旺火。　　　　

· 煎 = 原料放到水里煮，让所含的成分进入水中。例：煎茶、煎药。

· 焐 = 温火久热，余同喂。　
· 涮（拼音：shuan）= 食材加工成薄片，方便烫熟，夹入清水或高汤，晃动几下，烫熟。例：火锅　　

气传热

· 蒸 = 调味后的食材放在器皿，再置入注水的蒸具，以蒸气加热食物使其成熟。

其他

· 烤 = 食材用烤箱或木炭加热。

· 炝 = 切好的食材用佛水或温油稍微加热断生，然后加入调料以及温热的花椒油、香油或花生油拌制。主要用于凉菜。例：炝三丝、炝黄瓜。

· 腌 = 利用糖、盐、醋等来保存肉类或蔬菜。例：咸鱼。

· 拌 = 把浆料与其他食材拌匀。例：鱼生、拌面。

· 熏（拼音：xun）= 食料放入蒸笼，锅底撒糖或煮过的茶叶以及其他香料，密封加热，使其炭化生烟，吸附在被熏物的表面，以增加食品特殊味道和延长保存时间。

· 焗（拼音：ju）= 既据以盐为热介质。例：盐焗鸡。

Glossary of Cooking Techniques

Dry – Conduction

· Dry Roasting = heating of dry foodstuff ( eg coffee beans ) without the use of oil or water, occasionally stir to ensure even heating

· Hot Salt Frying = cooking of dry foodstuff ( in India / China ) by burying them in heated salt, occasionally turned with a spatula

· Hot Sand Frying 沙炒 = cooking of dry foodstuff ( chestnuts, peanuts ) ( in India / China ) by burying them in heated sand, occasionally turned with a spatula

· Searing = cooking surface of the food at high temperature to allow caramelization, prior to further cooking

Dry – Convection

· Baking 焗烤 / 烘焙 / 烘烤= prolonged cooking of food by dry heating by convection, primarily for preparation of bread, cakes, pastries, pies, tarts, quiches, cookies, crackers

· Roasting ( modern ) = cooking via dry heat of whole piece foodstuff ( meat )

· Smoking 熏 = is the process of flavoring, cooking or preserving food ( meat, fish ) by exposing it to the smoke from burning plant materials ( oak wood )

Dry – Radiation

· Gridironing = is grilling meat, fish, vegetables over a metal grate, or hinged between two grids

· Grilling ( Charbroiling ) = is cooking of food via direct heat from above or below

· Broiling = is grilling of food with heat source from above ( Canada, USA )

· Roasting ( traditional ) = cooking using dry heat of open flame, over etc

· Rotisserie = a style of roasting where meat is skewered on a spit, vertical or horizontal over fire, continuously rotated

· Toasting = is browning of bread via exposing to radiant heat

Wet – High Heat

· Blanching = is cooking of vegetable in boiling water, and then place into iced water to halt the cooking process

· Boiling = cooking of food in boiling liquid

· Decoction = cooking of food in boiling liquid to prepare a stock

· Parboiling = is partial boiling of food to remove poisonous or foul-tasting substances

Wet – Low Heat

· Coddling = heat of food in water below boiling point

· Creaming (baking) = blending sugar and butter, beaten until it becomes light and fluffy

· Creaming (cooking) = simmering or poaching food in milk or cream

· Infusion = preparing beverage with adding boiling water over food ( herbs, tea, coffee ), and allow to steep for a time

· Poaching =  gentle simmering of food ( egg, poultry, fish, fruit ) in liquid other than oil ( milk, stock, wine )

· Simmering = cooking of food in hot liquids kept at or just below the boiling point of water

· Steeping = saturation in a liquid solvent to extract a soluble ingredient ( tea )

· Stewing 燉煮 = combination of solid foods ingredients ( carrots, potatoes, beans, pepers, tomatoes, meat ) cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy

Wet – Indirect Heat

· Bain-marie ( Water Bath / Double Boiling ) = heating of foodstuff in an inner container, immersed halfway inside an outer container containing water

· Double Steaming 炖 = ( Chinese ) steaming of delicate food ( bird nest, shark fins, Chinese medicine ) in a ceramic container, and the ceramic container is steamed for several hours

· Sous-vide = a method of cooking food sealed in airtight plastic bags in water bath for a long time ( up to 72 hours ), at a temperature lower than normally used for cooking ( 60 °C ) 

· Steaming 蒸 = cooking using steam

Fat-based – High Heat

· Blackening = a cooking technique commonly used ( Cajun ) in the preparation of fish.  Food is dipped in melted butter, then dredge in a mixture of herbs, then cooked in an extremely hot cast iron skillet

· Browning = is the process of partially cooking meat to help remove excessive fat and to give the meat a brown colour and flavour through browning reaction, on a skillet or frying pan

· Deep Frying 炸 = food cooked by submerged in hot oil

· Pan Frying = food cooked using minimal oil, flipping is needed to cook both sides

· Stir Frying 炒 = a Chinese stir fry technique with a round-button cast iron wok, the food is stir fried on high heat for flavour and then steamed to ensure that it is fully cooked.

· Stir Frying 爆 = a Chinese stir fry technique with heated wok, the food is tossed continuously until cooked.

· Sautéing = foods are cooked over high heat on a shallow pan.

Fat-based – Low Heat

· Caramelizing = browning of sugar

· Gentle Frying = low temperature frying in oil for fragile foods

· Sweating = gentle heating of coarsely cut vegetable is little oil, with frequent stirring and turning to allow evaporation

Mixed-Medium

· Barbecuing / BBQ 燒烤 = cooking marinated meat over the heat of fire

· Braising 烧 = food is seared first, then liquid is added, and cooked under low simmer

· Griddling = food cooked without oil on heated plate of metal or brick slab, eg. Pancakes, crepes, unleavened breads