glossary

Jaffle:   a toasted sandwich that has sealed edges and is prepared in a jaffle iron over an open fire.

Jaggery:  a dark, crumbly sugar made from sugar cane and tastes of treacle; used in Indian cuisine. Also known as palm sugar.

Jam:  a simmered mixture of fruits and sugar.

Jambalaya:  Creole version paella, though more highly spiced. The only consistent ingredients among all of the jambalaya recipes are rice, tomatoes, peppers and onions.

Jambon:  Ham.

Jarslberg cheese: a scalded curd, semi-hard cheese made in Norway from cow's milk; has a nutty mild flavour and a firm, buttery interior; has large holes and is encased in a yellow wax rind.

Jasmine tea:  China tea scented with jasmine flowers.

Jell:  To set a liquid.

Jelly:  Fruits and juices set to a semi-solid form with the use of a setting agent.

Jerk or Jerky: A Jamaican-style marinade or spice mix for meat; type of air dried beef made in America, similar to biltong.

Jeroboam:  A bottle size equal to four standard bottles or 3.2 litres

Jerusalem artichoke: an oddly shaped, light, cream brown tuber vegetable growing to approximately 11 cm in length; can be treated like potatoes or used as an addition to soups, sauces, stews and raw in salads; also known as sunchoke.

Jicama:  Pronounced “Hik a ma” A large bulbous root vegetable with a thin brown skin and white crunchy flesh. Its sweet, nutty flavour is good both raw and cooked.

Jigger: an American bar measure equalling 43ml or 1.5 ounces.

John Dory: a premium table fish with firm, white flesh that is easy to fillet; sometimes called Saint Peters fish as it has a marking that resembles a thumbprint on each side.

Juniper: a spice made from the dried berries of the juniper bush; used to flavour gin, game dished and pork.

Junket: milk set to a soft consistency using rennet, which is made from the stomach of unweaned calf's stomach.

Jus: the natural juices that result from cooking. It is frequently made by deglazing a pan with a little wine or water.

Jus:  Juices from roasting meat used as a gravy.