A herb whose flowers are dried and used for making teas. There are two main varieties. The height that each will actually grow to will vary a lot from region to region. German Chamomile An annual herb that grows to 35 inches tall (90 cm.) It has plain, daisy-shaped white flowers. Roman Chamomile A perennial…
Cherries © Denzil GreenCherries are a member of the rose family, along with peaches, plums, apricots, and almonds. There are Sweet Cherries and Sour Cherries. Sweet Cherries are usually eaten fresh on their own; Sour Cherries are used for their flavour in sweetened items such as preserves and baking. Cherries have to be hand-picked because…
Chestnut is a name used to refer to a category of high-starch nuts from Europe, North America and Asia. They are eaten cooked or prepared in some way, but not raw. Several products as well as traditional recipes are made from them.
Female Chickens are called Hens; males are called “Roosters” or “Cocks.” A castrated male is called a “Capon.” Young males are called “cockerels.” A chicken raised for just meat, as opposed to also eggs, is called a “Broiler.”Hens between the ages of 5 months and 1 1/2 years will lay eggs. The older the hen,…
Chicory © Denzil Green There is a fair bit of confusion about what Chicory is. All types of Chicory are a member of the Endive family. They can be annual or biennial plants. After that, the confusion begins. Chicory as a green leafy veg in its own right Chicory is a green leafy salad veg….
Ground Cinnamon © Denzil Green Cinnamon is the inner bark of branches from a tree that is a member of the laurel family (just as Bay Leaves and Avocados are.) The outer bark is peeled away and discarded. Cinnamon from Sri Lanka (Ceylon) is considered the best; Indonesian Cinnamon (Cinnamomum loureirii) is considered the second…
A citron is an ancient citrus fruit, probably one of the first. It does not have much flesh or juice; it is mostly thick rind, which is used for candying.
Common Comfrey © Denzil Green Comfrey is related to the herb Borage and to the flowers called “Forget-me-nots.” A perennial herb that is frost and drought resistant, it can grow over 3 feet (1 metre) tall. It produces bell-shaped flowers of various colours, depending on the variety. When the leaves are young they are bitter,…
Coriander is a member of the carrot and parsley family. It can be used as both a spice, and an herb. When used as an herb, it is often referred to in North American English as “cilantro.” It is an annual plant that, left untended, can grow 1 to 3 feet tall (300 cm to…
Cress © Denzil Green There are two types of Cress: Garden Cress, also known as Land Cress, or just “Cress”, and Watercress. Garden Cress is a member of the cabbage family and is more popular elsewhere. Watercress is a member of the nasturtium family and is more popular in the UK; see separate entry on…
Cucumber © Denzil Green Cucumbers are in the same family as other squashes such as zucchini, pumpkins, watermelon, etc. They have a high water content, which keeps them cool and moist inside. This may be one of the reasons they are such a summertime favourite — and may be where the phrase “cool as a…
Ground Cumin © Denzil Green Cumin is a member of the parsley family. As such, it’s even related to the weeds called Cow’s Parsley and Queen Anne’s Lace that we pass everyday. It’s an annual plant that grows about a foot (30 cm) tall. Cumin seeds are actually the fruits of the plant. Sometimes, is…
Dairy is a category of milk and milk products made from the milk of cows, sheep and goats. In some parts of the world, milk from other milk-producing animals may be included. Eggs are often lumped in with dairy in North America, if only because they are kept in chillers next to the dairy in…
Dates © Denzil Green Dates are a fruit of a particular palm tree — the Phoenix palm. The trees flourish in hot, near-desert conditions, but are intolerant of temperatures below -7 C (20 degrees F ). When a date tree is happy, it can last at least 200 years. The trees will grow up to…
Dill Weed © Denzil Green Dill is a herb that normally produces a single stalk around 60 to 120 cm (2 to 4 feet) tall with fine, wispy leaves. It puts out tiny yellow flowers in a whorl known as an “umbel” , as do its relatives Parsley, Cow’s Parsley and Queen Anne’s Lace, etc….
Duck © Denzil Green Duck is a very fatty meat, especially farm-yard duck. It’s even fattier than goose. For that reason, many people just buy the breasts as they are the least fatty part. While Wild Ducks have their fans, not everyone is crazy about them. Ducks, whether domesticated or wild, will taste of what…
An eel is a fish shaped like a snake, with gray, black or olive skin. During the daytime, it hides in mud. At night, it feeds on small fish, shellfish, insects, and crustaceans. Baby eels are called elvers. They are caught in the spring, when they will swim all the way up through the ocean…
There are two broad types of Endive, curly and broad-leafed. Both curly and broad-leafed versions belong to the same family as Aster flowers. The seeds for both types of Endive are very small; it takes about 350,000 to 450,000 to make up a pound (450g.) The leaves of both varieties have a mild, pleasing bitterness,…
Fig Leaves are used in cooking as a food wrapper. You don’t eat them. They give a coconut-like aroma to food cooked in them. They can also be used to line and garnish food platters. In India, they are used for animal fodder. In South Africa, a juice was made by simmering fig leaves in…
Calimyrna Figs © Denzil Green Figs are a soft fruit with edible skin and many small edible seeds inside. In the West, we have mostly known and used them as a dried fruit. There are many varieties of figs, some better suited to eating fresh, some better suited to drying. The colour varies by variety,…
Fish are aquatic animals that, with very rare exceptions, live their entire lives in the water. They can live in fresh or salt water. As far as the kitchen is concerned, there are two main types of fish, regardless of whether they came from sea or lake: lean fish and oily fish. Lean fish are…
Flour © Denzil Green As a generic term, flour can mean a fine, dry powder ground from some form of vegetable matter, but unless a recipe says otherwise, what is meant is wheat flour — specifically, white wheat flour. Some flours are used to provide body — such as wheat or rye flour — because…
What we know about food in Ancient Greece comes from their literature. No book specifically on food or recipes is extant from that period, but food is talked about a great deal by characters in Greek plays. Greeks had two kinds of symbolism in their food. One kind was religious symbolism. Wine, for instance, was…
Garlic is a member of the onion family that is grown for its bulb. Inside the bulb are individually-wrapped sections called “cloves”. Garlic is used both for its taste and its aroma.
