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Thai fish sauce

An oriental flavouring made from fermented, salted fresh fish, also known as fish gravy: it has a fishy aroma with a salty taste and adds richness to dishes like stir-fries and soups.

Tabasco sauce

A hot, thin, spicy sauce made from vinegar and red chilli peppers. It can be used to season meat or sauces or added to cocktails for an extra kick.

Tabbouleh

Middle Eastern salad made with bulgar wheat, tomatoes, lemon and parsley. Traditionally wrapped in lettuce leaves and eaten with the hands.

Tagine

Or tajine. A north African earthenware dish with a conical shaped lid. The dish has given its name to the north African stew of meat and vegetables cooked in it.

Tagliatelle

Pasta made into thin ribbons, often served with creamy sauces.

Tamarillo

A red, egg-shaped tropical fruit that should be eaten cooked as the raw fruit can be quite tart; as a puree, tamarillo makes a good ingredient in ice-cream or sorbet and can also be served with poultry or fish.

Tamarind

A spice made from the pods of the tamarind tree by drying and pressing the pulp of the pods; a small piece can be broken off and infused to create an acidic liquid flavouring in authentic Indian curries.

Tandoori

In Indian cookery, a method of cooking chicken or other meat. Tandoori spices - ginger, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cayenne - are mixed with pureed garlic, pureed ginger, lemon juice and oil to make a paste that is used to coat the food which turns a red-orange colour. It is then cooked in the

Tangerine

Tangerines are a small orange citrus fruit. Mandarins and satsumas are simply different varieties of tangerine, and clementines are a hybrid between the tangerine and the sweet orange. They are usually eaten raw.

Tapenade

Tapenade is a paste made of black olives, capers, anchovies, mustard, basil and parsley. You can use it on crostini or bruschetta, with pasta and in sauces, as a marinade for meat and also for adding to casseroles and stews.

Taramasalata

A thick, creamy Greek dip made from olive oil, fish roe, breadcrumbs and seasonings. Usually served as mezze dish or as an hors d'oeuvre.

Tarragon

An aromatic perennial herb, often used in French cooking. Its pointed leaves have a distinctive aniseed flavour and can be used to flavour oils and vinegar. Tarragon is particularly good with chicken.

Tartare

Two meanings:
a. sauce made from mayonnaise, gherkins and capers
b. steak tartare is made with minced beef served raw with egg yolk and seasoning

Tarte tatin

The name given to an apple tart that is cooked under a lid of pastry, but served upside down - with the pastry underneath and the fruit on top. It combines the taste of caramel with the flavour of apples cooked in butter and was made famous by the Tatin sisters who ran a hotel-restaurant in France in the early 1900s. Many variations of the original apple 'upside down' tart have since been developed.

Teriyaki

A Japanese dish consisting of food, such as beef or chicken, that has been marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, sake, sugar, ginger and seasonings before being grilled, broiled or fried. The sugar in the marinade gives the cooked food a slight glaze. Teriyaki sauce is made with the above ingredients.

Terrine

Usually describes a kind of p

Thyme

A perennial plant with small grey-green aromatic leaves and small purple flowers. It is one of the basic herbs used in cooking. Alone or in a bouquet garni, fresh or dried, it is used in a huge range of dishes but particularly in casseroles, stews and marinades.

Timbale

A layered dish cooked in a tall mould (timbale) and then turned out. Often made of rice layered with vegetables or slices of aubergine layered with other vegetables and tomato sauce.

Tiramisu

An Italian dessert made of sponge or macaroons soaked in coffee, brandy or liqueur with mascarpone cheese and chocolate.

Tisane

An infusion of fresh or dried herbs that is drunk hot. Most tisanes are made from medicinal plants.

Tofu

Important protein source in oriental cooking. Made from cooked soya beans, it is quite bland in flavour and responds well to marinades. Good for stir-frying, barbecuing, grilling, it is also high in calcium and vitamin E and low in saturated fats.

Topside

Cut of beef from the rear of the animal, sold as a roasting joint.

Tortilla

In Spain a tortilla is a set omelette of eggs, potatoes, olive oil and salt. Sometimes other ingredients such as peppers, onion, tuna, asparagus and mushrooms are added. This is very different from Mexico where tortilla refers to a flatbread made from corn or wheat flour.

Tournedos

Also known as filet mignon. A small round slice cut from the heart of a fillet of beef.

Tripe

The stomach of a cow, pig or sheep used as food. It is usually sold specially prepared or cleaned for cooking.

Truffle

An underground fungus with a very strong taste. Expensive to buy as they are generally picked in the wild, often found with trained pigs. Truffles are rounded, of variable size and irregular shape and come in a range of colours. The word can also refer to a chocolate and cream confectionery often flavoured with rum.

Turbot

A flat sea fish with firm flesh. Available as fillets, steaks or whole. Suits poaching or grilling.

Turmeric

Bright yellow spice often used in curry. Turmeric has a more bitter taste than saffron. It is used mainly in Indian and south-east Asian cooking.