Glossary of terms - G

Galangal

Galangal is a member of the ginger family

Galantine

Dish of boned and stuffed poultry, game or meat glazed with aspic and served cold.

Galette

A flat pastry cake traditionally baked for Twelfth Night. 2. A flat cake of sliced or mashed potato.

Garam masala

A mixture of ground spices used as a base for Indian dishes.

Garlic

Probably native to Central Asia, garlic is a member of the same family as leeks and onions.

Garnish

To arrange edible decorations such as lemon slices, sprigs of herbs, olives or carrot curls around or on top of a dish to make it more attractive.

Gazpacho

Originally a peasant bread soup flavoured with olive oil, garlic and vinegar and any vegetables growing in the vegetable patch.

Gelatine

An animal product derived from the bones of animals.

Genoise

A rich sponge cake consisting of eggs, sugar, flour and melted butter; baked in a Hat tin

Ghee

A form of clarified butter used in Indian cookery.

Giblets

Edible internal organs and trimmings of poultry and game, which include the liver, heart, gizzard, neck, pinions and sometimes feet and cockscomb.

Gill

Liquid measure equal to 1/4 pint or 5 fluid oz.

Ginger root:

Knobbly and light brown, root ginger is an essential ingredient in both Indian and Chinese cooking.

Glace

Glazed, frozen or iced

Glace de viande

Meat glaze or residue in the bottom of a pan after roasting or frying meat. Or concentrated meat stock.

Glaze

To brush egg and milk over pastry to give the surface a shiny appearance. Syrup, jam or other sweet ingredients may be used to glaze ham.

Globe artichoke

The globe artichoke is related to the thistle - its leaves and the bottom part of the flower, called the heart, are eaten.

Gluten

A protein in flour which, when mixed with water, gives the dough elasticity and strength.

Gnocchi

Small Italian dumplings made of flour, semolina, potato or choux pastry.

Goa jaggery

Goa jaggery: pyramids or rounds of dark brown or black palm jaggery. It is used in coconut-based sweets.

Goa vinegar

Goa vinegar made from coconut palm toddy. It is used in the cooking of meat, poultry, and pork dishes, and as a pickling agent.

Gorgonzola

An Italian cow's milk cheese, pale in colour and streaked with blue.

Goujon

Gudgeons - small fish fried and served as a garnish.

Goulash

Beef and onion stew flavoured with paprika and tomato.

Gram flour

A flour made from ground chickpeas.

Granadilla

An exotic fruit belonging to the passion fruit family.

Granita

Water ice.

Granite

An Italian sorbet made of a lightly sweetened syrup flavoured with coffee or liqueur. It is served between courses or as a refreshment.

Gratin

A gratin is any dish that is topped with cheese or breadcrumbs mixed with bits of butter, then heated in the oven or under the grill until brown and crispy. The terms au gratin or gratinée refer to any dish prepared in this way. Special round or oval grat

Gravadlax or gravlaks

A Scandanavian speciality where the freshest raw salmon is cured in a mixture of sugar, salt, pepper and fresh dill.

Gravy

A sauce made from meat juices.

Grècque (à la)

À la grècque means with the addition of a dressing of tomatoes, fresh herbs, lemon juice and olive oil. It usually refers to a dish of cooked vegetables, served cold as a salad or hors d'oeuvre, as in mushrooms à la grècque.

Green peppercorns

These unripe pepper berries from Madagascar are preserved in brine and are usually available in small jars or cans. The flavour of green peppercorns is much milder than that of black peppercorns and they are soft enough to be ground or mashed. Green peppe

Gremolata

Italian garnish of raw, finely chopped garlic, parsley and lemon zest. Sprinkled over slow-cooked braised meats, especially osso bucco.

Griddle

A flat cast-iron pan traditionally used for breads and scones. More recently griddles have a ridged surface and are used, lightly oiled, for cooking vegetables, meat and fish.

Groats

De-husked grain, especially oats, sometimes milled.

Groundnut

Also known as a peanut.

Guacamole

A Mexican dish of mashed avocado mixed with lemon or lime juice and various seasonings (usually chili powder and red pepper).

Gugelhupf

Sweetened yeast cake with dried fruit, baked in a fluted ring mould.

Guiche

Alsatian open tart with savoury filling based on cream and eggs. Equivalent to quiche.

Guinea fowl

Traditionally a game bird but now domesticated and available all year round.

Gumbo

A thick, gelatinous, soupy stew from Louisiana.