Other Ingredients

Flat noodles are a variety of noodles that are made into flat stripes instead of elongated round stripes like most noodles are. Flat noodles are fondly eaten with an accompanying sauce or soup. Though essentially made from rice, noodles can also be prepared from wheat, rice, buckwheat and others. Rice noodles can be cooked in a variety of dis...

Made from grape juice or grape must, balsamic vinegar has been in use since the middle ages. The dark-brown syrupy vinegar was originally produced in the Modena and Reggio regions of Italy. It has a slightly sweet-sour taste that adds a special flavor to dishes while cooking. The must is allowed to age in different wooden barrels allowing the vineg...

Coconut oil is edible oil extracted from the kernel of matured coconuts. Its uses are both internal and external and have various applications in the food and medicine industry. There are many varieties of coconut oil available in the market, varying mostly based on its preparation process. The dry processing requires the meat to be extracted from ...

A very popular Indian dessert, it is commonly cut into cubes, triangles or diamond shapes to serve. The most common preparation method is to thicken milk with sugar and other spices, spread out in a shallow dish and cut to desired shapes and sizes. These are often decorated with pieces of silver leaf which is edible and flavored with fruit. Type...

The main ingredients of rice noodles are rice flour, water and salt. They can be thick or very thin and also flavored with ingredients such as tapioca or corn starch to change their quality. They are also known as rice sticks. When raw they are very brittle and on cooking they turn translucent and chewy. Mostly used in South-Asian cuisine. They ...

Coffee is a very popular beverage with a distinct flavor and aroma . It is prepared by roasting the seeds of the coffee plant. Coffee has a high content of caffeine and is slightly acidic. Coffee was first cultivated in southern Arabia. Brazil has been the world's leading producer of coffee. Arabica and Robusta are the two types of coffee beans tha...

Beer is an alcoholic drink that is made by hydrolisis of starch and fermentation of resulting sugar. The basic ingredients used in beer are water, starch, brewer's yeast and flavouring. The alcohol content varies in every beer depending on the way it has been produced (usullay between 3%-14%). Is beer healthy? Surprisingly beer is a healthy dri...

Chocolates are produced from the tropical Theobroma cacao tree (also known as the cocoa tree) which is found in the tropical region of South America. Types of chocolates Chocolates are popular all over the world. There are 5 major types of chocolates: White Chocolate In some countries white chocolate is not considered as chocolate because i...

Also known as rice wine, sake [Sah-Keh] is a traditional Japanese alcohol. Although named rice wine, it is made using a process, which resembles the brewing of beer or fermentation. It is produced from rice and has a dry pungent taste but there are sweeter varieties available as well. The rice used for brewing sake is called shuzō kōtekimai (sa...

When vinegar is emulsified with any form of oil, it is called vinaigrette. The oil may be any kind, from soybean oil to olive oil, and the vinaigrette may be flavored with spices, herbs and other ingredients. The most common use of this emulsion is as a dressing for salads. It is basically a marinade or salad sauce that usually consists of oil, vin...

Vanilla essence is extracted from vanilla beans and is used to flavor several desserts and dishes. It is the extract that is made from vanilla beans which are soaked in alcohol. It is widely used as a flavoring and vanilla ice cream is the most common flavor. It is used for both commercial and domestic purposes. After saffron, vanilla is the most e...

A thin bread made from finely ground wheat flour, originally derived from the corn tortilla, the tortilla is a staple food in Spain. Literally, it means small cake and is commonly prepared with meat to make a variety of dishes. In appearance it is very similar to the Indian Chapati. Tortillas can be made from both corn flour as well as wheat flour....

Tomato puree is used in many a dishes to impart the acidic flavor of tomatoes or as a gravy. To make a puree, wash and remove the stem of the tomato and blanch it. Blend the mixture and add a little water if it is too thick to get a tomato puree.

Made by refining extracts of plants, vegetable oils are those which remain in liquid form at room temperature. Many plants produce oil but it is commonly extracted from seeds. Vegetable oil may be made from a single ingredient or a blend of many. Refined oils are recommended for high-heat deep frying, whereas oils which are unrefined taste better...

Tartaric acid is an important food additive that is commonly combined with baking soda to function as a leavening agent in recipes. It can be used in all kinds of foods except untreated foods. Tartaric acid naturally occurs in plants like grapes, apricots, apples, bananas, avocados and tamarinds. It is added in foods giving a sour taste and servi...

Used as a staple condiment and ingredient, soya sauce is made from fermented soya beans, roasted grains or barley, salt and water. It is added in rice, used for stir-frying and as a dipping sauce. Soya sauce is usually salty with a chocolate brown colour. It has been integrated into the traditional cuisines of East Asian and Southeast Asian culture...

An ingredient originating from French cuisine, its name when translated means sour wine. Good vinegar is characterized by a light delicate slightly pungent taste and bright clear liquid. White vinegar is produced by distilling alcohol or may be a combination of acetic acid and salt dissolved water.

A cool, sweet, aromatic drink made from concentrated fruit or fruit petals. It is traditionally mixed with cold water before serving but may also be served concentrated for added flavor. It can be made out of almost any flavor and the most common sharbat is rose flavored. Some sharbats are diluted using milk for e.g. Falooda rose syrup. It may also...