Food, TOM-’ND
The necessity of food for survival is something that all humans have in common, but the trends of diet and food consumption can vary considerably from region to region. Find out more about the ingredients, dishes, and drinks that fuel people around the world.
Food Encyclopedia Articles By Title
tomato, (Solanum lycopersicum), flowering plant of the nightshade family (Solanaceae), cultivated extensively for......
tortellini, a ring-shaped Italian pasta stuffed with cheese or meat that is most traditionally served in broth......
tortilla, round, thin, flat bread of Mexico made from unleavened cornmeal or, less commonly, wheat flour. Traditionally,......
tossa jute, (Corchorus olitorius), annual herbaceous plant in the mallow family (Malvaceae), cultivated as a source......
Tostada, a crispy fried tortilla, often spread with refried beans or guacamole and topped with vegetables and other......
tourtière, a double-crusted meat pie that is likely named for a shallow pie dish still used for cooking and serving......
trans fat, fat produced from the industrial process of hydrogenation, in which molecular hydrogen (H2) is added......
trencher, originally, a thick slice of bread used as a primitive form of plate for eating and for slicing meat......
trifle, a common English dessert traditionally consisting of sponge cake soaked in brandy, sherry, or white wine......
tripe, stomach of a ruminant consumed as food. Tripe usually comes from an ox or calf, although also from sheep......
trivet, stand or support for utensils before or on the fire. Usually made of wrought iron, the most common variety,......
truffle, (genus Tuber), edible subterranean fungus, prized as a food delicacy. True truffles are in the genus Tuber......
tureen, covered container, sometimes made to rest on a stand or dish, from which liquids, generally soup or sauce,......
Turkish delight, jellied confection with origins in the late 18th century. This soft jewel-like sugar treat became......
turmeric, (Curcuma longa), perennial herbaceous plant of the ginger family, the tuberous rhizomes (underground......
turnip, (Brassica rapa, variety rapa), hardy biennial plant in the mustard family (Brassicaceae), cultivated for......
turnover, individual pie formed by folding a piece of pastry in half over a filling. The open edges are pressed......
turtle soup, a stewlike soup made with turtle meat, common in Asia and in Creole cuisine in the United States.......
Ukemochi no Kami, (Japanese: “Goddess Who Possesses Food”), in Shintō mythology, the goddess of food. She is also......
vaca frita, a Cuban dish of pan-fried shredded flank or skirt steak that is served with sautéed white onions, rice,......
vanilla, (genus Vanilla), any member of a group of tropical climbing orchids (family Orchidaceae) and the flavouring......
veal, meat of calves slaughtered between 3 and 14 weeks, delicate in flavour, pale grayish white in colour, firm......
Vegemite, dark-brown, nutrient-rich paste made of extract of yeast and vegetables and widely enjoyed in Australia......
vegetable, in the broadest sense, any kind of plant life or plant product, namely “vegetable matter”; in common,......
vegetable oil, any of various fatty oils derived from vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruits, and cereal grains. Examples......
vegetable processing, preparation of vegetables for use by humans as food. Vegetables consist of a large group......
venison, (from Latin venatus, “to hunt”), the meat from any kind of deer; originally, the term referred to any......
vermouth, wine-based fortified drink flavoured with aromatic herbs. The name derives from the German Vermut, or......
vinegar, sour liquid that is made by the fermentation of any of numerous dilute alcoholic liquids into a liquid......
vodka, distilled liquor, clear and colourless and without definite aroma or taste, ranging in alcoholic content......
waffle, crisp raised cake baked in a waffle iron, a hinged metal griddle with a honeycombed or fancifully engraved......
walnut, (genus Juglans), genus of about 20 species of deciduous trees of the family Juglandaceae, native to North......
War Communism, in the history of the Soviet Union, economic policy applied by the Bolsheviks during the period......
wasabi, (Eutrema japonicum), plant of the mustard family (Brassicaceae) and a pungent paste made of its ground......
wassail bowl, vessel generally made of wood and often mounted in silver, used on ceremonial occasions for drinking......
water chestnut, any of several species of water plants that are cultivated for their edible parts. Water chestnuts......
watercress, (Nasturtium officinale), perennial aquatic plant of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), native to Eurasia......
watermelon, (Citrullus lanatus), succulent fruit and vinelike plant of the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), native......
Alice Waters is an American restaurateur, chef, and food activist who was a leading proponent of the “slow food”......
wax gourd, (Benincasa hispida), fleshy vine of the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), grown for its edible fruits. The......
Welsh rarebit, a traditional British dish consisting of toasted bread topped with a savory cheddar cheese sauce......
whale catcher, large, fast steamship or motor vessel from which whales are harpooned and killed and marked for......
whale oil, any oil derived from any species of whale, including sperm oil from sperm whales, train oil from baleen......
whaleboat, light, swift, rowing and sailing boat fitted with a centreboard (retractable keel), initially developed......
whaling, the hunting of whales for food and oil. Whaling was once conducted around the world by seafaring nations......
wheat, any of several species of cereal grasses of the genus Triticum (family Poaceae) and their edible grains.......
whey, watery fraction that forms along with curd when milk coagulates. It contains the water-soluble constituents......
George H. Whipple was an American pathologist whose discovery that raw liver fed to chronically bled dogs will......
whiskey, any of several distilled liquors made from a fermented mash of cereal grains and including Scotch, Irish,......
wild rice, (genus Zizania), genus of four species of coarse grasses of the family Poaceae, the grain of which is......
wine, the fermented juice of the grape. Of the grape genus Vitis, one species, V. vinifera (often erroneously called......
wine tasting, the sampling and evaluation of wines as a means of enhancing the appreciation of them. Once strictly......
wintergreen, any of several evergreen, aromatic plants of the heath family (Ericaceae). Oil of wintergreen, derived......
wok, thin-walled cooking pan, shaped like a shallow bowl with handles, widely used in Chinese-style cooking. The......
woodruff, any of various species of plants of a genus (Asperula) belonging to the madder family, Rubiaceae. The......
Worcestershire sauce, fermented condiment that in its original form included tamarind, soy, garlic, red onions,......
World Food Council (WFC), United Nations (UN) organization established by the General Assembly in December 1974......
World Food Programme (WFP), organization established in 1961 by the United Nations (UN) to help alleviate world......
wormwood, any of several species of bitter or aromatic herbs or shrubs of the genus Artemisia of the aster family......
William Wrigley, Jr. was an American salesman and manufacturer whose company became the largest producer and distributor......
xanthan gum, water-soluble polysaccharide compound that is produced by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris and......
yam, any of several plant species of the genus Dioscorea (family Dioscoreaceae) grown for their edible tubers.......
yan, type of ancient Chinese bronze steamer, or cooking vessel, used particularly for grain. It consisted of a......
yogurt, semifluid fermented milk food having a smooth texture and mildly sour flavour because of its lactic acid......
Yorkshire pudding, a baked bread pudding of British origin that is usually served as an accompaniment to roast......
you, type of Chinese bronze container for wine that resembled a bucket with a swing handle and a knobbed lid. It......
zaatar, spice mix used in Levantine cuisine. The spice mixture zaatar is generally considered to be named for one......
zucchini, (Cucurbita pepo), variety of summer squash in the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), grown for its edible......
zun, any of a wide range of ancient Chinese wine vessels. These forms are characterized by an ample interior volume......
’nduja, peppery hot spreadable salami with origins in the southern Italian region of Calabria. Made with pork meat,......