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Culinary and line-cook glossary
Technical terms, production concepts and calls used throughout the academy.
all day
Total quantity of one item currently required across all open tickets.
bain-marie
A hot- or cold-water bath used to moderate temperature around a container.
baker’s percentage
Formula system where each ingredient is expressed as a percentage of flour weight.
batch cooking
Producing smaller repeated quantities to protect freshness, temperature and capacity.
behind
Call announcing movement behind another worker.
blanch
Cook briefly in boiling water, often followed by rapid cooling.
bloom spices
Warm spices in fat or heat to release aromatic compounds.
braise
Brown, then cook slowly with controlled moisture until tender.
brine
Salt solution or dry-salt treatment used to season and influence moisture retention.
carryover cooking
Temperature rise and continued cooking after food leaves the heat source.
collagen
Connective-tissue protein that can soften into gelatin with sufficient time, moisture and heat.
conduction
Heat transfer through direct contact.
convection
Heat transfer through moving air or liquid.
corner
Call announcing approach around a blind corner.
cross-contact
Unintended transfer of an allergen from one food or surface to another.
curdle
Separation or coagulation of proteins into undesirable lumps.
deglaze
Add liquid to dissolve browned fond from a pan.
dredge
Coat food lightly in flour or another dry mixture.
emulsion
Mixture of normally separate liquids, commonly fat and water, stabilized into one system.
evaporation
Liquid changing to vapor, concentrating flavor and reducing yield.
expo
Person or position coordinating ticket completion, quality and handoff at the pass.
FIFO
First in, first out; rotate older usable stock ahead of newer stock.
fond
Flavorful browned residue attached to a cooking surface.
food-cost percentage
Ingredient cost divided by selling price, expressed as a percentage.
gelatinization
Starch granules absorbing water and thickening with heat.
glaze
A reduced coating, shiny finish or final concentrated layer.
heard
Acknowledgment that an instruction or call was received.
hold time
Length of time food remains within an approved safety and quality standard.
hot
Warning that a hot object or product is moving.
hydration
Water absorbed by flour, starch, breading, beans or other dry ingredients.
induction
Heating cookware through an electromagnetic field.
julienne
Thin, matchstick-shaped cut.
Maillard reaction
Browning reactions between amino compounds and sugars that create roasted aromas and color.
marinade
Seasoned liquid used to flavor food; its tenderizing effect depends on formula, cut and time.
mise en place
Everything in its place: ingredients, tools, labels and plan ready before execution.
nappe
Sauce consistency that coats the back of a spoon.
par
Target quantity needed to cover expected demand and maintain a buffer.
par-cook
Partially cook for later completion under a defined safe process.
proof
Allow yeast dough to ferment and expand before baking.
radiation
Heat transferred through electromagnetic energy, such as broiler or live-fire radiant heat.
reduce
Concentrate a liquid through controlled evaporation.
render
Melt and release fat from animal tissue.
rest
Hold food off heat so temperature and moisture redistribute or structure sets.
retrogradation
Cooked starch molecules reorganizing as they cool, often causing firming or staling.
roux
Cooked mixture of fat and flour used to thicken and flavor.
sanitizer concentration
Measured strength of a sanitizer solution, confirmed with the correct test method.
sear
Brown a surface rapidly with strong heat and controlled moisture.
seasoning by weight
Using a measured seasoning-to-product ratio for repeatability.
shallow fry
Cook in a layer of fat that does not fully submerge the food.
sharp
Warning that a knife or sharp object is moving.
slack out
Gradually thaw frozen food under controlled refrigeration.
smoke ring
Pink color below smoked meat’s surface caused by combustion gases; not a doneness test.
starch slurry
Cold liquid mixed with starch before addition to hot liquid.
station map
Defined home position for ingredients, tools, sanitation and handoff space.
stock
Flavorful liquid extracted from bones, meat, vegetables or aromatics.
temperature danger zone
The range in which pathogen growth can become a major concern; use current regulatory definitions.
tempering
Gradually equalizing temperatures to prevent shock, curdling or seizing.
tenderness probe
Judging resistance with a probe as one doneness indicator, especially in barbecue.
ticket time
Elapsed time from order entry to completed handoff.
time as a public-health control
A regulated procedure using time instead of temperature under written controls.
trim loss
Purchased material removed before cooking and not served in the intended item.
walking in
Call that a new order or item has entered production.
window
Pickup/pass area where completed food is checked and handed off.
working clean
Cleaning and resetting continuously instead of allowing disorder to accumulate.
yield
Usable output compared with purchased or starting input.
No matching term.