Foods that contain N

List of Foods That Contain N

1

Adzuki Beans

A small, deep-red East Asian legume sweetened into a paste (*anko*) that fills mochi, daifuku, and dorayaki — and the secret sweet ingredient in Japanese desserts everywhere.

2

Ajowan Seed

A small, peppery, thyme-scented seed essential to South Asian breads and pickles — chemically the most thymol-rich spice, sharper than oregano and crucial to lentil dishes.

3

Albacore Tuna

A large, fast-swimming open-ocean tuna with notably pale flesh, sold as "white tuna" in cans and "shiro maguro" in sushi bars — a leaner, milder alternative to other tunas.

4

Almond Oil

A pale, lightly nutty oil pressed from almonds — used both as a delicate finishing oil in Mediterranean cooking and as a skin-moisturizing carrier oil in cosmetics.

5

Almonds

The seed of a small Mediterranean tree related to peaches and apricots, eaten raw, roasted, in baking, and processed into milk, flour, oil, and the famous Sicilian marzipan.

6

Amaranth

An ancient pseudocereal seed that was a staple of the Aztec Empire, packed with complete protein and gluten-free, popped like popcorn or simmered into porridge.

7

Anchovies

Small saltwater fish cured in salt for months and packed in oil, prized for the deep umami punch a few fillets add to sauces, dressings, and Mediterranean cooking.

8

Aniseed

A small grayish seed from a Mediterranean herb in the parsley family, with a sweet licorice flavor — the foundational spice of pastis, ouzo, sambuca, and Christmas baking.

9

Annatto Seed

A small brick-red seed from a tropical American shrub — the source of bright orange-red food coloring in cheddar cheese, chorizo, and Filipino kare-kare, with a mild peppery-nutty flavor.

10

Bacon

Cured and smoked pork belly or back — a breakfast staple in the US and UK, with regional variations from American streaky bacon to British rashers to Italian pancetta.

11

Banana Bread

A moist quick-bread sweetened mostly by overripe bananas — a Depression-era American baking staple now made worldwide.

12

Banh Mi

A Vietnamese baguette sandwich filled with pickled vegetables, fresh herbs, and a protein — a direct product of French colonial influence on Vietnamese street food.

13

Banoffee Pie

A British dessert invention of the 1970s — a buttery biscuit base topped with toffee made from condensed milk, fresh banana slices, and whipped cream; the name combines banana and toffee; first made at The Hungry Monk restaurant in East Sussex in 1972, and now one of the most popular British desserts both at home and in cafes worldwide.

14

Beef Stroganoff

A Russian dish of sautéed beef strips in a sour cream sauce — allegedly created for Count Stroganov's household in St. Petersburg in the 1800s; now a globally adapted comfort dish served over egg noodles or rice.

15

Beef Wellington

A British celebration dish of beef tenderloin coated in mushroom duxelles and wrapped in puff pastry — elegant to serve, technically demanding to cook correctly.

16

Beignet

A New Orleans deep-fried choux-dough fritter, served hot and smothered under a snowfall of powdered sugar — the signature breakfast of Café Du Monde since 1862.

17

Biryani

A layered rice dish of long-grain basmati cooked with spiced meat or vegetables, born from Persian–Mughal kitchens and refined across the Indian subcontinent.

18

Black Pudding

A blood sausage made from pig's blood, pork fat, and oatmeal or barley, cooked in a casing until set — a staple of the full English and Scottish breakfast, with a rich, earthy, iron-heavy flavour; the best black puddings (from Bury in Lancashire, Stornoway in the Hebrides, and Clonakilty in Ireland) are considered artisan products of national importance.

19

Boeuf Bourguignon

The great French beef stew — beef braised slowly in red Burgundy wine with lardons, pearl onions, mushrooms, and herbs until the meat is fall-apart tender and the sauce is deeply reduced and glossy; a dish from the Burgundy region of France that became an international symbol of French cuisine through Julia Child's 1961 recipe, which brought it to American home cooks.

20

Bolognese

A slow-cooked Italian meat sauce from Bologna — rich, dense, and emphatically not the tomato-heavy ragù most of the world calls "spaghetti bolognese."

21

Bread and Butter Pudding

A British classic of utter simplicity — slices of buttered bread layered in a dish, soaked in an egg-cream custard, dusted with nutmeg and sugar, then baked until set and golden; a pudding for using up stale bread that has become one of the most beloved British desserts.

22

Bunny Chow

Durban's iconic street food — a hollowed-out half or quarter loaf of bread filled with spicy curry, the scooped-out bread served as the lid; eaten by hand from the loaf.

23

Calzone

A folded Neapolitan pizza — the same leavened dough as pizza, sealed around a filling of ricotta, mozzarella, cured meats, and sometimes tomato sauce, then baked until puffed and charred.

24

Candle Nut

A large, waxy, oil-rich nut from a tropical tree, essential to Indonesian and Malaysian cooking as a creamy thickener for curries and spice pastes — toxic when raw, safe when cooked.

25

Canned Salmon

Wild-caught Pacific salmon preserved in cans — a convenient, shelf-stable source of complete protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and calcium-rich edible bones, long a staple of budget-conscious and health-aware households.

26

Cannellini Beans

A large, white, kidney-shaped Italian bean — creamy when cooked and central to Tuscan cooking, especially the slow-simmered soups *ribollita* and *pasta e fagioli*.

27

Cannoli

Sicily's defining pastry — crisp fried pastry tubes filled with sweetened sheep's-milk ricotta, studded with candied orange peel or chocolate chips, served at every Sicilian celebration.

28

Canola Oil

A neutral, high-smoke-point cooking oil pressed from a Canadian-bred variety of rapeseed — one of the most-used oils in North American kitchens and food processing.

29

Carbonara

Rome's iconic pasta made with guanciale, eggs, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper — no cream, no onion, no garlic; the sauce is an emulsification of egg and fat achieved off the heat.

30

Chelsea Bun

A sticky, spiral-rolled sweet bun from London's Chelsea — a rich yeast dough rolled with butter, brown sugar, and mixed dried fruit, cut into spirals, baked in a close-packed tin so the sides rise together, then glazed with a syrup or fondant while still hot; a London street food classic dating from the early 18th century, when the Chelsea Bun House attracted crowds of thousands.

31

Christmas Pudding

The great British festive dessert — a dense, dark steamed pudding made months in advance with dried fruit, suet, black treacle, spices, and stout or brandy; served flaming with brandy on Christmas Day; traditionally made on Stir-up Sunday (the last Sunday before Advent) and steamed for hours until almost black; often contains hidden silver coins for good luck.

32

Coronation Chicken

A cold chicken dish in a lightly curried, sweet mayonnaise sauce, created specifically for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation luncheon in 1953 — soft-cooked chicken mixed with a sauce of mayonnaise, cream, curry powder, mango chutney, and dried apricots; a staple of British supermarket shelves, sandwich fillings, and party buffets for over 70 years.

33

Croissant

A French laminated pastry of butter folded into yeasted dough, baked into a flaky, crescent-shaped icon of the patisserie.

34

Croque-Monsieur

France's definitive hot sandwich — a grilled ham and cheese toastie topped with béchamel sauce and more cheese, then gratinéed until golden; add a fried egg on top and it becomes a croque-madame; a staple of French café menus since the early 20th century.

35

Dango

Japanese chewy rice-flour dumplings skewered three to five on a bamboo stick — a simple sweet or savoury snack eaten at festivals and with green tea, in dozens of seasonal varieties.

36

Danish Pastry

Laminated butter pastry of Viennese origin but perfected in Denmark — layers of yeasted dough folded with butter dozens of times, shaped into spirals or envelopes around fruit, custard, or almond fillings.

37

Donut

A deep-fried sweet ring or filled round of dough, the favorite quick-bread sweet of North America and a global breakfast and snack staple.

38

Duck Confit

A French preservation technique turned luxury dish — duck legs cured in salt and herbs, then slow-cooked in their own fat until silky-tender, with skin crisped before serving.

39

Dumpling

A pocket of dough wrapped around a filling — boiled, steamed, fried, or baked — found in nearly every cuisine on Earth.

40

Eggs Benedict

A classic American brunch dish of poached eggs and Canadian bacon stacked on a toasted English muffin and napped with hollandaise sauce.

41

Empanada

A baked or fried turnover of pastry dough wrapped around a savory or sweet filling, found across Spain, Latin America, and the Philippines.

42

Enchilada

A corn tortilla rolled around a filling and bathed in chili sauce, baked until tender — a staple of Mexican cuisine since pre-Columbian times.

43

Eton Mess

Britain's most gloriously chaotic dessert — crushed meringue, whipped cream, and fresh strawberries tumbled together in a mess that is supposed to look accidental; traditionally served at Eton College's annual cricket match against Harrow, it is now a staple of British summer tables and garden parties.

44

Fish and Chips

Britain's defining take-away dish — thick battered and deep-fried white fish with chunky fried potato chips, served wrapped in paper with salt and vinegar.

45

Flan

A silky baked egg custard coated in caramel — the defining dessert of Spanish-speaking countries, served inverted so the molten caramel sauce cascades over the set custard.

46

Fondue

Swiss melted cheese in a communal pot — Gruyère and Emmental melted with white wine and Kirsch, kept warm over a flame; bread cubes dipped on long forks, with the legend that dropping your bread means a round of drinks.

47

French Toast

Stale bread soaked in egg and milk, then pan-fried to a golden crust — called *pain perdu* (lost bread) in France because it rescues bread past its prime; topped with maple syrup, fruit, or icing sugar.

48

Fried Chicken

Chicken pieces seasoned, coated in seasoned flour, and deep-fried — a dish with deep roots in Scottish and West African cooking traditions, central to American Southern cuisine.

49

Galangal

A tropical rhizome resembling ginger but with a sharper, more pine-camphor flavor — essential to Thai *tom kha* and *tom yum*, and the dominant aromatic in Indonesian and Malaysian cooking.

50

Gingerbread

One of the world's oldest spiced baked goods — a broad category ranging from soft, dark, treacle-rich cake to firm, dry biscuit, all sharing the defining flavour of dried ginger and warm spices; gingerbread men, gingerbread houses, and gingerbread cake are all distinct products sharing a name but differing entirely in texture and use; associated with Christmas, medieval fairs, and warming winter baking throughout Europe.

51

Gnocchi

Soft Italian dumplings made of potato, semolina, or ricotta — pillowy, lightly chewy, served with butter, brown butter, sauce, or in broth.

52

Granola

Rolled oats baked with oil, honey or maple syrup, and various nuts and seeds until crisp and golden — an American breakfast staple eaten with milk or yoghurt, or carried dry as trail food.

53

Green Chicken Curry

Thailand's most fragrant curry, defined by a vivid green paste of fresh chillies, lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves simmered with coconut milk and tender chicken — simultaneously herbal, spicy, and rich.

54

Hash Browns

Shredded or grated potato cakes fried until deeply golden and crispy outside, soft inside — an American diner breakfast staple spread worldwide through fast food chains; the name comes from the French hacher (to chop), and the key to success is removing as much moisture as possible from the potato before frying.

55

Hollandaise

One of French cuisine's five mother sauces — a warm emulsion of egg yolks and butter flavoured with lemon, served over eggs Benedict, asparagus, and fish.

56

Honey

A natural sweetener made by honey bees from flower nectar — the only food that doesn't spoil, with edible specimens recovered from Egyptian tombs after 3,000 years.

57

Injera

Ethiopia's giant spongy sourdough flatbread — made from teff grain, fermented for two to three days, then poured onto a hot clay griddle to produce a sour, spongy disc that serves as both plate and eating utensil.

58

Katsudon

Japan's most comforting rice bowl — a breaded pork cutlet (tonkatsu) simmered in a sweet dashi and soy broth with sliced onion, then bound with a lightly set egg and served over steamed rice; a staple of Japanese home cooking and affordable restaurant menus.

59

Kung Pao Chicken

A classic Sichuan stir-fry of diced chicken, dried chillies, Sichuan peppercorns, and peanuts in a tangy sauce — one of the most widely known Chinese dishes internationally, with a troubled name history.

60

Labneh

Strained yoghurt cheese from the Levant — yoghurt hung in cloth until thick enough to roll into balls or spread; drizzled with olive oil and dusted with zaatar or dried herbs, a cornerstone of the mezze table.

61

Lahmacun

Turkish and Armenian thin-crust flatbread topped with spiced minced meat — described as "Turkish pizza" though older and simpler, rolled up with fresh herbs, lemon, and raw onion and eaten as a street food.

62

Lasagna

A layered Italian baked pasta of wide noodles, meat or vegetable ragù, béchamel, and cheese, golden-baked in a deep dish.

63

Lemon Curd

A smooth, intensely tangy preserve made from eggs, butter, sugar, and fresh lemon juice — thicker and richer than jam, with a vivid yellow colour and a clean, bright flavour; used as a spread on toast and scones, a filling for tarts and cakes, and a swirl in cheesecakes and ice cream; requires careful making — the eggs curdle if overheated — but keeps for weeks refrigerated.

64

Lemonade

A sweetened lemon juice drink — one of the world's most widely consumed beverages, with a fundamental divide between the cloudy fresh-squeezed Western style and the clear Asian and Middle Eastern variants.

65

Lo Mein

A Chinese-American stir-fried noodle dish — soft egg noodles tossed with vegetables, protein, and a soy-oyster sauce — one of the most ordered dishes in Chinese-American restaurants.

66

Macadamia Nut

A buttery, exceptionally rich nut from an Australian rainforest tree — the only commercial food crop native to Australia, with the hardest shell of any commonly eaten nut.

67

Macaron

A delicate French sandwich cookie of almond meringue shells with a smooth filling — visually iconic, technically demanding.

68

Macaroni and Cheese

The most beloved American comfort food — elbow macaroni in a thick, creamy cheese sauce; made from scratch with a béchamel base, or from the iconic bright-orange powdered cheese packet that defined American childhoods.

69

Madeleine

A small, shell-shaped French sponge cake from the Lorraine region — light, buttery, and flavoured with lemon zest, baked in a distinctive shell-shaped mould; the madeleine owes its extraordinary cultural fame to Marcel Proust, whose narrator in In Search of Lost Time triggers a rush of involuntary memory upon tasting one dipped in tea, making it the literary symbol of nostalgia and sensory memory.

70

Malt Vinegar

A dark vinegar made from fermented malted barley — the signature condiment for British fish and chips, with distinctive caramel-malty flavor that distinguishes it from grape, rice, or apple-based vinegars.

71

Margarine

An emulsion of vegetable oils and water designed as a butter substitute — invented in 19th-century France for naval rations and now a global pantry staple.

72

Mayonnaise

An emulsion of oil, egg yolk, and acid — invented in 18th-century France, now the foundation of countless dressings, dips, and sandwich spreads worldwide, with strong cultural variations in preferred formulations.

73

Meringue

A confection of whipped egg whites and sugar — baked low and slow to produce crisp shells, piled on lemon tart, or swirled into soft peaks on pavlova and baked Alaska; three distinct types with different ratios and techniques.

74

Mince Pies

Small, enclosed pastry tarts filled with mincemeat — a sweet mixture of dried fruit, suet, spices, and brandy or spirits — eaten throughout the Christmas season in Britain; traditionally containing actual minced meat in medieval times, today the filling is entirely fruit-based; served warm or cold, dusted with icing sugar, and considered obligatory at Christmas parties and carol services.

75

Minestrone

Italy's great peasant vegetable soup — a thick, hearty broth with seasonal vegetables, beans, and pasta or rice; every Italian region has a version, and there is no single authoritative recipe.

76

Muffin

Two completely different foods share this name — the American muffin is a quick-bread cake baked in a cup mould, sweet and domed, sold in coffee shops worldwide; the English muffin is a flat, yeast-leavened bread cooked on a griddle, split and toasted, and used for Eggs Benedict; they are unrelated.

77

Mulled Wine

Warm spiced red wine — the definitive drink of European Christmas markets and winter celebrations, made by simmering wine with cinnamon, cloves, star anise, orange peel, and sugar until fragrant and warming; known as Glühwein in Germany, vin chaud in France, and glogg in Scandinavia.

78

Naan

A leavened, oven-baked flatbread from South Asia, slapped onto the searing wall of a tandoor and pulled off in chewy, blistered ovals.

79

Nachos

A Tex-Mex snack of tortilla chips topped with melted cheese — invented in 1943 by a Mexican maître d' as a quick meal for US Army wives, now a global sports and cinema staple.

80

Nasi Goreng

Indonesia's national fried rice dish — cooked with sweet soy sauce (kecap manis), shrimp paste, and chillies, topped with a fried egg and prawn crackers, and rated among the world's best foods.

81

Nougat

A chewy or brittle confection of whipped egg whites, honey or sugar syrup, and nuts — ancient in origin, found from Italy to Iran to Australia, with wildly different textures depending on the type.

82

Okonomiyaki

Japan's beloved savoury pancake — a thick batter of flour, egg, shredded cabbage, and toppings griddled on a hotplate and finished with mayonnaise, sweet sauce, bonito flakes, and aonori.

83

Onion Soup

The most celebrated soup in French cuisine — an intensely flavoured broth built on slow-caramelised onions cooked until soft, sweet, and dark golden, then topped with a thick slice of toasted bread and a blanket of melted Gruyère cheese, gratinéed until bubbling; the classic bistro dish of Paris.

84

Pancakes

A flat, round griddle cake of batter — leavened or thin — eaten worldwide for breakfast or as a wrapper for savory and sweet fillings.

85

Pandanus Leaves

Long sword-shaped tropical leaves used as the vanilla of Southeast Asia — adding a distinctive grassy, nutty, faintly floral aroma to rice, sweets, and curries.

86

Pandoro

A tall, eight-pointed-star-shaped Christmas cake from Verona — buttery, eggy, and dusted with vanilla-scented icing sugar.

87

Panettone

A tall, dome-topped Italian Christmas bread from Milan — leavened slowly with a sourdough starter and studded with candied fruit and raisins.

88

Parmesan Cheese

An aged, hard cow's-milk cheese made for centuries in northern Italy — the most-imitated cheese in the world, with the genuine *Parmigiano-Reggiano* protected by EU law.

89

Peanut

A South American legume that grows underground (despite being called a nut) — the world's most widely-consumed legume, source of George Washington Carver's hundreds of agricultural innovations and a defining American snack food.

90

Peking Duck

China's most famous dish — a whole duck lacquered with a sweet glaze, air-dried for hours, then roasted until the skin crackles and shatters; served tableside with the sliced crispy skin separately from the meat, both wrapped in thin pancakes with hoisin sauce, sliced cucumber, and spring onions.

91

Polenta

A Northern Italian porridge of slow-cooked cornmeal — eaten loose, set firm and grilled, or layered with cheese and meat sauce.

92

Popcorn

A specific corn variety whose kernels explode under heat — the world's most popular movie-theater snack and one of humanity's oldest known foods.

93

Poutine

Quebec's cult comfort food — thick-cut fries covered in fresh cheese curds and hot brown gravy; the curds must squeak against the teeth, the gravy must be hot enough to soften them slightly without melting them completely.

94

Pumpkin Pie

America's Thanksgiving dessert — a spiced custard of pumpkin purée, eggs, cream, and warming spices baked in a shortcrust shell; the pumpkin spice flavour profile is among the most commercially influential in American food.

95

Quinoa Bowl

A modern Western convenience meal of cooked quinoa topped with vegetables, proteins, and dressings — popularized in the 2010s as a "superfood" alternative to rice bowls and salads.

96

Ramen

A Japanese wheat-noodle soup with a savory broth, toppings, and infinite regional variations — an obsession in Japan and a global phenomenon.

97

Rendang

An Indonesian slow-cooked dry beef curry from Padang, Sumatra — simmered for hours in coconut milk and spices until the liquid evaporates and the meat is coated in a dark, concentrated paste.

98

Rogan Josh

A Kashmiri slow-braised lamb curry of Persian origin — deep red from Kashmiri chillies and Ratan Jot bark rather than from turmeric, mildly spiced relative to much Indian cooking.

99

Saffron

The dried red stigmas of a small autumn-flowering crocus — by weight, the most expensive spice in the world, and the source of the deep gold color in paella, biryani, risotto, and bouillabaisse.

100

Salade Niçoise

The defining salad of Nice and the French Riviera — traditionally tuna, anchovies, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, black olives, green beans, and artichoke hearts dressed in olive oil; the subject of fierce debate over whether cooked vegetables should be included and whether the tuna should be fresh or tinned; a complete meal that epitomises the flavours of Provence.

101

Salmon

A pink-fleshed migratory fish — the most-eaten fish in many Western markets, eaten raw as sushi, smoked into lox, grilled, baked, and central to Norwegian, Japanese, and Pacific Northwest cooking.

102

Sardines

Small, oily, schooling Atlantic fish — sustainable, nutrient-dense, and traditionally canned in oil or sauce; named for the Mediterranean island of Sardinia where they were first canned commercially.

103

Schnitzel

A thin, breaded cutlet fried in clarified butter — Austria's Wiener Schnitzel must be veal; Germany's Schnitzel uses pork; both are pounded paper-thin, coated in flour, egg wash, and fine breadcrumbs, and fried until golden.

104

Scones

The cornerstone of the British cream tea — small, leavened quick breads made from flour, butter, and buttermilk or milk, baked until risen and golden; served split and spread with clotted cream and strawberry jam; the cream-first versus jam-first controversy (Cornish versus Devonian tradition) is a persistent source of gentle British regional rivalry.

105

Semolina

A coarse flour ground from durum wheat — the foundation of dried Italian pasta, North African couscous, Indian semolina cakes (rava), and many other grain traditions across Mediterranean and South Asian cuisine.

106

Spring Roll

A crispy, golden fried roll of Chinese origin filled with vegetables, glass noodles, and sometimes pork or shrimp, wrapped in a thin wheat or rice flour wrapper and deep-fried; distinct from the egg roll, with a thinner, crisper wrapper that shatters rather than chews.

107

Tagine

A North African slow-cooked stew of meat, fruit, and spices — named for the conical clay pot it cooks in.

108

Tahini

A smooth paste of ground sesame seeds — the binding flavor of hummus, the base of Middle Eastern halva, and a foundational ingredient in Levantine and Israeli cooking.

109

Tarragon

A slender-leafed Mediterranean herb with anise-licorice notes — the defining flavor of French béarnaise sauce, classical roast chicken, and the central herb of *fines herbes* mixtures.

110

Tarte Tatin

The French upside-down apple tart that was allegedly invented by accident when the Tatin sisters forgot to put pastry in the tart dish and tried to rescue it — apples cooked in caramel in a cast-iron pan, covered with pastry, then flipped upside down to reveal a glossy, amber fruit layer over buttery pastry.

111

Threadfin Bream

A small pinkish reef fish from Indo-Pacific waters — the workhorse of Southeast Asian fish balls and surimi, with sweet, delicate white flesh.

112

Tinned Mackerel

Atlantic or Pacific mackerel canned in oil, brine, or tomato sauce — a deeply nutritious pantry staple with high omega-3 content at a fraction of the cost of fresh fish.

113

Toad in the Hole

A classic British baked dish of pork sausages embedded in Yorkshire pudding batter — the sausages are browned in fat in a roasting tin until the fat is smoking, then a simple batter of flour, egg, and milk is poured around them and the whole dish goes into a very hot oven until the batter is risen, golden, and crispy at the edges.

114

Tonkatsu

Japan's beloved breaded pork cutlet — thick-cut pork loin or fillet coated in panko breadcrumbs and deep-fried, served with shredded cabbage and tonkatsu sauce; a Meiji-era adaptation of Western schnitzel that became distinctly Japanese.

115

Udon

A thick, chewy Japanese wheat noodle, served in steaming bowls of dashi-based broth or with cold dipping sauces, the country's heaviest, heartiest noodle.

116

Vanilla

The cured seed pods of an orchid — an extraordinarily labor-intensive natural flavoring whose complex aromatic compound profile makes it essentially impossible to fully replicate synthetically, yet most "vanilla" globally is actually synthetic vanillin.

117

Vermicelli Noodles

Thin noodles found in Italian pasta, Asian rice and mung-bean varieties, and South Asian wheat versions — the same name covering very different products.

118

Victoria Sponge

Britain's quintessential celebration cake — two light, equal-weight sponge layers sandwiched with raspberry jam and whipped cream (or buttercream), dusted with icing sugar; named after Queen Victoria, who ate a slice of sponge cake with her afternoon tea, and now judged at every village fête in Britain.

119

Vindaloo

A fiery Goan curry with Portuguese roots — pork marinated in vinegar and garlic (the original *vinha d'alhos*) transformed by Goan cooks into a chilli-intense, tangy curry; now a British curry-house staple associated with maximum heat.

120

Vinegar

A sour liquid produced by fermenting alcoholic beverages with acetic acid bacteria — found in every cuisine, from balsamic of Modena to apple cider vinegar to Chinese black vinegar.

121

Vol-au-Vent

A small puff-pastry case filled with savory or sweet ingredients — French haute cuisine in miniature, "blown by the wind" because of how light the pastry is.

122

Wonton

A Chinese dumpling of minced pork and shrimp wrapped in thin egg dough — boiled in broth, deep-fried, or steamed, and the foundation of wonton soup and Cantonese noodle dishes.

123

Xiaolongbao

Shanghai-style soup dumplings — thin-skinned steamed parcels of pork and gelled broth that liquefies on contact with steam, served in stacked bamboo baskets.

124

Yellowtail Kingfish

A large, fast-swimming Pacific game fish prized for its firm, slightly fatty flesh — eaten raw as Japanese hamachi or cooked in Australian and Mediterranean kitchens.

125

Yorkshire Pudding

England's great savoury batter pudding — a simple batter of flour, eggs, and milk poured into extremely hot beef dripping in a tin; the violent steam creates a golden, hollow vessel that rises dramatically above its tin.

126

Zuppa Toscana

A creamy Tuscan-style soup of Italian sausage, kale, potatoes, and cream — popularized in the U.S. by Olive Garden but rooted in older country cooking from Tuscany.

127

Zwetschgenkuchen

A German plum cake of dark Italian prune-plums arranged on a yeasted or shortcrust base, baked to a glossy purple, often served with whipped cream in late summer.