Essential French Culinary Terms

Catering professionals and students must have a sound knowledge of the culinary and French terms that are very often found on menu cards and culinary books. Culinary terms are different from French terms and some French terms, especially culinary terms, can not be translated into English they should be written as they are.

Also, catering professionals should be able to understand French terms in order to explain the dishes to guests effectively. A working knowledge of French grammar and menu terms also facilitates in compiling the menu.

We will be discussing in this guide abut some culinary and French terms, French name of ingredient, and French name for some of the items used in restaurant.

Culinary and French terms:

French Culinary Terms	Definition
1. À la	In the style of – For example à la franchise, Which means dishes prepared in French style and à l’ anglaise, Which means dishes prepared in English style
2. À la broche	Roasted on a spit
3. À la créme	Lightly coated with cream
4. À la diable	Highly seasoned dish
5. aiguillette	Long thin slice of cooked meat cut from the breast
6. Al dente	Term used for cooking pasta to the stage where it still retains the firmness of bite
7. Au gratin	Dish sprinkled with bread crumbs and grated cheese and browned
8. Amuses-bouches	Assorted cocktail canapés and small savouries
9. Blanqutte	White stew cooked in stock
10. Au bleu	Method of preparing freshwater fish, especially trout in a court bouillon which gives a blue tinge
11. Ballotine	Boned and stuffed leg of poultry
12. Baron	Double sirloin with the rumps of beef as a whole joint; also the whole saddle and two legs of lamb as one whole joint
13. Beurre manié	Equal quantities of butter and flour kneaded together. It is used as a thickening agent
14. Bombay duck	It refers to bummalo fish, native to the coastal waters of India. This fish is split, the central bone removed and sun-dried. It is used as an accompaniment with the Indian main course and also in the preparation of curries
15. Blinis	A pancake made from buckwheat flour, used as an accompaniment with caviar
16. Bündnerfleisch	Salt-cured and air-dried beef, cut into thin slices and served as an appetizer
17. Charlotte	Hot or cold sweet dishes prepared in a mould lined with biscuits, fingers of sponge cakes, bread, and so on
18. Chaud-froid	A sauce mixed with gelatin or aspic during the preparation and coated over the food and cooled to set
19. Charcuterie	Pork products
20. Cep	A type of mushroom
21. Chanterelle	Trumpet-shaped yellowish mushroom with delicate flavour
22. Compote	Stewed fruits
23. Concassée	Peeled, pipped, and diced tomato
24. Cordon	Thin line of sauce
25. Civet	Brown stew prepared from game, usually hare
26. Dariole	Deep, round mould with sloping sides
27. Déjeuner	Lunch
28. Petit-déjeuner	Breakfast
29. Fécule	Starch such as corn flour, arrowroot, or potato flour
30. Friandises	Alternative name for petits fours
31. Fleurons	Small crescent-shaped pieces of puff pastry used for garnishing certain fish and vegetable dishes
32. Fondant	Type of icing used in confectionery
33. Haute cuisine	The finest high-class cookery
34. Mirepoix	Roughly cut onions, carrots, celery, sprig of thyme, and bay leaf
35. Morel	Type of mushroom having conical-shaped cap and good flavour
36. Navarin	Brown stew made from lamb or mutton
37. Natives	English oysters-the flat oysters raised in English waters
38. Petits fours	Assorted small sweetmeats normally served at the end of the dinner or with tea :
39. Pralin	Almonds are added to sugar while cooking at the caramel stage, cooled and crushed
40. Prosciutto	Cured hams served raw, for example, prosciutto di parma (parma ham)
41. Ragoût	A brown stew made from beef, carrots, brown stock, and brown roux
42. Roux	A cooked mixture of equal quantities of butter and flour, used as a thickening agent
43. Salmis	A brown-feathered game stew
44. Sauerkraut	Shredded, pickled white cabbage
45. Vol-au-vent	Small puff pastry case filled with savoury filling

French names of ingredients:

French	English	French	English
1. La viande	Meat	63. Le turbot	Turbot
2. Le boeuf	Beef	64. Le cabillaud	Cod
3. Le veau	Veal	65. L’aiglefin (m)	Haddock
4. L’agneau (m)	Lamb	66. Le merlan	Whiting
5. Le mouton	Mutton	67. La Sole	Sole
6. Le porc	Pork	68. La barbue	Brill
7. Le lard	Bacon	69. La limande	Lemon sole
8. Le jambon	Ham	70. La brème	Bream
9. L’aloyau de boeuf (m)	Sirloin of beef	71. Les crevettes grises (f)	Shrimps
10. La côte de boeuf	Wing ribs of beef	72. Les crevettes roses (f)	Prawns
11. Le filet de boeuf	Fillet of beef	73. La langoustine	Scampi
12. La culotte de boeuf	Rump of beef	74. L’écrevisse (f)	Cray fish
13. Le cuissot de veau	Leg of veal	75. Le homard	Lobster
14. La longe de veau	Loin of veal	76. La langouste	Crawfish
15. La noix de veau	Cushion of veal	77. Le crabe	Crab
16. Le carré de veau	Best-end of veal	78. Les huîtres (1)	Oysters
17. L’épaule d’agneau (f)	Shoulder of lamb	79. Les coques (f)	Cockles
18. L’épaule de mouton (f)	Shoulder of mutton	80. La coquille St Jacques	Scallop
19. Le gigot d’agneau	Leg of lamb	81. Les légumes (m)	Vegetables
20. Le gigot de mouton	Leg of mutton	82. La betterave	Beetroot
21. Le carré d’agneau	Best-end of lamb	83. La carotte	Carrot
22. Le carré de mouton	Best-end of mutton	84. La pomme de terre	Potato
23. La selle d’agneau	Saddle of lamb	85. Le Champignon	Mushroom
24. La selle de mouton	Saddle of mutton	86. La tomate	Tomato
25. La côte d’agneau	Lamb chop	87. Le chou-fleur	Cauliflower
26. La côte de mouton	Mutton chop	88. Le radis	Radish
27. La côtelette d’agneau	Lamb cutlet	89. Le navet	Turnip
28. La côtelette de mouton	Mutton cutlet	90. Le chou	Cabbage
29. Le foie	Liver	91. Le brocoli	Broccoli
30. La volaille	Poultry	92. L’artichaut (m)	Artichoke
31. Le poussin	Baby chicken	93. L’aubergine (f)	Egg plant
32. Le poulet de grain	Small roasting chicken	94. Le poireau	Leek
33. Le poulet reine	Medium roasting chicken	95. Les petits pois (m)	Peas
34. La poularde	Large roasting chicken	96. Les épinards (m)	Spinach
35. Le dindonneau	Young turkey	97. La laitue	Lettuce
36. La dinde	Turkey	98 L’oignon (m)	Onin
37. Le caneton	Duckling	99. L’asperge (1)	Asparagus
38. Le canard	Duck	100. Le concombre	Cucumber
39. L’ole (f)	Goose	101. L’échalote (f)	Shallot
40. Le pigeon	Pigeon	102. Le Persil	Parsley
41. Le gibier	Game	103. La menthe	Mint
42. La venaison	Venison	104. Les fruits (m)	Fruits
43. Le lièvre	Hare	105. La pomme	Apple
44. Le lapin	Rabbit	106. L’abricot (m)	Apricot
45. Le faisan	Pheasant	107. La banane	Banana
46. Le perdreau	Partridge	108. Le cassis	Blackcurrants
47. La grouse	Grouse	109. La cerise	Cherry
48. La bécasse	Woodcock	110. Les airelles (f)	Cranberries
49. La bécassine	Snipe	111. La figue	Fig
50. La caille	Quail	112. Le citron	Lemon
51. Le canard-sauvage	Wild duck	113. Le melon	Melon
52. Le poisson	Fish	114. L’orange (1)	Orange
53. L’anchois (m)	Anchovy	115. La pêche	Peach
54. L’anguille (f)	Eel	116. La poire	Pear
55. Le hareng	Herring	117. L’avocat (m)	Avocado pear
56. Le maquereau	Mackerel	118. L’ananas (m)	Pineapple
57. Le saumon	Saimon	119. La prune	Plum
58. La truite saumonée	Salmon trout	120. La framboise	Raspberry
59. Les sardines (f)	Sardines	121. La rhubarbe	Rhubarb
60. La truite	Trout	122. La fraise	Strawberry
61. Le thon	Tuna	123. Les oeufs (m)	Eggs
62. Le flétan	Halibut	124. La crème	Cream

Menu terms used in a menu

French	English	French	English
1. Dubarry	Cauliflower	8. Florentine	Spinach
2. Clamart	Peas	9. Veronique	Grapes
3. Doria	Cucumber	10. Parmentier	Potatoes
4. Lyonnaise	Onion	11. Princess	Asparagus
5. Washington	Maize	12. Jackson	Potatoes
6. Singapore	Pineapple	13. Provencale	Tomatoes and garlic
7. Normandy	Apple	14. Portugaise	Tomatoes

French names for some of the items used in the restaurant:

French	English	French	English
1. La tasse	Cup	10. Le pot au lait	Milk jug
2. La soucoupe	Saucer	11. Le sucrier	Sugar bowl
3. Le couteau	Knife	12. Le tire-bouchon	Cork-screw
4. La fourchette	Fork	13. La louche	ladle
5. La cuiller	Spoon	14. La passoire	Strainer
6. La cuiller à soupe	Soup spoon	15. La soupière	Sou[p tureen
7. La cuiller à thé	Tea spoon	16. La serviette	Napkin
8. L’assiette (f)	Plate	17. Le verre à vin	Wine glass
9. Le verre	Glass	18. Le verre à pied	Stemmed glass

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