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Food Dictionary

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Yakidofu
Grilled tofu (soybean curd cake).
Yakimono
The Japanese term for foods (usually meat) that are grilled, broiled or pan-fried. The ingredients are generally either marinated in sauce or salted. They're then skewered so they retain their shape and grilled over a hot fire so the skin (if any) is very crisp while the meat stays tender and juicy. Yakitori is a specific type of yakimono dish using chicken.
Yakitori
A Japanese dish of chicken kebabs cooked over charcoal embers. The meat is threaded on to bamboo skewers, soaked in teriyaki sauce, and then grilled for 4-5 minutes.
Yam
The round or elongated edible tuber of a tropical climbing plant, cultivated in Africa, Asia and America. The flesh has different colours depending on the variety. Yam is a basic food in many tropical countries. Small yams can be cooked in their skins, larger ones are peeled and blanched for 10-20 minutes in boiling salted water before being used in the same way as potatoes.
Yam Bean Tuber
Large bulbous root vegetable with a thin brown skin and a white crunchy flesh with a texture similar to water chestnut. It has a sweet, nutty flavor and can be eaten raw or cooked. Also called "Jicama."
Yankee Pot Roast
A "pot roast" is a piece of chuck or round cut that is browned, then braised very slowly in a covered pot with a little liquid. A "Yankee pot roast" includes vegetables that are added part way through the cooking process.
Yardlong Bean
A pencil-thin legume from the black-eye pea family that looks like a very long green bean. These beans can grow a yard long, but are usually picked at 18" or less. These beans are slightly less sweet and crispy as the green bean.
Yeast
A microscopic living fungus that multiplies rapidly in suitable conditions and is used in bread-making to make the dough rise.
Yellow Mombin
The edible fruit of a tropical American tree that is plentiful in northeastern Brazil. It is bright yellow, oval, averages an inch long, and features a soft, juicy sub-acid pulp surrounding a large seed. Also called "hog plum."
Yellowfin Tuna
These tuna reach about 300 pounds in weight. They feature a pale pink flesh that is relatively mild. Also called "ahi."
Yellowtail
A large game fish (up to 100 pounds) from the jack family with a flavor and texture resembling tuna. May be prepared in any manner suitable for tuna.
Yogurt
A thick, custard-like, mildly acid preparation. Usually made by fermenting partly skim or skim milk with a special culture. Fruit of other flavorings may be added. In the Middle East it is served as a sauce with meat, fruit and vegetables.
Yokan
A popular Japanese confection made from adzuki-bean paste and agar. Adzuki beans are small, dried, russet-colored beans with a sweet flavor. Agar is a thickening agent made from seaweed.
Yorkshire pudding
A baked batter of flour, milk and eggs, commonly with the addition of meat juices.
Youngberry
A hybrid variety of blackberry with a dark red color and a sweet juicy flesh.
Yucca
Plant native to Latin America and the Southwest; petals, fruit and root can all be eaten; root is also used as a thickener for soups and stews. There are two main categories of yuca: sweet and bitter. Bitter yucas are toxic until cooked. Yuca is used to make "cassreep" and "tapioca." Also called "cassava."