Find the meaning of Italian food terms that you see in recipes and on our cooking courses in Tuscany

sea fish: marlin

macaroni

(of tablecloth &c) stain

(of liquid) to add a dash to; (of tablecloth) to stain

a (of coffee) with a dash of milk

(of coffee/ice &c) machine; apparatus

(of coffee/ice &c) machine; apparatus

fruit cocktail; fruit-salad

butcher

(of shop) butcher’s

abattoir

to macerate; to soak; (of meat &c) to marinate

a macerated; soaked; (of meat &c) marinated

maceration; soaking

a macerated; soaked

coffee-mill; coffee-grinder

pepper-mill

(of meat) to mince; (of coffee) to grind; (of corn) to grind; to crush

a (of pepper/coffee) ground; (of meat) minced

(of pepper/coffee) grinder; (of meat) mincer

(of pepper/coffee) grinder; (of meat) mincer

(of spice) mace

(of fortified wine) Madeira

cupboard; bin; bread bin

rice/coffee/lemon peql pudding

(of fruit &c) blemish, imperfection

May

marjoram

(of price) extra charge

butler

(of bottle) magnum

(of meat) leanness

a (of meat) lean; (of bacon) back; low-fat; meagre; thin; fasting

pig; pork; hog

piglet; – da latte suckling pig

(of sauce) mayonnaise

maize; sweetcorn

maitre d’hotel

(of meat) cheap cut

cheese/spinach gnocchi; ravioli

a bad; off; sour

malting

rough-cut pasta

maltase

malmsey

scarcity; shortage

(of service charge) tip

mandarin; tangerine; anatra -a mandarin duck

almond; kernel; crema (pasta) di -e frangipane; -e pelate blanched almonds

almondincluding; almond/caramel cake

a edible

a (of meal quality) edible

to eat; nm eating; cooking; food; da – cruda (of apple) eating

delicacy

a (of peas) mange-tout

to nibble

mango

mangosteen

dainty; delicacy

(of pan) handle

(of flour) cassava, manioc

manna

meat cleaver

a creamy; (of fish) in rich creamy sauce; cream of [ ] mantecare : vt to whisk; to whip

(of food) to preserve; to keep

almond-dusted cake; alla – pumpkin-based

manual; handbook; – di istruzioni (~ d’utilizzo) operating manual

beef

(of fruit) grapefruit clementine cross

morello cherry

maraschino

(of region) Marches

a (of fruit &c) bad, rotten, off

sea; frutti di – seafood; M- Adriatico Adriatic Sea; – Ionio Ionian Sea; M- Mediterraneo Mediterranean Sea; – Tirreno Tyrrhenian Sea

morello cherry

morello cherry syrup

a (of chicken) Marengo; fried/tomatoed crayfish/egg-garnished; oil/ wine/garlic embellished

margarine

margarita; lemon/ tequila cocktail

a (of pizza) mozzarella/tomato/basilgarnished

a lightly tomatosauced; (of fish) onion/garlic parsley-ed

to marinate (marinade); to pickle

a seaside; seafooddressed; (of pizza) anchovy/ olive/tomato/caper-garnished

marinade; pickle

a marinaded; pickled; soused

marinading

sweet bun

jam; – di agrumi marmalade; sfogliatina alla ~ jam-puff

earthenware pot, casserole, stewing-pot marmorizzato a (of cake) ~a marble

marron glace; crystallized chestnut

chestnut

(of fortified wine) Marsala

a of Marseilles

porpoise

Tuesday; – grasso pancake day; Mardi Gras; Shrove Tuesday

dry Martini

(of duck) garganey

marzipan

March

(mascherpone) nm soft fresh cow’s milk cream cheese

jaw; chap

cock; male bird; (of animal) buck; (of gamebird) blackcock; a (of gender) male

housewife; alla – simply cooked

to chew

marriage; an,oiversario – wedding anniversary

abattoir

rolling-pin

morning

brick; (of pizza) wood-fire-brick cooked

(of ice-cream) brick

vUvi (of fruit) to ripen

a (of fruit) ripened; matured

ripeness

a mature; ripe; ready; aged; mellow

(of mushroom) parasol

king prawn; imperial prawn

king prawn; imperial prawn

(of flowers/vegetables) bunch

(of excellence) medal

round slice, medallion

a (of oven temperature &c) medium; moderate; average

Mediterranean

(of whale) humpback

sherbet

apple; – da cuocere (of apple) cooker; – cotogna quince; – granata pomegranate; – renetta pippin; – selvatica crab-apple

pomegranate

bitter orange

aubergine; egg plant; – alla parmigiana parmesan/tomato-sauced

sweet orange

(of fruit) rose apple

golden syrup

a (of peach) melba

pomegranate

rim melon

dining-room; canteen dining-hall; table; (of military) mess; mess-hall; buono – luncheon voucher

mint; (of confectionery) peppermint; – piperita peppermint; – Romana peppermint; – verde spearmint

peppermint; mint

wild mint

menu

local market

market; a buon – cheap; good value; – Comune Common Market; – coperto covered market; – ortofrutticolo fruit and vegetable market; – del pesce fish market; – rionale local market

Wednesday; – delle ceneri Ash Wednesda~

snack

light-snack

meringue

cream/meringue cake

a meringued

whiting; – nero pollack; saithe; coley

blackbird

codling

cod; uova di ~ cod’s roe

(of beer &c) to pour; to top-up

wine shop; (of jug) pouring-out

barman (barmaid)

mixing

mixture

to mix; to blend; to cream; to fold-in

(of salad &c) toss; stir

(of equipment) blender

blending; mixing

harvest; crop

a Mexican; beef olive

ladleful meta nf half

ladle; scoop

(of table) to lay; to set; to place

a cooked in butter/parsley/lemon

double-handled crescent chopping-knife

mezzanine

midnight

half; (of wine) half-litre; – bicchiere small bottle; – cotto half-cooked; -a pensione half-board; -a pinta half-pint

lunchtime; midday; noon; intervallo di – lunch-hour

(of animal) crossbreed

microwave oven

crumb

honey; – in favi honeycomb

a sugary; honeyed mietere, vt to harvest

(of wheat) harvest

black pudding; chestnut cake

millet

a (of meat) breaded; (of rice) saffroned; (of risotto) white wine/ parmesan/saffroned; cotoletta alla – wiener schnitzel

milk-shake; malted milk

cream puff pastry

a vintage; non – non-vintage

milligramme

mimosa

safety-match

soup; first course; ~ indiana al curry mulligatawny soup

consomme

minestrone

(of fish) fry

a very small

blueberry; whortleberry; bilberry; huckleberry; – rosso cranberry

myrtle

(of whisky &c) blend; mixture

to mix; to blend

a mixing; blending

mixing; blending

to mix; to blend

freshwater fish: dried lake sardine

(of salad) wild/cultivated mix

a (of grill/fruit &c) mixed

anis liqueur

mixture

measure

to measure

measure; measuring-scoop; cocktail measure, jigger

mussel-farming

mussel

cocktail cabinet

candle-end

to shape; to mould

(of kitchen furniture) unit; module

soft-shelled crab moka : nf mocha

a (of region) of Molise molle a doughy; soft

(of ice/sugar) tongs; -o a slightly soft

soft part of bread; -¢ crumbs

mollusc farming

mollusc, shellfish clam

sea fish: ling

(of grain/nuts) to hull; (of fruit) to peel

(of fruit) peeling mondo a peeled

coin; telefono a -e pay-phone

hill

(of eggs) to beat; tc whip

a (of cream) whipped

chestnut/chocolate/meringue/cream

mutton; collo di – scrag-end

blackberry; mulberry

mulberry

blackberry; – camemoro nf cloudberry

a soft; smooth

to-bite

lamprey

mulberry; testa di – plain chocolate

mouthful; bite

mortadella; large spicy pork sausage

meat safe

squid; eledone

muscatel

muscat; noce -a nutmeg

musk deer

Moselle

moustache shaped biscuits

french mustard; ~ di Cremona (of fruit) syrup ed pickled candies; – di frutta (of preserves) fruit mustard

(of wine) must

mozzarella; buffalo/cow’s milk cheese; ~ in carrozza bread/mozzarella fritter; – milanese cheese fried in eggs/bread crumbs

cow

mould

mug

sea fish: grey mullet

a parsley/butter/lemon-cooked; (a la) meuniere; miller’s wife method

a (of carpark &c) multistorey

sea fish: moray eel

brawn; lean meat; muscle; mollusc: mussel

(of pig) snout

muslin

(of wine) decanting