Ingredients

What a food is, how it behaves when cooked, and what it does in a dish.

Start with a family

Fifteen doorways into what FoodHQ knows about food. Each one leads with the foods it has written about, and searching finds everything else it can name.

Vegetables

Roots, leaves, squashes and stems — with the mushrooms and seaweeds a cook treats the same way.

Read about: Asparagus, Aubergine, Beetroot, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Butternut squash, Cabbage, Carrot, Cassava, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Choosing and preparing aubergine, Courgette, Cucumber, Fennel, Kale, Kombu, Mushroom, Nopales, Nori, Okra, Parsnip, Peas, Plantain, Potato, Pumpkin, Radish, Shiitake, Spinach, Swede, Sweet potato, Sweetcorn, Tomato, Turnip

Fruit

Fresh, dried and stone fruit, and the citrus a kitchen runs on.

Read about: Apple, Apricot, Avocado, Banana, Bilberry, Blackberry, Blackcurrant, Blood orange, Blueberry, Calamansi, Cherry, Clementine, Cranberry, Damson, Date, Dragon fruit, Fig, Gooseberry, Grape, Grapefruit, Greengage, Guava, Jackfruit, Kiwi, Kumquat, Lemon, Lime, Lychee, Mandarin, Mango, Melon, Mulberry, Nectarine, Orange, Papaya, Passion fruit, Peach, Pear, Persimmon, Pineapple, Plum, Pomegranate, Pomelo, Prunes, Quince, Raisins, Rambutan, Raspberry, Redcurrant, Rhubarb, Satsuma, Seville orange, Strawberry, Sultanas, Watermelon, Yuzu

Meat and game

Cuts, sausages and cured meats, the birds, and the offal.

Read about: Bacon, Beef, Beef mince, Beef shin, Bone marrow, Brisket, Chicken breast, Chicken liver, Chicken thigh, Chorizo, Duck, Duck breast, Fillet steak, Kidney, Lamb, Lamb shank, Lamb shoulder, Liver, Mutton, Oxtail, Pork, Pork belly, Pork chop, Pork shoulder, Prosciutto, Rabbit, Rib eye, Rump steak, Sausages, Short rib, Turkey, Venison

Fish and seafood

Round fish and flat, shellfish, cephalopods and roe.

Read about: Anchovy, Cod, Haddock, Mackerel, Mussels, Prawns, Salmon, Squid, Tuna

Dairy and eggs

Milk, cream and butter, a long list of cheeses, and eggs.

Read about: Butter, Buttermilk, Cheddar, Cream cheese, Creme fraiche, Double cream, Egg, Egg white, Egg yolk, Feta, Ghee, Halloumi, Kefir, Mascarpone, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Ricotta, Soured cream, Yoghurt

Grains, flours and pulses

Rice, wheat and the other grains, the flours milled from them, and the beans and lentils.

Read about: Barley, Black beans, Bulgur, Chickpeas, Cornflour, Couscous, Fonio, Kidney beans, Lentils, Millet, Oat milk, Oats, Pasta, Plain flour, Polenta, Quinoa, Rice, Soya milk, Teff, Tempeh, Tofu

Herbs and aromatics

Soft and woody herbs, and the alliums and rhizomes a dish is built on.

Read about: Basil, Bay leaf, Coriander, Dill, Epazote, Garlic, Ginger, Leek, Lemongrass, Mint, Onion, Parsley, Rosemary, Shallot, Shiso, Spring onion, Thyme

Spices and chillies

Whole and ground spices, blends, and chillies from mild to fierce.

Read about: Berbere, Black pepper, Chilli, Cinnamon, Cumin, Mustard seed, Paprika, Salt, Sumac, Turmeric, Vanilla, Za'atar

Fats and oils

Cooking oils, rendered animal fats and the solid fats.

Read about: Coconut oil, Duck fat, Groundnut oil, Lard, Olive oil, Rapeseed oil, Sesame oil, Suet, Sunflower oil, Walnut oil

Nuts and seeds

Nuts, seeds, and the butters, pastes and milks made from them.

Read about: Almond milk, Almonds, Chia seeds, Coconut milk, Egusi, Flaxseed, Hazelnuts, Pumpkin seeds, Sunflower seeds, Tahini, Walnuts

Preserved and fermented

Foods whose identity is the cure: olives, pickles, kraut, kimchi, miso.

Read about: Doenjang, Kimchi, Miso, Natto, Sauerkraut

Sauces, condiments and vinegars

Vinegars, mustards, sauces, pastes and stocks.

Read about: Dijon mustard, Fish sauce, Gochujang, Harissa, Pesto, Soy sauce, Tamarind paste, Vinegar

Sugars, syrups and chocolate

Sugars and syrups, honey, and chocolate in its cooking forms.

Read about: Cocoa powder, Dark chocolate, Honey, Sugar

Drinks used in cooking

What goes into the pan rather than the glass — wine to deglaze, beer to braise, and the teas, tisanes and cane drinks used for their flavour and colour.

Read about: Coffee, Green tea, Kombucha, Matcha, Tea

Baking and setting ingredients

Raising agents, setting agents, thickeners and the flavourings a baker keeps in.

Read about: Baking powder, Bicarbonate of soda, Gelatine, Koji, Pectin, Yeast

Things you make rather than buy

Stocks, doughs, sauces, preserves and the rest of what a kitchen makes for itself — what each one is, and how it comes together.

Apple pie, Bakewell tart, Banana bread, Bearnaise, Beef bourguignon, Beef wellington, Beurre blanc, Biryani, Biscuits, Bisque, Blondies, Boiled eggs, Bolognese, Bread, Bread sauce, Brine, Brioche, Brownies, Bubble and squeak, Burger, Caramel, Carbonara, Carrot cake, Cassoulet, Cheese sauce, Cheesecake, Chicken pie, Chips, Chocolate cake, Chocolate mousse, Choux pastry, Chowder, Christmas pudding, Chutney, Ciabatta, Consomme, Coq au vin, Cottage pie, Creme anglaise, Creme brulee, Creme patissiere, Custard, Fermented cucumbers, Flapjacks, Focaccia, Fudge, Granola, Gravy, Hollandaise, Hummus, Jam, Lasagne, Macarons, Making sauerkraut, Mashed potato, Meringue, Omelette, Pancakes, Pavlova, Pizza, Porridge, Quiche, Ratatouille, Risotto, Roast potatoes, Scones, Scrambled eggs, Shortbread, Soup, Sourdough, Stew, Stir fry, Stock, Swiss roll, Tiramisu, Trifle, Victoria sponge, Yorkshire pudding

Everything you can make

Every ingredient with a page

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