Glossary of Spanish Food Words

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Word or Term	Definition
a la brasa	charcoal grilled
a la marinera	cooked with white wine, onions, and tomatoes
a la parilla	broiled
a la plancha	broiled on a hot surface, especially fish, shellfish, and meat
a la romana	deep-fried in a light batter - especially calemares, hake or merluza
añadir	add
aceite	oil
aceite de oliva	olive oil
aceite de oliva puro	a processed neutral olive oil with a small amount virgin olive oil added for flavor. A basic olive oil for frying
aceite de oliva virgen extra	quality cold pressed olive oil with an acidity level below .75 percent and a distinctive flavor
aceituna	olive
acelga	Swiss chard
adafina	Sephardic dish similar to a cocido or stew.
aderezar / alinar	to season or dress a salad
adobo	pickling brine or marinade, usually made of oil, vinegar, peppercorns, bay leaves, and other spices
agridulce	bittersweet, especially describing a type of Pimentón de la Vera
agrio	sour or bitter
aguacate	avocado
Aguardiente, also called orujo	a potent Spanish liqueur used sparingly in cooking which is especially popular in Galicia. Similar to Italian grappa which has a lower alcohol content.
ahumado	smoked
aioli or ali oli	a Catalan sauce traditionally made from large amounts of fresh garlic, blended in a mortar and pestle with salt, olive oil, and optional lemon juice. Another variation includes egg yolk therby making the sauce similar to mayonnaise
ajo	garlic
ajoarriero	bacalao al ajoarriero, is a recipe from Navarra which includes a dish of salt cod with garlic
ajoblanco	cold almond soup from Andalusia, often served with grapes
al ajillo	fried with garlic, as in 'gambas al ajillo' - garlic shrimp
al horno	roasted or baked in the oven
al pil-pil	A Basque recipe for bacalao salt cod sauted slowly in oil with garlic. The gelatine under the skin of the fish combines with the oil to form a gelatine-like sauce
al vapor	steamed
albóndiga	meatball
albahaca	sweet basil
albardilla	batter
alboronia	a summer vegetable combination similar to pesto - typical Andalucian cuisine
alcachofa	artichoke
alcaparras	capers
alimento(s)	food
alino	dressing, seasoning
almíbar	syrup
almazara	olive oil mill
almejas	clams
almendras	almonds
almuerzo	brunch, hearty second breakfast
alta cocina	haute cuisine
alubias	beans grown for drying, can be white, red, or black
alubias negras	black beans
alubias rojas	kidney beans
anchoa	anchovy
anise	greenish-brown, licorice­flavored seeds used in Spanish cuisine. Anise is used in sweet and savory cooking, and to make anise liqueur.
aperitivo	aperitif or an appetizer
apio	celery
aplanar	roll out
aplastar/aplanar	flatten
arándano	cranberry
arenque	herring
arenque ahumado	kipper
arroz	rice
arroz a banda	a saffron rice dish cooked in a paella pan, with a complex fish stock.
artesa	flat-based, long wooden container for kneading bread, mixing meat for sausages, and similar tasks..
asado	roast meat, roasted
asador	steak house: roasting pan
atún	tuna
atar	tie
azúcar	sugar
azúcar blanca de granulado muy fino	finely granulated sugar
azúcar glace	confectioner's sugar; icing sugar
azafrán	the toasted stigmas of a purple crocus flower. Saffron adds a deep color and a unique pungent flavor to rice dishes. Because of the labor intensive process of harvesting the flowers, removing the stamens and toasting them it is the most expensive spice in the world. Most of the world's saffron comes from Spain, although less potent Iranian and Turkish saffron have been flooding the market under the guise of being from Spain. Economical "colorante" is a poor substitute, as it's actually turmeric, a different spice entirely.