Glossary of Spanish Food Words

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Word or Term	Definition
cáscara	rind
cáscaras	shells
Cabrales, Queso de	a wonderful, blue-streaked cow's-milk cheese, aged in the mountain caves of Asturias and wrapped in tree leaves. It is strong but not bitter, smoother, and less biting than a French Roquefort.
cafe con leche	espresso coffee with steamed milk, café au lait
cafe cortado	espresso coffee with a dash of steamed milk
cafe solo	espresso coffee alone, (no milk)
Cala	rocky bay, cove
calabacín,calabacita, zapallito	zucchini
calabaza	pumpkin, squash
calamar, calamares	squid
Calasparra rice	a short grain rice gown in the Calasparra region of Murcia in fresh mountain water. Due to slow maturation, the grains of rice are highly absorbent while retaining their integrity, making them a key ingredient in the making of paella. A sub-variety, Bomba rice from Calasparra,was rescued from extinction in the past fifty years and is prized by many chefs as the finest paella rice in Spain.
calcots	spring onion (scallion)
caldereta/caldeirada	casserole, most often based on lamb or kid (Extremadura) and lobster (Menorca)
caldero	heavy iron pot, by association, or a fish and rice dish made in this pot
caldo	stock, consomme, clear broth
calentar	to heat or warm
cana	small serving of draft beer
canela	cinnamon
canelones	"cannelloni," pasta tubes stuffed with minced meats and bechamel sauce
cangrejo	crab
capa	layer
caperberries	the fruit of the caper bush, which appear after the flowers. They are usually preserved in brine, and are most often served in the same way as olives, as a garnish for salads, or in a martini.
capers	Capers are the small flowers of the caper bush, preserved in brine or sometimes just salt. They have a piquant flavor and are used sparingly in dressings and garnishes. The flavor is most present in the smaller capers - non pareille. Rinse well before use.
caracol	snail
carne	meat
carne de salchicha	sausage meat
carne picada	minced meat
casa de comida	restaurant
casqueria	variety meats, offal
castaño	chestnut
cava	a type of quality Spanish sparkling white wine produced by the bottle fermentation method, Methode Champenoise. Like French Champagne, it is protected by Denomination of Origin.
Cayenne pepper	Made from drying and grinding the small orange-red fruits of several pungent species of the bell pepper family, native to the Cayenne region of French Guyana in northern South America. Due to its heat, it should be used sparingly. An ingredient in picante pimentón de la Vera.
cazón	dogfish, shark
cazo	saucepan, pan
cazuelas	Terra cotta earthenware dishes which are glazed on the inside and normally unfinished on the outside. They are the most common pieces of Spanish cooking equipment. The cazuela is favored because it heats evenly and it retains heat long after the dish has been removed from the stove. These dishes, usually wide and shallow, come in individual as well as casserole sizes. If earthenware dishes are to be used on top of the stove, as they frequently are in Spain, they should first be cured in water to prevent cracking. An alternative is to place a metal mesh burner cover over the flame to better distribute the heat.
cebollín, cebolla de verdeo, chalote, chalota	scallion (young onion)
cebolla	onion
cebolleta	shallot
cecina	dry-cured beef, typical of Castilla-León, where it is salted, smoked, and cured. As with dry cured jamón serrano, cecina is served very thinly sliced.
cena	supper, evening meal served later in the evening, after tapas
cepillar	brush
cerdo	pork
cerdo picado	minced pork
cerveceria	beer bar
champiñones	mushrooms
chilindrón	sauce of tomato, pepper, onion, and ham, most commonly applied to chicken and lamb, typical of Aragon
chipirones	baby squid
chipirones en su tinta	baby squid cooked in their own ink
chiringuito	beach bar/shack
chive (hierba)	chive (herb)
chocolate a la taza	rich dark chocolate drink thickened with a slight amount of rice flour.
chocos	small cuttlefish
chorizo	the signature Spanish sausage: ground pork, flavored with paprika, garlic, salt and pepper. It comes in fresh, smoked, or cured versions. It is eaten cold and sliced or fried as an appetizer. Also it is a key ingredient in many cooked dishes. Spanish chorizo differs significantly from Hispanic or Mexican. The Spanish version is very mild, has lower fat content and is more firm and cured.
chorrito	dash
Chufa Nut strainer	Used to make horchata, it is a conical strainer with an ultra-fine mesh which is used with a tapered wooden pestle to strain and press down chifa nuts to make a very smooth puree.
churro	a fritter, deep-fried tube of batter, often eaten with thick drinking chocolate (chocolate a la taza)
cilantro, culantro	coriander
cinnamon	The highly aromatic inner bark of several laurel trees native to Sri Lanka and the East Indies can be rolled and sold as quills or sticks, or ground into a spice. Cinnamon can be used to flavor both sweet and savory dishes.
ciruela	plum
ciruela seca	dried plum, prune
clara de huevo	egg white
clavo (de olor)	clove
cocer al horno	bake
cochinillo	suckling pig
cocido	long simmered stew based on chickpeas or other legumes, which includes vegetables, meats, and embutidos / sausages
cocina casera	good home cooking, plain fare
cocinar	cook
cocinar a fuego lento	simmer
cocoa en polvo	cocoa powder
Codfish, dried salted (bacalao)	A favorite in Spain since medieval times -brought by the vast Spanish fishing fleet. It has distinctive flavor which is best enjoyed when the bacalao is prepared with a sauce, such as the Basque bacalau al pil pil, or a parsley based green sauce alone. Look for cod that is well dried and white - preferably with the skin on for baked dishes, although cod that has been boned and skinned before drying is easier to handle. To rehydrate and remove the excess salt Bacalao needs a soaking period of about 24 hourst.
codorniz	quail
cogollo	lettuce heart, also dwarf lettuce
col	cabbage
colar	strain
coliflor	cauliflower
colorante alimenticio	food coloring
combinar	combine
comedor	dining room
comida	meal, dinner, lunch
comida	food
comida basura, porquerías	junk food
comino	cumin
comiso	packed lunch
compangu	refers to meats and embutidos used in fabada with lamb
completamente	thoroughly
condimento	seasoning
conejo	rabbit
congelado	frozen
congrio	conger eel
conservante	preservative
conservar	preserve
consistencia	consistency
copos de avena	oats
corazones de alcachofas	artichoke hearts
cordero	lamb
cortado en cuatro	quartered
cortar	trim
cortar en cuadritos	diced
cortar en lonchas finas	thinly sliced
cortijo	country house, farmhouse, esp. in Andalusia
cosa para pelar patatas	potato peeler
costillas	spare ribs
crema catalana	a traditional Catalan custard with a caramel crust, similar to creme brulee
croquetas	breaded croquettes filled with a thick bechamel, incorporating chopped ham, boiled egg, chicken.
crudo	raw
crujiente, crocante	crispy
cuajar	curdle
cuajo	rennet
cubrir	cover
cuchara	tablespoon
cuchara de medir	measuring spoon
cucharada	spoon
cucharita, cucharilla	teaspoon
cucharones	ladles
cuenco	bowls
cumin	indigenous to the eastern Mediterranean, cumin whole or ground cumin seeds to flavor savory dishes and breads. The pungent,nutty flavor can be enhanced by dry roasting before use.
cuscurro	crouton