PCA Food & Beverage Encyclopedia     A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

R   Rabbit - Rabbit meat is mostly white, fine textured and mildly flavored. Domesticated rabbit is generally plumper and less strongly flavored that wild rabbits. Rabbit can be prepared in any manner suitable for chicken. Raccahout is a flour prepared from the acorn of the Barbary Oak. It is mixed with sugar and aromatics as a substitute for chocolate by the Arabs of North Africa. Raccoon - A North American mammal that served as an important food source for pioneers. The flesh is mostly dark meat, and the fat is strong in flavor and aroma. Young raccoons are usually roasted; older raccoons should be braised or stewed. Raclette Cheese - A cow's milk cheese from Switzerland. It is semi-firm and dotted with holes--similar to Gruyère. Raddicchio - A red-leafed Italian chicory that is most commonly used as a salad green. Radish - A popular salad vegetable that is the root of a plant from the mustard family. The flavor of radish can vary from mild to peppery, depending on the variety and the age. Rag Gourd - The fruit of any of several tropical vines of the gourd family. The dried insides of these gourds can be used as a sponge. Also called the "sponge gourd." Ragoût - A thick, rich, highly-seasoned stew of fish, poultry, or meat that can be prepared with or without vegetables. Rain Dance is a golden, fruity wheat beer from Lancing, Sussex. Raisin - A dried grape. Raisins have a higher sugar content and a different flavor from grapes. Raisins are eat out-of-hand and used in cereals, puddings, cookies, cakes, muffins, stuffings, salads, and rolls. Raki is an aromatic liquor made from grain-spirit or grape juice in Greece, Turkey and the Middle East. Rakshi is a liquor distilled from rice or grain in Nepal and Tibet. Ramekin: Small shallow baking dish. The foods cooked in these are also served in them. Ramons - The seeds of a tree from the mulberry family that is grown in Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies. These seeds are boiled, ground into flour and made into bread. Also called "Jamaican breadnut." Rapeseed Oil - An oil expressed from rapeseeds. Contains more monounsaturated fat than any other oil except for olive oil. Marketed in the US as "Canola Oil." Rasher: Thin slice of bacon or a portion consisting of 3 slices of bacon. Rasin: Dried grape. Raspberry - A strongly-flavored berry made up of many connecting drupelets (individual sacs of fruit, each with its own seed). Varieties include golden, black, and red. The red type is the most common. Attached hulls indicate immaturity. Ratatouille - A dish that combines eggplant, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, zucchini, and a variety of seasonings, including garlic--all simmered in olive oil. Rauchbier is a type of German smoked beer from the Franconia region. It gets its flavour from malt that has been dried over moist beechwood fires. Ravioli - An Italian dish made with small square or round noodles stuffed with meat, cheese, and/or vegetable mixtures. These noodles are boiled then baked with a cream, cheese, or tomato sauce. Raw Sugar - The residue left after sugar cane has been processed to remove molasses and refine the sugar crystals. Because raw sugar contains contaminants such as molds and fibers, it is (in the US) purified. Ray - This kite-shaped fish features edible fins. The fish is firm, white, and sweet; similar to the texture and taste of scallop. Also known as a "Ray." Real Ale is a term coined by CAMRA for traditional cask-conditioned beer. Red Banana - Available in some markets is the short, chubby red banana. This variety of banana is sweeter than the extremely popular yellow variety known as the "Cavendish." Red Bean - Also known as "Mexican chili beans," are a favorite for making refried beans and chili with beans. Popular in Mexico and throughout the Southwest, these beans are readily available in most markets. Red Pepper - A hot red pepper powder made chiefly from the dried ripe pepper Caspsicum frutescens. While very hot to most people, it is not as hot as chili pepper, which is sometimes sold as cayenne. Also called "cayenne." Red Perch - This important commercial fish is a member of the rockfish group. Also known as "ocean perch," although it is not a true perch. Red Snapper - This is the most popular of a few hundred species of snapper. This is a lean, firm-textured saltwater fish. Some species of rockfish and tilefish are also called snappers, but are not. Redeye Salmon - Prized for canning, the sockeye salmon has a firm, red flesh. Also known as the "sockeye salmon." Redfish - This important commercial fish is a member of the rockfish group. Also known as "ocean perch," although it is not a true perch. Redhead - A saltwater fish belonging to the wrasse family. Also called "California Sheesphead." Its meat is white, tender, and lean. Refried Beans - Also known as "frijoles," refried beans are "pink beans," "pinto beans," or "red beans" that have been mashed then fried, often in lard. Rennet - An extract from the stomachs of calves and lambs which contains the enzyme rennin, which is used to curdle milk in foods such as cheese and junket. Restaurants originated in France as an institution for the refreshment of man. Originally restaurants did not advertise their prices, and served well prepared and complex dishes of the highest quality to those who could afford them. By 1900 cheaper restaurants, advertising their prices on menus evolved. In England, restaurants took the place of eating houses - where diners enjoyed roast meats and chops - during the latter half of the 19th century, in 1850 there were less than five first-class restaurants in London, by 1904 every quality hotel in London had a restaurant attached and open to the public. America was quicker to adopt restaurants, with the first opening in New York before any in London. Reuben Sandwich - A sandwich composed of corned beef, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut on sourdough rye bread. Rhine - This term refers to fine German white wines that are smooth, not too dry, relatively low in alcohol, have a delicate fragrance, and are often slightly effervescent. Rhubarb - The rhubarb is a very tart member of the buckwheat family. It is generally eaten as a fruit but is actually a vegetable. It is used in sauces, jams, and desserts. Rhubarb leaves contain the toxin "oxalic acid" and should not be eaten. Ribeye Steak - A tender, flavorful beef steak that comes from the rib section between the chuck and the short loin. Rice Bran Oil - An oil pressed from the outer hull (the "bran") of the rice grain. Rice Flour - Regular rice flour is a fine, powdery flour made from regular white rice. "Glutinous rice flour" or "sweet rice flour" is made from high-starch, short-grain rice. Rice is the seeds of a grass grown in marshes mainly in the orient. Ricotta Cheese - A soft white cheese product with a slightly sweet flavor. It is made from the whey drained off while making cheeses such as mozzarella. Technically, ricotta is not a cheese because it is made from a cheese by-product. Riesling - This is the classic white-wine grape of Germany that is believed to be native to the Rhine Valley. It is responsible for the finest German wines and has been successfully transplanted to California, Chile, Austria, and Italy. Rigatoni - A large ribbed (grooved), tubular pasta that is cut into segments approximately 2 to 3 inches in length. Rioja is a red wine of the burgundy type produced in north Spain. Risotto - An Italian dish made by stirring hot stock into a mixture of rice that has been sautéed in butter. The rice often contains chopped onions and is flavored with cheese, chicken, shellfish, sausage, vegetables, or white wine and herbs. Robert Sauce - One of the oldest brown sauces, invented in the 17th century by Frenchman Robert Vinot. Made with butter, flour, onions, wine bullion, seasoning, and French mustard. Used with goose, pork, and venison. Rocket - This slightly bitter, aromatic salad green has a peppery mustard flavor. Look for bright green, fresh-looking leaves. Makes a lively addition to salads, soups, and sautéed vegetables. Also called "arugula." Rockfish - A low-fat fish of the Pacific Coast. There are two categories: the elongated varieties are milder and softer, and include Yellowtail and Goldeneye. The more full-flavored deep-bodied types include Bocaccio, Chilipepper, and Shortbelly. Roe - A seafood delicacy with two varieties: "Hard roe" is the female fish's eggs. "Soft roe" (also called "white roe") is the milt (male reproductive glands filled with seminal fluid) of the male fish. Salted roe is called "caviar." Roggen is a German/Austrian rye beer. Romaine Lettuce - Also called "cos," this variety of lettuce is long and cylindrical. Its broad, crisp leaves are used in Caesar salads. Roman Bean - Also known as "Cranberry beans," these beans are buff-colored and feature reddish streaks. Used to add interest and visual appeal to salads and dishes like succotash. Romano Cheese - One of several types of Roman cheese, all of which take their name from the city of Rome. The sharp and tangy "Pecorino Romano" comes from sheep's milk. The very sharp "Caprino Romano" comes from goat's milk. Root Beer - Created in the mid-1800s by pharmacist Charles Hires. The original root beer was very low in alcohol, and was made by fermenting a blend of sugar and yeast with various roots, herbs, and barks such as sarsaparilla and sassafras. Roquefort Cheese - Called "the king of cheeses," this blue cheese in made from sheep's milk and aged in the limestone caverns of Mount Combalou near Roquefort, France. This cheese is creamy rich and has a pungent and slightly salty taste. Roquette - This slightly bitter, aromatic salad green has a peppery mustard flavor. Look for bright green, fresh-looking leaves. Makes a lively addition to salads, soups, and sautéed vegetables. Also called "arugula." Rosé - A red wine made with the skins and stems removed almost immediately. This gives it its light pink (rose) color. It is light-bodied, slightly sweet, and served cold. In the U.S., the term "blush wine" is replacing the term "rosé." Rose Apple - The oval, yellow fruit of various tropical trees belonging to the myrtle family. These fragrant fruits not generally eaten out-of-hand but are most often used in making jams, jellies and confections. Rose Hip - The ripe reddish-orange fruit of the rose that is often used to make jellies, jams, syrups, teas, and wines. Because of their high vitamin C content, rose hips are dried, ground, and sold in health-food stores. Rosefish - This important commercial fish is a member of the rockfish group. Also known as "ocean perch," although it is not a true perch. Roselle - A tropical plant of the mallow family that is cultivated for its thick, red calyx and bracts, used in making jellies and as a cranberry substitute. Rosemary - This highly aromatic herb from the mint family has a flavor that some describe as a cross between lemon and pine. Used in dressings, fruit salads, soups, vegetables, meats, fish, egg dishes, stuffings. Rosolio is an alcoholic beverage from southern Europe. Rotini - Short spirals of spaghetti noodles. Ruddles County is a full-bodied, malty, strong cask bitter from Ruddles. Rugula - This slightly bitter, aromatic salad green has a peppery mustard flavor. Look for bright green, fresh-looking leaves. Makes a lively addition to salads, soups, and sautéed vegetables. Also called "arugula." Rum - A slightly sweet liquor distilled from fermented sugar-cane juice or molasses. Most of the world's rum is produced in the Caribbean.   Rumpus is a ruby-coloured nutty ale with a fruit and malt navour, from the Ridleys brewery, near Chelmsford. Rumrunner - A cocktail made with white rum, orange juice, lime juice, sugar syrup, and orange bitters. Often served on ice and garnished with a twist of orange. Rutabaga - A root vegetable from the mustard family that resembles a large turnip. Also known as "Swedish turnips," this vegetable can be prepared any way that turnips can be cooked. Ryburn best bitter is a fine, hoppy cask bitter from the Ryburn brewery, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire. Rydale is a brown, malty cask bitter from the Ryburn brewery. Rye - A hardy annual cereal grass related to wheat. Rye flour is often mixed with wheat flour to make rye breads. The seeds are used to make flour, malt liquors, whisky, and Holland gin. "Pumpernickel" is a heavy, dark bread made of rye flour. Rye Whiskey - American law requires that this liquor be made from a minimum of 51% rye. Straight ryes are from a single distiller; blended ryes are a combination of several straight ryes.