AQA GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition key terms

Leaving dough before further handling so that it becomes easier to roll out and shape without tearing.

A form of vitamin A found in animal foods.

The stage when whisked eggs and sugar form a pale, thick foam that falls from the whisk in a trail which briefly remains visible on the surface.

A condition in children in which developing bones become soft and weak, commonly associated with insufficient vitamin D or calcium.

The tough outer skin layer on some cuts of meat, particularly pork.

Cooking food in a hot oven with added fat, which helps develop a crisp outer surface.

A paste made by cooking flour with fat, used as the starting point for a starch-thickened sauce.

Working fat into flour with the fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, as in shortcrust pastry making.

A dietary reference value used when evidence is insufficient to set an RNI or other requirement-based value: an intake judged adequate for almost everyone and below levels associated with undesirable effects.

Treating a cleaned surface or item of equipment to reduce microorganisms to a safe level.

Fat containing fatty acids with no carbon–carbon double bonds. Foods rich in saturated fat include butter, fatty meat and coconut oil.

Cooking food quickly in a small amount of fat in a hot pan.

A disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, associated with swollen gums and poor wound healing.

Food harvested or produced during its natural season in a particular area.

Variation in the availability of foods during the year, particularly when fruit and vegetables are naturally ready to harvest.

Adding ingredients such as salt, pepper, herbs or spices to enhance or adjust a food’s flavour.

The transformation of primary-processed ingredients into a new food product, such as flour into pasta or milk into yoghurt.

Dividing a fruit into its natural sections; citrus segments can also be cut free of their surrounding membranes.

Flour with baking powder already added, providing both the flour and a chemical raising agent in a recipe.

The systematic assessment of a food's characteristics using the senses, such as its appearance, aroma, flavour and texture.

A feature of food perceived through the senses, such as its appearance, aroma, flavour or texture.

Assessing food through the senses, including its appearance, taste, aroma and texture.

A characteristic of food detected by the senses, such as taste, aroma, texture, colour or appearance.

The change of a flowing mixture into a firmer structure that holds its shape.

Cooking food in a frying pan containing a shallow layer of heated oil or fat, turning the food to cook both sides.

Forming food into a planned size and shape to control portion size, cooking and presentation.

The length of time a food remains suitable for use when stored under the specified conditions.

The effect of fat coating flour particles and limiting gluten-network development, producing a tender, crumbly baked texture.