The Language of La Cucina Italiana

around the Kitchen

Bicchiere - glass
Calice - wine glass
Ciotola - bowl
Coltello - knife
Cucchiaio - spoon
Cucina – kitchen
Cuocere – to cook
Cuoco - chef
Forchetta - fork
Forno - oven
Padella – frying pan
Piatto - plate
Piatto fondo - bowl
Tazza - cup
Tovagliolo - napkin

Common Ingredients

Acqua - water
Aceto - vinegar
Albumi - egg white
Amaro - bitter
Ananas - pineapple
Anice - anise
Arachidi - peanuts
Arancia - orange
Biscotti - cookies
Buccia di limone - lemon peel
Burro - butter
Cannella - cinnamon
Cacao - cocoa
Cachi - persimmon
Castagne - chestnuts
Ciliegie - cherries
Cioccolata - chocolate
Cioccolata fondente - bar chocolate for baking (semi-sweet to bitter)
Chiare - egg white
Cocco - coconut
Farina - flour
Farina di mais - cornmeal
Fichi - figs
Formaggio - cheese
Fragole - strawberries
Lamponi - raspberries
Latte - milk
Lievito - any rising agent (yeast, baking powder)
Limoncello - Lemon flavored liqueur
Limone - lemon
Mandorle - almonds
Mele - apple
Menta - mint
Miele - honey
More - blackberries
Noce - walnuts
Nocciole - hazelnuts
Noce moscata - nutmeg
Pangrattato - bread crumbs
Pera - pear
Pesche - pears
Prugna - prune
Olio di semi - oil from seeds such as sunflower oil
Olive - olive
Panna - cream
Pepe - pepper
Pinole - pine nuts
Riso - rice
Rosmarino - rosemary
Rossi d'uovo - egg yolk
Sale - salt
Scorza di limone - lemon peel
Succo - juice
Scorza di limone - lemon peel
Spremuta - juice
Tuorlo - egg yolk
Uova - egg
Uva - grape
Uva sultanina - raisins
Vanillina - vanilla
Vaniglia - vanilla
Vino - wine
Zucchero - sugar
Zucchero di canna - cane sugar, brown in color
Zucchero velo - powdered sugar

Recipe Vocabulary

Aggiungere - to add
Battere - to beat
Biologico - organic
Bollire - to boil
Composto - mixture
Farina Integrale - whole wheat
Gonfiere - to swell
Grattugiato - grated
Imburrare - to butter
Impasto - dough
Infarinate - to flour
Limone spremuto - lemon juice
Liscia - smooth
Mescolare - to mis, blend
Mettere - to put
Montare la panna - to whip
Morbido - soft
Omogeneo - homogenized
Ottenere - to obtain
Piano - slow
Pizzico - pinch
Polvere - powder
Sbattere - to beat
Secchi - dry
Sfoglia - sheet of pastry
Tagliare - to cut
Tostate - toasted
Versare - to pour