A few months ago I was watching the Sport Relief Bake Off when one of the contestants - I can't remember exactly who - looked at the recipe in front of him and said that he didn't even know what half the words meant (or something to that tune).

It got me thinking about recipe language and how the words we use convey a meaning that can be converted into action. I can write an instruction and hope and expect that anyone will be able to replicate my movements and technique just from seeing that word. Each term is loaded with information and experience that has has to be supplied by the reader. It made me realise that a recipe - especially, perhaps, a baking recipe - could feel quite foreign.

To try and help, I thought it might be useful to put together a glossary that explains and shows what I mean by each word I use. Currently it has 60 entries, each with a photo, series of photos or video to illustrate the definition. I've added tips, links and foundation post references. While many of the images have come from previous posts or outtakes, there's also a lot of new images and five new videos (separating eggs, flouring a tin, dusting a surface, scraping down, dropping consistency). The alphabet at the top should link you to the beginning of that letter section but you can, of course, just scroll.

Are there any other words or terms you think I should add? Do you think it'll be helpful?

You can find the glossary here (it's also now in the 'Links' section at the top of the sidebar) - I hope you find it useful.

The three entries that the images/video in this post correspond to are:

Ice Bath

Separate the Eggs

Zest

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