| Term | Definition
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| vanilla | Aeromaic bean of one variety of orchid. Bean or extract are used to heighten the flavor of other ingredients. Pure vanilla is relatively expensive due to the culturing process and time consuming extraction process.
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| veal | Meat from a young calf, generally from 1 to 3 months old.
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| vermicelli | Pasta which is shaped in long thin strands. Much thinner that regular spaghetti.
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| vindloo | Hottest of the Indian curry dishes. They come from central and southwestern coastal India. A complexed spice mixture made up of mustard, cumin, ginger, pepper, fungreek, cloves and coriander makes up the basic sauce. Red chilies and tamarind concentrate add heat and unique flavoring. Sauce is typically combined with meat and served over rice.
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| wassail | Norse for "be in good health". Wassail is a drink made from wine or ale that is mixed with sugar and flavored with spices. Traditionally served in wassail bowl and ladled into cups.
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| water biscuit | Crisp cracker that is often served with wine and cheese. Its blandness is a compliment to wine tasting because it allows the wine flavor to come through.
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| whelk | Large marine snail of the gastropod family. The foot-like muscle is flavorful but tough. It is typically tenderized by pounding before cooking. Sometimes found in Italian recipes.
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| whip | to beat ingredients until light and fluffy.
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| wild rice | Popular for its nutty flavor and chewy texture but not really a rice at all. Wild rice is a long grained marsh grass that's native to the Great Lakes region and traditionally harvested by native Indians. It's very expensive and usually combined with other rices or grains.
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| won ton | Chinese dumpling made from won ton skins (paper thin sheets of dough made from flour, eggs and salt). Skins are filled with meat, seafood or vegetable mixture then boiled, fried or steamed and served as appetizer with dipping sauces.
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