GLOSSARY - Brief Article

Vegetarian Times, April, 2000

CHIPOTLE CHILI (chih-POHT-lay): Smoked jalapeno chili with a sweet, smoky flavor. Available dried (colorados and mecos varieties), pickled and canned in adobo sauce.

HOISIN SAUCE (HOY-sihn): Thick brown sauce made from soybeans, garlic, spices and chili peppers used to flavor Chinese dishes. Available in cans and jars or bottles. After opening, canned hoisin should be transferred to a glass container for storage in the refrigerator.

EDAMAME (eh-dah-MAH-meh): These green or immature soybeans are harvested at about 80 percent maturity. They are available, usually frozen in natural food stores or Asian markets. They are also called green vegetable soybeans.

MISO (MEE-soh): A salty paste made from cooked, aged soybeans and sometimes grains. Thick and spreadable, it's also used for flavoring soup bases, Available in several varieties; darker varieties tend to be stronger flavored and saltier than lighter varieties.

MATZO MEAL: Fine crumbs made from unleavened matzo crackers. Used for breading foods and as a soup thickener. Available in Jewish groceries and most supermarkets.

TEMPEH (TEHM-pay): A high-protein, cultured food made from soybeans and sometimes grains. Look for it in the refrigerated or frozen foods section of natural food stores.

TOFU (TOH-foo): White, easily digestible curd made from cooked soybeans and sometimes grains. High in protein. Comes in Japanese-style silken tofu in 10 1/2-oz. shelf-stable aseptic packages or Chinese-style in 12-, 14- and 16-oz. water-packed tubs in the refrigerated section of markets. Tofu comes in soft, firm and extra-firm styles as well as fat-reduced, smoked and marinated, baked flavor.