GLOSSARY - vegetarian food - Brief Article

Vegetarian Times, July, 2000

Celery root: Knobby brown root of a celery variety cultivated specifically for its root. Also called celeriac (seh-LER-ay-ak).

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

Kombu (KOHM-boo): A wide, thick, dark green sea vegetable used in making soups and for cooking with beans.

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.

Seitan (SAY-tan): A chewy, meatlike, high-protein food made from boiled or baked wheat gluten. Available in dry mixes; prepared chilled in the deli section and prepared frozen.

Tahini (tah-HEE-nee): A thick, smooth paste made of ground sesame seeds. A staple of Middle Eastern cuisine.

Tempeh (TEHM-pay): High protein, cultured food made from soybeans and sometimes mixed grains.

Umeboshi plum paste (oo-meh-BOH-she): A condiment made from Japanese sour plums that are salted, sun-dried and aged. Contains iron, calcium, minerals, vitamin C and enzymes believed to aid digestion.

Umeboshi plum vinegar (oo-meh-BOH-she): Mild Japanese vinegar made from umeboshi plums.