Ingredients in Cooking: Understanding Common Abbreviations
Introduction:
When you regularly cook, it's important to be familiar with various abbreviations used in recipes for ingredients. In many cases, such abbreviations can be quite confusing, and a lack of knowledge can lead to disaster in the kitchen. So, to help you cook with ease, here's a guide to the most common ingredient abbreviations.Flour and Sweeteners:
Flour and sweeteners are the backbone of most baking recipes. Some common abbreviations include: • A/P Flour: All-Purpose Flour • B.P: Baking Powder • B.S: Baking Soda • C. Sug: Caster sugar • Cn. Milk: Condensed Milk • Icing Sug: Powdered Sugar • W. Sug: White Sugar For many baking recipes, ingredient quantities are usually measured in cups or teaspoons. Therefore, a clear understanding of such ingredient abbreviations is paramount, as well as knowledge of the correct measurements of these ingredients.Liquid and Dairy Ingredients:
When it comes to liquid and dairy ingredients, the abbreviations can get even more confusing. Here are a few examples: • But: Butter • H.M: Heavy Milk • EVOO: Extra Virgin Olive Oil • Evap. Milk: Evaporated milk • Sk.Milk: Skimmed milk • Yogh: Yogurt Liquid and dairy ingredients, much like with flour and sweeteners, also require specific measurements. In many cases, liquid and dairy ingredients are measured in ounces or tablespoons, and so ensuring you are familiar with these abbreviations is essential for cooking.Herbs and Spices:
Lastly, herbs and spices can easily transform even the most basic dishes into a gourmet meal. Common herb and spice abbreviations include: • Cinn: Cinnamon • Pap: Paprika • Pepper: Pepper (usually black) • Salt: Salt • Thym: Thyme • V.Gar: Vinegar When working with herbs and spices, being familiar with the right measurements can help you in achieving the perfect dish as sometimes even the smallest changes in the amount of a spice used can make a drastic difference.Conclusion:
Understanding proper ingredient abbreviations is essential for getting the measurements right, which ultimately results in the best-textured and most-flavorful dishes. Whether you're a professional chef or a home cook, it's important to make sure you're familiar with the abbreviations of the ingredients in the recipe you're cooking. And now, with this guide, you'll know exactly what to look for in your next recipe.