Food Safety and Kitchen Essentials Vocabulary

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms and definitions related to food safety and kitchen essentials.

Sanitation

Creating and maintaining conditions that will prevent food-borne illness.

Contamination

The act of making something impure or unsuitable by contact with anything unclean.

Cross-Contamination

The transfer of a contaminant from a contaminated object or food to uncontaminated food.

Direct Contamination

Contamination of raw foods or the source plants or animals in their natural habitats.

Biological Contaminants

Microorganisms, primarily bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi that cause food-borne illnesses.

Chemical Contaminants

Contamination of foods by various chemicals that can cause serious health risks.

Physical Contaminants

Foreign objects that mistakenly find their way into foods.

Microorganisms

Single-celled organisms and tiny plants and animals that can only be seen through a microscope.

Pathogen

Any organism that causes disease; primarily refers to bacteria responsible for foodborne illnesses.

Temperature Danger Zone

A broad range of temperatures in which bacteria multiply rapidly, typically between 41°F and 135°F.

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)

A system that follows the flow of food to identify and control points where contamination might occur.

Mise en Place

A French term for having all ingredients measured and prepared before starting to cook.

Standardized Recipe

A recipe that produces a known quality and quantity of food for a specific operation.

Weight

Refers to mass or heaviness of a substance, expressed in units such as grams and pounds.

Volume

Refers to the space a substance occupies, expressed in cups, quarts, and gallons.

Count

Refers to the number of individual items, often used for portion control.

The Metric System

A decimal system of measurement using grams, liters, and meters as basic units.

Knife

The most important hand tool in the kitchen, used for cutting, shaping, and preparing food.

Carbon Steel

An alloy of carbon and iron traditionally used for knife blades, known for easy sharpening.

Stainless Steel

A type of steel that is rust-resistant and durable, but harder to sharpen than carbon steel.

High-carbon Stainless Steel

An alloy combining the best features of carbon and stainless steel, commonly used for knives.

Ceramic

A material used for knife blades that is extremely sharp and easy to clean.

Pot

A large round vessel with straight sides and two loop handles used for cooking liquids.

Pans

Round vessels with one long handle, usually smaller and shallower than pots.

Woks

Round-bottomed cooking vessels with curved sides, used for stir-frying Asian foods.

Cookware

Includes various pans and pots used for cooking on stovetops and in ovens.

Enamel Ware

Cookware lined with enamel that is prohibited for cooking due to safety concerns.

Non-stick Coating

A polymer applied to cookware to prevent food from sticking and allows for lower-fat cooking.

Timely Cooking

The process of preparing food to ensure bacteria are killed and health is maintained.