Aioli – mayonnaise flavoured with garlic, from south of France and Italy.

Cassava – a root vegetable grown in tropical climates, A staple in South American and the South Pacific cuisine. Also known as yucca.

Chorizo – spicy pork sausage from Spain made with smoked paprika, can be made for cooking or cured.

Daikon – also known as mooli or white radish. Used mainly in Japanese and chinese food.

Edamame – fresh soybeans, steamed in the pod and served with salt.

Feijoa – native S American fruit with guava like texture and pineapplely aroma.

Gremolata – a mix of chopped parsley, lemon zest, garlic and red onion. Can also use preserved lemon, shallots.

Laksa – SE Asian soup varying from country to country. Commonly made with coconut milk, rice noodles, and plenty of garnishes ie seafood, chicken, quails eggs.

Membrillo – a thick quince paste made from slowly cooking down quince with sugar. Great served with cheese.

Miso – a fermented paste made from rice and soy beans. There are many varieties from brown to red to yellow

Pandan – a leaf from south east asia that imparts a distinctive flavour and pale green colour. Used in desserts and some savoury dishes.

Plantain – looks like a banana, is always cooked, served with main meals in South America. Can be cooked green or ripe.

Pomegranate molasses – thick syrup made from boiling down pomegranate juice. Very sweet and sour tasting.

Quinoa – a grain grown at high altitude, a member of the corn family. Small with nutty flavour, very high in protein and iron. Also known as the super grain!

Smoked Paprika – mild to hot red chillies, smoke-dried over wood, crushed to a powder. Has a distinct flavour and aroma

Tahini – paste made from grounding sesame seeds and a little oil. Common in the middle east.

Tamarillo – often called tree tomatoes, tart tasting fruit originally from S America. Cooked with sugar, roasted or poached.

Tamarind – sour paste from the pods of a tree in asia. Paste is removed, cooked with water and seeds removed to leave a paste.

Tapioca – small balls made from the cassava plant.

Umeboshi – salted, dried ‘plums’ from Japan. Actually an apricot but taste is similar to plum! Ume is name of the fruit, boshi means dried.

Verjus – unfermented, concentrated grape juice. Dates back to Roman times, commonly used like lemons are today.