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Culinary Dictionary
Cooking Glossary - Food Industry Terminology

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Haacp (food industry term): Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point.

Haba: [Spanish] large bean.

Habanero chile: A dried chile; Havana-like; small orange or red chiles from the Caribbean and Yucatan; originally from Havana, Cuba; they are the hottest peppers in the world, about 40 times hotter than a jalapeno; they are lantern shaped (resembling a tam or bonnet), pungent and fruity, with an apricot-like aroma; has tones of coconut and papaya; other names include Scot's Bonnet or Scotch Bonnet; jalapenos or serranos may be substituted.

Habanero Pepper: An extremely hot chile pepper with short, squatted shape, usually orange in color. It has a fruity flavor and is best in the summer time.

Habichuelas rositas: [Spanish] red beans.

Habichuelas tiernas: [Spanish] string beans.

Haddock: A North Atlantic fish, the smaller cousin to the cod. The haddock has firm white flesh that is mild in flavor. Smoked haddock is called "finnan."

Haggis: [Scottish] a steamed pudding made of finely minced sheep heart, lungs and liver.

Hake: This low:fat saltwater fish, related to the cod, is found in the Atlantic and North Pacific. It's flesh features a white, delicate flavor.

Halbtrocken: [German] means half-dry in German. Term used in reference to German wines with 9 to 18 grams of residual sugar per liter.

Half and Half: A mixture of half cream and half milk (fat content is 10- 12%).

Half-and-Half: This combination of equal parts cream and milk cannot be whipped, and has between ten and fifteen percent milk fat. Although it can be substituted for cream in some recipes, it is mostly used on cereal and in coffee.

Halibut: A low:fat, firm white and mild:flavored fish from the flatfish family. Resembles a gigantic flounder. "Chicken Halibuts" weigh up to ten pounds and are considered the finest halibut.

Halibut: The largest member of the flatfish family, found in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, with lean, white, firm, mild-flavored flesh.

Halvah: A Middle Eastern confection made from ground sesame seeds and honey. Sometimes dried fruit or other ingredients are added. Halvah is available in wrapped bars in most supermarkets.

Halvah: Halvah is a unique natural delicacy that "goes with everything" and is at the same time a perfect food supplement. It first appeared in Northern Epirus, during the Byzantine period of Greek history, where renowned halvah-makers used to live, and it soon became a favorite food of the various peoples that lived in the eastern parts of the empire. Today, it is traditionally produced in countries of the Middle East .

It is made from only two natural ingredients: up to 50-55% tahini (sesame seed cream) and sweeteners. Tahini is made from sesame seeds, which have a high oil content and are rich in calcium, iron, phosphorous, protein, niacin and lecithin. Halvah contains all three groups from which humans obtain nutrients, i.e. carbohydrates from the sugar, and proteins and vegetable fats from the tahini. It also contains many B complex vitamins.

Halvah goes very nicely with breakfast meals. It provides energy and calories, and is on its own or with fresh bread: a tasty snack. It supplements lunch, especially pulses and green salads. Also, halvah with a little ground cinnamon sprinkled over it is a pleasant way to end one's evening wine. Halvah is also a tasty and healthful mid-morning snack. In reality, it is a daily delicacy made of natural raw materials, without animal fats, and it can even accompany a glass of wine at a wine bar or pub.

Ham Hock: The lower portion of a hog's hind leg, usually used to flavor soups, greens, beans, and stews.

Ham hock: Cut from the hog's lower leg, often smoked or cured. Great in bean soups and other slow-cooked soups and stews, where they lend rich, smoky flavors.

Ham: The hind leg of a hog. The taste of ham is affected by the age and breed of the hog, as well as by the food that the hog was fed. The unprocessed meat is called "fresh ham," but most ham is cured.

Hamburger: Ground beef formed into a patty for use in a hamburger sandwich. The best type of ground beef to use for this purpose is lean ground beef, which contains about 15% to 20% fat.

Hamburger: Ground meat, usually beef, shaped into large patties, and saut ed, broiled or grilled. Also the ground meat used loose in other dishes.

Hand truck (food industry term): A small two-wheeled cart used to move product.

Handbill (food industry term): A hand-delivered advertisement or promotional piece distributed to consumers in a trading area.

Hand-held terminal (food industry term): A portable computer terminal used for numerous in-store operations, such as price checks or placing orders.

Handling allowance/charge (food industry term): A manufacturer's discount paid to a wholesaler in return for handling promotional products and/or cash coupons.

Handling unit (food industry term): A term used to describe goods or an aggregation of goods bundled together for distribution and logistical purposes.

Hang tag (food industry term): A hanging tag, also known as a shelf talker.

Hanging or dressed weight (food industry term): The weight of a meat/poultry carcass before trimming and processing.

Hanging: Suspending meat or game in a cool, dry place until it is tender.

Hangtown fry: Gold rush-style fried oysters.

Hard cheese: Cooked, pressed and long-aged (parmigiano reggiano, pecorino)

Hard sauce: A sweet white sauce made with butter, sugar and lemon juice, chilled until thick, served as a dessert topping.

Hard shell lobsters (food industry term): Mature, salable lobsters.

Hard Tack Rolling Pin: A rolling pin used when making hard unleavened breads.

Hard Wheat: Wheat high in protein and well-suited for bread-making because it produces flour that is rich in gluten.

Hard-Ball Stage: A test used in making candy describing the rigid ball formed when a drop of boiling sugar water syrup is dropped in cold water.

Hard-Crack Stage: A test used in making cand describing brittle threads formed when a drop of boiling sugar water syrup is dropped in cold water.

Hardlines (food industry term): General merchandise that includes appliances, automotive supplies, barbecue items, batteries, brooms, cookware, cutlery, furniture, gardenware, hardware, photography film or supplies and toys.

Hardtack: hard biscuit or bread made with flour and water only.

Hardware (food industry term): Produce such as citrus fruits, potatoes, root vegetables and other fruits and vegetables that will withstand handling and transportation without refrigeration.

Haricot Verts: Tiny, slender green string beans.

Haricot: A generic term for all New World beans, which includes almost everything; kidney, pinto, navy, pea, Great Northern, anasazi, cannellini, flageolets, appaloosa, and more.

Haricots vert: Very small and slender green bean [syn: haricot vert, French bean]

Harina de maiz: [Spanish] flour made from dried corn; cornmeal; Masa Harina is the brand name of the product made by Quaker.

Harina de trito: [Spanish] wheat flour.

Harina enraizado: [Spanish] flour made from sprouted wheat; also called panocha.

Harina: All-purpose flour.

Harina: [Spanish] flour; usually refers to wheat flour.

Harinilla; harinela: [Spanish] meal made of finely ground chicos; can be used interchangeably with masa harina.

Harira: A thick and robust North African soup.

Harissa: A combination of spices containing chilli that is ground with cumin, garlic, coriander, and olive oil.

Harissa: [North African] a spice mixture used as both a condiment and a seasoning. Harissa contains chiles which are ground with cumin, garlic, coriander, and olive oil. It becomes a thick paste that is used as is in cooking or diluted with oil or stock to be used as a condiment.

Hartshorn: Known as ammonium bicarbonate and used as a levening agent before baking powder and baking soda were readily available.

Hartshorn: a source of ammonia used in baking cookies or, as "salt of hartshorn," as smelling salts. Once the word meant literally the ground horn of a hart's (male deer's) antlers, but ammonium carbonate was later used as a substitute, which also went by the name of "salt of hartshorn." it is available in American pharmacies. It is also an old-time leavening agent, and is used occasionally in making cookies. It is also the ingredient in some homemade pesticides.

Hasenpfeffer: [German]Rabbit stew.

Hash: A dish containing chopped potatoes, meat, and other vegetables.

Hash: From the French hatcher, which means "to chop," hash is a dish of chopped meat, usually roast beef or corned beef, combined with vegetables and seasonings and saut ed until lightly browned. It is frequently served with a sauce or gravy.

Hasty Pudding: A simple dish of cornmeal mush made with water or milk and sweetened with molasses, maple syrup or honey. Wheat flour is used in England instead of cornmeal. Hasty pudding is served hot, sometimes dotted with butter and sprinkled with cinnamon then placed under a broiler until brown, or with milk or cream; makes a quick breakfast or simple dessert. Also known as Indian pudding.

Hatch chiles: A fresh chile; close relative of the New Mexico green chile.

Haunch: Hindquarters; ham.

Haute Cuisine: French term for the highest quality restaurant food available. The ingredients in this cuisine are not only of the finest quality, but the food is elegant and elaborate as well.

Havarti Cheese: A mild, semisoft Danish cheese that is pale yellow and has small irregular holes. It becomes sharper as it matures.

Hazard analysis critical control point (haacp) (food industry term): A federal guideline to ensure safe food handling and preparation from receiving to point of sale.

Hazelnut Oil: An aromatic, full-flavored oil pressed from hazelnuts; has the strong, distinct flavor of the roasted nut.

Hazelnut paste or hazelnut praline: roasted hazelnuts cooked with sugar then ground to make a smooth sweet paste used to flavor butter cream icings, puddings, ice cream, chocolates and fudge. Praline paste is usually made with hazelnuts although it can also be made with almonds.

Hazelnuts: Also called filberts, hazelnuts are rich, sweet nuts that are often ground or roasted in pastries, cookies, and other desserts.

Hba (food industry term): Health and beauty aids.

Hbc (food industry term): Health and beauty care.

Hbc/cosmetic (food industry term): A retail store that sells health and beauty care (HBC) products and/or cosmetics, but not prescription drugs.

Hcfc (food industry term): Hydrochlorofluorocarbon.

Head cheese: This is not a cheese, but a sausage made from the edible parts of a calf's or pig's head that are combined with a gelatinous meat broth. Ingredients include cheeks, snouts, underlips and sometimes brains, hearts, tongues, and feet.

Head Cheese: Despite its name, this is a sausage, not a cheese product. Head cheese is made of finely chopped meat from the head of a calf or pig. The meat is seasoned and cooked in a gelatinous broth and molded.

Header card (food industry term): See case card.

Headspace: Space left at the top of a container to allow for the expansion of food when frozen or processed.

Health and beauty aids (hba) (food industry term): A category now called Health and Beauty Care (HBC).

Health and beauty care (hbc) (food industry term): Cosmetics, toiletries and home remedy products sold in food stores. Formerly called health and beauty aids (HBA).

Heart: The heart of most animals and birds are used in cooking. Some say that the best hearts are calf's or lamb's hearts. Hearts are sometimes stuffed with breadcrumbs and herbs or used in making gravies.

Hearts of palm: Tender inner portion of a palm tree; eaten as a vegetable or used as a garnish for salads; available only canned in the United States, but is eaten fresh in Latin America.

Heat-and-eat (food industry term): A precooked food that requires heating before consumption.

Helado: [Spanish] ice cream.

Held at store (food industry term): Unprocessed invoices at the time of inventory; a list is made to account for outstanding invoices.

Herb Bouquet: A mixture of tied herbs used for seasoning in soups, sauces, and stocks.

Herba santa: [Spanish] holy herb; often labeled as hoja santa, it contains licorice and sassafras flavors; has a broad, flat leaf; equal parts fresh basil and tarragon may be substituted using about half as much by volume as hierba santa.

Herbaceous: A term used in describing the aroma of herbs in the following wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Cabarnet Sauvignons, and Merlots.

Herbes de Provence: A French term for a mixture of dried herbs, usually containing basil, marjoram, rosemary, sage, summer savory, lavender, thyme, and fennel seed.

Herbs: Diverse flavorings that are made of stems, leaves, flowers and seeds of various plants. Most herbs are available both fresh and dried.

Herbs: Culinary herbs, which are available fresh or dried, include basil, bay leaf, chervil, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon and thyme. Used for their aromatic properties, flavor and texture.

Herkimer Cheese: Smooth, cheddar-like cheese, named after the county in New York where it was first produced.

Hermit: An old-fashioned cookie that contains chopped dates, raisins, nuts, and molasses or brown sugar.

Hermitage: A French appellation located in northern Rhone. Its highly regarded red wines, made from Syrah grapes, and white wines, made from Marsanne and Rousanne, are the epitome of a world class wine.

Hernia-size (food industry term): Extra-large sizes of packaged goods, such as dry pet foods.

Herring: A small salt:water fish related to the shad, alewife, sardine, and the freshwater cisco. Herring is often pickled, smoked, and dressed in numerous sauces.

Herring: A large family of fish found around the world. Herring are silver-blue in color, have a moderately high fat content, and are fairly strong in flavor. Their average market size is about 8 ounces.

Hfc (food industry term): Hydrofluorocarbon.

Hibachi: Small, portable charcoal grill.

Hibiscus blossoms: Also called sorrel blossoms, these make a delicious iced tea. Find in Latin and Caribbean markets. Jamaica is the Spanish name; the blossoms of this tropical plant provide a brilliant color and an intense blackberry and dried cherry flavor to cocktails, marinades and vinaigrettes; Jamaica is also a beverage made from this blossom.

Hi-cone packaging (food industry term): Single products packaged together to make a multiple unit, such as beverages and small bags of chips.

Higado: [Spanish] liver.

High Altitude Baking: Because of lower air pressure, baking at elevations of 3,000 or more feet above sea level requires special adjustments. The USDA has the following guidelines: at 3,000 feet decrease the amount of baking powder called for in a recipe by 1/8 teaspoon; at 5,000 feet decrease by 1/8 to ? teaspoon; and at 7,000 feet decrease by ? teaspoon. Reducing the amount of sugar by 1 to 3 tablespoons may also be helpful. Melting butter or chocolate in microwave ovens can also take a few seconds longer at higher altitudes. Region-specific guidelines may be available from your state department of agriculture.

High Fiber: A food containing 5 grams or more of fiber per serving.

High fructose corn syrup (hfcs): Primarily used in commercial beverages and foods, HFCS is made when corn starch is converted to dextrose-rich syrup; using isomerization, the dextrose-rich corn syrups are further processed to create fructose. The fructose is then blended with dextrose syrup to produce the commercial corn syrups with 42% to 95% fructose. Fructose is 130 to 180% sweeter than sugar.

High-altitude baking: Adjustments to liquids, leavening agents, sugar, and oven temperature are needed at altitudes over 3,000 feet.

High-altitude baking: At altitudes above 5,000 feet, batters and doughs behave differently from the way they do at sea level. You may compensate for the lower atmospheric pressure in several ways. Increase oven temperature by 25 F. Shorten rising time for yeast doughs, letting your eye or the finger poking method be your guide. In batters containing baking powder, reduce the baking powder by 1/4 teaspoon for every teaspoon called for; do not change the amount of baking soda. In batters containing beaten egg whites, underbeat the egg whites somewhat. For more information about high-altitude cooking, consult the home economics department of your state university.

High-low pricing (food industry term): A marketing strategy in which a product maintains a high retail price, but is frequently offered as an ad special with a deep discount (low price).

Hijiki: A form of dried seaweed. Found in Japanese markets.

Hinojo: [Spanish] fennel.

Historical margin (food industry term): The profit margin figured on a product or category of products.

Hock: A joint in the hind leg; British term for Rhine wines derived from the German wine town of Hochhheim.

Hoe cakes: Corn cakes cooked on a hoe. Also known as johnny cakes - pancakes made with cornmeal.

Hog Jowl: The fatty cheek of a hog that is smoked and cured. Used as as a seasoning like bacon or salt pork.

Hog maws: A pig's stomach, often stuffed with a sausage mixture, simmered, then baked.

Hog side: Salt pork used in cooking and some baking; also called Old Ned.

Hoisin Sauce: A rich, dark, sweet barbecue sauce made of soy beans and seasonings, used in Chinese cooking for marinades and basting. Hoisin sauce is easily recognizable in Mu Shu pork and Peking duck. The sauce is made from soybean flour, chiles, red beans, and many other spices. Sold in cans or jars. Store tightly sealed, refrigerated. It is also known as Peking sauce.

Hoisin, Peking Sauce: Sweet and spicy sauce made from soybeans, garlic, chiles and a variety of spices. Hoisin is used as a condiment and flavoring in Chinese cuisines. Can be purchased in jars.

Hoja santa: [Spanish] large leaf used in cooking in southern Mexico.

Hojas de maiz: [Spanish] corn husks.

Hojas de platano: [Spanish] banana leaves.

Hojas: [Spanish] leaves.

Holding power (food industry term): See shelf capacity.

Holistic pilots (food industry term): Test projects in which trading partners implement one or more aspect of ECR across multiple disciplines and functional boundaries within the companies. They document the experience and measure its success.

Hollandaise Sauce: A sauce made from egg yolks and butter and flavored with lemon juice or vinegar.

Hollandaise Sauce: This is the most basic of the egg and oil emulsified sauces. The only flavoring is fresh lemon juice. This sauce must be kept warm, as excessive heat will cause it to break. Because this is kept warm, it is not safe to keep it for long periods of time and should never be reused from another meal period.

Holy Trinity of chiles: ancho, mulato and pasilla.

Homard: French term for lobster.

Homard: [French] Lobster.

Home delivery (food industry term): Direct delivery of groceries to a customer's home by a retailer or separate delivery service.

Home health care (food industry term): A store that sells medical supplies, bathroom safety equipment, physical therapy needs, wheelchairs, walkers, etc.

Home meal replacement (food industry term): Foods prepared in a store and consumed at home or in-store which require little or no preparation on the part of the consumer.

Home office (food industry term): The headquarters of a company.

Home page (food industry term): The main entrance to a World Wide Web site.

Home shopping (food industry term): Electronic shopping on the Internet.

Hominy: Dried yellow or white corn kernels with the hull and germ removed. Served as a side dish and used in some Mexican stews.

Hominy: A traditional Native American food (also known as pozole or posole), hominy is dried yellow or white field corn kernels that have been soaked in slaked lime to remove their husks with the hull and germ removed. When ground, hominy is called grits.; available canned, frozen or dried.

Homogenization: A process used to break down the fat globules in milk and distribute them evenly throughout the liquid. This is done by spinning the milk at very high speeds through an ultra-fine mesh. Commercial salad dressings often are similarly processed to emulsify the mixture.

Homogenized: With fat broken down into such small particles that it stays suspended in liquid, rather than rising to the top.

Honey: An all-natural sweetener produced by bees from flower nectar. Color and flavor vary due to the nectar the bees find available. Honey develops golden crust color and holds moisture in baked goods.

Honey: A thick, sweet liquid made by bees from flower nectar and stored in the cells of the hive for food. Used as a sweetner.

Honey: The original and all-natural sweetener. Honey is a sweet, thick syrup produced by honey bees. Sold in the comb, as the extracted liquid, and in solid and granular forms.

Honeydew Melon: Honeydews are bluntly oval in shape and weigh anywhere from 4 pounds to 8 pounds. Their rind is yellowish-white and a creamy color indicates ripeness. These fruits are available almost year-round.

Hongos: [Spanish] mushrooms.

Honor system (food industry term): A practice of receiving merchandise without systematically counting the product or checking the contents of cases, but rather trusting that the vendor and shipper have complied with the order. Spot counts are normally conducted in association with an honor system.

Hopping John, Hoppin' John: A southern U.S. dish of black-eyed peas and white rice seasoned with ham hock.

Hops: A vining plant of Europe and Asia that produces conelike flowers and tender edible sprouts. The flowers are dried and are used to give the slightly bitter taste to beer.

Horchata: [Spanish] beverage made with rice or melon.

Horizontal display (food industry term): Stocking a line of similar products so they form a horizontal pattern across a single shelf. Also known as Horizontal Set, Horizontal Arrangement. See vertical arrangement.

Horizontal selling (food industry term): A wholesaler's marketing plan to sell to all types of related industries, retailers, commissaries, institutional and food service. See vertical selling.

Horn of Plenty Mushroom: This is a wild mushroom with a hollow, funnel-shaped cap and is dark gray or black in color. Because of this, it also has the name etrumpet of deathe. This mushroom is somewhat stringy, but has a robust flavor and may be used to flavor sauces, soups, or any other mushroom preparation.

Hornos: [Spanish] outdoor ovens; beehive ovens.

Hors d'Oeuvre: Small, bite-size foods served as an appetizer.

Hors d'oeuvres: Savory, usually small, foods served before or as an introduction to the main meal; appetizers.

Horse meat: Taboo for Jews, horse meat is eaten in many parts of the world, particularly France and Belgium. The flesh is on the sweet side and can be mistaken for beef if flavored with garlic or some other strong herb. May be cooked like beef.

Horseradish: An ancient bitter herb. Originally grown in eastern Europe, horseradish can be used in a variety of ways. The spiky leaves can be used in salads, while the white pungent root is most often grated and used in sauces or as a condiment.

Horseradish: Long, coarse-looking root whose intense heat nearly vanishes during cooking. Fresh horseradish is simply grated; "prepared" horseradish is combined with vinegar and sold in jars (red horseradish is colored with beet juice). Used mostly as a condiment.

Host computer (food industry term): A computer's processor that each week sends new and sale items to scanning stores.

Hot Cross Buns: Sweet yeast buns with currants, slashed crosswise before baking, then glazed as they come from the oven.

Hot Pepper Oil or Chili Oil: May be purchased in Oriental markets and finer supermarkets.

Hot Sauce: A seasoning sauce containing chile peppers, salt and vinegar.

Hot-pot: Mutton and vegetable stew.

Hotte: Grape picking basket worn on the backs of French grape pickers. It is traditionally made of wood, but today can be found made of metal or plastic.

House brand or house label (food industry term): A private label brand of products offered by a wholesaler or manufacturer.

House organ (food industry term): A company's employee newsletter.

Housekeeping (food industry term): Operational procedures to ensure cleanliness, safety, sanitation and maintenance for a store or warehouse.

Housewares (food industry term): General merchandise items used in a kitchen and home, e.g., baking pans, mops.

Huachinango: [Spanish] red snapper.

Huauzoncle (guauzontle): [Spanish] wild green with thin serrated leaves.

Hubbard Squash: A very large winter squash with a thick, bumpy, hard shell ranging in color from dark green to bright orange.

Huckleberry: A wild, dark blue berry with hard seeds which resembles the blueberry. They can be eaten plain or baked in in pies and muffins.

Huevo: [Spanish] egg.

Huevos con tostaditos: [Spanish] eggs with tortilla chips; migas.

Huevos Rancheros: A Mexican dish that contains fried eggs on a corn tortilla topped by a green or red chile sauce, salsa, onions and cheese.

Huevos rancheros: [Spanish] ranch-style eggs. A Mexican dish of fried eggs served atop a tortilla and covered with a tomato sauce.

Huevos: [Spanish] eggs

Huitlacoche: [Spanish] corn fungus delicacy; sleepy excrement (Aztec); common in central Mexico; during the rainy season, a fungus develops between the husks and the ripe kernels where the kernels will blacken, contort and swell to form this musty fungus; valued for centuries in Mexico; has an earthy and distinct taste finally similar to mushrooms or truffles; lends a black hue and resonant aroma to stuffings for empanadas, tamales and quesadillas; makes distinctive sauces; usually sold cut from the cob and frozen; needs cooking to release flavor and aroma; often sauteed with roasted garlic and onions, and either fresh marjoram, oregano or epazote, then simmered with a little water or stock; harvested during the rainy season, usually late spring to early fall.

Hull: To remove the outer covering from fruits, nuts or seeds.

Hull: To remove the leafy parts of fruits such as strawberries, blackberries or raspberries.

Hull: To remove the outer covering, or pull out the stem (the green calyx) and leafy top portion, of berries, especially strawberries.

Hultres: [French] Oysters

Human resources (food industry term): A department in a company that is involved in every aspect regarding employees hiring, training, payroll, evaluation, among others.

Hummus: Also spelled "humus" and "houmus." Middle Eastern dish made from mashed chickpeas, tahini (sesame seed butter), olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. Can be used as a sandwich filling, spread or dip.

Hummus: Thick Middle Eastern puree of mashed chickpeas seasoned with tahini (sesame paste), garlic. lemon juice, and other varying spices. Great dip and sandwich spread.

Hundred-weight (cwt) (food industry term): A transportation measure used to determine transportation charges in 100-pound increments.

Hushpuppy: A small, fried cornmeal dumpling, flavored with chopped green onion. Hushpuppies are a traditional southern U.S. accompaniment to fried catfish and slaw.

Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (hcfc) (food industry term): A refrigerant used in display cases and warehouse storage facilities.

Hydrofluorocarbon (hfc) (food industry term): A man-made chemical used as a refrigerant.

Hydrogenated Fats: Fats that have gone through hydrogenation to prolong their shelf life. Trans-fatty acids that are created by this process act like saturated fats, thus increasing the cholesterol production in the body. Hydrogenated fats can be found in some vegetable oils, margarine and snack foods.

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil: Oil that has been modified from a liquid to a solid or semisolid state through hydrogenation.

Hydrogenation: The process of hardening an unsaturated fat by adding hydrogen atoms to an unsaturated fat molecule. This enables the fat to remain solid at room temperature. Margarine is a good example.

Hydrometer (food industry term): A glass cylinder with a suction bulb on one end ,that is used to measure the salt level of a lobster tank.

Hypermarket (food industry term): A combined supermarket and discount store, at least 200,000 square feet or larger, that sells a wide variety of food and general merchandise at a low price.

Hyssop: Various herbs belonging to the mint family.

Hyssop: Any of various herbs belonging to the mint family with aromatic, dark green leaves that have a slightly bitter, minty flavor. Hyssop adds intrigue to salads, fruit dishes, soups and stews. It is also used to flavor certain liqueurs such as Chartreuse.