Mastering the Kitchen: Essential Vocabulary for Beginners

Starting to cook is a bit like learning a new language. To make good dishes, you need to know certain important kitchen terms. This article will help you learn them. You will discover the names of ingredients, tools used for cooking, and some necessary verbs or expressions. These words will be your friends in succeeding in making delicious dishes. Let's get started!

Basic Ingredients

To prepare almost all dishes, certain basic ingredients are needed. Here are the ones you will often use:

l'œuf

egg(Masculine noun)

J'ai besoin d'un œuf pour faire un gâteau.

Used in many recipes, from starters to desserts. Can be eaten cooked (cuit) or raw (crû).

la farine

flour(Feminine noun)

Je vais acheter de la farine pour faire des crêpes.

The base for many preparations, such as bread (pain) or cakes (gâteaux).

le sucre

sugar(Masculine noun)

Je mets du sucre dans mon café.

Often used to sweeten foods and drinks. Comes in several forms.

l'huile

oil(Feminine noun)

J'utilise de l'huile d'olive pour la vinaigrette.

Used for cooking and dressings. Many varieties available.

le poivre

pepper(Masculine noun)

Peux-tu me passer le poivre, s'il te plaît ?

Used to season and add spiciness to dishes.

un légume

vegetable(Masculine noun)

Nous devons manger plus de légumes.

Essential for a balanced diet, rich in vitamins and minerals.

le fromage

cheese(Masculine noun)

J'adore le fromage sur les pizzas.

Fermented dairy product, comes in many shapes and flavors.

la pâte

pastry(Feminine noun)

Je prépare la pâte pour la tarte.

The base for many desserts and dishes, it can be puff, shortcrust, or other types.

Essential Utensils and Appliances

In a kitchen, besides ingredients, tools and appliances are also needed to prepare dishes. Here is a list of the ones you will use most often:

une planche à découper	cutting board
un mixeur	blender
un batteur électrique	electric mixer
une spatule	spatula
une poêle	pan
un four	oven
une balance	scale
un fouet	whisk

Fundamental Culinary Actions

Cooking also involves a series of specific actions. Knowing the verbs that describe these actions can help you better follow recipes. Here are the most common actions in the kitchen:

mélanger	to mix
cuire	to cook
préchauffer	to preheat
peser	to weigh
faire bouillir	boil
griller	grill
émincer	to slice
battre	to beat
faire sauter	sauté

Exercises

Now that you know the essential words in cooking, let's try to use them. Here is an exercise to test your memory:

Conclusion

Learning the vocabulary of cooking is the first step to becoming a good cook. These words and expressions are tools that will help you follow recipes and express your creativity in the kitchen. Do not hesitate to practice regularly and to use these new words in your daily cooking. And if you wish to continue learning and improving your French while discovering new recipes, take a look at our Udemy courses 😉

See video courses on Udemy.

Bonne cuisine !