Filipino Cooking Terms and Definitions

• Atsara (achara) 
• Atsuete (Achuete) 
• Adobo 
• Almondigas 
• Ampalaya - Bittermelon; amargoso

B

• Bagoong - Shrimp or fish paste used for seasoning or as dip
• Bangus - Milkfish
• Bihon - Thin rice noodles; also known as vermicelli, rice sticks
• Buko - Fresh, young coconut with tender meat

• Gabi - Taro root
• Gata - Coconut milk, attained by finely grating coconut meat which is then squeezed to extract the milk
• Goto - Tripe, also known as "callos"
• Ginataan - Dishes cooked with coconut milk ("gata")
• Gisa (guisa) - To saute
• Gisado (guisado) - Sauteed

H

• Hamon - Ham
• Hibe - Dried, shelled shrimp
• Hipon - Small to medium-sized shrimp

K

• Kalabasa - Squash
• Kamote - Sweet potato or yam
• Kamotent kahoy - Cassava
• Kangkong - Swamp cabbage; a water plant whose leaves and stems are used as vegetable
• Kaong - Shelled palm nut

• Mais - Corn
• Malagkit - A special type of rice usually used as main ingredient for desserts and sometimes known as sticky, glutinous or sweet rice
• Miki - Broad wheat noodles
• Miso - Fermented white paste of soybeans and rice
• Misua - Very fine wheat noodles
• Munggo, aka monggo - Mung beans
• Mustasa - Mustard green

• Saba - A type of banana used for cooking
• Saluyot - Leafy green vegetable
• Sarsa - Gravy; sauce
• Sinangag - Fried rice
• Stock - Broth or bouillon of which chicken and beef are most common; used to add flavor; may be obtained in liquid, cubed or powerdered form

T

• Tenga ng Daga - Mushroom
• Tinapa - Smoked fish
• Toge - Mung bean sprouts; togue
• Tokwa - Tofu; soy bean curd
• Toyo - Soy sauce
• Tuyo - Dried, salted fish

• Ube - Sweet yam, purple in color
• Ubod - Palm tree heart