Vacherin - A crisp, sweet meringue shell used as a serving vessel for fruit and ice cream.

Vanilla - An aromatic spice with a warm flavor, vanilla is the seed pod of an orchid. It's available dried or as an extract.

Vanilla Extract - A vanilla-flavored product made by macerating chopped vanilla beans in a water-alcohol solution to extract the flavor; its strength is measured in folds.

Vanilla Sugar - A flavored sugar made by burying vanilla beans in granulated or confectioners' sugar. Vanilla sugar can be used as an ingredient or decoration for baked goods, fruit, and desserts.

Variety Meats - Also known as "offal," variety meats are usually organ meats, such as brains, heart, kidneys, liver, etc.

Veal - Meat from calves slaughtered when younger than 9 months (usually at 8-16 weeks); has a lean, light pink flesh, delicate flavor and tender, firm texture.

Vegetable Oil - A general term describing blends of different vegetable oils such as corn, safflower, rapeseed, cottonseed and/or soybean oils; these blends are generally intended to have little flavor and aroma and to be used as all-purpose oils.

Vegetable Shortening - Vegetable oil that has been chemically altered (hydrogenated) into a solid state. This process converts the mixture into a saturated fat, eliminating any benefits of a polyunsaturated fat.

Vegetarian - A person who does not consume animal flesh or, in some cases, any animal byproducts. Vegans do not eat any animal-derivative foods including butter, cheese, eggs and milk. Ovo-lacto vegetarians allow such animal-related foods, but do not eat meat. Some vegetarians will eat fish and/or poultry, but no red meat.

Velouté - (French) A sauce made with veal stock, cream, and tightened with a white roux.

Venison - Meat from any member of the deer family that broadly includes elk, moose, reindeer, caribou and antelope; typically leaner and less tender than meat from domesticated animals.

Vent - To allow the circulation or escape of a liquid or gas.

Vermicelli - Italian for little worms; used to describe very thin spaghetti; available in straight rods or twisted into a cluster.

Vichyssoise - A cold potato and leek soup thickened with cream and garnished with chives. The term is now applied to many other tuber-based soups.

Vidalia Onion - A Georgia-grown onion hybrid known for its sweet, distinctively mild flavor; has an international reputation as the "world's sweetest onion."

Vinaigrette - An oil and vinegar sauce usually used on salad greens or other vegetables. Vinaigrette may contain other seasonings, shallots, onions, mustard, etc.

Vinegar - From the French "vin aigre" (sour wine); a weak solution of acetic acid derived from a fermented liquid (such as cider, wine or beer) subjected to bacterial activity.

Vintage - A wine term which describes the year the grapes were harvested, but used only if the wine was made only from grapes grown that year. Wines made from grapes harvested in various years is called "non-vintage."

Virgin Olive Oil - A first-press oil, with an acidity level between 1 percent and 3 percent, just slightly higher than extra-virgin olive oil.

Volume - The measurement typically used to measure liquids; volume measurements are commonly expressed as liters, teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, pints, gallons, fluid ounces and bushels.