Culinary Terms Y

When you make yogurt cheese, don't use a brand of yogurt made with gelatin, because it won't drain properly.

Use yogurt cheese in desserts, dips, sandwich spreads and salad dressings.

The confusion with sweet potatoes and yams began in colonial times when African slaves saw a similarity between the native sweet potato and their nyami. The New World vegetable was a familiar taste of home. The African name was eventually shortened to yam.

Yakitori - Japanese term meaning "grilled," it usually refers to skewered chicken pieces.

Yam - A thick vine tuber grown and eaten in South and Central America and parts of Asia and Africa. Sweet potatoes are often called yams, but are from a different plant species. True yams may be found in Latin American markets and may be used in most recipes which call for sweet potatoes.

Yeast - Yeast is a living organism which is used in brewing, winemaking, and baking. The carbon dioxide produced by yeasts is what gives champagne and beer their effervescence, and cause bread doughs to rise. Active dry yeast and compressed yeast are the forms most commonly used for leavening. One package (or 1 scant tablespoon) of active dry yeast granules is equal to one cake of compressed fresh yeast.

Yeast Starter - Yeast starters were commonly used before yeasts and other leaveners were commercially available. Typically, a mixture of water, flour, and sugar, and sometimes commercial yeast are mixed and allowed to ferment, capturing natural airborne yeasts. When the mixture has fermented, a portion is used in a recipe, and the amount taken is replenished with equal amounts of water and flour. A starter may be replenished and kept going indefinitely. Sourdough bread is one of the most popular breads using this method.

Yellow Chiles - The general term to describe these is "Güero chile" which refers to varieties such as the Santa Fe grande and Hungarian wax chiles.

Yellowfin Tuna - A variety of tuna from the Pacific Ocean reaching up to 300 pounds. The pale pink flesh (which must be called "light" when canned) has a slightly stronger flavor than albacore.

Yogurt - Yogurt is milk which has been fermented by keeping it at a temperature of 110 degrees for several hours. The final product is a creamy with a slightly tart taste. Yogurt is available plain, flavored, and frozen.

Yogurt Cheese - Yogurt that has had the whey drained from it.

Yokan - A Japanese sweet, similar to Turkish Delight, made from adzuki bean jam and agar-agar.

Yorkshire Pudding - A common accompaniment to British roast beef, Yorkshire pudding is similar to a popover or soufflé. The batter of eggs, milk and flour is baked in beef drippings until puffy.