F&B Training PDF

Generic comprehensive F & B Training Manual
Basic Restaurant Training Manual
To be perfect is normal at Hotel

Food and Beverage Department
Copyright: Mr. Beat Amacker and Professor Daniel G. Fuchs 1

F&B TRAINING
1. How does a good waiter / waitress look?
How does a good waiter look?

What are the working tools of a waiter?
well groomed hair neatly styled (in the locker room, never in the restaurant)
no long hair (the neck has to be visible)
well shaved, no moustaches or beard
clean white shirt, pressed neatly not transparent
black tie or as stipulated by the Restaurant
no rings or bracelet
use mild smelling deodorant after bathing
always use clean service cloth
wash your hands often always wear clean keep your fingers nails short and clean
pressed trousers or uniform
The chewing of gum and standing around with hands in the pockets are two
absolutely forbidden practices.
wear dark socks, clean black shoes
wear comfortable shoes for the good health of your feet
theses should be with you all the time:
- order pad
- pen
- wine-opener
-
Always be friendly and smile

The guest will be very grateful

DEPORTMENT AND POSTURE
By now you should have the appearance of a Professional Service person.

Now you are ready to go about your work. This is referred to as your style or
deportment.
The Running Waiter:
Running waiters give the guests the impression that cannot cope with their
work and that they are not in control. Dont be a running waiter. A sense of -
urgency: yes. An impression of panic: no.
The Slouching Waiter:
When things are slow in your dining area you must never lean or slouch. This
body language tells your guests you are not really interested in them. There is an
old Food Service saying when work is lean its time to clean. There are always
things to be cleaned in a service area.
The Confident Waiter:
This is you. You know what you are doing; you have a job to do and you know
how to do it. Your movement is purposeful: if you go to the kitchen you are going
for a reason. Not just appear busy

POSTURE AND BODY LANGUAGE
A good posture is critical to building guest confidence, always be conscious

of how you look to the guest. If you are unsure of your posture, look in the mirror
or ask your workmates, walk tells guest a lot about you. Walking in the restaurant
is important. It is done at a brisk pace giving guests the impression of confidence and
purpose.

This ability to understand, control and send messages through body language
is a must. The message you want to send is one of confident, efficiency, knowledge,
caring and generally wishing to help. To send the right message, it is important to
move quickly and with purpose, look at the face of the guests who is speaking to
you, smile and never slouch, lean or move slowly. Your table might be OK at the
moment but is everyone s else. Guests in other parts of the restaurants will be very
upset seeing you moving around slowly when they are waiting for another waiter to
serve them. Remember, body language can be one of the strongest ways of gaining
guest confidence, so be aware of how to use it in a positive way and then do it.
Language
When addressing guests in the restaurant, always be aware of how you are
sounding to them. As well as, remember good manners, if you need to attract your
guests attention or interrupt always say excuse me please. Remember, the way
you sound to your guests is part of the way the guest will react to you, if your guest
reacts positively to you, the more you will enjoy giving good service, and the more
rewarding your profession will be.
Please speak clearly and if necessary repeat what you have said. In Thai culture
speaking softly is very polite and is what we want you to do. However when dealing
with a foreigner please do not forget and speak up. This means not shouting but
speaking noticeably louder as you would to a Thai guest.
Do not be afraid a louder voice will not disturb the foreign guest but actually enhance
his/her dining experience.
If you do not understand the guest do not be shy and ask Excuse me could you please
repeat that? The second time around you better be prepared and listen and understand.
If you really have difficulty understanding the guest, inform your Head Waiter or
MaitreD.
Team work
work together
communicate well
help each other
be friendly
be ready for service
Team work is necessary to give the guest a comfortable and enjoyable visit to your
restaurant. Also it helps to make your work easier and more fun.

Never!!!
be unfriendly to your guests and co-workers

talk too much with your co-workers at the bar-counter or restaurant area
talk too long with well know customers, forgetting your other work
dont get involved in discussion with your guests
speak badly about guests or other staff
chew in the restaurant or eat or drink anything in the public area
drink at the bar counter
run in the restaurant
dont shout or call loudly in the restaurant
dont say to a guest: This is not my station
refuse to accept an order from a guest who is sitting at another station
point with your finger
clean your nose in the public area
scratch your hair or other areas
Attributes of the Service Staff
To make the guest satisfied the restaurant staff must have some attributes which
are absolutely fundamental to good service.
The first attribute is cleanliness !
The second attribute is conscientiousness !
That means to be conscientious in your work and to always know what has to be
done without having to get a special order from your superior.
The third attribute is a methodical mind !

In situations where you will meet problems, you need this attribute. Its a kind of
fast thinking to help you to solve a problem quickly to the satisfaction of your
guest.
Your personal bearing is very important and the staff should show always a
certain dignity without being haughty. Despite the burden of work, despite heavy
exertions sometimes, it s desirable that the facial expression always shows
friendliness.

A strict discipline of course is indispensable. For this it needs inner and outer at
tributes.
The inner attribute :

a good memory
conscientiousness
always in the same good mood
Service mind and genuine pleasure in
serving others
The outer attribute :
personal bearing
well-groomed appearance
technical skill
Approachable and friendly facial expression
and body language

PERSONAL RULES
The most important rules of restaurant service:

Pay attention to these service rules
Every profession has its rules, restaurant service more than others. There are
personal rules, rules for carrying plates in the right way, other rules for working in front
of the guests. However, these rules are logical and make your work easier. O.K., lets
start with the first, our personal rules:
The personal rules :

Chewing chewing-gum and smoking during working hours are not allowed.
(Explanation unnecessary!!!)
Noises are the sign that the service staff member has forgotten one of his main duties:
to allow the guests a relaxed and pleasant dining experience. So its important, that we
carry china and silver ware smoothly and quietly.
Prevent collisions with your co-workers, simple, if you follow these rules.
1. Remains standing quietly
2. Walk in the right-lane system
3. Never walk backward
4. Never turn abruptly
5. Do not walk or stand directly behind a co-worker
Walk forward, only forward

You will discover very soon that the service flow goes more easily if you walk always
forward.
Another advantage is : you will show your customers a picture of quiet and elegant
movement.
Idling is a waste of energy and a sign of lack of concentration. Always think first to see
if you can do two things at one time.
The rules for carrying plates, glasses, cutlery and other items
The left and the right hand have two different functions: The left hand is the hand of
carrying.
The right hand is for serving.
Cutlery, glasses, cups and other small items are to be carried always on a tray-not just
in your hand.
To prevent noise and to prevent sliding always use a tray cloth.
Platters will be always carried in both hands to the guest table. The service cloth will be
laid over the cloth to make sure that you can touch the platter on the two points.
Legumiers, bowls and saucier will be put on an under liner with a doily.

TABLE CLOTH SET-UP
Molton : The molton is exactly the same size as the table.

Table cloth : Its the visible, most important part of the table laundry
items, and should always be set up with care.
Napperon : Mostly the napperon will be placed diagonally to the table
cloth.
Its important that the four edges of the napperon hang down on each side
equally.
First put the folded table cloth on the table, with the middle edge above and the two
open edges below. Hold the table cloth with the middle edge between your thumb and
forefinger and the middle finger.Now lift the table cloth and swing the open part
over the opposite table edge.
Then open the thumb and forefinger

to free the
middle edge, release the cloth and
spread it
evenly across the table.
The table cloth must hang down on

each
Side equally.
When covering a round table ensure

that the four
edges of the cloth hang evenly and
that the middle
fold of the cloth is aligned with a
corner of the
room.To make a proper set-u you
need experience,
thats why you have to practice a lot.
But later you will find it easy after

you have
practiced it.
So, try, try and once more try!!!

LAYING A BANQUET CLOTH
A Work in pairs, as a team

Open out cloth up center of
table
Lay cloth over table

B Check that the cloth is of an
acceptable standard.
C Check that the drop is even.
D If the cloth has been accurately
laundered,
the middle crease should run
down the cente
of the table.

5.NAPKIN FOLDING
Fold #1 Bishops Mitre
1. Fold napkin bringing top to bottom.

2. Fold corners to center line.
3. Turn napkin over and rotate turn.
4. Fold bottom edge up to top edge and flip point out from under top fold.
5. Turn left end into pleat at left forming a point on left side. 6. Turn napkin over
and turn right end into pleat forming a point on right side.
7. Open base and stand upright.
Fold #2 Rosebud
1. Fold napkin in half diagonally.

2. Fold corners to meet at top point.
3. Turn napkin over and fold bottom 2/3 way up.
4. Turn napkin around and bring corners together; tucking one into the other.
5. Turn napkin around and stand on base.

Fold #3 Pyramid

2. Fold corners to meet top point.
3. Turn napkin over and fold in half.
4. Pick up at center and stand on base of triangle.
Fold #4 The Crown
1. Fold napkin half diagonally.

3. Fold bottom point 2/3 way to top and fold back onto itself.
4. Turn napkin over bringing corners together, tucking one into the other.
5. Peel two top corners to make crown.
6. Open base of fold and stand upright.

Fold #5 The Rose
1. Fold all 4 corners of open napkin to center.

2. Fold new corners to center.
3. Turn napkin over and fold all 4 corners to center.
4. Holding center firmly, reach under each corner and pull up flaps to form
petals.
Reach between petals and pull flaps from underneath.
Lady Windermeres Fan
1. Fold napkin in half.

2. Make accordion pleats, starting at bottom.
3. Fold in half with pleating on the outside.
4. Fold upper right corner diagonally down to folded base of pleats and turn
under edge.
5. Place on table and release pleats to form fan.

The Clowns Hat

1. Fold napkin in half bringing bottom to top.
2. Holding center of bottom with finger, take lower right corner and loosely roll
around center, matching corners, until cone is formed.
3. Turn napkin upside down, then turn hem all around.
4. Turn and stand on base.
Arum Lily
1. Fold napkin bringing bottom up to top.
2. Fold corners to top.
3. Fold bottom point up to 1below top.
4. Fold point back onto itself.
5. Fold down each of points at top and tuck under edge of folded up bottom. Fold
down one layer of top point and tuck under base fold.
6. Turn napkin over and tuck left and right sides into each other.
7. Open base and stand.

Cardinals Hat
3. Turn napkin over with points to the top, fold lower corner 2/3 way up.
4. Fold back onto itself.
5. Bring corners together tucking one into the other.
6. Open base of fold and stand upright.
Bird of Paradise
1. Fold napkin in half, and then half again horizontally.
2. Then fold in half diagonally with points on the top and facing up.
3. Fold left and right sides down along center line, turning their extended points
under.
4. Fold points of bottom corners underneath and fold in half on long end.
5. Pull up points and arrange fabric on a surface.

6.RULES FOR CARRYING AND CLEARING OF PLATES
A stack of plates
A stack of plates will be carried always with both hands.
For this, place the service cloth around the plates.
The plates may not be touched by our hands or our body.
One plate
One plate will be held between thumb and forefinger and
the other fingers. But take care that you only touch the rim
of the plate with your thumb.
Two plates (1st method)

The first plate will be held as above. The second plate will be
pushed under the first plate to the fore finger. The other fingers
will support the second plate.
Two plates (2nd method)

The first plate will be held again as above on picture 2. Afterwards,
slightly turn your hand inwards.
Now take the second plate so that it will be supported by the

ball of the hand, the forearm and the little finger.

Clearing of the plates

The basic position is the same as Two
nd
plates (2 method)
Pick-up the first plate and touch the
handle of the fork
(to prevent other cutlery from slipping
around)
and then put the knife at an angle of
90? Under the fork.
Pick up the second plate and follow the
same procedure
as above and on and on.
Notes
When clearing plates from in front of customers the following points are well
worth remembering.
A Wait until the head waiter gives the signal to clear.
B Start clearing at the correct customer so that you move forward all the time.
C Clear from the right hand side of each customer and remember to step back.
keeping plates well clear of customers.
D Remove debris quickly and quietly, taking care to put knives under fork
bridges at right angles to forks.
E Do not try to carry more plates than you can safely manage.
F Practice clearing soup plates on under liners at home if possible, to get used to
the sequence of stacking the soup plates and liners.
Transfer plate from right to left hand and position cutlery.

Place 2nd plate on Left Hand Bridge.
Remove debris to plate to 1, positioning cutlery. Clear of customer.

Repeat 1, 2, and 3 actions stacking cleared plates on left hand bridge.

7. TABLE SET-UP
1 =Napkin 5 = Main Course Knife 10 = Dessert For

2 = Appetizer knife 6 = Main Course Fork 11 = Salt and Pepper
3 = Appetizer Fork 7 = Bread Plate 12 = Water Glass
4 = Soup Spoon 8 = Bread Knife 13 = Red Wine Glass
9 = Dessert Spoon 14 = White Wine Glass

Basic a la carte place setting

An a la carte place setting or cover is set on the table before the customer
arrives. As the customers choose the dishes they would like from the a la
carte menu, the place setting will be changed or expanded according to the
dishes ordered by each guest.
Before starting the setting, check if the table cloth setting has been performed
correctly and that the chairs are in their correct position.
How to prepare the set up
The napkin is to be placed approximately cm from the edge of the
table. It should be in the center of the basic a la carte place setting.
The main course knife place on the right hand side of the napkin
with the knife edge facing to the center.
The main course fork place on the left hand side of the napkin.
The space between the knife and the fork should be
sufficient for a main course plate to be placed between them.
The glass normally a red wine glass is placed approximately 1 cm
above the knife. If the setting includes a second glass such as a white
wine glass it is to be placed on the right of the first glass.
The cruet sets salt and pepper must be on every table. Other
condiments will be with the waiters mise en place on his/her service
table.
Place one ashtray on table in a smoking section of the restaurant. Have
enough clean ashtrays on the serving table for the replacement of dirty
ones.
The bread plate with bread knife will be placed on the left side of the
fork, with the knifes edge on the left side.
A carefully made set-up is the important thing

which makes the whole service flow easily.
Never set more than four sets of cutlery and three glasses

The range of cutlery used is according to the number of courses and the
sequence of cutlery is according to the sequence of courses. But never set
more then four sets of cutlery and three glasses. If more cutlery and
glasses are necessary they will be set up between the courses.
A second knife, for example a fish knife, will be placed on the

right side of the first knife.
A second fork will be placed on the left side of the first fork and a
little higher.
Spoons will always be placed on the right side. For soup in a cup
use a small soup spoon, soup served in a soup plate requires a
large soup spoon.
To suit the sequence of courses, the spoon may also be in second
position if there is a cold appetizer served before the soup.
The dessert cutlery is only set up if there is a dessert ordered in
advance. The dessert spoon and fork are set up above the napkins.
The fork should be above the spoon until the handle on the left and
the spoon with its handle to the right. Before serving dessert the
waiter will move these to the ready position on the left and right of
the plate.
For ice creams, mousses or parfaits the set up is a coffee spoon.
For fresh fruits use a dessert knife and dessert fork. They are
placed above the plate with the knifes handle on the right with its
edge towards the guest. The forks handle goes on the left below
the knife. Before serving dessert, place a finger bowl of cold water
(no lemon) on the table. For cheese use the same set up without
the finger bowl.
Several glasses will be set-up as follows; if there are three
glasses, the red wine glass will be above the knife, the water glass
obliquely
Cutlery to be used for various appetizers above on the
left side and
the white wine glass obliquely, below on the right side.
The guest may order an appetizer to be served before the main course. The basic a
la carte setting is then expanded by the addition of the correct appetizer cutlery.
If no main course is required then the a la carte setting is removed and replaced by
the correct appetizer setting.
The following shows the correct setting for each appetizer.
Special course Cutlery Other

Smoked Appetizer knife Toast and butter
Salmon,eel,goose liver, raw ham, Appetizer fork
dried meat
Lobster, shrimp or crab cocktail Appetizer fork Toast and butter

coffee spoon
Oysters Oyster fork Finger bowl

Asparagus Main course Finger bowl, and

Artichokes fork and eventually eventually a small
a main course plate for leftovers
knife
Dessert spoon
Snails in the shell Snail fork
Snail tong
Coffee spoon Served on an

Snails without shell Snail fork under liner
(dessert plate)
with doilies.
Fish fork Finger bowl, small

Mussels Fish knife plate for mussel
Soup spoon shells
Main course (additionally a

Omelet Knife dessert spoon for
Scrambled egg Main course pasta if the guest
fork requires one)
Pasta
Farinaceous dishes
Special cutlery for special main courses
If there is special cutlery for the main course, the basic a la carte setting will be
removed.
Special course Cutlery Other

Fish Fish fork When serving
Fish knife whole fish, set a
small plate for fish
bones
Lobster or Crayfish Lobster fork Toast and butter

Lobster Finger bowl
Cracker Small plate for
Appetizer shells
Fork
Appetizer
Knife
Meat fondue
Fondue fork for
meat fondue
Main course fork
Main course
Knife
Cheese fondue
Fondue fork for Bread cut in cubes
cheese fondue
8. SAUCES, CONDIMENTS AND ACCOMPANIMENTS
Salt and Pepper (1)

Check and fill everyday.
Check that the holes are not obstructed.
Sugar Bowl (2)

Clean and fill every day.
Check that the sugar doesnt stick to the bowl or has become lumpy.
Mustard Bowl (3)
Clean every day. Take the mustard out of the pot, clean the pot properly,
refill with mustard. This is done to prevent a black edge on the pot.Two
drops of oil can be added on the top to prevent oxidation if not used.
Liquid Condiments (4)

Worcester, ketchup, Tabasco and Soya sauces have to be filled up before
service, and the stopper and the neck of the bottle cleaned.

Vinegar and Oil Bottles (5)
Must be kept full all the time. Clean the outside of the bottles. If
the contents are not clear any more, empty the bottle, wash it
out, just with water, no soap and refill it.
Parmesan Cheese (6)

The cheese must look loose and appetizing and must be filled up all the
time. The same procedure has to be done with jam-and honey pots.
Tooth Pick Box

Has to be filled up all the time with best quality hygienically packed tooth
picks.
Bread Baskets
Check for cleanliness.

Accompaniments as part of the set-up
Every basic table set-up needs salt and pepper, which will be removed before
serving desserts.
Just as we have to extend the basic table set-up, sometimes we have to

extend the condiments.
Have are some examples:
Course Accompaniments
Half grapefruit, melon, berries, fruit Sugar
cakes, fresh fruit juices.
Air-dried beef, raw ham, smoked meat, Pepper mill

salmon, pizza, cheese cake, cheese
fondue, onion cake, green and mixed
salads.
Tomato juice Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce,
Pepper mill,Celery salt
Oysters Tabasco, pepper mill,

Worcestershire sauce, shallots
vinegar (or a half lemon)
Risotto, minestrone, pasta, farinaceous Parmesan cheese
dishes.
Grilled beef, when it is not served with Mustard,Worcestershire sauce

herb butter.
Hamburgers Ketchup
Sausages Mustard
Curry dishes Mango chutney, sambal, Soya

sauce
Cheese Mustard, Cumin
A well prepared table, spotless clean china ware and silver

ware, good preparation of salt, pepper and other condiments
make a good impression our customers and enables us to
concentrate us on our main duty which is fulfilling the
wishes of our guests.

9. CUSTOMER SERVICE
Complain are not good or bad, right or wrong. They are opportunities to serve
customers in different ways.
Our relationship with customers is everything. In effect, building the relationship is

the sale. When the relationship goes away, so does the customer.
Only 4% of dissatisfied customers will tell you they are unhappy. The other 96%
vote with their feet, and 91% never come back. Even worse, dissatisfied customers
typically tell eight to ten of their friends and / or business associates your service is
bad.
Serve your customers better by encouraging them to give their feedback. Look on
complaints as constructive comments that help you to correct a problem.
Instead of asking a customer Is everything OK? you should ask, Did you enjoy
your experience with us today

You and your Guest/Customers
Who is your Customer?
Working within the Hospitality Industry you will come into contact with a wide variety
of guests/customers
In an ideal situation they will all receive the same standard of service and attention.
What you should know about your customer:
The customer is the most important person in any business.
The customer is not dependent on us for their food and drinks : we are dependent
on them.
The customer does us a favor when they walk into our service area: we are not
doing them a favor by serving them.
The customer is not just another cover to be served: she/he is another person with
the same emotions as you or I.
The customer is a person who brings us their wants. It is our job to fulfill those
wants.
The customer is always deserving of the best possible service we can offer.
A customer is not someone to argue or match wits with.
A customer ultimately is the one who pays yours and my wage.

THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT.
1. When ashtrays have more than 2 butts in them.
2. When water glasses are not automatically refilled.
3. When hot food and beverage is served on cold plates or in cold cups.
4. When hot food is not hot and when cold food is room temperature.
5. When plates or glasses are chipped.
6. When cutlery on tables are spotted or tarnished.
7. When glasses are streaked. (Hold them up to the light and check)
8. When menus are ripped, stained or smudged.
9. When there are not enough menus for the customers.
10. When a guest waits for more than two minutes without having
a drink order taken.
11. When cutlery and glassware are crooked on tables.
12. When the table top is not picture perfect.
13. When cruet sets are greasy to touch, half empty
14. When you dont have an item on the menu.
15. When the waiting staff have the Im doing you a favor attitude.
16. When bits of paper, and food are not immediately picked up from the
carpets or floors in restaurants and bars.
17. When restaurants and bars open late or close early.
18. When a guest gets sold on a menu item and gets something else.
19. When guests dont get greeted and seated as soon as they arrive.
20. When a guest sees service staff talking or standing idle whilst they require
service.

TEN RULES FOR GOOD SERVICE-OR NO TIP
When I get bad service in a restaurant, I dont leave a tip, and I dont feel
guilty about it.
Theres no reason to tip a server (the modern word for a waiter or waitress
that solves the gender problem) just because he or she has managed to get the
food to the table.
As diners we have the right to expect and receive good service. Unfortunately,
most servers dont know what good service is. So lets see if we can help them.
Here are the 10 Commandments of Good Service.
1. Always be prompt. There is no better way to lose a tip than to leave me
sitting at the table for 10 minutes waiting for my drink, or to make wait 15
minutes to get my check when Im ready to leave.
2. Be pleasant. Never be surly or arrogant.
3. Be neat and clean. Dirty or unpressed uniforms are a sure sign of an
uncaring, unprofessional server. Even worse are servers who need a bath or
ones with hands that look like those of an auto mechanic.
4. Fill requests immediately. There is no such thing as a delayable request
from a diner. A request for some mayonnaise to go with a hamburger
cannot wait for minutes while another table is served. By that time the
burger is cold and everyone else at the table is halfway through their meal.
5. Be attentive. Servers should frequently be within sight of their tables so that
guests can catch their eye if they need anything. Having to shout, Waiter
half way across a dining room should never be necessary.
6. Be knowledgeable about the menu specials and wine list. Be able to explain
items accurately and to make recommendation can easily increase the tip.
7. Deliver the food to the person who ordered it and be vigilant enough to
pace the meal so that the entre doesnt arrive before the soup is eaten.
8. Be attentive to condiment bread and water, as well as flatware. To me,
running out of water isnt nearly as bad as not having ketchup when the
French fries arrive. Worse yet is not having a spoon to stir the coffee, which
was ordered with cream and sugar
9. Know how to open and serve a bottle of wine properly.

I promise never to stare at the serve while he or she opens the bottle, an
unwitting behavior that can unnerve even the best of servers.
10. Be able to handle unusual major disasters.
Servers should not look disgusted when a table of eight requests separate
checks, even if they forget to tell the server until the end of the meal. And
the server shouldnt panic when he or she walks to the table and sees that
most of a 4-year-olds lunch has landed on the floor.
Everything doesnt have to be perfect for me to feel that the service was
good, but the meal does have to flow smoothly as a result of the servers
attention and guidance.
If the service is just OK. I usually leave a 10-per-cent tip. If the service is
good. I Leave 15 percent. But if the server has gone out of his or her way
or I think the service was excellent, I leave 20 percent.
On the other hand, when the service is bad. I dont tip and I dont
complain to restaurant hostesses maitred or managers. I express my

dissatisfaction directly, by not leaving the tip. Next time, if I return to that
restaurant, I will just ask for a different server. That is, if I return to that
restaurant.
Restaurateurs argue that they cant be everywhere all the time and
they need to be told when service is bad. I do not feel that is my
responsibilities, but I never object if someone else at the table wants to
complain.

10. CHINAWARE, GLASSWARE AND SILVERWARE
Soup Plate 20-23 cm

For soups, mussels, snails, hot-pots and Italian pasta specialties
Main Course Plate 20-23 cm

For main course, different appetizers and flamb desserts such
crepes etc. As underline with paper napkin, for gratinated dishes
such as cannelloni and for dishes which are served in a soup plate
such as hot-pots, pasta specialties, etc.
Dessert-or Salad Plate 18-20 cm

For breakfast, salad , desserts, and different appetizers. As underliner with
paper napkin for fruits and seafood cocktails, legumiers, saucieres, ice-cream
cups and ice pots.
Bread Plate 15 cm
For bread and as an underliner for jam portions, butter and sugar bowls,
condiments, saucieres, finger bowls and to present ordered cigarette packages
with matches.
Soup Cup
For consomms.
Coffee Cup
For coffee, tea and hot milk drinks.
Espresso Cup
For espresso and ristretto.

Glassware
Water Glass For ice water and soft

drinks
Red Wine Glass For light red wines
White Wine Glass For white wines
Gobelet (Tumbler) For Swiss wines from

the French part of
Switzerland (Vaudoise)
Bordeaux Glass For Bordeaux wines
Burgundy Glass For old burgundy

wines and old Italian
wines
Champagne Glass or For champagne and

Flute champagne cocktails

Sparkling Wine For sparkling wines
Glass
Asti Glass For asti spumente

(Italian sparkling
wine)
Rhine Wine Glass For Rhine and Mosel

wines (German and
Alsace wines)
Cognac Glass Typical glass to seve

cognac
Large Digestif Glass For cognac and

brandy, which have
been stored in wood
casks.
Small Digestif Glass For calvados, marc,
vielle prune and
different liqours
Digestif Glass For all clear digestifs,
such as kirsch, marc
brandy. Rye whisky,
etc.
Cocktail Glass For cocktails (Short
drinks)
Port Wine Glass For port and sherry

Aperitif Glass For long drinks and
aperitifs, such as
campari orange, etc.
Tumbler Glass For whisky
Trish Coffee Glass For Irish coffee and

other coffee
specialities.
Tea Glass For tea and grog
Ice Cream cup For desserts and ice

cream specialities.
Carafe To serve house wines

and ice-water for
pernod, pastis or
ricard.
Decanter To decant very old

wines which have a
sediment
Beer Tumbler For draught beer and

bottled beer

Beer Glass For draught beer
Pilsener Beer Glass For Pilsener beer

Beer Tulip Glass For draught and
bottled beer
Beer Mug For draught and

bottled beer

Silverware and special equipment
Main Course Fork For main course, vegetable

dishes, spaghetti
Appetizer or Dessert For appetizers, desserts,

Fork cheese, fruits, smoked salmon
For fish dishes

Fish Fork
For cakes and pies

Cake Fork
For soups which will be served

Large Spoon on plates.
Spaghetti to serve sauces
For soups, Which will Be

served in cups, snail dessert ,
Small Spoon half melon
For fish dishes, which will be

Gourmet Spoon served in a sauce

Coffee Spoon For coffee, tea, ovaltine, fruit-

and seafood cocktails, hal
grapefruit, ice-cream
Espresso spoon For espresso and ristretto
Sundae Spoon For ice-cream in tall glass
Snail Tongs To hold the snail shell
Snail Fork To take out the nail from its

shell
Lobster Cracker To break the claw to extract

the flesh
Lobster Fork To extract the flesh from the

shell, claws, legs etc.
Main Course Knife For main course

Appetizer Knife For breakfast, appetizer, fruits,

cheese, smoked salmon, bread
and toast, caviar
Fish Knife For fish dishes
Oyster Fork To take the oyster out of the

shell
Fondue Fork For cheese fondue
Fondue Fork For meat fondue, also fondue

chinoise or fondue
bourguignonne
Cake Tongs For serving petits fours
Cake Server For the service of pieces of

cake
The service table
Intermediate station between the kitchen and the table.
The service table assists in creating a smooth service flow because
It shortens the distance between the material and the guest.

The combination of materials available will be adapted to the daily menu.
In bigger restaurants, each service station has its own service table, thus avoiding
confusion between different sections.
The service table contains:
Reserve

Table cloths
Napperons
Napkins
Service clothes
Chinaware
Plates for cold dishes
(big, small and bread plates)
Plates for hot dishes and cups which are kept in warmers
Glassware
Water glasses
Red wine glasses
White wine glasses
Silverware
Serving spoons and serving forks which should be available at all times
Condiments etc
Salt
Pepper, pepper mill
Sugar, sweeteners
Mustard
Oil and vinegar
Parmesan cheese
Tooth picks Liquid condiments
Menus
Drink and wine lists
Ashtrays
There must always be enough ashtrays to exchange for dirty ones.
Service trays
A selection of different sizes service trays.
Others
Water pitchers
Finger bowls
Matches
Order books
Wet cloth to clean tables
A good mise en place saves time and stress

11. SERVICE STYLES
Food service can be classified into different levels ascending from the basic to
the classic or top level, according to the service style or method used.
Gastronomique restaurants offer their guests the highest level of service. Most
restaurant use a combination of service styles to serve their guests.
The service styles can be classified into two major groups:
Self service and Table service.
1. Self Service Styles:
Cafeteria Service and Counter Service
The basic service level is self-service. Self service became popular in the Western
world because of a shortage of labour during the Second World War. It is now
the most widely used method because it is used by most institutional and
industrial foodservice operations where large number of people need to be served
in a short time. It is also a popular service style used in commercial food service
operations due to the rising labour costs. All fast food outlets and commercial
cafeterias are self service outlets: cafeteria service and counter service . Special
services of most fast food outlets are take away and drive through. They now
also offer home delivery as an added service.
A special type of counter service is where the customer sits on a high stool at the
serving counter and is handed the plate of food by the food server who may also
have cooked it. This form of service is used in snackbars and supermarkets; it
may also be used in clubs and hotels. This type of counter service is a special
feature of many Japanese restaurants. Here the guest can choose to sit at a table
or to eat at the counter.
Buffet Service
A more refined or elaborate form of self service used in the hotel is buffet service.
Buffet service is mainly used in the following outlets of the hotel: coffee shop and
banquet department.
2. Table Service Styles
Family Service or English Service
The most basic level of table service is called family service or English service. It
originated in the home and is used mainly in family restaurants or coffee shops.
All the food is put in dishes and bowls in the kitchen by the food production staff
and placed in the center of the dining table by the service staff. The guests serve
themselves from dishes and bowls of food placed in the center of the table by the
service staff.

Plate Service or American Service
The second level of table service is called plate service or American service.
American service is characterized by portioning all the food on the dinner plate in
the kitchen. Plate service became popular in the USA more then sixty years ago.
This was because it is less formal than other forms of table service.
American or plate service is now the most widely used table service style because
it is fastest of all table services and it keeps the labour costs down. Because of
this it is used in most inexpensive and average priced restaurants, such as
family restaurants, pub restaurants and coffee shops. Plate service became so
popular that is now sometimes used in gastronomique restaurants for certain
dishes. Here the food is put on the dinner plate by the chefs in a decorative and
artistic fashion so as to look like a still-life painting; it is then covered by a silver
cloche and serviced at the table by the service staff.
Silver Service or Russian Service
Russian service is characterized by food being cooked and proportioned in the

kitchen, and presented to the guests on silver platters by the service staff. The
food is served from the platter onto the guests plate, which is already placed in
front of the guest. This service style originated in Russia and was used in the
households of the rich aristocrats. To make the food look attractive as possible, it
was served from silver platters which were the best serving pieces.
Russian service, also sometimes called platter service is well suited for banquet
service, because the food stays hotter longer when served from silver platters.
Gueridon Service or French Service
The highest level is gueridon service or French service. This is the style
traditionally used in gastronomique restaurants, the words gueridon means a
side table or mobile table such as a trolley which is brought close to the guests
dinner table. Any carving, or finishing of the food is done in front of the guest.
Only skilled or well-trained are allowed to do this form of service as a good
knowledge of food preparation is required in addition to the service style.
Butler Service
This is a very personal type of room service provided by highly trained waiters. It
is only offered in more exclusive hotels and resorts. A butler is on standby and
assigned to only a specific number of room. Besides the service of food &
beverages, they will assist the guest with small tasks, such as packing and
unpacking their suitcase or pressing clothes.

12. THE IMPORTANCE OF SERVICE
Guest service is the most important part of the food service industry. Many
businesses use computers as part of their guest services (for ex. ATM banking
service) but in the food service industry the human element is essential and
cannot be replaced by machines except for food and drink vending machines. In
the food service industry guests want to be treated in the proper manner. They
want to be served by people who are interested in them and give good service.
The higher the standards of the outlet the more the guests will expect or demand
from the style of service and the service staff.
What is Service?
In the food service industry service is defined by two words:

1. Competency and
2. Friendliness
1. Competency
Competency, can be defined as serving food and drinks in the correct manner to the
guest. AS competent service person has the ability, knowledge and skills to serve
guests efficiently and pays attention to details.
Examples: -the service person knows who gets each order without asking the
guests.
-the service person removes one course before serving the next.
Competent service happens in a restaurant when guests never have to ask for
anything. Many times guests do not realize they have received competent service
until they left the outlet. The service person does everything correctly without the
guests realize it. When guest reach for the coffee cup, the handle is right there
where the fingers and thumbs naturally go. The water and wine glasses are always
filled. It is never necessary to ask for condiments, butter or more bread. During
breakfast, the second cup of tea or coffee is poured before the guests requests it.
The correctly added bill is promptly presented to the guests when requested.

Service standards
Each food service operation should have written policies (guidelines) and procedure
that say how things are to be done so that they meet the standards set by the
management.
A standard is a statement of a specific, observable expectation about a performance.
Standards are either expressed in measurable terms ( for example, all guest bills are
priced and totaled correctly) or in yes-no terms (the lobby is free from litter). A
procedure states how to perform a specific task. For example:
Serve fruit pie, 1/8 cut, on a dessert plate. Place in front of the guest with the point
of the pie facing the guest. Place a dessert fork on the left and a dessert spoon on
the right side of the plate.
A standard related to this procedure might be worded: Fruit pies are served
according to the stated procedure.
Procedures, like recipes, should be written with action verbs:
Serve the plate, use tongs to serve the roll, suggest to the guest, place the fork.
In any outlet, the standards of service should include the following:

The steps of service
Procedures for taking orders, delivering food and drinks, clearing tables,
preparing and presenting the bill and collection of payment.
The proper table setting

For each serving period and outlet.
Selling procedures
Use of suggestive selling
The details of service

How each item is to be served (including the accompanying table ware,
sauces and/or condiments)
Staff behavior and appearance

Interaction with guests and a dress code

2. Friendliness
In addition to being competent, service staff must also be friendly. Friendliness is as

important as competency. Service staff should be able to make the guests feel
welcome in the restaurant.
However, service staff must not be:
- overfriendly or too familiar with guests
- be obtrusive (noticeable in an unpleasant way)
What is excellent service?
To provide excellent service to their guests, serving staff should combine

competency with friendliness in order to satisfy their guests and make them happy.
Friendly & Competency = Excellent Service
How can we give excellent service?

- personal attention
- showing interest (inquire how they feel)
- Addressing the guests names
- Remembering their favourite dishes, drinks, tables, etc.
- Remember their birthday
- By doing something special for special occasions (play special
music, offer flowers or fruit, for birthdays, anniversaries,
weddings, etc.)
- Observe all situations, solve problems before they happen
- Thank the guests for patronizing the outlet
- Go beyond guests expectations
- Anticipate the guests needs
- Keep an eye contact
It is the little extra attention the management and service staff gives to their guests
that make the difference.

Reasons to provide good service
Guests enjoy talking about their experiences at a restaurant. They like to talk to
their friends about good service, and they love to tell their friends about poor
service. Ninety-six percent of unhappy guests never complained about impolite or
unfriendly service. Ninety percent or more of those dissatisfied with the service will
not come back. Each of those dissatisfied guests will tell their stories to at least nine
other people. Thirteen percent of those former guests will tell more than 20 other
people. This is called word of mouth.
Word of mouth has more effect on business at a food service outlet than any other
factor. This is because people like to ask other people where to find a good place for
eating. They trust recommendations from a friend rather than trusing advertising.
Recommendations are the best type of promotion for a business and negative
reports are the worst. As dissatisfied guests tell their friends about their negative
experience it will affect the restaurants business considerably.
100 guests served poorly
96 never complain about poor service
10 may return 90 never return
Each tell 9 friends about poor service 990=810
13 people tell the story to 20 of their friends 1320=260
90 dissatisfied guests create 1070 negative word-of-mouth publicity
Guests that patronize restaurants love to tell their friends about service they received
from the outlet. Therefore, it is necessary that restaurant managers provide excellent
service and make word of mouth work positively for them in order to make their
business successful.
Who is responsible for great service?
The success of the restaurant depends on the manager and the team!!!
Although the guest will blame or praise service staff for good or poor service, it is the
manager who is responsible for the service and they should take the blame or praise.

That is why the Manager will take extra care and train the team and continue to train
the team to build competency. Strict application of rules is a must for the Manager as
otherwise success might not be obtainable.
The key to excellent service:

Training of staff and follow up
Regular training and follow-up will result in competent and excellent service. All staff
should be given a manual with the policies and procedures for the service.
Good supervision during service hours

Mangers should constantly observe and correct their staff.

GUEST WANTS AND NEEDS
The main goal of food and beverage operations is to achieve guest satisfaction, in
other words to meet guest wants and needs. In order to satisfy guests needs
restaurant managers should know and understand the various needs of their guests.
Physiological: the need to satisfy ones appetite and thirst.
Economic: the need for good value; fast service.
Social: the need for enjoyable company ; going out with friends or
business colleagues; attending functions to meet others.
Psychological: the need for fulfilling life style status; the need for variety; the
need created by advertising and promotion
Convenience: this is the desire for someone else to do the work (cooking,
service and cleaning) because of being unable to get home (shoppers, workers,
students) or having to attend an event (cinema, sports event); the physical
impossibility of catering at home (weddings and other special functions).
Business: the guests may have the need to discuss business or celebrate
an important business deal. Therefore they wish to have a congenial meal at a fine
restaurant receiving good unobtrusive service.
Guests may want to satisfy some or all of these needs. It is important to recognize
that the specific reasons behind a guests choice determine a guests satisfaction (or
dissatisfaction) rather than the food and beverage service by itself. A good example
is the social need to go out with friends: if our person fails to turn up or behaves in
disagreeale way, the guest may be dissatisfied with the meal.
The guest who is not able to satisfy their needs will be a dissatisfied guest. The
guest may, for example, be dissatisfied with unfriendly staff, unpleasant conditions,
or the lack of choice available. These aspects are the responsibility of the food and
beverage operation. However, sometime the reasons for the guest being dissatisfied
might beyond the operations control, for example, location, the weather, other
guests or transport problems.
Guests may choose a food service operation based upon the certain needs they may
wish to satisfy.
Whilst it is true that certain types of food service operations might attract certain
types of customers, this is by no means true all the time. The same customers may
go to a variety of different operations depending on the needs they have at the time,
for example, a romantic night out, a quick office lunch, or a wedding function. These
needs will all involve different outlets.
The dining experience
Guests visit a food service operation to obtain food and beverage in order to satisfy
their hunger and thirst.

However, depending upon the situation, the guest is also seeking service,
cleanliness, atmosphere, and prestige-all elements of a total dining experience. The
professional restaurant manager knows that no single component-food, service or
atmosphere-can be emphasized alone. Rather the combined effect of all these
components will the end influence guest satisfaction.
Dining experience factors
Food & Drink: range of food and drink offered; type and variety;
availability or special items, quality
Level of service: service style; speed of service; reliability; booking facility,

acceptance of non-cash payment
Staff: attitude; friendliness, helpfulness, courtesy, competency,

personal hygiene and grooming
Level of hygiene: cleanliness of the premises, dining area and res rooms,
equipment
Value for price: perceptions in the guests mind of the value of the
product (not just the food and drink) related to the price the guest is prepared to pay
at that time.
Atmosphere: this concept includes various aspects such as de cor,

furnishing, lighting, temperature, acoustics, entertainment and othr guests.
Guest expectations
The food service operations manager is responsible for the guests satisfaction. The
way in which guests are satisfied with the establishment will affect how much they
order and, in the end, if they return and recommend the outlet to others (word of
mouth).
In order to satisfy guests expectations is to think from the guests point of view.
Ask yourself, if I was the guest, what would I expect?
All guests will expect
From the outlet: - cleanliness and hygiene

- proper lighting
- decoration
From the staff: - friendliness

- good service, personal attention
- personal hygiene
- neat appearance, well-groomed
From good service: - acknowledging guests

- greeting and welcoming

- good table location
- escorting to table
- assisting guests to seat
- clean table and proper equipment
- prompt service of ice water
- presentation of an attractive menu
- explanation and suggestions about menu items
- timing of ordering
- nice presentation and correct serving temperature of
food and beverages
- attentive service during the meal but not obtrusive
- prompt bill and payment processing
- farewell and invited to return
Special guests need and wants
Type of guest:
*The hurried guest Expectation: Fast service

Action: order should be taken immediately; suggestion of
items which can be prepared quickly; inform kitchen;
dont waste time talking
*The Weight Watcher Expectation: dishes that are low in calories

Action: suggestion of items which contain little fat or
sugar; but only if guests asks.
*The guest with dietary needs Expectation: correct preparations

Action: advice ingredients and cooking methods; if
requested give kitchen special instructions
Examples: Diabetes-no sugar

High blood pressure-no fat, no salt or
low salt
Allergy-no dairy products or shellfish
Vegetarian-no meat dishes
Muslims-no pork
Hindus-no beef
*The senior guest Expectation: service not too fast; extra table
assistance, food that is easy to digest
Action: slower service, conversation
*Children Expectation: fast service, entertainment

Action: seat at higher chair or use cushion, remove
sharp utensils and long stemmed glassware,
provide extra napkins, offer simple, familiar finds
which are price competitive; keep entertained
while food is being prepared; serve before parents,
if delay in preparing, serve breadsticks or crackers;

bend down to childrens level when talking to them
and ask their names
*The foreign guest Expectation: local dishes

Action: translation, explanation and suggestions of
local dishes

TEST
Trycomprehensive
Generic to match theF & food below
B Training with the according guest
Manual

MAIN DISH: 2.___ Grilled Pepper steak served with
1.___ Cocktail sausages served with French fries and fried mushrooms.
tomato ketchup and French fries. 3.___Steamed vegetables in banana
TYPE OF GUEST: leaves.
A. Senior Guest 4. ___Deep fried Plakapong in sweet
and sour sauce.
5. ___ Steamed Seabass served with
asparagus and a light lemon sauce.
6. ___ Poached Chicken breast served
with herb butter and vegetables.
MAIN DISH:
7. Cheese, Omelette served with
French fries.
8. Poached fish served with a herb
sauce.
9. Fried Chicken leg and French fries.
10.___Green Curry with chicken.
11.___ Grilled Sirloin Steak served with
French fries and mixed salad from the
salad bar.
12. ___ Pan fried Veal served with
noodles.
SANDWICHES:
13. ___Grilled Minute Steak Sand wich
14. ___ Asian Club Sandwich
15. ___ Hot Dog with tomato ketchup
and french.fries
16.___ Smoked Salmon and Cottage
Cheese
17.___ Beef Burger
18.___ Chicken Burger
19.___ Grilled Cheese and Pineapple
Sandwich

B. Weight Watcher
C. Children
D. Vegetarian
E. Foreign Guest
F. Businessmen
TYPE OF GUEST
G. Weight Watcher
H. Foreign Guest
I. Vegetarian
J. Senior Guest
K. Children
L. Businessmen
TYPE OF GUEST:
M. Foreign Guest
N. Children
O. Vegetarian
P. Muslim
Q. Businessmen
R. Hindhu
S. Weight Watcher

14. HANDLING OF COMPLAINTS
A customer complaint is:
1. A valuable source of market information

2. A good sales lead
3. Far more valuable than your customers complaining to other or
potential customers.
VALUE, TREASURE and be GRATEFUL for complaints!!!
Dealing with angry customers
If you are in a public contact position, chances are that you will from time to time
encounter angry customers. If angry customers are not handled effectively, they
may remain angry, refusing to do business with your company and they will also
probably have made you angry and upset as well.
Learning to deal effectively with angry customers will help you feel better about
yourself, it will increase your job satisfaction, it will help your organization keep
customers satisfied and get their repeat business and finally it will help you
succeed in your job.
Recognizing angry customers
Basically there are two kinds of angry customers: those who aggressively express
their anger, and those who passively express their anger. It is not hard to
recognize aggressively angry customers, they express their feeling immediately
and their anger and hostility is obvious. Recognizing the passively angry customer
is a little more difficult. The passively angry customer keeps his or her anger on
the inside. The passively angry customer reveals his/her anger non-verbal and
verbal actions.
Some of the non-verbal actions may be:

- impatient tapping of fingers or feet
- a flushed jaw
- clenched jaw
- rigid posture
- the avoidance of eye contact
Dealing with the angry customer
Once you have recognized an angry customer, the two major steps are:
1. Deal with the persons feelings

a. Empathize
b. Ask questions
c. Give feedback
d. Summarize

2. Deal with the persons problem

a. find out what person wants
b. suggest alternatives
c. share information
d. agree on solution
e. follow up
Deal with the persons problem
Find out what the customer wants
The first step in dealing with the persons problem is to find out what the person
wants you to do. How do you do that? By asking.
Suggest alternatives
Sometimes you wont be able to do exactly what your customers wants you to do. If
you cant explain why you cant and tell them what you can do that is closest to what
their asking for.
Suggest alternatives, allow your customer some choice and help them save face and
feel that theyve participated in the outcome.
Share information
Share information about your companys policies and procedures. This will help your
customer understand what you are authorized to do. When you share information
with the customer, dont give them too much. Be brief and tell them only what is
relevant to their situation.

If you cant resolve the problem, refer it upwards to the manager or supervisor.
Never refer the customer sideways to someone at your own level. That would only
make the customer feel that they are being shuffled around
Agree on a solution
After discussing the problem and the different alternatives for solving it, you and
your customer should agree on a course of action. Recommending a course of action
shows your concern and will help the customer make a decision.
Follow up
Follow up allows to check that the solution to your customers problem has worked
and that the customer is in fact satisfied. During the follow up you should try to
make the customer feel important.
FIVE STEPS FOR HANDLING COMPLAINTS
1. LISTEN and be OPEN MINDED.

2. RESPOND with CONCERN.
3. DECIDE on ACTION based on your AUTHORITY.
If the complaint is out of your area of responsibility call your supervisor
or manager for help.
4. TAKE ACTION PROMPTLY.
5. FOLLOW UP-is the CUSTOMER HAPPY?
-is the PROBLEM CORRECTED?

Guests preference
Guests should be seated in the area they request:
- 2 section: smoking and no smoking
- Good areas: near the window, near entertainment, in a quiet
corner, etc.
- Bad areas: close to the kitchen doors, entrances and exits, toilet,
sideboards and service counters and in high traffic aisles.
Guests should be seated at the table they prefer:
Rectangular, round, in a booth or at a corner
The number of guests

The right size of table for the number of guests in the same party
Equal occupancy
Since the speed of service is important, the host/hostess should attempt to seat
guests in sections which are the least busy. A good help is to use seating chart; so it
is easy to see which tables are occupied and which tables are still vacant.
Availability
Less desirable seat should be used only after all other seat are occupied. If none
seats are available, guests should be referred to a waiting area and be informed
about the waiting time.
Offering the menu
In many coffee shops it is often the duty of the hostess to offer the guest the menus.
This will help to speed up the service; guest may decide that to order before the
food server approaches them.
At that time she may as well pour water or serve hot beverages, especially at
breakfast time as the guests are often in a hurry. However, if the hostess is too quick
to offer coffee or tea at lunch or dinner, the outlet may be losing sales on the higher
priced alcoholic beverages.
When offering the menu, the hostess should inform the guests of any specials of
the day or make other suggestions.
Acknowledging guests
The food server should approach the table as soon as possible. If he/she is busy,
such words of acknowledgement as, good morning, Ill be at your service in just a
moment are in order.
Taking orders

As soon as the food server is able to serve the guests, he/she should ask if they wish
to order. Food servers should be able to answer any of the guests questions about
menu items, daily specials or foods that can be prepared quickly. If a guest orders
items, which take a long time to prepare, the food server should tell the guest about
the wait.
A restaurant marketing rule is, Always give the guest something to do.

Some suggestions for following this rule include:
- serving water immediately after guests are seated

- serving beverage as soon as order is taken
- serving crackers, breadsticks or dinner rolls to guest waiting for
their first course at lunch or dinner
- serving salads to guests waiting for their main course at lunch or
dinner
- offering newspaper or magazines to guests
- offering coloring books and pens or using placemats with games
or puzzles that children or the whole family can enjoy
Presenting the check
When guests have finished their meal, they often want to settle their bill promptly.
For example, office workers eating during their lunch break may be in a hurry. It is
important for the service employee to have the guest check ready as soon as the
guest requests it.
Although service must be fast, but elegant
MaitreD
Is in total charge of the service team ensuring that the guests have a wonderful and
memorable dining experience. Scheduling, planning controlling, cooking table side,
teaching staff, greeting and welcoming guests, recommending food and wine,
assisting the service team during peak time. As you can see this person is a true
specialist and is the person who controls the entire service team.
Host/Hostess
At least during busy times, restaurant use a host or hostess to welcome and seat
guests, provide menus and perform other guest services. The host/hostess stand
must be located in an area where he/she can properly meet and greet the guests as
they enter. Because the host/hostess is usually the first person the guest comes in
contact with in a coffee shop, he/she must be aware of the impression he/she
makes. The main service responsibilities of the hostess are: friendly greeting and
recognizing guests as soon as they approach, confirming the number of guests in a
part and offering seats in the appropriate section of the coffee shop.
During slow business periods, a sign may invite guests to seat themselves in open
areas of the coffee shop.
During the service time a good Host or Hostess will check upon their customers if
they are well taken care of and enjoying their experience.
The Captain or Head Waiter
This person will be in charge of a station or a larger section of the dining area. His
main responsibilities are the service and the supervision of a small number of service
staff working within the station or section.

The Waiter
The role of the waiter is to greet the guests, provide menu information, take orders,
deliver food, provide other assistance during the meal and offer the guest check for
payment at the appropriate time.
Special requirements for the food services in the restaurant.
ability to work quickly, but careful: quality service

ability to plan and prioritize the service by combining steps to work more
efficiently: to do several things during one trip through the dining area
good knowledge of the menu and ability to provide information and make
suggestions
ability to determine special guests needs:
- good relation with children and recognition of parental needs for
assistance with baby seats, high chairs or cushions.
- to show consideration for guests in a hurry
The Busboy or Trainee
Many restaurants use busboys or trainees. They are new persons in the department,
who want to take up food service as a career. Clearing and resetting tables pouring
water and other beverages and assisting with the service of food during busy periods
are typical tasks of busboys.

15. SUGGESTIVE SELLING
What is suggestive selling:
All techniques and procedures designed to influence the purchase decision of the
guest.
WHY?
To make more profit
- To increase the check average of the guests.
- To increase the sales of profitable menu items.
To offer better service
- To assist the guests to make their choice
Passive behavior: the service person hands the menus and wine lists to the guests
and then takes the order: Only the guests are actively involved in selecting the meal.
Active behavior: the service person does not simply hand out the menus but engages
in conversation with the guests.
HOW? : - by making suggestions or recommendations

- to mention F&B items so the guests will think of them; propose
items; to give the guests additional choices
- to advise the guest with F&B items are very good, special or
suitable for a particular or guest.
When to use:
When you present the menu:
Draw the attention of the guest to specials and items which may not be listed on the
menu (house-, chefs-, daily-).
Or
When you take the order:

Assist the guest with their selection (advise, recommend) to suggest additional
items; appetizers, side dishes, aperitifs, wine, desserts, etc.
Always offer alternatives

If you add to your recommendation a second choice, the chances for a successful
sale are much better.

Rules of offering alternatives:
- never offer more than two, or at the most three alternative
suggestions
- always stay in the same group, always separately offer different
appetizers, different main courses, different wines, etc.
- the alternative should always differ in taste, and if it is a main
course also in method or preparation
- always offer a popular item as an alternative to a specialty item.
Some types of food are commonly enjoyed by many people,
whereas others are considered less appealing specialties.
NEVER FORGET:
Taking an order is one of the most important aspects of the job of service staff!!!
What service staff must know:
Know your product:

- what is on the menu
- what is available at the moment
- what are the daily specials
- what are the house or chefs specialties
- how is each item prepared
- what are the ingredients
- how large are the portions
- what garnishes are used
- what side dishes are included
- what is the taste
- are substitutions allowed
- what is the preparation time
Know how to describe your products

- correctly, honestly
- in a positive way (lively, with enthusiasm)
To describe food appetizing is extremely important. Guests cannot taste what they
order in advance; therefore, they order by imagining the food. The stronger and
more positive their imaginations, the better the appetites.
To describe food appetizingly is extremely important. Guests cannot taste what they
order in advance; therefore, they order by imagining the food. The stronger and
more positive their imaginations, the better the appetites.
Ask yourself how would you react to the following recommendations:
We have beef with potatoes
Today I can recommend our tender; juicy roast prime rib of beef and our oven-baked
potatoes.

Know your guests
- Read your guests; try to identify them, what kind of persons are
they; type of guests
- Anticipate (foresee) and be alert (pay full attention) to the wants
and needs of your guests
Use social skills

- SMILE!!!
- Use the guests name if possible
- Know how to communicate with people
- Be tactful, be considerate with the feelings of your guests
- Have a sense of humor
- Have a sense of timing
Other methods ways of suggestive selling:
The menu list itself

- the design, layout
- the location of items on the menu list: focal point
- items which head a list or section of menu items
- items which are highlighted
- items which have lively written descriptions
- items which have more information
- pictures, photographs and drawings
Table tent cards
Place mats with menu items
Menu boards
Outside the outlet: near the entrance
Inside: on the wall or above the counter
The way in which items are presented to the guests

Guests are influenced by what they see being served at other tables:
- Very nice looking dishes and cocktails
- Tableside food preparation (flambe dishes)
Display
With complete meals and beverages in the window, counter or a special box. For ex.
Japanese restaurants and coffee shops and family restaurants in department stores
and shopping malls
Display trolleys
Mobile gueridons with a display of various food and beverage items. These are
usually used in gastronomique restaurants.

SANITATION AND SAFETY
All staff must pay attention to the sanitation and safety. Incorrect procedures will
not only affect the reputation of a particular outlet but of the whole establishment
and might result in heavy losses and costs.
Sanitation
Sanitation is the practice of keeping the outlet clean by removing dirt and waste.
Germs can easily be transferred to food or utensils by the service staff, which can
result in a guest becoming ill.
Sanitation has an important influence on the guests opinion about an outlet.
The way the outlet appears to the guests will influence in determining if the
outlet is clean.
Guests perceive that all of an outlet is dirty, if any part is not clean. For example,
if restrooms are dirty they will presume all of the outlet is dirty. If the front of the
house appears to be dirty, the guests will believe the kitchen is also dirty.
Hotel have to be concerned with the way their lobby and other public areas
appear as these are seen by many people.
The outlet manager is responsible for the cleanliness in their outlet. They must
have schedule for cleaning the whole outlet and enforce the highest standard in
sanitation.
The Appearance and Personal hygiene of Service staff:
Personal cleanliness is very important. Each outlet should set grooming guidelines
for their employees. These grooming guidelines should be explained to the
employees when hired.
Sanitation practice during service:
- dont smoke in working areas
- dont chew gum or eat when working
- dont touch your hair, nose or ears
- dont undertake personal grooming in public areas (brushing hair
or applying make-up)
- wash hands often
- dont cough over F&B products
- keep wounds and cuts covered with clean bandage
- never touch food with yours bare hands. Use a service spoon
and fork or tongue
- keep your service cloth spotless. Do not muse for cleaning.
- Carry equipment correctly, to prevent your hands coming into
contact with surfaces conveying food and drink. Use a clean
service cloth or tray.
- Handle equipment correctly: cutlery by handles, cups by
handles, glasses b the stems or bases
- Discard and damaged cutlery or chinaware (cracked or chipped):
these cannot be completely cleaned and the crack or chip will
harbor bacteria.
Safety
The outlet manager must be concerned with the safety of both employees and
guests. The best way to practice safety is to practice prevention (to stop something
from happening)
- All service employees should be trained to follow the outlets

safety rules.
- Service areas and equipment should be inspected before service.
- Any repairs and maintenance should be reported immediately.
Most of the accidents occurring in the outlet arise from falls. This is why the
manager will always make sure that floors are dry and cleaned, the lighting is correct
and there are no obstructions in gangpaths and aisles. Following simple safety rules
can prevent many accidents.
Safety rules during service:
To prevent falls:
- Walk, do not run!
- Follow an established pattern as you move through the outlet
- Use proper entrances and exits
- Give guests the right of way
- Watch for others as you move around tables
- When you are behind a co-worker let him know where you are
to prevent collisions
- Watch for any items such as briefcases on the floor that may
cause you to trip
- Make sure there arent any loose mats, frayed carpets, electric
cords or any other items lying around that may cause a person
to trip
- Pick up any items that are dropped immediately
- Clean up spills immediately! If you need to leave the area to get
a mop make sure the spill is indicated to others (warn!): use
signs or put something solid over the spill so as people have to
walk around it.
To prevent breakages:
- proper loading of tray: balance the items on a tray so it remains

stable; place heavier items on the part of the tray which is closet
to you; place spouts of tea and coffee pots in wards.
- Never carry too many items: when you have a large amount to
carry, ask for help or make 2 trips. Remember breakage costs
money and breakage may be deducted from your service
charge.
To prevent injuries:
- when lifting bend your knees, not your back!
- Be careful when carving meat or filleting fish: use sharp knives;
there is more likelihood of cutting yourself when trying to use a

blunt (nor sharp) knife because you exert more pressure: wipe
all knife handles before use to make sure they are not
slippery/greasy; store knives correctly and ready for the next
user
- Do not use chipped table ware
- Do not use glasses as an ice scoop
To prevent burns:
- always warn guest if plates are hot
- be aware of the dangers of steam: when using the carving
trolley or the steam outlet of a cappuccino coffee machine or
when near a bain marie
To prevent fire:
- position flamb trolley a sufficient distance from the guests
table
- be careful for the naked flame when using the flamb trolley
- never place bottles of spirits near an open flame and keep lids
on themregularly check gas bottles and fittings to detect
potential faults or leakage
- empty ashtrays in a metal container
Managers are very concerned about guests safety. Injuries to guests not only have
a negative impact on the reputation of the outlet but can result in important
insurance problems.
All staff should know the location of:

First Aid box
Fire fighting equipment
Emergency exits
- supervisors should know the emergency telephone numbers:

Hospital, Ambulance, Doctor, Fire Brigade and Police. These
numbers should be posted near the telephone
When making an emergency call:
Tell operator what you need
Where it has happened: location
Condition of the casualty
- All staff should be trained in First Aid.

First aid is the emergency care of the sick and injured. A knowledge of
first aid is important for food and beverage staff so small accidents or
injuries can be treated immediately and medical attention can be
sought later if necessary. It is thoroughly recommend that all staff
complete a first aid course through a recognized provider, for ex. The
Red Cross. To apply first aid you need to be qualified to correctly deal
with each situation.

What to do in case of injury:
- remain calm at all times. This will help you to assess the
situation and to reassure the injured person.
- Report all injuries to the supervisor immediately.
What to do in case of a major emergency (for ex. Fire!):

- remain calm at all times
- contact the supervisor
- follow the outlets procedures (guidelines)
By following these simple safety precautions you can make the outlet a safe and
comfortable place for all!
Hostess, Guest Relation.

Position requirements.
Good communication skills,

A good memory,
A correct appreciation of guests expectations.
Flexibility and ability to work in a team.
Example:
A couple comes into a restaurant without a reservation.
Hostess: Good evening Madam, good evening Sir, welcome to Cyrano. May I
help you?
Guest: Good evening, yes thank you. We'd like a quiet table for two, please.
Hostess: Yes Sir. Do you have a reservation?
(If yes) What is your name Sir? Take the guest name, check number of
guest match with the actual reservation, and tick off the booking list.
Guest: No, I'm sorry, we don't.
Hostess: Let, me see. We do have a cancellation. Ill arrange a table right away
for you.
Guest: Thank you.
Hostess: Very good, we have a nice table overlooking the garden.
Guest: Thank you. That would be lovely.
Hostess: Let me escort you to the lounge.

Hostess: Would you like something to drink before you order, Sir?
Guest: A martini and a glass of Champagne, please.
Hostess: Right, thank you.
She orders the drinks, comes to inform me about arrival, pick up menus and
bring them back to the guests, giving wine list to the host.
Customer Complaints
Complaints may vary from the restaurant being dirty, poor maintenance, poor
temperature control, too noisy, placement of the table, high restaurant prices, to
an unfriendly, discourteous staff or waiting too long for the order.
Customer requirements
It is easy for customers to form a negative impression of the outlet. If

they see a dirty kitchen, they might then wonder how clean the staff is
and whether the food is hygienically handled.
It is up to you who serve them to give a favorable impression by:
Paying attention to detail

Being friendly, caring and courteous
Dealing efficiently with requests for information, physically
helping if needed
Solving problems quickly
Being aware of cleanliness.
Chef de rang .
Communication skills (Expression and understanding)

Service-minded
Initiative
Manual dexterity (Correct handling of glassware, crockery, and
silverware)
Good knowledge of food and its preparation
Attitude
Memory (guests eating habit)
Carving, flamb and Silverservice.
He will remain in his station at all time making sure nothings missing.
He will rhythm the pace of the meal, knowing exactly the right moment to ask
the main course, keep constantly an eye on his tables
Customer Complaints
It is easy for customers to form a negative impression of the outlet. If they see a
dirty kitchen, they might then wonder how clean the staff is and whether the
food is hygienically handled.

helping if needed
Commis de rang, the assistant.

Willingness to work hard
Teamwork
Stamina
Good reflexes
He is filling the water jugs with ice and water. He is assigned to all mise en
place; he will help to clear the tables after decision of chef de rang. Hes under
his supervision and will have little contact or none with the guests. He will do
cutlery set-up on the table upon arrival of the guests plus butter dish. He is the
link between the kitchen and the dining room. The Commis clears the base
plates, and go to get the warm bread rolls. The commis will go to pick starters.

Customer Complaints
It is easy for customers to form a negative impression of the outlet. If

they see a dirty kitchen, they might then wonder how clean the staff is
and whether the food is hygienically handled.

helping if needed

Serving Techniques
General Rules:
1. Place and remove all food from the right of the guest.
2. Place and remove all beverages, including water, from the right of the guest.
3. Use the left hand to place and remove dishes when working at the left side of the guest
and the right hand when working at the right side of the guest. This will provide free
arm action for the server and avoids the danger of bumping against the guest's arm.
4. Place each dish on the table with the four fingers of the hand under the lower edge and
the thumb on the upper edge.
5. Never Reach in front of a guest, or across one person in order to serve another.
6. Present Serving dishes from the left side, in a position so that the guest can serve
himself. Place serving silver on the right side of the dish, with the handles turned
toward the guest so that he may reach and handle them easily.
7. Do not place soiled, chipped, or cracked glassware and china or bent or tarnished
silverware before a guest.
8. Handle tumblers by their bases and goblets by their stems.
9. Do not lift water glasses from the table to fill or refill; when they cannot be reached
conveniently, draw them to a more convenient position.
10. Place the cup and saucer at the right of the spoons, about 2 inches from the edge of the
table. Turn the handle of the cup to the right, either parallel to the edge of the table or
at a slight angle toward the guest.
11. Set tea and coffee pots on small plates and place above and slightly to the right of the
beverage cup. Set iced beverage glasses on coasters or small plates to protect tabletops
and linen cloth.
12. Place individual creamers, syrup pitchers, and small lemon plates about and a little to
the right of the cup and sauce.
13. Place a milk glass at the right of and below the water glass.
14. Serve butter, cheese, and cut lemon with a fork, serve relishes, pickles, and olives with
a fork or spoon, not with the fingers.
Dinner - Order of Service:

Dinner customers are seldom in a hurry. The server should be able to give leisurely
service without making the guest feel rushed. Although the guest should be allowed
plenty of time to complete each course, long waits between courses should be
avoided (especially when small children are present.) An efficient server should
observe the guests during the meal in order to serve the next course promptly, and
to comply with any requests made by guests for special needs. This is a generally
accepted guide, but does not apply to all situations.
1. Place appetizer or hors d'oeuvre service from the right in the center of the cover.
2. Remove the first-course dishes.
3. Place the soup service in the center of the cover.
4. Remove the soup service.
5. When the entree is served on a platter, place it directly above the cover. Lay the
serving silver at the right of the platter. Place the warm dinner plate in the center of the
cover.
6. Place the beverage to the right of the teaspoons.
7. Offer warmed bread rolls.
8. Remove the main-course dishes when the guest has finished.
9. Crumb the table if the guests are not having any cheese, and remove cruets.
10. Place silver for dessert course.
11. Place the dessert service in the center of the cover.
Special Observing:
There are many things a server must attend to become fully efficient. Here are a few
things you can use to your advantage.
1. Serve hot food hot, on heated dishes.

2. Serve cold food chilled, on cold dishes.
3. Inquire how food is to be cooked:
a. Eggs - fried or boiled, OM, OE, scrambled etc.
b. Steak - rare, medium, or well done etc.
4. Refill water glasses whenever necessary during the meal.
5. Place silver necessary for a course just prior to serving:
a. Soupspoon on extreme right of teaspoons.
b. Cocktail fork to right of soupspoon.
6. Offer crackers, bread, and other accompaniments with appetizers or soups.
7. Provide iced teaspoons for ice drinks, straws with appropriate beverages.
Clearing the Table:

1. After the course, dishes should be removed from the right side.
2. Platter and other serving dishes should be removed first when clearing the table or
may be removed as soon as they are empty.
3. The main-course plate should be removed first, then the bread and butter plate.
4. Using a small plate and a clean, folded napkin or a bread cumber should crumb the
table.
5. Hot tea, water, and coffee should be left on the table until the customers have left.
Presenting The Check:

The guest should never be kept waiting for his check. It should be presented either
immediately after the last course has been served or as soon as he has finished
eating. A check cover should be used to transport the bill to and from the table. The
cover should be placed to the right of the host. If the host is not known, the check
should be placed at the center of the table. It is always a courteous practice to ask if
any other services are desired. It is very discourteous to indicate in any way that a
tip is expected or that any certain amount is anticipated even if the customer asks
(This happens to me a lot.) Never show any disappointment because the tip is less
than what is customarily received. Always thank the customer for any gratuity with
sincerity.
Guests should be shown small courtesies when departing; for example, a server may
draw out the chair for a female guest and assist her with her coat etc... The server
should express his good-bye sincerely and welcome the guest to return. The idea is
to make the guest feel completely welcome. Try to change up your good-bye from
time to time as well. Other customers in the room will get sick of hearing you repeat
the same thing to all departing customers, and when it comes there time to leave,
they will leave with the feeling, that they were just part of another process.
Rapport
The standard dictionary definition of rapport means to have a relationship especially
one of mutual trust or emotional affinity.
This is the very first thing that comes to my mind whenever I need critique in this
industry. Here it is in a nutshell.....Hi how are you? That's it. Just wait.. and listen.
Not "Hi how are you?, what do you want? Or, simply, "how can I help you today?
Care for a cocktail?, or, perhaps an Ice Tea??" Excellent sales techniques, but no
rapport. This is incredibly important, and should be done right away, from the front
of the house. Usually, in a busy restaurant, it will begin with the hostess, or even the
valet. Think about it, you take these people on a ride. Right from the start, they join
your premises, and begin to feel welcome, not by the environment, but by the
people. Hello, welcome to the *************, How are you today?" wait.... "Were
fine, thanks, there will be three of us, and we would like non-smoking" That gives
them a sense of control, even though you are controlling them, and then, the
hostess can seat them perhaps wherever they like, or preferably at the next servers
station, pulling out a chair, and simply motioning them in. Give out the menus, and
say with a Smile, "(server's name) will be with you in just a moment, enjoy your
meal." Now enters the server and asks "How are you today?", and waits.........(there
will be a reply, and if not, well, you know you have to win them over, or simply be
polite, and somewhat formal.) Usually, there will be a reply such as "We're fine,
thanks. We will be going to the (*destination*), and will need to make it out of here
by 8:00, will that be a problem??" "No, says the server, we can have you out quite
quickly.
Five Diamond Service

1. Hostess or Maitre d seats and welcomes guests
2. Front waiter lights the candle and offers mineral or served water. If mineral water is
sold, silver coaster is placed on table under water bottle.
3. Captain asks for cocktails and gives the wine list. He will serve cocktails and leave the
list on the table, if the guest are a couple, the Captain will point out wine by the glass
or half bottles wine selections.
4. Back server delivers and explains the amuse. After cocktails are served.
5. Front server clears Amuse and Maitre d or Captain presents the menu and explains
the specials.
6. Sommelier or Captain takes the wine order, pours and explains each selection. Captain
waiter continues to offer cocktails
7. Maitre d takes order and gives service copy the Front waiter, who proceeds to remove
base plates and give proper mise en place for up to two 2 courses. Front waiter is to
keep service copy slips on his person at all times.
8. Brioche and butter service is done by the Back waiter will maintaining the clearing
and replacing of napkins.
9. The Runner delivers first course and brioche refills to the Front server on the floor,
who then serves them. Pepper is to be offered on all salad dishes.

10. The back waiter clears first course, and front waiter rechecks mise en place.
11. Runner is to correctly number the domes, and entrees are to be served with assistance
of the Back waiter. Back waiter is to know position # 1 on all the tables in his section.
**** Entree delivery procedures:

Two entrees, two waiters will deliver, one plate each; Three entrees, three
waiters; Four entrees, two waiters with a plate in each, served
simultaneously; Know one is to be served last. Look to the head Ranked
waiter to see that everyone is in position and the guests are ready to receive
there entrees. One nod to drop, one nod to lift domes.
12. Back waiter clears table after main course and crumbs the table. Coffee order is taken,
cheese selection is explained and the desert, cognac, port, sherry menu is presented.
13. Front waiter takes dessert order and gives proper mise en place.
14. Back waiter delivers desserts and coffee.
15. Captain brings over cart and offers cognacs, ports, or Sherries.
16. When guests ask for check, Captains should inquire as to the satisfaction of the guests.
Mignardises and check are then delivered to table.
Service Procedure
1. Hostess or Manager to greet the guest within 30 seconds upon arrival at restaurant
2. Hostess to escort the guest to his/her preferable table
3. Hostess to pull chair gently for the guests
4. Hostess to unfold napkin to triangle shape and to place napkin on the guests lap from
right hand side of the guest, ladies and elderly first
5. Hostess to present drink/wine list, menu from right hand side of the guest
6. Hostess to recommend special set menu to the guest
7. Hostess to wish the guest an enjoyable meal and to leave the table
8. Chief station or Server to greet the guest at table (within 1 minute after hostess has left
the table) and to introduce himself/herself to the guest
9. Chief station or Server to offer cold scented towel to the guest, ladies and elderly first
10. Chief station or Server to take beverage order and to key the order in Micros machine
11. Chief station or Server to remove cold towel as soon as the guest has finished using it
12. Drink Runner to serve drink to right person from right hand side of the guest, ladies and
elderly first and to inform the guest what he/she is serving
13. Drink Runner to wish guest an enjoyable drink after all guest at the table have received
their drinks
14. Chief station or Server to take food order when the guest is ready and to key the order in
Micros machine
15. Chief station or Server to inquire to the guest how spicy he/she would like to have their
dishes cooked; Mild, Medium or Regular spicy
16. Chief station or Server to repeat guests order back to the guest after all orders are being
taken
17. Chief station or Server to inquire how the guest would like to have the dishes served;
course by course or Thai family style

18. Chief Station or Server to thank the guest before he/she leaves the table
19. Chief Station or Server to bring complimentary amuse-bouche to guests table
20. Chief Station or Server to inform the guest what he/she is serving
21. Chief Station or Server to remove amuse-bouche as soon as the guest has finished eating
it
22. Food Runner to double-check all dishes against the order prior to leaving the kitchen to
make sure that correct food is being prepared according to the order taken
23. Food Runner to bring food from kitchen to guests table
24. Food Runner to serve food to right person from right hand side of the guest, ladies and
elderly first
25. Food Runner to inform the guest what he/she is serving and to wish the guest an
enjoyable meal prior to leaving the table
26. Chief Station or Server to serve steamed jasmine rice from left hand side of the guest
whenever is possible, ladies and elderly first
27. Chief Station or Server to offer additional services to the guest. If not required, to wish
the guest an enjoyable meal prior to leaving the table
28. Manager or Assistant to ensure guests satisfaction (8-10 minutes after main dishes
being served)
29. Chief Station or Server to offer second/next round of drink whenever the glass is one-
quarter () full and to key the order in Micros machine
30. Chief Station or Server to remove soiled dishes from right hand side of the guest when
the guest has finished his/her meal
31. Chief Station or Server to ensure tables cleanliness
32. Chief Station or Server to offer cold scented towel to the guest
33. The remaining set-up on the table should only be guests drink and tables centerpiece,
e.g. flower vase, clean ashtray, matchbox
34. Chief Station or Server to offer dessert menu to the guest, ladies and elderly first
35. Chief Station or Server to offer coffee/tea service to the guest
36. Chief Station or Server to inquire whether the guest would like to have coffee/tea with
his/her dessert or after
37. Chief Station or Server to take coffee/tea order and to key the order in Micros machine
38. Food Runner to serve dessert items, coffee/tea
39. Food Runner to wish the guest an enjoyable dessert
40. Chief Station or Server to inquire whether the guest would like anything else
41. Chief Station or Server to prepare the bill and to leave it discreetly at service station
42. Chief Station or Server to present the bill to whom is required (within 1 minute after
being asked) then to step back and leave the table
43. Chief Station or Server to thank the guest and to assist guest in pulling the chair
44. Chief Station or Server to bid the guest farewell
45. Hostess to bid the guest farewell and to wish him/her a good night
46. Chief Station or Server to remove soiled dishes, cutlery, table centerpiece and
placemat/table cloth then to wipe tables surface with damp cloth

47. Chief Station or Server to reset the table within 3 minutes after the guest has left the
table
Note: The staff should always address the guests name whenever is possible.
FRENCH RESTAURANT
Sequence Service
JOB HOW TO DO IT?
1. Greeting the guest - All guests will be greeted upon their arrival at the outlet by manager,
supervisor, hostess or server;
- Welcome to XXY restaurant Madam and Sir
- Always use eye contact and smile, make them feel welcome. It is the
standard that all guests are to be greeted with 30 seconds.
- Ask number of guests;
- (number of person) persons?
2. Escorting the guest - All guests will be escorted to table set for appropriate number of guests by
saying;
- This way please. We have a lovely table for you.
- The hostess/server will escort the guests to the best available table. He/
she will ensure that the guests like the table, otherwise move them to a
more desirable location.
3. Seating the guest - The hostess will seat the guests with the assistance of her colleagues by
pulling the chairs for elderly and ladies first, making them comfortable,
placing the napkins on the guests laps from the left side (if possible).
- The hostess may ask;
- Does this table suit you? or
- Will this table be fine?
4. Approaching the guest - Approaching the guests when the chance is permitted;
- smiling face,
- keep body erect,
- with nice manner/personality,
- make eye contact.
JOB HOW TO DO IT?

4. Approaching the guest - Greet or excuse for interruption;
- Excuse me for a moment, sir/madam.
- Put yourself in the correct position;
- not too close, not too far from the guests.

5. Placing a napkin on a - Pick up napkin on the table, when the guests are properly seated;
Guests lap - always pick up napkin from left hand side of the guests (if possible).
- Open the napkin;
- open it from the left side of the guests,
- open it to be original shape (square),
- fold the napkin to a triangle shape.
- Place the napkin on top of the guests lap ;
- slowly and carefully,
- from the left side of the guest,
- the triangle shape must face away from the guest.
6. Offering beverages - Offer beverage by using specific up-selling techniques. The server may
say:
- May I offer you a drink, sir/madam? or
- Would you care for some drink, sir/madam? or
- May I offer you the refreshment from the bar? or
- Would you like to have something to drink?
- When the guests are hesitating, in this case the recommendation can be
done or inform them that we have a more extensive list available if
they would like to look at that as well.
JOB HOW TO DO IT?

7. Presenting the menu - All menus should be handed to each individual, not laid on the table.
8. Giving menus - Give the main ingredients of certain dish(es),

explanation - How it is prepared/cooked,
- What it is served with,
- Positive statement to create desire.
9. Obtaining beverages - Beverages are to be delivered to the guests as soon as they are ready.
from bar
- It is a must to use the service tray when carrying beverages.
10. Carrying a service tray - Carry on left hand balancing in the center of waist height in front of the
body
11. Serving beverages - Make sure we serve right beverage to the right guest.
- Wish the guests to have a pleasant drink;
- Please enjoy your drink. or more specific,
- Please enjoy your beer/Pina Colada/Gin Tonic.

12. Taking food order - Food order will be taken beginning with elderly and lady first, continuing
in a clockwise movement around table.
- While taking order, it is important to be absolute conversant with what
is available. Be sure to check up with kitchen staff prior the service and if
servers are in doubt, recheck with the Chef/Sous Chef before you
confirm the order with the guests.
- While taking the order, it is very important that servers do not act as a
Clerk who writes down what is dictated to him/her but a salesman who
is trying to sell his/her wares. Do not be too obstructive, but always be
ready with suggestions. Try and gauge what the guests want and then
sell them what they want.
JOB HOW TO DO IT?

13. Repeating the guests - Good server should always repeat the order back to the guests in order to
order check whether you jotted the items correctly as well as to avoid the
unnecessary mistakes.
- The server may say;
- May I repeat your order, sir/madam?
- You have name of dish(es), would that be alright?
14. Up-selling - Up selling is an advantage. It gives the guests the perception of your skill
& knowledge of the menu.
- When a guest orders the main course, ask the guest if he/she might like
to start with appetizer, soup or salad.
- Offer a second or third round of drink when the glass less than one
quarter full ().
- If the guests want something that we do not have on the menu, give them
other alternative/choice which is even better than what they are looking
for.
15. Writing a captains - The following rules have to be strictly observed while writing down the
order order on captains pad;
- write legibly and nicely,
- avoid corrections, scratching and over-writing,
- writing down in the columns indicated as the table number, number
of persons, date, time and the order taker initial,
- separate between first, second and third course.
16. Pre-setting cutlery - Change cutlery according to what the guests ordered by retrieving the
previous ones and replacing them with the right ones.
17. Serving bakery - Bakery tray must be accompanied with a butter rose.
- Bakery basket should be delivered to the guests between initial approach
and appetizers. All guests will receive bread unless order beverages or
desserts only.
JOB HOW TO DO IT?

18. Picking-up food from - Never take partial orders of food. All condiments must be ready and
the kitchen available for service staff prior any food leaves the kitchen.
- Use service tray when carrying multiple food items and condiments.

- Never deliver for two separate tables on one service tray.
19. Carrying plates - Carry maximum three plates at a time.

- Two plates on the left hand, another one on the right.
- Try as much as possible to carry plates by hand.
20. Serving food - Serve food from the right hand side of the guests, starting with elderly
and lady first.
- Place food directly in front of the guest and correct person;
- study table plan prior to serve the food.
21. Informing the guests - Mention the name of the dish while serving to ensure the correct dish has
what you are serving been served to the right person;
- This is the Sole de petit bateau Dieppoise, please enjoy your dinner.
or
- Please enjoy your Brittany Lobster.
22. Offering a second - Always offer when first round glass(es) less than one quarter full ().
round of drink - Glass(es) must never be empty prior to offer additional round.
- The server may ask;
- May I offer you another glass of Chablis? or
- Would you like to have some more Burgundy? or
- Would you care for another glass of Meursault?
23. Changing an ashtray - Ashtray with 2 butts to be replaced.

Serving cigarette
- Cigarette are presented on the guests right on Silver plate with the
cellophane removed from the packet.
- The matchbox should be placed beside the packet on Silver plate.
JOB HOW TO DO IT?

24. Detailing the guests - Unacceptable inquiries of satisfaction are;
table - How is your meal?
- Is everything okay?
- Acceptable inquiries of satisfaction are;
- Is everything up to your satisfaction, sir/madam? or
- Are you enjoying your Lamb?
- Can I get anything else for you, sir/madam?
25. Clearing plates - Check that all guests have finished;

- knife and fork are parallel to each other,
- ask politely;
- May I remove your plate, sir/madam?
- Do not clear if other guests are eating unless indicated by guests.
- The remaining items on the table should be;
- table center piece,
- Cruets,
- unfinished beverages,
- drinking water.

26. Presenting Cheeses -After the table is cleared, Chef de Rang will bring the Cheese trolley to the
Table and may say:
- the selection of Cheeses for this evening
A quick description of cheeses, at this time you will notice if guests are
interested or not. If theyre having some :
- Would you care for a glass of Port Wine to accompany?
27. Offering dessert - After the table is cleared including the cruets, the server presents opened
menu dessert menu to each individual. At this time, any special desserts are
offered and explained.
The server may say;
- May I offer you dessert menu?
- Would you care for any dessert?
- Would you like to have any dessert?
- Special dessert(s) today is/are (name of dessert). It is freshly made
from our Pastry Chef. Would you like to try some, sir/madam?
28. Offering coffee or tea - Upon clearing the table, inquire if guest would like to have any desserts,
service otherwise offer them coffee or tea.
- Coffee and tea can be served before/with or after the dessert, depending
on the guests preference;
- Would you like to have your coffee/tea served with your dessert or
just after?
JOB HOW TO DO IT?

28. Preparing the guests - The cashier at the cashier area prepares the check.
check - The total cost of the meal will be noted on the check. Under no
circumstances will the server add the gratuity.
29. Presenting the - The guests check will only be presented within 2 minutes upon request.
guests check - The check must only be presented to the host who ask for the bill.
- The server closes the check with cashier and ensures the check is correct
prior to leave the cashier area.
- The server presents the check in a bill folder with a pen and
places on the guest table (just in front of the guest).
30. Bussing the table - Always remove the soiled napkin first,
- Do not touch the rim of cups or glasses with your fingers,
- Do not stick fingers into cups or glasses,
- Never pour/empty ashtrays into dishes, cups or glasses,
- Never wipe out ashtray with linen,
- Never put flower, salt & pepper shakers on the floor or chair seat,
- Check floor underneath table for cleanliness and also wipe out all chairs,
- Do not scrape the plates in front of the guests.
31. Resetting the table - Check all linen/placemats are clean, without holes or stain and that laid
squarely and evenly on the table,
- Take appropriate number of place setting to the table and reset that table,
- Never hold cutlery with your hands,
- Bring clean cups/saucers/coffee spoons to the table on service tray,
- Wipe out the table and clean salt & pepper shakers,
- Be sure to wipe off the chairs.
32. Carrying the service - Carry on left hand balancing in the center of waist height in front of the

tray body.
JOB HOW TO DO IT?

33. Taking reservation - Greeting;
by phone or in-person
- Good afternoon/evening Cyrano restaurant, Jenny speaking how
can I help you?
- Finding out the information required:
- number of person,
- date/day/time,
- location/occasion,
- contact/telephone number,
- special request.
Sample;
- May I have your name please?
- May I have your contact number please?
- Any special occasion?
- What time will you be there, sir/madam?
- Giving information about Cyrano;
- opening/closing time,
- location,
- type of food providing,
- last order time.
Sample;
- We open/close at (time).
- We are located at (location).
- Last order will be at (time).
34. Just a reminder - All guests seated only at fully set tables.
- Table reset always with clean linen, equipment, etc. within 2 minutes of
Guests leaving.
- Hostess has always to stand-by at the restaurants entrance unless
assigned for another thing by manager or/and supervisor.
JOB HOW TO DO IT?

34. Just a reminder - All the guests must automatically be greeted by all staff upon their arrival
at the outlet.
- Ensure enough equipment and linen is provided to the guests at all times.
- Coffee and tea must be offered to the guests upon their seating at tables.
- The handle of coffee cup must be placed at 3:00 position on the saucer
and the spoon will rest at 45 to the handle of the cup, on the saucer.
- Service station to be neatly arranged and constantly clean.
- All guests receive closing pleasantry;

- Please have an enjoyable meal.
- Floor around tables to be checked for cleanliness.
- Service to be upbeated, friendly but not overly casual ;
- Staff always use complete sentences ;
- Certainly sir/madam. It is my pleasure.
to be used in place of ;
- Yeah, Okay etc.
- Always use service tray whenever carrying cutlery, glassware, equipment,
linen, etc.
- Buffet counter to be checked for cleanliness at all times
- Ensure enough tables & chairs to be available for the guests, especially
during high season.
- Ensure the tables and chairs must always be steadily and nicely arranged,
otherwise adjust it only with cork cut.
- Wipe thoroughly the surface of the table with clean cloth (half dry) each
time prior to have the tables set-up.
- Ensure the cleanliness of flatware, glassware, and cutlery at all times.
- The staff must stack up plates in correct size each time when he/she
arrives at the stewarding area so as we can avoid the unnecessary
breakage.
- Build-in buffet counter must also be taken care of, prior and after the
service hours.
CATERING TERMS AND VOCABULARY.
Beer with a fruity characteristics yet more bitter than most. It is

Ale
fermented at a very high temperature causing the yeast to rise to the top.
Aperitif A drink served before the meal to stimulate the appetite such as a
fortified or aromatized wine in a vermouth style. The term now refers
more to the time the drink is served than what it consists of.
Appetizer A small course dish usually served before the main entree.
Aromatized This includes vermouth, and the quinined or other aperitif wines of
Wine various countries, whose alcohol content is 15 to 20 percent.
Back-of-The- Usually means the kitchen and storage area, and all those who work in
House that area. (Chefs, Prep-cooks, dishwashers etc.)
Bitter Bronze or Red colored Beer, usually more acidic than most. The cause
of this is the extra hops in the fermentation process.
Bitters A flavor enhancer made from berries, roots, and herbs, usually used to
provide smoothness to biting whiskey.
Brandy A spirit aged in wood, obtained from a fermented mash of fruit or the

distillation of wine.
Bring Back An entree that is taken back to the kitchen because it is unsatisfactory to
the customer. (Overdone steaks etc.)
Runner Person in charge of cleaning and resetting the tables. Other duties
sometimes include bringing in stock from the kitchen, emptying the
garbage, and unfortunately cleaning up after the wait staff.
Check Cover A book used to store the check and payment of the check to and from
the table.
Chef The person usually in charge of Food Creation, Ordering, and Back-of-
the-house management.
Cobbler A tall drink served in a Collins or highball glass, filled with crushed ice,
wine or liquor, and garnished with fresh fruit and mint sprigs. The
traditional cobbler is made with sherry, pineapple syrup, and fresh fruit
garnishes.
Collins
A tall glass filled with ice, sugar, a spirit, citrus juice, and club soda or
seltzer.
Cooler Usually served in a tall glass such as a Collins or highball, consisting of

a carbonated beverage such as ginger ale or club soda, a wine or spirit,
and a lime or orange rind cut in a continuous spiral, hooking over the
rim of the glass.
Daisy An oversize cocktail such as a Margarita, made with proportionally
more alcohol, sweetened with fruit syrup, and served over crushed ice.
Dry A term used for wine, liquor, or a cocktail to indicate a lack of
sweetness. For example, a dry Martini is one without very little
vermouth, which is the fortified wine that adds sweetness to the spirit.
Dry Beer Because it is cold filtered, it supposedly leaves no aftertaste.
Falernum Syrup from the Caribbean made of mixed fruits, sugar cane, and spices,
used to sweeten mixed drinks.
Fizz A drink named for the siphon bottle that added, "fizz" to a recipe of
sugar, citrus juice, and, traditionally, gin.
Flip A cold, creamy drink made with eggs, sugar, citrus juice, and a spirit. It
got its name in Colonial times, when a hot flip iron was used to mull the
ingredients in the drink.
Front-of-the- Any area the guest will see, and the staff that works it. (Wait staff,
House Busser, Host/Hostess, Bartender)
Fortified Wine It includes Sherry, Port, Madeira, Marsala, etc. The alcohol content is
between 14 and 24 percent.
Grog A rum based drink originally served to sailors. The contemporary

version consists of rum, fruit, and sugar.

Julep Made with crushed ice, usually Kentucky bourbon, sugar, and mint
leaves.
Lager Beer brewed from malt, hops, water, and in some cases cereals such as
cracked rice or corn grits. It is fermented and stored for aging, and
carbonated.
Liqueur A beverage naturally processed or manufactured by adding a flavoring
to a distilled spirit. The flavor accents include, but are not limited to,
almond, strawberry, orange, coffee, hazelnut, mint, and chocolate.
Malt Liquor This is a malt beverage that is brewed like beer but contains a higher
percentage of alcohol. It is usually pale and light in color.
Mist Spirits added to a full glass of crushed ice.
Mull Drinks where the ingredients are heated for thorough blending.
Neat Term for serving a spirit straight, in a glass without any ice or mixers.
Negus
A hot, sweet wine drink traditionally made with Sherry or Port.
On the Fly A command usually barked at the Line Cook when a food item is
needed in emergency. Used in Bring-Back situations, and when the
server forgets to put in an order.
On The Rocks Term denoting spirits poured over ice cubes.

Pilsner Used to describe beers that are light in color.
Porter Variation of Stout, usually lower in alcohol, with bittersweet taste and a
dark color.
Pousse-Cafe Made from several liqueurs and cordials, each having a different weight
and color so when poured one on top of another, they layer and "float."
Rickey A drink consisting of lime or lemon juice, mixed with gin or some other
spirit and club soda, usually with no added sweetener.
Rolling Silver that is wrapped in a napkin and tied off with either sticky paper or
Silverware string.
Shooter A mixed drink or shot of some kind of spirit, swallowed in one gulp.
Sling A tall drink usually served cold, made with spirits, lemon juice, and
sugar, and topped off with club soda..
Sour A short drink made with lime or lemon juice, sugar, and sprits.
Spirit A beverage made from the distillation of a liquid containing alcohol.
The alcohol content of the original liquid matters very little, as the
distillation process separates all the alcohol out from the liquid.
Congeners, flavor compounds, may also be separated from the original
liquid along with the alcohol. The congeners provide the spirit with its

distinct characteristics.
Stout Very dark ale that is slightly bitter and malty. Roasted barley is added to
flavor a color the brew.
Swizzle This was originally a tall rum beverage filled with cracked ice and
stirred with a long spoon, twig, or stirring instrument until the glass was
frosty. These days, any tall drink made with spirits and crushed ice and
stirred with a rod until frosty is called a "swizzle."
Toddy Originally this was a hot mixture of spirits, sugar, and spices like cloves
and cinnamon, lemon peel, and water, served in a tall glass. Today it
may be served cold, with any combination of spirits, spices, and ice.
Whisky A spirit aged in wood, produced from the distillation of a fermented
mash of grain. Examples are Canadian whisky, Irish whiskey, Scotch
whisky, Rye whisky, and Bourbon whiskey.
COOKING TERMS
Saut (French) to cook food in an open pan in hot shallow fat, tossing the food to
prevent it from sticking.
Sear to seal the surface of meat by cooking over a strong heat-.
Garnish an edible decoration added to a savoury dish to improve the
appearance.
Gratin (French) a dish cooked in the oven or under a grill so that it develops a brown
crust.
a la Broche
French) Cooked on a skewer over a flame. See Brochette.
(French)
a la Carte
French) Each menu item is priced separately: Foods prepared to order.
(French)
a la King French, A Bechemel sauce containing mushrooms, green peppers, and
red peppers or pimentos.
a la Mode a la Mode(French) Refers to ice cream on top of pie. (French) Refers to
(French) ice cream on top of pie.
Al dente (al-Den- al dente (al-Den-tay) In Italian the phrase means "to the tooth"and is a
tay) term used to describe the correct degree of doneness when cooking
pasta and vegetables. The food should have a slight resistance when
biting into it, but should not be soft or overdone or have a hard center.
Au Gratin
To top food with cheese or bread crumbs, then baked.
(French)

Au Jus (French) Served with natural juices

Au Naturel
Food that are plainly cooked.
(French)
Bearnaise Sauce A sauce made with a reduction of vinegar, wine, tarragon and shallots
(French) and finished with egg yolks and butter.
Bchamel
Add milk or cream to a white roux and voila! It becomes a bchamel.
(French)
Balsamic
vinegar Balsamic vinegar is a centuries-old specialty of Modena, Italy, is made
from reduced grape juice and is aged and blended for many years in a
succession of casks made of different woods and gradually diminishing
in size. The result is a thick, tart-sweet, intensely aromatic vinegar.
Chasseur French for "hunter" this American-French term refers to food prepared
(French) "hunter-style," with mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, various herbs and
sometimes wine. Used on such items as poulet chasseur.
Marinade A seasoned liquid in which foods such as meat, fish and vegetables are
(French) soaked (marinated) in order to absorb flavor and, in some instances, to
be tenderized. Most marinades contain an acid (lemon juice, vinegar or
wine) and herbs or spices. The acid ingredient is especially important
for tough cuts of meat because it serves as a tenderizer. Because most
marinades contain acid ingredients, the marinating should be done in a
glass, ceramic or stainless steel container-never in aluminum.
Marinate To immerse food for varying lengths of time in a liquid so that the
flavors develop; a marinade also tenderizes, flavors, softens and
preserves ingredients.
Marsala Imported from Sicily and made from local grapes, Marsala is Italy's
most famous Fortified Wine. It has a rich, smoky flavor that can range
from sweet to dry. Sweet Marsala is used as a Dessert Wine, as well as
to flavor such desserts as the famous Zabaglione. Marsala wine is used
to create such items as, chicken marsala.
remoulade [ray- a classic French sauce made by combining homemade mayonnaise,
muh- mustard, capers, cornichons, roasted peppers, bermuda onion, herbs and
LAHD](French) assorted seasonings.
rilletes [rih- meat, usually pork, slowly cooked in seasoned fat and pulverized into
LEHTS](French) paste, served as an appetizer spread
rissole [rih-
small partially cooked potatoes browned in butter
SOHL](French)
soubise [soo-
a rich, velvety sauce of cream and pureed onions
BEEZ]
tapenade [TA- a full flavor condiment of capers, anchovies, olives, garlic, lemon juice

puh- and olive oil.

nahd](French)
Hors doeuvres Appetizers or "finger food" served usually with cocktails. It is often the
(French) first course of either lunch or dinner service.
a la minute Style of preparation where the food is cooked to order fresh, often right
(French) before the guests. Food done a la minute is a perfect suggestion for a
food station.
Amuse-gueule "To amuse the stomach" - a tasty small snack compliments of the chef
(French) to endear him to the patrons. Sometimes known as an "amuse-bouche",
or "to amuse the palate".
Brule (French)
literally "burned": such as with caramelized sugar on crme brulee.
Canaps
Class of hors d'oeuvre that are always served on small pieces of bread.
(French)
en croute Encrusted in puff pastry. A great way to prepare soup when the desire is
(French) maintain a high temperature through a long waiting period.
French Ham Bayonne: Dry cured and smoked. Eaten raw
French Ham Campagne: Sweet cured and well smoked. Eaten raw
Barding Fat wrapped around lean joints to improve flavour and texture
Place in cold water, boil refresh ( to whiten )

Blanche(French)
Blanching To plunge meat into boiling water to remove impurities
Bratt pan A large tilting pan with lid

Brawn A jellied meat dish made from pigs head and feet
Brine Solution of water, salt and saltpetre
Carcass Slaughtered, dressed animal

Char grill A semi solid topped grill
Chine Removal of back-bone
Dissection Division of carcass into joints
Flare Grill A bottom fired grill usually with a bed of bricks
Griddle This involves the cooking of prime food on a greased metal plate
Jacket Boiler A double skinned boiling kettle witch may be tilted
Larding Strips of fat inserted into lean joints to improve flavour

Offal The edible internal organs of an animal

Pane (French) The coat, flour, eggwash and breadcrumb
Pickled Steeped in brine
Plat Sauter A shallow copper pan with straight sides
Poele (French) A black frying pan with curved sides
Refreshing To wash meat under running water after blanching to clear impurities
Salamander A top fired grill
Salpetre
Nitrate of potash to colour and preserve
(French)
Sauter (French) Sauter is a term used to describe the process of shallow frying of
butchers meat and poultry
Sauteuse
A shallow copper pan with sloping sides
(French)
Score Shallow cuts in skin to facilitate heat penetration
Sealing To fry joints to be roasted in hot dripping to seal the outer surfaces
Side Half of a carcass split lengthways
Skimming To remove fat and scum from surface of cooking liquor

Steel A hand held sharpening tool
Stir Fry This term is applied to small pieces of butchers meat and other foods
when they are tossed together in a wok. This popular method of cookery
originates from oriental cuisine
Trivet A wire frame to keep roasting meat out of fat during cooking
Terms to sort out.
Absinthe
A bitter liqueur distilled from wormwood and flavored with a variety of herbs. Often
disolved with water that produces a milky-white appearance. The flavor is that of
anise.
Acetic Acid
Acetic acid is formed when common airborne bacteria interact with the alcohol
present in fermented solutions such as wine, beer or vinegar.

Adobo sauce
This dark-red, piquant sauce (or paste) is made from ground chiles, herbs and vinegar,
common to Mexico. Chipotle chiles are often found packed in adobo sauce.
Agar-agar
Agar-agar is an extract of seaweed from the Indian and Pacific oceans. When disolved
it sets to a jelly and can be used as an emulsifier in ice cream, desserts and soups.
Agave
A large plant from Mexico, with fleshy leaves. The baked and fermented pina (center
core) from the blue agave is used to make fermented drinks such as pulque, mescal,
and tequila.
Ahi
The Hawaiian name for yellowfin, as well as bigeye tuna.
Allspice
The pea-sized berry of an evergreen tree native to the West Indies, Africa and
Jamaica. It tastes like a combination of a number of aromatic spices. Often used with
Middle Eastern cuisine.
Almond Paste
A blend of ground almonds, sugar, and glucose. Used in a variety of confections.
Amaretti
A crisp airy Italian cookie similar to a macaroon with an intense sweet almond flavor.
Amaretto
An almond flavored liqueur, often made from apricot pits. This original Italian liqueur
if also made in the US.
Anaheim Chiles
This mild, long green chile is named for the area where it was originally grown. These
are often sold canned, whole or chopped.
Ancho Chiles
A dried poblano chile with a smoky flavor and medium heat. They range in color from
dark red to almost black.
Anchovy
A small sea fish, common to the Mediterranean, and also harvested in the Black Sea,
the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. These filleted, salt-cured fish are canned in oil.
Common to French and Italian cuisine and used in the famous Caesar Salad along with
a number of sauces, tapenades, and pizzas.
Anise
A spice whose flavor is reminiscent of licorice, usually bought ground. Used for
centuries and now found in cookies, cakes and liqueurs.
Arborio Rice
The high-starch kernels of this Italian-grown grain are shorter and fatter than any other
short-grain rice. Arborio is traditionally used for risotto due to its creamy texture.
Arrowroot
From a dried rootstalk, this white, powdery thickener is preferable to cornstarch
because it provides a clear finish.
Artichoke
The globe artichoke is cultivated mainly in California's midcoastal region. It's the bud
of a large plant from the thistle family and has tough, petal-shaped leaves. Usually
steamed and the pulp of the leaves eaten with drawn butter or mayonaise.
Arugula
Arugula has a pepper and mustard flavor used in salads, soups and sauted vegetable
dishes.
Asiago

A semifirm Italian cheese with a rich, nutty flavor is mainly used for grating as a
substitute for Parmesan. It was traditionally made with sheep's milk, today it is often
made with cow's milk.
Baking Powder
A leavening agent composed of baking soda an acid, such as cream of tartar, and
cornstarch. When mixed with a liquid, it realeses carbon dioxide gas bubbles that
cause a bread or cake to rise.
Baking Soda
Bicarbonate of soda. Acidic liquid ingredients like sour milk, sour cream, buttermilk,
yogurt, molasses, and lemon juice help baking soda produce the gases which make a
batter rise.
Basil
A member of the mint family, this ancient herb has a pungent flavor. A popular herb
in Mediterranean cooking and a primary ingredient in Italian pesto. Used both fresh
and dried.
Baste
To spoon or brush food as it cooks with melted butter or other fat, meat drippings or
liquid such as stock. In addition to adding flavor and color, basting keeps meats and
other foods from drying out.
Bavarian cream
A dessert made from an egg custard stiffened with gelatine, mixed with whipped
cream and sometimes fruit puree or other flavors, then set in a mold and served
chilled.
Bay Leaf
An aromatic leaf that comes from bay laurel. Used whole, halved, or ground. One of
the primary ingredients in a bouquet garni, it lends a slightly bitter, pungent seasoning
to soups, stews, and stocks.
Bechamel
One of the "Mother" sauces, this white sauce is made by adding milk to a roux.
Bisque
A seasoned shellfish puree flavored with white wine, cognac, and fresh cream, used as
the basis of a soup.
Blanch
To place foods in boiling water briefly either to partially cook them or to aid in the
removal of the skin (i.e. nuts, peaches, tomatoes). Blanching also removes the
bitterness from citrus zests.
Blini
A small thick savory pancake made with a leavened batter that contains both wheat
flour and buckwheat flour.
Blue Cheese
A cow's milk, semisoft, blue-veined cheese with a very strong aroma. Similar cheeses
include France's Roquefort and Italy's Gorgonzola.
Bouquet Garni
Traditionally composed of parsley, thyme, and bay leaf, this herb bundle gives stew,
soup or stock an aromatic seasoning. The bouquet garni needs to be removed before
serving.
Braising
A cooking method where food (usually meat) is first browned in oil, then cooked
slowly in a liquid (wine, stock, or water).
Brioche
A sweet French yeast bread that is composed of flour, sugar, yeast, milk, butter, and
egg yolk. Brioche has a unique lightness, flavor and aroma.

Bulgur
Whole wheat which has been boiled until tender and the husk is about to crack open,
then dried. It is a common ingredient in Arabic (burghul), Turkish (bulgur), and
Cypriot (pourgouri) cooking. The primary ingredient for Tabouleh.
Calvados
An apple brandy from Normandy, France made from cider that has been aged for up to
two years and distilled.
Canadian Bacon
The large rib-eye muscle of the pork loin, cured and smoked. It is boneless and usually
lean, and not at all like the American cured bacon.
Cannellini Beans
A large, white kidney bean used often in Italian cooking. They are available canned or
dried.
Capers
The small buds of a Mediterranean shrub. They are usually pickled in vinegar or dried
and salted.
Carambola
Known as star fruit, this golden yellow fruit is grown in the West Indies, Indonesia,
and Brazil. When sliced, the fruit has a star shaped. The flesh of the carambola is juicy
and highly acidic. Its taste is reminiscent of plums, grapes, and apples.
Caramelized Sugar
Sugar that has been cooked until it reaches a caramel color.
Caraway Seed
Caraway is a member of the parsley family. The seeds are used as topping on breads
and savory pastries, and as accompaniments to a number of German, Hungarian and
Austrian cuisine.
Cardamom
The pods of an aromatic Indian plant is a member of the ginger family. The seeds of
the pods are dried and used as a spice. It is a very expensive spice. cardamom is used
mostly in Indian and Scandinavian cooking.
Carpaccio
Originally, paper thin slices of raw beef with a creamy sauce, invented at Harry's Bar
in Venice. The term also describes very thinly sliced vegeatables, raw or smoked
meats, and fish.
Chayote
A crisp, delicate, light green squash that was a staple crop of the ancient Aztecs. It is
ideal for stuffing, popular as a salad in Mexico and found in France as "christophene."
Chipotle
Smoked dried jalapeno chiles. The distinctive smokey flavor and unique heat is used
to flavor Southwestern and Mexican dishes. They are sold both dried and in cans, in a
vinegary sauce called adobo.
Chorizo
This highly seasoned hog link sausage flavored with garlic, chili powder and other
spices, is widely used in Mexico and Spanish cooking.
Cilantro
Also known as Chinese Parsley, this herb is often used in Chinese and Mexican
cooking. It resembles and is often used like parsley. The seeds of this aromatic plant
are known as Coriander, when dried, used as spices (whole or ground).
Cioppino
A dish, created in San Francisco, consists of a stew of white fish, large shrimps, clams,
and mussels, with a garlic, tomato, and white wine base.

Cloves
The brown, hard dried flower buds of an aromatic Southeast Asian evergreen. Ground,
they are used in cakes and soups. Whole, they add flavor to mulled wines and ciders,
as well as used in cooking whole hams.
Cocoa
The pods of the cocao tree which are processed to remove the cocoa butter and ground
into powder. There are two types of powder, American and Dutch.
Concasse
A mixture that is coarsely chopped or ground, such as a tomato concasse.
Confectioners Sugar
Powdered sugar, often used in baking and in frostings.
Confit
Meat, usually goose, duck, or pork cooked in its own fat.
Cornmeal
Dried corn kernels that have been ground in one of three textures fine, medium or
coarse. Also known as polenta, it is similar to semolina in texture. Cornmeal is
available as yellow, white or blue, depending on the type of corn used.
Cornstarch
A dense, powdery "flour" obtained from the endosperm portion of the corn kernel.
Cornstarch is most commonly used as a thickening agent for puddings, sauces, soups,
etc.
Coulis
A thick puree of vegetables or fruit
Couscous
Pellets of wheat semolina that has been ground, moistened, and rolled in flour. It is a
staple dish in the Middle East.
Crab Louie
A cold salad in which lump crabmeat on a bed of shredded lettuce is topped with a
dressing of mayonnaise, chili sauce, cream, scallions, green pepper, lemon juice and
seasonings.
Cream of Tartar
The common name for potassium bitartare, the white powdery crystalline acid formed
inside wine casks. It is used in many baking powders, baking dishes and to stabilize
beaten egg whites.
Crme anglaise
The French term for a rich custard sauce that can be served hot or cold with cake, fruit
or other dessert.
Crme brle
The French term for a rich custard topped with sugar and carmelized under a broiler or
torch before service.
Crme de Casis
A sweet cordial from black currants. Popular as 'kir' when mixed with white wine.
Crme frache
This matured, thickened cream has a slightly tangy, nutty flavor and velvety rich
texture.
Crme ptissire
The French term for "pastry cream," a thick, flour-based egg custard used for tarts,
cakes and to fill cream puffs, clairs and napoleons.
Cremini Mushrooms
A wild mushroom, similar to the common white mushroom, but dark-brown and
firmer in texture.

Cumin
An Indian spice with an earthy flavor, also known as comino. Used either ground or
whole as cumin seed. Cumin is featured in Middle Eastern and Latin American
cuisines.
Curry Powder
A spice mixture common to India. It usually consists of coriander, turmeric,
fenugreek, cumin, ginger, garlic, clove, cayenne and other chilies.
Daikon Radish
This vegetable is in fact a large Asian radish with a sweet, fresh flavor. The daikon's
flesh is crisp, juicy and white, while the skin can be either creamy white or black.
Demiglace
A thick, intensely flavored, glossy brown sauce that is made by thickening a rich veal
or other brown stock, reduced until concentrated.
Double Boiler
A bain-marie, a double broiler is a method of cooking without using direct heat. It
consists of two saucepans that fit together. The bottom sauce pan is filled with water
and the top one with the mixture.
Duxelles
Traditionally, this French paste is composed of a mixture of mushrooms, shallots and
herbs which are slowly cooked in butter until forming a paste. It is often used to flavor
sauces, soups and other mixtures, or as a garnish.
Enchilada
Rolled or flat corn tortillas topped or stuffed with meat, cheese, onions, and red or
green chile sauce.
Espagnole sauce
Spanish sauce. A brown sauce made from brown stock, caramelized mirepoix and
tomato puree, and seasonings.
Evaporated Milk
A canned and unsweetened milk that has much of the water content removed via
evaporation. It is similar to condensed milk, although not as sweet.
Extracts
Concentrated flavorings derived from various foods or plants, usually through
evaporation or distillation. They deliver a powerful flavor impact to foods without
adding excess volume or changing the consistency.
Fish sauce
A pungent, salty liquid made from fresh anchovies that is extensively used in Asian
cuisine.
Fondant
An icing created from cooked sugar, water and glucose. It is used often as a filling for
chocolates, frosting for cakes, or fine pastries.
Framboise
A raspberry liqueur.
Frappe
(from the French frappe) A simple sugar syrup mixed with fruit, liqueur, or other
flavorings and frozen, then processed to a slightly slushy consistency.
Ganache
A rich chocolate icing made of semisweet chocolate and whipping cream and or other
flavorings that are heated and stirred together until the chocolate has melted.

Garde manger
A French term for the cool, well-ventilated pantry area (usually in hotels and large
restaurants) where cold buffet dishes are prepared and other foods are stored in
refrigerated units. Some of the items prepared in a garde manger are salads, cold
appetizers and other decorative dishes. Also the term for intricate vegetable carving.
Gazpacho
A cold vegetable soup with a tomato base containing a variety of raw vegetables.
Gelato
An Italian ice cream made with a base of egg yolks and milk. It is denser and
smoother in texture than American ice creams, with much less air incorporated into
the frozen mix.
Ginger
A Southeastern Asian plant cultivated for its spicy aromatic rhizomes. It is most
commonly used in Asian cooking, showing up in savory curries, marinades, rice, tea,
or just eaten as a sweetmeat in its crystallized form.
Goat Cheese
Also known as Chevre. A soft fresh goat's milk cheese with a tart flavor. Often fresh
herbs are incorporated into the finished form.
Gorgonzola
An Italian cow's milk cheese with a white or yellow and streaked with blue. It has a
distinct aroma and can have a mellow, strong, or sharp flavor, similar to the American
blue cheese and the French roquefort.
Gouda Cheese
A cow's milk, firm, smooth cheese similar to cheddar. This Dutch cheese comes in
both young and aged forms.
Grand Marnier
Orange flavored, cognac based liqueur from France.
Granita
A mixture of water, sugar, and liquid flavorings (i.e. fruit juice or coffee) that is stirred
during the frozing process to create a granular texture.
Granulated Sugar
Regular sugar for everyday use.
Gratin
A sweet or savory dish baked or broiled so its topping forms a golden crust.
Guacamole
A mixture of fresh avacado lime or lemon juice, other seasonings and frequently made
with diced onion, tomatoes and cilantro.
Haricot vert
The French term for "green string bean," haricot meaning "bean" and vert translating
as "green."
Haute cuisine
Food that is prepared in an elegant or elaborate manner. The French word haute
translates as "high" or "superior," cuisine as "cooking."
Herbes de Provence
An assortment of dried herbs said to reflect those most commonly used in southern
France.The mixture commonly contains basil, fennel seed, lavender, marjoram,
rosemary, sage, summer savory and thyme.
Hoisin sauce
A reddish-brown sweet and spicy Chinese sauce reminiscent of barbecue sauce. It is
made from soybeans and peppers.

Hollandaise Sauce
A classic emulsion sauce made with a vinegar reduction, egg yolks, and melted butter
flavored with lemon juice. Another of the "mother" sauces.
Ice Cream
Made with a combination of milk products (usually cream combined with fresh,
condensed or dry milk), a sweetening agent (sugar, honey, corn syrup or artificial
sweetener) and sometimes solid additions such as pieces of chocolate, nuts, and/or
fruit.
Infusion
Steeping in a hot liquid producing a flavor that's extracted from an ingredient such as
tea leaves, herbs or fruit. In today's culinary parlance, sauces that have been variously
flavored (as with herbs) are also called infusions.
Jarlsberg Cheese
A Norwegian cow's milk cheese that is firm in texture and nutty in flavor, similar to
Swiss cheese.
Jalapeno
Named after Jalapa, the capital of Veracruz, Mexico, this small green chile pepperis
mildly hot.
Jicima
A bulbous, brown root with a crunchy white interior is often called the Mexican
potato. The sweet and nutty interior is great for crudite platters and salads.
Kalamata Olives
Also spelled Calamata. These purple-black Greek olives are cured in vinegar.
Kibbeh; kibbi
Particularly popular in Lebanon and Syria, this Middle Eastern dish combines ground
meat (usually lamb), bulghur wheat and various flavorings. The meat may be served
raw or cooked.
Lemongrass
An aromatic, dry looking grass used to add a pungent, lemony flavor to Asian dishes
and popular in smoothie drinks.
Liqueur
A spirit flavored with fruit, spices, nuts, herbs, and/or seeds, usually sweetened.
Macadamia Nut
A native to Australia, the macadamia is a fleshy white nut with a coconut-like flavor.
Macerate
To soak a food in a liquid to infuse it with flavor.
Mandoline
A compact, hand-operated machine with various adjustable blades for thin to thick
slicing and cutting. Mandolines have folding legs and come in both wood- or stainless
steel-frame models. They're used to cut firm vegetables and fruits (such as potatoes
and apples) with uniformity and precision.
Marinate
To let food stand in a mixture called a marinade (such as a liquid, dry rub, or a paste)
before cooking. Liquid marinades are usually based on a acidic ingredient, such as
wine or vinegar; dry marinades are usually salt-based.
Marzipan
A thick almond, sugar and egg white paste used in confectioneries. Marzipan is
mainly used in cakes and pastries of the European tradition.
Masa Harina
Corn dough used mainly for tortillas and tamales.

Mesclun
Found in specialty produce markets and many supermarkets, mesclun (also called
salad mix and gourmet salad mix ) is simply a potpourri of young, small salad greens.
The mix varies depending on the source, but among those greens commonly included
are arugula, dandelion, frise, mizuma, oak leaf, mche, radicchio and sorrel.
Mirepoix
A mixture of diced carrots, onions, celery and herbs sauted in butter. Sometimes ham
or bacon is added to the mix. Mirepoix is used to season sauces, soups and stews, as
well as for a bed on which to braise foods, usually meats or fish.
Mise en place
Literally "put in place" in French. Refers to the preparations for cooking, setting out
bowls, pots, and pans and measuring, washing, peeling, and chopping and mincing
ingredients.
Molcajete y tejolete
The Mexican term for "mortar and pestle" molcajete being the mortar, tejolete the
pestle. The black basalt (volcanic rock), produces a rough texture on both pieces. They
are used in the traditional manner for grinding spices and herbs and other mixtures.
Mole
Mole is a spicy, rich Mexican sauce consisting of nuts, seeds, spices, chilies and
occassionally chocolate.
Mousse
A frozen dessert consisting of either a flavored custard or a fruit puree lightened with
beaten egg whites and/or whipped cream.
Nicoise
Literally "in the style of Nice (France)". The term refers to the region's cuisine which
is characterized by the use of tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and the local brown-black
olives.
Nonpareil
A French term meaning "without equal," most often used in reference to small pickled
capers from the region of Provence in France.
Nutmeg
The oval, brown, wrinkly seed of the nutmeg tree. It is used grated as a spice for both
sweet and savory dishes.
Oporto
Portugal's sweet dessert wines (ports). They are named after Oporto, Portugal's second
largest city, on the Douro river.
Oyster Sauce
A bottled all-purpose Chinese seasoning made from oysters, water, salt, cornstarch,
and caramel coloring.
Paella
A classic Spanish dish which combines rice and a variety of both meat and seafood.
Pancetta
An Italian cured meat made from the belly of the pig. It is salted but lightly spiced, but
not smoked.
Paprika
A spicy seasoning ground from a sweet variety of red pepper. It is used to flavor
ragouts, stuffings, sauces, and garnish.
Parchment Paper
A silicon based paper that can withstand high heat, thus its use for lining baking
sheets.
Parfait

A dessert consisting of ice cream, layered with a dessert sauce, fruit, or liquer. In
France, a parfait is a frozen dessert containing either whipped cream and Italian
meringue or just whipped cream. Parfaits are traditionally served in tall, narrow,
footed glasses.
Parmesan Cheese
A hard cow's milk cheese whose taste ranges from sweet to sharp is regularly used for
grating. Officially, only Parmigiano Reggiano from the Italian area of Emilia-
Romagna may be called Parmesan. Asiago and Romano cheeses are good substitutes
for Parmesan.
Pecorino Romano
Another Italian cheese, this is made from sheep's milk with a slightly different flavor.
Parmesan is a good Romano substitute.
Pesto
Pesto is an Italian basil sauce made with fresh basil leaves, pinenuts, garlic and olive
oil. Many variations of this sauce exist including different nut based pestos, different
herb based pestos, sun dried tomato pesto, and black olive pesto.
Pico de Gallo
Mexican for "Rooster's beak," a coarse uncooked tomato salsa. In Jalisco, Mexico it is
a relish of oranges and jicama.
Pine Nuts
Also known as pignolias and pinon. The pine nut is the seed of the stone pine. They
are used often in Italian, Spanish, and Middle Eastern cooking.
Pizzelles
Thin decoratively patterned Italian wafer cookies that are made in an iron similar to a
waffle iron.
Plantains
A green skinned, pink fleshed banana which is usually flatter and longer than a regular
banana. It also contains more starch and less sugar. It is usually eaten fried, mashed, or
in stews in South American, African, and West Indian cuisine.
Polenta
A coarse yellow cornmeal mush that is a staple of Northern Italy. It can be molded,
then cut into squares and fried or grilled.
Porcini Mushrooms
Dried Cepes mushrooms found in most Italian markets. Re-hydrated before cooking
by soaking in boiling water.
Portobello Mushroom
Also Portobella. A full grown cremini mushroom, similar to button mushrooms.
Prosciutto
The Italian word for ham, used in the names of raw hams coming from Italy.
Prosciutto di Parma hams are only from the Parma region of Italy.
Quenelle
A light, delicate dumpling made of seasoned, minced or ground fish, meat or
vegetables bound with eggs. This mixture is formed into small ovals and gently
poached in stock.
Ragout
A stew made from poultry, game, fish, or vegetables cut into pieces and cooked in a
thickened liquid, generally flavored with herbs and seasonings.
Ramekins
Porcelain cups, often used to make souffles and other small dishes requiring baking.
Raw Sugar
Sugar that hasn't been refined fully.

Ricotta
Ricotta is a soft, unripened Italian curd cheese. Sweet in flavor and grainy in texture,
Ricotta is used often in Italian sweets (such as cannoli) and in savory dishes as stuffed
pasta and lasagne.
Rock Salt
A crystalline form of salt.
Royale, a la
A consumme garnish made of unsweetened custard. Also a poached fish or poultry in
a veloute sauce (a white sauce of stock and cream thickened with butter and flour)
with truffles.
Sabayon
A frothy wine custard of egg yolk, sugar, and wine. Served warm as a dessert or
sauce.
Scotch Bonnet Chiles
One of the world's hottest peppers, about 30-50 times as hot as a jalapeno. They range
in color from green to orange and are about the size of a walnut.
Serrano Chiles
A hot chile pepper, smaller and thinner than the jalapeno.
Shallots
An onion variety that produces clusters of bulbs. Their flavor is slightly less intense
than that of onions with a hint of garlic.
Shitake
Also called Chinese, black or oriental mushroom (in its dried form). Shitake is a
strongly flavored mushroom used in both its fresh and dried form.
Sorrel leaves
Bright green leaves with a lemony flavor that soften when cooked.
Soy Sauce
A salty sauce composed mainly of soybeans, salt, yeast, wheat, and sugar. Also made
from the fremented soy product called miso.
Squab
Young, usually 3-4 weeks old, domesticated pigeon with dark meat and weighs one
pound or less.
Star Anise
A star-shaped, dark brown pod that contains a pea-sized seed in each of its eight
segments. Native to China, star anise comes from a small evergreen tree. Its flavor is
slightly more bitter than that of regular anise seed.
Tabasco Sauce
A hot sauce comprised solely of vinegar, red pepper, and salt.
Tahini
A nut-butter-style paste made from ground sesame seeds.
Tamarind Paste
A vitamin-rich, tangy, prune like pulp from the pods of a tropical Asian tree. It is used
as a seasoning in curries and chutneys as well as for drinks, jams, or sorbets.
Tomatillos
Small, green, firm, tomatoes. They are covered with a paper like husk that's removed
before cooking. Their acid flavor add a great flavor for sauces.
Tortillas
Mexican staple that are either made of flour or masa harina and cooked on a flat
griddle called a comal.
Turmeric
From a rhizome plant that is often dried and ground. It is used to spice and color
Indian and Southeast Asian cooking.

Univalve
A single-shelled mollusc, such as abalone and sea urchin.
Vichyssoise
A rich-creamy cold potato and leek soup thickened with cream and garnished with
chives
Walnut
These nuts are native to Asia and grow on walnut trees inside green pods which turn
brown and wood like when they dry.
Walnut Oil
The oil extracted from the walnut. It gives most foods a wonderful nutty flavor.
Wasabi
A pungent green paste made from a rhizome of the watercress family. Also called
Japanese horseradish.
Worcestershire Sauce
A spicy sauce composed mainly of water, vinegar, molasses, corn syrup, anchovies,
spices and flavorings.
Xanthan gum
Produced from the fermentation of corn sugar, xanthan gum is used as a thickener,
emulsifier and stabilizer in foods such as dairy products, ice cream, and salad
dressings.
Yeast
A leavening agent used in doughs and batters. It usually comes in a dry, bead like
form and in a fresh form.
Zabaglione
An Italian custard dessert made solely of egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala wine.
Zest
The rind of citrus fruit, usually orange, grapefruit, lime, and lemon.
Abaisse
C'est une pte gteau tale, aplatie l'aide d'un rouleau ptisserie.
Allg
Ce dit d'un corps gras (ex : beurre, crme) duquel un certain pourcentage de sa graisse
a t retir. Il faudra noter cependant qu'il est plus difficile de lier une sauce avec une
crme allge qu'avec une crme "entire".
Appareil
C'est le nom donn en cuisine une prparation, un mlange d'ingrdients semi-
liquide (pte, quiche, souff etc.)
Baeckeoffe
Plat complet alsacien base de trois viandes (porc, boeuf, agneau) d'oignons, de
carottes, de pommes de terre et herbes, le tout mouill de vin blanc (Sylvaner) cuisant
dans une grande terrine lute pendant de longues heures feu doux au four. A
l'origine, c'est dans le four du boulanger (bcker = boulanger en alsacien) que cuisait
("offe"= cuire en alsacien) ce plat. Le Baeckeoffe est le nom de la terrine et du plat
comme un "tajine" nomme le repas ainsi que l'ustensile ou encore "paella". Plusieurs
orthographes sont possibles pour ce nom : entre autres "backofen" ou "backenofen"
qui serait plutt d'origine allemande ...
Prononciation : "bqeu-oofeu" en alsacien du nord et bqua-ofa en alsacien du sud.

Bain-Marie
Nom masculin.
Eau bouillante dans laquelle on plonge un rcipient contenant des substances faire
chauffer lentement, sans contact direct avec le feu. Un "Bain-Marie" des "Bains-
Marie".
[Dfinition tire du dictionnaire Hachette d. 1990]
Barigoule
Nom fminin.
Nom provenal (Barigoulo) du lactaire, champignon comestible. Artichauts la
barigoule : farcis la viande ou d'oeuf hach et cuits l'huile d'olive.
[Dfinition tire du dictionnaire Hachette d. 1990]
Par extension, artichauts cuits l'huile d'olive avec un mlange d'ingrdients .
Beurre Blanc
Sauce base d'chalotes, de vin blanc, de vinaigre et beurre mulsionn. Souvent
utilise pour les sauces de poissons. Voir aussi Beurre Rouge.
Beurre Clarifi
Partie du beurre restant en suspension une fois celui-ci fondu; les impurets et le petit-
lait restant au fond. C'est ces derniers qui font que le beurre noircit la cuisson. Le
beurre clarifi tient donc mieux la cuisson mais aussi se conserve plus longtemps.
Beurre Pommade
Beurre laiss temprature ambiante, ventuellement travaill la fourchette, pour le
rendre mou jusqu' la consistance d'une pommade. Ne surtout pas faire chauffer dans
une casserole en pensant acclrer le processus !
Beurre Rouge
Sauce base d'chalotes, de vin rouge et beurre mulsionn. Voir aussi Beurre Blanc.
Blanchir
Donner une premire cuisson dans l'eau bouillante avant d'apprter des fruits lgumes
ou des viandes. Cette opration permet de mieux peler les lgumes ou fruits ou de leur
ter un got non dsir ou encore retirer certaines impurets.
Brider
Opration consistant ficeler une viande (volaille, rosbif, paupiette) pour que celle-ci
garde la forme compacte souhaite la cuisson. Voir aussi Dbrider.
Brunch
BRUNCH est la contraction de 2 mots anglo-saxons "BREAKFAST" (petit-jeuner) et
"LUNCH" (djeuner, repas du midi). C'est donc, comme son nom l'indique, un repas
qui sert la fois de petit-djeuner et de repas du midi. Il se prend gnralement d'une
manire informelle en milieu de matine et s'tire jusqu'aprs-midi.
Voir aussi le mot Slunch.
Chemiser
Recouvrir les parois intrieures d'un moule d'une substance ou de papier (du papier
sulfuris par exemple).
Chiffonnade
Feuilles de salade ou tranches de jambon ciseles en lanires.
Chinois
Passoire mtallique en forme de cne ayant un maillage plus ou moins fin. Le chinois
sert filtrer entre autres toutes sortes de jus.
Ciseler
Opration consistant couper en fines lanires ou en fins morceaux des lgumes ou
des herbes.

Clavelin
Bouteille en verre d'une contenance de 62 centilitres. Elle a t spcialement conue
pour recevoir le clbre "Vin Jaune" du Jura. A l'poque o toutes les bouteilles de vin
faisait 100 cl (et non 75 cl comme actuellement), sa contenance rappellait ainsi que sur
le litre de vin du dpart il ne restait que 62 centilitres de Vin Jaune. En effet, le long
veillissement en ft de 6 ans et 3 mois (temps minimum) cre une vaporation d'un
bon tiers du volume. Ce vin vapor s'appelle la "part des anges".
Crozet
Ptes plates de 5 mm sur 5 mm environ, originaires des Alpes souvent base de farine
de Sarrasin. Leur temps de cuisson est gnralement long (20 mn) pour obtenir une
cuisson malgr tout "al dente".
Cul-de-poule
Rcipient au fond sphrique permettant de monter des prparations ncessitant un
mouvement circulaire. par exemple la crme Chantilly , les oeufs en Neige, la Mousse
au chocolat, la Mayonnaise etc.
Darne
Tranche de gros poisson (entier mais vid) coupe perpendiculairement l'arte
principale (darne de saumon, darne de lieu), alors qu'un filet est coup paralllement
l'arte principale et qu'un pav est souvent un morceau "carr" d'un filet coup pais.
Dbrider
Opration consistant retirer la ficelle ayant permis une viande pralablement
ficele et cuite de garder sa forme. Voir aussi Brider.
Dcoction
Opration consistant laisser une plante dans de l'eau juste bouillante sur le feu afin
que celle-ci se charge des saveurs de la plante. Ne pas confondre avec Infusion.
Dglacer
Opration consistant rcuprer les sucs des jus de cuisson par ajout d'un liquide.
Celui-ci peut-tre aussi bien de l'eau que du vin ou encore du vinaigre. Le rsultat en
sera une sauce ou un jus enrichi des saveurs des sucs et du liquide ajout puis rduit.
Dgraisser
Opration consistant retirer le gras d'un bouillon d'une sauce ou d'un jus. Une
mthode trs pratique consiste laisser prendre au rfrigrateur le liquide dgraisser.
Il suffit ensuite de retirer la graisse fige en surface.
cumer
Opration consistant retirer la mousse se formant lors de la cuisson d'un bouillon.
Cette mousse est toujours cumer car elle contient une grande partie des impurets
des viandes et lgumes cuisant dans le bouillon. D'une manire gnrale, cette
opration doit devenir un rflexe mme si la recette de cuisine ne le stipule pas
formellement.
Pour cette opration une cumoire est indispensable.
cumoire
Nom fminin.
Ustensile de cuisine form d'un disque mince lgrement incurv , perc de trous et
muni d'un long manche , servant cumer.
[Dfinition dictionnaire Hachette d. 1990]
Elle est aussi souvent utilise pour extraire des ingrdients d'un bouillon.
Emincer
Opration consistant couper en fines tranches un fruit, un lgume ou encore une
viande.

Epigramme
Nom Masculin ou fminin en cuisine. Exclusivement fminin en littrature.
En cuisine, poitrine grille. En littrature : Petit pome termin par un trait satirique ou
mordant.
tuver
Faire cuire feu doux avec un minimum de matire grasse. L'aliment cuit
pratiquement dans sa propre vapeur d'eau.
Flamber
Recouvrir une prparation d'un alcool fort pralablement enflamm. Cette action
permet de dposer sur la prparation culinaire en question tout l'arme de l'alcool.
Fond de sauce
Sauce rduite son maximum pour obtenir une substance trs forte en got. Les fonds
de sauce sont souvent rincorpors dans des bouillons ou jus un peu plus fades afin
qu'ils y apportent leur force. Il existe aussi des fonds de sauces en poudre rhydrater.
Fleurer
Saupoudrer un plan de travail avec de la farine de manire viter que la pte
travailler ne colle dessus.
Grenadin (de veau)
C'est une tranche paisse prise dans le "filet" du veau.
Gribiche
Sauce froide dont la base est une mayonnaise confectionne avec un jaune d'oeuf dur
au lieu d'un jaune d'oeuf cru. Cette mayonnaise est ensuite enrichie d'un hachis
comprenant herbes armatiques, cpres et blanc d'oeuf. C'est la sauce idale pour la
tte de veau. la recommande aussi avec des bulots cuits.
Hacher
Opration consistant rduire en tous petits morceaux ou en farce des lgumes, de la
viande ou des herbes. Selon le rsultat escompt diffrents ustensiles peuvent tre
utiliss : couteau, robot (qui a une tendance hacher tellement fin que le rsultat est
souvent trop en bouilli) ou hachoir main.
Inciser
Entailler une viande, un poisson un lgume avant une cuisson.
Infusion
Opration consistant laisser une plante dans de l'eau juste bouillante (mais hors du
feu) afin que celle-ci se charge des saveurs de la plante. Ne pas confondre avec
dcoction.
Julienne
Dcoupe de lgumes en btonnets de 1 2 mm d'paisseur sur une longueur de 3 6

cm environ.
Lactoserum
Synonyme de petit-lait.
Lier
C'est une opration qui consiste donner du corps une prparation trop liquide. cette
consistance est obtenue par l'apport de crme, de beurre, de farine, de mazena (farine
de mas), de fcule (farine de Pomme de terre - souvent utiliser dans la fondue
savoyarde), d'oeuf. Cette opration quoique simple dans son principe est dlicate dans
sa ralisation en ce sens que c'est le dosage et le temps de cuisson supplmentaire qui
feront que la sauce ne sera pas assez ou alors trop lie.

Luter
Opration consistant faire un pton avec de la farine et de l'eau. Ce pton est ensuite
coll entre le couvercle et la terrine et la cocotte de manire obtenir une fermeture
absolument hermtique. Cette technique est utilise pour la confection de certains
pts et plats en sauce (par exemple le Baeckeoffe).
Macrer
Faire sjourner plus ou moins longtemps dans un liquide un mlange de viandes et/ou
de lgumes. Le rsulat obtenir tant un mlange des saveurs.
Matre Queux
Voir "Queux".
Mariner
Faire sjourner plus ou moins longtemps dans un liquide un mlange de viandes et/ou
de lgumes. Le rsulat obtenir tant souvent d'attendir la viande, et l'armatiser grce
aux lgumes ajouts et la saveur du liquide employ.
Marinire
Faon de cuisiner les fruits de mer base d'un jus compos de vin blanc de persil, d'ail
et d'oignons et chalotes revenus pralablement dans du beurre ou de l'huile.
Mijoter
Faire cuire toute petite bullition.
Mirepoix
Nom fminin.
Carottes, oignons poireaux coups en petits ds.
Monder
Opration consistant peler (et par extension ppiner) des fruits (tomates, amandes,
etc.)
Mouiller
Opration consistant ajouter un liquide des aliments de manire obtenir une
sauce.
Napper
Opration consistant recouvrir d'une sauce suffisamment lie des lgumes ou plus
souvent des morceaux de viande ou encore un dessert.
Paner
Recouvrir un morceau de viande avec de la chapelure. Il est souvent conseill de
tremper la viande dans du jaune d'oeuf au pralable de manire ce que la chapelure
adhre bien.
Parer
Opration consistant prparer une viande pour la rendre prsentable par le retrait du
surplus de gras, de nerf et d'os.
Petit-lait
Liquide qui se spare du lait caill. Le lait caill est une phase intermdaire du produit
laitier dans la fabrication fromage.
Synonyme de lactoserum.
Au pluriel , "des petits-laits".
Pluche
Feuilles d'herbes aromatiques telles que le persil, le cerfeuil. Par dfinition elles ne
sont donc pas haches.
Quasi
Morceau de veau situ entre la queue et le rognon de veau. Ce morceau est galement
connu sous le nom de "cul de veau".
[Dfinition tire de "Recettes Classiques de plats et mets traditionnels" d. 1971]

Queux
Ou Keu, rle de chef de cuisine au "Moyen ge". Taillevent fut "Grand Queux de
France". Matre queux , chef de cuisine. La Renaissance les dsigna : "Officier de
bouche", titre militaire, ou "chef de bouche" dans les maisons princires.
Rduire
Opration consistant faire vaporer une sauce un bouillon afin d'obtenir une sauce
plus consistante mais surtout pour obtenir des saveurs plus concentres. Il faut se
mfier lorsqu'il est procd une telle rduction de n'avoir pas trop saler intialement
sa prparation.... la concentration en sel augmentant au fur et mesure de la rduction
de la sauce !
Revenir (faire)
Faire cuire des lgumes ou des viandes dans un corps gras (beurre, huile, saindoux
etc.) jusqu' l'obtention d'une coloration. Cette opration permet de crer des saveurs
nouvelles grce la raction de Maillard. Cette opration prliminaire de
nombreuses recettes n'est jamais ngliger pour que le rsultat gustatif final soit la
hauteur. Si aucune coloration n'est demande, on ne dit plus faire "revenir" mais faire
"suer".
Roquette
Petite salade aux feuilles allonges comme celles des pisselits mais ayant la tendret
de la laitue avec un lger got amer et de noisette la fois apportant une note frache.
Roux
Farine cuite dans un corps gras et destine faire des sauces blanches, brunes ou
blondes selon que la cuisson de la farine est plus ou moins prolonge.
Roux blanc pour les sauces base de lait ou de fond blanc, roux blond pour les sauces
tomates ou similaires, roux brun pour les sauces demi-glace, venaison etc.
Saisir
Faire cuire feu trs vif un aliment. Cette opration, suivant l'aliment peu se faire avec
ou sans apport de graisse (beurre, huile etc.).
Singer
Saupoudrer de farine une viande pralablement revenue dans un corps gras et qui cuira
encore quelques temps une fois la farine ajoute. Cette opration permet de lier la
sauce souvent ajoute suite cette opration. Cette technique est principalement
utilise pour les plats en sauce.
Slunch
SLUNCH est la contraction de 2 mots anglo-saxons "SUPPER" (Le souper, le repas
du soir) et "LUNCH" (repas du midi). C'est gnralement un repas qui sert la fois de
gouter et de repas du soir. Il se prend gnralement d'une manire informelle vers
17h00 pour s'tirer jusqu'au soir.
Voir aussi le mot Brunch.
Suer (faire)
Faire cuire un aliment dans un rcipient feu doux, pour vacuer l'humidit et lui faire
rendre ses sucs. Logiquement si une coloration est demande on ne dit plus faire
"suer" mais faire "revenir".

Tajine
Nom masculin.
Ragot d'Afrique du Nord (et plus particulirement originaire du Maroc). C'est avant
tout le nom de l'ustensile en terre cuite : un rcipient rond dot d'un couvercle cnique.
Il est l'quivalent de la cocotte en fonte europenne. Par extension le tajine dsigne le
ragot en lui-mme. Il existe plusieurs sortes de tajines : aux olives, aux artichauts,
aux pois chiches, aux pruneaux aux citrons confits qui accompagnent essentiellement
de l'agneau mais aussi du boeuf, du poulet ou encore du pigeon. Le tout est cuit
l'touffe.
Tour
Terme employ en patisserie lors de la fabrication de la pte feuillete correspondant
au pliage de la pte, un tour = un pliage, deux tours = deux pliages etc.
Vanner
Action de donner de l'air une sauce ou un liquide soit en le remuant l'aide d'une
spatule, soit en le transvasant plusieurs fois d'un rcipient dans un autre pour le
refroidir sans qu'il se forme de peau.
Venaison
Se dit de la chair de tous les gros gibiers poil. Livres et lapins de garenne
constituent la basse venaison.
Waterzoi
Plat "Gantois" entre la poule au pot et la Blanquette. Cette volaille la crme et aux
lgumes a t adopte par la cuisine flamande franaise. Le waterzoi (signifiant
littralement "eau qui bout") dsigne aussi un plat de poissons de la mer du Nord, cuits
dans un court-bouillon enrichi de beurre et de crme.
Wok
Appareil de cuisson en mtal en forme de saladier trs vas fond mince qui permet
de saisir les aliments. Il est d'origine chinoise mais son emploi est devenu universel.
Zeste
Partie extrieure de la peau d'un agrume (orange, citron, pamplemousse etc.). Il est
conseill lorsqu'on en prlve de le faire sur des agrumes non traits voire "bio". Il
faut aussi viter de prendre trop de la couche infrieure de la peau (la partie blanche)
qui ajoute beaucoup d'amertume.
Caviar
Beluga : Name for the largest of the Sturgeon fishes. Latin name Huso huso.
Native of the Caspian and Black Sea water sheds, it is also still native to the Adriatic, but
very rare. Beluga caviar has the largest egg size of any caviar, one of the reasons for its
top prize. It also has a unique colour grading system- 000 guarantees a light grey colour,
which is the most expensive. 00 - codes for "medium grey"
Malossol : Widely used Russian term meaning lightly salted. It is sometimes seen
written as Malo's sol. In practice this means in the region of 3-5% salt. It is a term that
is not indicative of quality, merely describing the process. If the salt content exceeds 5%,
it should then be termed salted caviar. The low salt level means that even if the caviar is
kept appropriately cool it has a restricted shelf life of only 2-3 months.

Oscietre : This is a term that is more a description of a type of caviar rather than being
limited to the caviar of one single species. Although more often than not it tends to mean
the caviar of the Russian Sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii), several other sturgeon
produce similar small grained nutty flavoured eggs which are also categorised and sold
as osetra caviar. This is the reason why osetra caviar has a reputation for being
somewhat variable in colour, flavour and size. There are a range of alternative spellings
still in use such as oscietre and osscietre.
Sevruga : This is the name reserved for the caviar produced by the sturgeon
species, Acipenser stellatus. The English name for this species is the Starry Sturgeon. It
is native to the river networks leading into the Caspian and Black Seas.
The 1855 Classification

In 1855, Napoleon III, emperor of France, decided to throw a Universal Exposition in
Paris, a kind of world's fair, and wanted all the country's wines represented. He
invited Bordeaux's Chamber of Commerce to arrange an exhibit. The members of the
chamber knew a hornet's nest when they saw one, so they passed the buck. They
agreed, according to their records, to present "all our crus classs, up to the fifth
growths," but asked the Syndicat of Courtiers, an organization of wine merchants, to
draw up "an exact and complete list of all the red wines of the Gironde that specifies
in which class they belong."
The courtiers hardly even paused to think; two weeks later, they turned in the
famous list. It included 58 chateaux: four firsts, 12 seconds, 14 thirds, 11 fourths
and 17 fifths. They expected controversy. "You know as well as we do, Sirs, that this
classification is a delicate task and bound to raise questions; remember that we have
not tried to create an official ranking, but only to offer you a sketch drawn from the
very best sources."
Curiously, all of the courtiers' selections came from the Mdoc, with the single
exception of Haut-Brion (they also ranked the sweet white wines of Sauternes and
Barsac). It's not that other wine regions weren't active; the Graves boasted a much
longer history, and Cheval Blanc in St.-Emilion and Canon in Fronsac were highly
regarded by the early 19th century. But the 18th century revolution in wine quality
took hold first and most firmly in the M?doc.
Reaction to the classification was heated. The courtiers' original list ranked the
chateaux by quality within each class, so, for example, Mouton-Rothschild appeared
at the head of the seconds. But undoubtedly responding to criticism, they wrote the
chamber in early September insisting that no such hierarchy had been intended, so
the chamber rearranged the list of each class into alphabetical order.
Since 1855, many changes have occurred in the chateaux's names, owners,
vineyards and wine quality, and because of divisions in the original estates, there are
now 61 chateaux on the list. But if an estate can trace its lineage to the
classification, it retains its claim to cru class status. The only formal revision came in
1973, when after half a century of unceasing effort Baron Philippe de Rothschild
succeeded in having Mouton elevated to first growth.

The Official 1855 Classification

(Modern names are in parentheses)
First Growths
Premiers Crus
Chateau:Lafite-Rothschild Pauillac
Chateau Latour Pauillac
Chateau Margaux Margaux
Chateau Haut-Brion Pessac, Graves (since 1986, Pessac-Leognan)
Second Growths
Deuxiemes Crus
Chateau Mouton-Rothschild (became a first growth in 1973) Pauillac

Chateau Rausan-Segla (Rauzan-Segla) Margaux
Chateau Rauzan-Gassies Margaux
Chateau Leoville Las Cases St.-Julien
Chateau Leoville Poyferre St.-Julien
Chateau Leoville Barton St.-Julien
Chateau Durfort-Vivens Margaux
Chateau Gruaud-Larose St.-Julien
Chateau Lascombes Margaux
Chateau Brane-Cantenac Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux)
Chateau Pichon-Longueville-Baron Pauillac
Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
(Pichon-Longueville-Lalande) Pauillac
Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou St.-Julien
Chateau Cos d'Estournel St.-Estephe
Chateau Montrose St.-Estephe
Third Growths
Troisiemes Crus
Chateau Kirwan Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux)

Chateau d'Issan Cantenac.Margaux (Margaux)
Chateau Lagrange St.-Julien
Chateau Langoa Barton St.-Julien
Chateau Giscours Labarde-Margaux (Margaux)
Chateau Malescot St. Exupery Margaux
Chateau Cantenac-Brown Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux)
Chateau Boyd-Cantenac Margaux
Chateau Palmer Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux)
Chateau La Lagune Ludon (Haut-Medoc)
Chateau Desmirail Margaux

Chateau Calon-Segur St.-Estephe
Chateau Ferriere Margaux
Chateau Marquis d'Alesme Becker Margaux
Fourth Growths
Quatriemes Crus
Chateau St.-Pierre St.-Julien

Chateau Talbot St.-Julien
Chateau Branaire-Ducru St.-Julien
Chateau Duhart-Milon-Rothschild Pauillac
Chateau Pouget Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux)
Chateau La Tour Carnet St.-Laurent (Haut-Medoc)
Chateau Lafon-Rochet St.-Estephe
Chateau Beychevelle St.-Julien
Chateau Prieure-Lichine Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux)
Chateau Marquis de Terme Margaux
Fifth Growths
Cinquiemes Crus
Chateau Pontet-Canet Pauillac

Chateau Batailley Pauillac
Chateau Haut-Batailley Pauillac
Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste Pauillac
Chateau Grand-Puy-Ducasse Pauillac
Chateau Lynch-Bages Pauillac
Chateau Lynch-Moussas Pauillac
Chateau Dauzac Labarde (Margaux)
Chateau Mouton-Baronne-Philippe (Chateau d'Armailhac after 1989)
Pauillac
Chateau du Tertre Arsac (Margaux)
Chateau Haut-Bages Liberal Pauillac
Chateau Pedesclaux Pauillac
Chateau Belgrave St.-Laurent (Haut-Medoc)
Chateau Camensac (Chateau de Camensac) St.-Laurent (Haut-Medoc)
Chateau Cos Labory St.-Estephe
Chateau Clerc-Milon Pauillac
Chateau Croizet Bages Pauillac
Chateau Cantemerle Macau (Haut-Medoc)

Sauternes and Barsac: The Classification of 1855
(Modern names are in parentheses)
Great First Growth

Grand Premier Cru
Chateau d'Yquem Sauternes
First Growths
Premiers Crus
Chateau La Tour Blanche Bommes (Sauternes)

Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey Bommes (Sauternes)
Clos Haut-Peyraguey (Chateau Clos Haut-Peyraguey) Bommes (Sauternes)
Chateau de Rayne-Vigneau Bommes (Sauternes)
Chateau Suduiraut Preignac (Sauternes)
Chateau Coutet Barsac
Chateau Climens Barsac
Chateau Guiraud Sauternes
Chateau Rieussec Fargues (Sauternes)
Chateau Rabaud-Promis Bommes (Sauternes)
Chateau Sigalas-Rabaud Bommes (Sauternes)
Second Growths
Deuxiemes Crus
Chateau Myrat (Chateau de Myrat) Barsac

Chateau Doisy Daene Barsac
Chateau Doisy-Dubroca Barsac
Chateau Doisy-Vedrines Barsac
Chateau D'Arche Sauternes
Chateau Filhot Sauternes
Chateau Broustet Barsac
Chateau Nairac Barsac
Chateau Caillou Barsac
Chateau Suau Barsac
Chateau de Malle Preignac (Sauternes)
Chateau Romer (Chateau Romer du Hayot) Fargues (Sauternes)
Chateau Lamothe Sauternes
The ABC's of Wine Tasting

Skillful tasting unlocks wine's treasures. This step-by-step guide gives you the keys.
Drinking wine is easy: tilt glass and swallow. Tasting wine is more of a challenge.
You need special tools, the proper environment, keen concentration, a good memory
and a vivid imagination. But after three or four glasses, the basic effect is the same
either way. So why bother? I'm a baseball fan. When I take a friend who knows
nothing about the sport to the ballpark, he may enjoy the crowd, down a hot dog,
cheer if someone hits a home run. The rest of the time he's asking me, What's the
big deal? One guy throws a ball, the other guy misses it. But for me, every pitch is a
small drama: what the pitcher chooses to throw, how the defense sets up, where the
batter tries to hit it, how the strategies play out. When nine innings are over, we
both know the score. But while my friend may have passed a pleasant afternoon,
I've been totally absorbed in the game.
Life can be lived in a casual way, or plumbed to the depths. We all choose how and
where to spend our energy and attention. You may play music, cook seriously, tend
a lovely garden. Maybe the things you love aren't vital, but they make life richer.
Passion is never wasted effort.
That's why wine lovers learn to taste. We know that the effort we put into
understanding and appreciating wine--as opposed to simply enjoying it (or its
psychotropic effects)--pays big dividends. Really tasting wine adds an extra
dimension to the basic daily routines of eating and drinking. It turns obligation into
pleasure, a daily necessity into a celebration of life.
The Components Of Tasting:
Set and Setting
So what is wine tasting all about? Like any skill, serious tasting requires a
combination of technique and experience. The more you do it, the better you
become. Given an unidentified wine, an expert taster, using only his senses and his
memory, can pick out the grape variety, the wine's vintage, its region of origin, even
the specific winery that produced it.
That's the myth. In fact, if the wine is served at room temperature and the taster is
blindfolded, most can't even tell whether it's red or white. Harry Waugh, an English
wine expert who has been tasting for nearly 80 years, was once asked if he had ever
mistaken Burgundy for Bordeaux. "Not since lunch," he replied.
Blind tasting is a great parlor game. But the real goal is to understand a wine, not to
unmask it. Through a concentrated application of all the senses, and by comparison
of the immediate sense data with memories of other wines tasted, the serious taster
can decipher a wine's biography to an amazing extent, including the growing season
that produced it, the approach of the winemaker who created it and its relation to
other wines of similar type or origin. Every bottle of wine is a message, the physical
embodiment of a specific place and time captured and transmitted for the pleasure
of the taster. Open a bottle of 1961 red Bordeaux and even a generation later the
dusty warmth of that long, hot summer floods the dining room.
Even more, though, wine is a catalyst. The effort to understand it through tasting,
and to share that understanding with other tasters, creates a common experience
that builds bonds between people. The great French enologist Emile Peynaud
emphasized this aspect of tasting in his landmark book, The Taste of Wine:
"Great wine has that marvelous quality of immediately establishing communication

between those who are drinking it. Tasting it at table should not be a solitary activity
and fine wine should not be drunk without comment. There are few pleasures which
loosen the tongue as much as that of sharing wine, glass in hand. In essence it is

easy to describe what one senses provided one has made a sufficient effort to notice
it. What is clearly perceived can be clearly expressed."
The techniques of tasting enhance the ability to perceive wine clearly. They're
actually pretty simple and follow logically through a well-defined series of steps.
Some of the procedures may seem unnatural or pretentious to the uninitiated, but
they've been developed over centuries to achieve specific ends. After a while, they
become automatic. Swirling wine in the glass to release the aromas may feel clumsy
at first, but now I often find myself at the table swirling my glass of water. At Wine
Spectator, the editors taste nearly 8,000 wines a year. Here's how we do it.
First of all, consider the circumstances. Not all wines deserve or repay close analysis.
If you're drinking white Zinfandel out of paper cups at a picnic, any attempt to taste
seriously will be wasted effort and probably perceived as snobbery. Professional
tasters prefer a day-lit, odor-free room with white walls and tabletops, in order to
throw the wine into the clearest possible relief, but in the end it's a sterile
environment that improves analysis at the cost of pleasure. To maximize both
enjoyment and understanding, serve your wine at a dinner party with friends;
comfortable chairs, warm light and good food create an ambience where the wines--
and the guests--can express themselves without constraint or reproach.
Remember that tasting is not a test--your subjective response is more important

than any "right answers." The bottom line is: Wine that tastes good to you is good
wine.
And no matter how advanced your technique, tasting is not an exact science.
Sensitivities vary widely when it comes to flavor and aroma. These differences are
both physiological and cultural. When test groups of French and Germans were given
wine with 8 grams of sugar per liter, 92 percent of the Germans called the wine "dry"
while only 7 percent of the French did. Their reference points were different: German
whites are more often frankly sweet than French ones, so the German tasters were
less sensitive to sugar in their wines.
The goal in tasting wine is not to "find" the same aromas and flavors some other
taster is describing. If you hone your own perceptual abilities and develop your own
vocabulary to articulate them, you'll not only derive more pleasure from the wine
itself, but also stimulate better communication between you and the friends who are
sharing the bottle.
Looking at Wine
The first step in your examination is visual. Fill the glass about one-third full, never
more than half-full. Pick it up by the stem. This may feel awkward at first, or
affected, but there are good reasons: Holding the glass by its bowl hides the liquid
from view; fingerprints blur its color; the heat of your hand alters the wine's
temperature. Peynaud says, "Offer someone a wine glass and you can tell
immediately by the way they hold it whether or not they are connoisseurs."

Focus in turn on hue, intensity and clarity. Each requires a different way of looking.
The true color, or hue, of the wine is best judged by tilting the glass and looking at
the wine through the rim, to see the variation from the deepest part of the liquid to
its edges. Intensity can best be gauged looking straight down through the wine from
above. Clarity--whether the wine is brilliant, or cloudy with particles--is most evident
when light is shining sideways through the glass.
Each of these elements reveals different aspects of a wine's character and quality; I'll
detail these later. But don't forget simply to enjoy the wine's color. No other liquid is
as vivid and variegated, or reflects light with such joy and finesse. There's good
reason wine's appearance is often compared to ruby and garnet, topaz and gold.
Next comes the swirling. This too can feel unnatural, even dangerous if your glass is
too full and your clothing brand-new. But besides stirring up the full range of colors,
it prepares the wine for the next step, the olfactory examination. The easiest way to
swirl is to rest the base of the glass on a table, hold the stem between thumb and
forefinger, and gently rotate the wrist. Right-handers will find a counter-clockwise
motion easiest, left-handers the reverse.
Move the glass until the wine is dancing, climbing nearly to the rim. Then stop. As
the liquid settles back into the bottom of the glass, a transparent film will appear on
the inside of the bowl, falling slowly and irregularly down the sides in the wine's
"tears" or "legs." "Experts" derive meanings from them as various and profound as
fortune-tellers do from looking at tea leaves, but in truth they're simply an indication
of the amount of alcohol in the wine: the more alcohol, the more tears. Remember
that when you're considering whether to open another bottle.
Smelling Wine
When you stop swirling, and the tears are falling, it's time to take the next step:
smelling. Agitating the wine vaporizes it, and the thin sheet of liquid on the sides of
the glass evaporates rapidly; the result is an intensification of the aromas. If the
glass narrows at the top, the aromas are further concentrated. Stick your nose right
into the bowl and inhale.
There's no consensus about the proper sniffing technique. Some advocate two or
three quick inhalations; others prefer one deep, sharp sniff. I've seen tasters close
one nostril, sniff, then close the other and sniff again. The goal is to draw the
aromas deep into the nose, to bring them into contact with the olfactory mucosa and
thence to the olfactory bulb, where the sensations are registered and deciphered. It's
a remote and protected place, and a head cold or allergies will effectively block it off
from even the strongest aromas. But with practice, and keen attention, you'll learn
how to maximize your perception of aromas, and then how to decipher them.
The world of smell is vast and bewildering. First of all, our olfactory equipment is
incredibly sensitive; we can distinguish aromas in quantities so small that laboratory
equipment can scarcely measure them. Second, our analytic capacity is
extraordinary; estimates of the number of different smells humans can identify range

up to 10,000! Finally, wine has a staggering number of smellable elements. In their
exhaustive study Wines: Their Sensory Evaluation, Maynard Amerine and Edward
Roessler, both professors at the University of California, write that "Identified in wine
aromas are at least 181 esters, 52 alcohols, 75 aldehydes and ketones, 22 acetals,
18 lactones, six secondary acetamides, 29 nitrogen-containing compounds, 18 sulfur-
containing compounds, two ethers, 11 furans and 18 epoxides, as well as 30
miscellaneous compounds. Many of these are modified in various ways by aging and
cellar treatment, and they can and do react with each other or have additive,
masking or synergistic properties."
Serious wine tasters love to identify smells. "Chocolate!" cries one. "Burnt matches!"
insists another. "Tea, tobacco, mushrooms and a bit of the old barnyard," intones a
third. Are they just playing word games?
Let's face it: Contemporary American culture turns up its nose at strong smells. We
deodorize our bodies, our homes and our cars; everything from hand lotion to
dishwashing detergent comes "lemony fresh," to give the impression of cleanliness
and neutrality. It's no wonder we lack the language to describe the complex, fleeting
sensations that evanesce from a half-filled glass of wine.
But in fact, wine does smell of more than grapes. Analysis of its volatile components
has identified the same molecules that give many familiar objects their distinctive
scents. Here are just a few: rose, iris, cherry, peach, honey and vanilla. Who's to say
that some of the more imaginative descriptors--from road tar to cat's pee, sweaty
socks to smoked bacon--aren't grounded in some basic chemical affinity?
As with color, wine's aromas offer insights into character, origin and history. Because
our actual sense of taste is limited to four simple categories (the well-known sweet,
sour, bitter and salt), aroma is the most revealing aspect of our examination. But
don't simply sniff for clues. Revel in the sensation. Scientists say smells have direct
access to the brain, connecting immediately to memory and emotion. Like a lover's
perfume, or the scent of cookies from childhood, wine's aromas can evoke a specific
place and time with uncanny power.
Tasting Wine
Now comes the best part. You can be mesmerized by wine's flashing colors and
hypnotized into dreamy reverie by its evocative aromas, but actually drinking the
wine is what loosens the tongue, opens the arms and consummates the liquid's true
purpose.
You might think it's the easiest part, too. After all, you learned to drink from a cup
when you were 2 years old and have been practicing diligently ever since. But there's
a huge distinction between swallowing and tasting, the same gulf that yawns
between simply hearing and truly listening. Once again, correct technique is essential
to full appreciation.

With the aromas still reverberating through your senses, put the glass to your lips
and take some liquid in. How much? That depends on the size of your mouth. But
too little is as ineffective as too much. I find that one-third to one-half an ounce is
just about right. You need to have enough volume to work it all around your tasting
apparatus, but not so much that you're forced to swallow right away.
Because you don't want to swallow, not just yet. It takes time and effort to force the
wine to divulge its secrets. I keep a pleasant wine in my mouth for 10 to 15 seconds,
sometimes more.
Roll the wine all around your mouth, bringing it into contact with every part, because
each decodes a different aspect of the liquid. Wine provokes sensations, too: The
astringency of tannins is most perceptible on the inner cheeks; the heat of the
alcohol burns in the back of the throat.
The strength of these taste sensations can be amplified through specialized

techniques that, frankly, are more appropriate to the tasting lab than the dining
room. But if the wine is seductive enough, you may not be able to resist. First, as
you hold the wine in your mouth, purse your lips and inhale gently through them.
This creates a bubbling noise children find immensely amusing. It also accelerates
vaporization, intensifying the aromas. Second, chew the wine vigorously, sloshing it
around in your mouth, to draw every last nuance of flavor from the wine.
Don't forget the finish. After you swallow, exhale gently and slowly through both
your nose and mouth. The retronasal passage, which connects the throat and the
nose, is another avenue for aromas, which can linger long after the wine is finally
swallowed. You'll find that the better the wine, the more complex, profound and
long-lasting these residual aromas can be. With great wines, sensitive tasters and
minimal distractions, the finish can last a minute or more. It's a moment of
meditation and communion that no other beverage can create.
What Tasting Tells:
What Wine Is
Wine tasting offers us the best route to understanding the messages hidden in the
bottle. You can think of them as poetic, or autobiographical.
Poetry comes easily to sensitive palates confronted with great wines. It's harder work
to tease out the facts that create these feelings. After all,as Peynaud puts it so
bluntly, "Considered from a chemical point of view, wine is a hydro-alcoholic solution
containing 20 to 30 grams of substances in solution, which constitute the extract and
give it flavor, and several hundred milligrams of volatile substances, which constitute
its odor." By deciphering these diverse substances, an attentive taster can learn a
great deal about the wine they compose.
Every wine is a complex web made up of natural and man-made components. The
final taste is determined by forces as non-negotiable as the number of hours of
sunlight during the grapes' growing season, and decisions as personal as whether
the grape juice should macerate on its skins for 10 days or two weeks or a month.

While no introductory guide can even attempt to link all the ways flavor reflects the
particular history of a wine, the more of them tasters can identify, the more
complete their appreciation will be. Here are a few of the most important links
between the real world and the liquid. I'll use a hypothetical Cabernet Sauvignon as
an example.
Clues From Color
A wine's color gives many clues to its character. First, color reflects the specific
variety of grape (or grapes) the wine is made from. Take two common red grapes,
Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. Cabernet berries are typically smaller, with
thicker, darker skins, than Pinot Noir. As a result, wines based on Cabernet tend to
show darker colors, leaning toward purple and black, instead of the ruby tones
associated with Pinot.
Second, color is influenced by growing conditions in the vineyard. A warm summer

and dry autumn produce grapes that are fully ripe, with a high ratio of skin to juice,
resulting in dark colors. A cool summer or a rainy harvest can result in unripe or
diluted grapes, which will show up in colors with lighter hues and less intensity.
Vinification techniques can also affect color. When red wines ferment, the grape
skins are left to macerate in the juice, like a tea bag steeping in warm water. The
elements that create color, the anthocyanins, are found in the skins, not the juice
itself (most grapes, even red varieties, have clear juice), so the longer the skins
steep, the darker the color will be. Even after fermentation is over and the skins are
discarded, some solid material remains in suspension in the wine. Some winemakers
choose to remove this material, through fining or filtering; others believe the wine
benefits from a little residual deposit.
Time in bottle--the inevitable process of aging--also has an impact. Young red wines
are full of anthocyanins, and so their colors are deeper; with maturity, these coloring
elements evolve, lightening through red to colors described as "brick" or "amber,"
slowly combining and falling out of suspension in the wine, creating a sediment in
the bottom of the bottle.
So if you pour a glass of red wine and look at it closely, you may find a deep garnet
color, with good intensity but not brilliantly clear. You might reasonably infer that the
wine is made from Cabernet Sauvignon grown in a warm climate, that the
winemaker chose to extend maceration and to filter only lightly, and that it's from a
recent good vintage. If the tasting's not blind and you already know what the wine
is, you can compare its color with what you might expect: Perhaps it's exceptionally
dark for a weak vintage, indicating good grape-growing or winemaking abilities, or
maybe it's already faded for its age, suggesting that the grapes lacked concentration,
or the winemaker was unable to extract the intensity that allows wines to mature
with grace and complexity

What Tasting Tells:
Clues From Aroma
Every step of the tasting will add more information to the equation, modifying the
conclusions you're drawing about the wine. Aroma is the most complex element, and
the most revealing to the experienced taster. Some commentators divide the
aromatic components into several classes: those produced by the grapes themselves,
those introduced by the chemical processes of winemaking and, finally, those that
result from the evolution of the wine over time in the bottle. Sometimes the first two
classes, which are most distinctive when the wine is young, are called the "aroma,"
while the third, which emerges only in maturity, is called the "bouquet."
As with color, grape variety and growing season are powerful determinants of aroma.
Pinot Noir typically smells of red fruits like cherries and strawberries. Cabernet
Sauvignon, like its color, tends to have darker aromas, typically black cherries or
plums.
Winemaking techniques dramatically affect aromas. The yeasts that cause

fermentation are sometimes chosen by the winemakers and added to the juice
specifically because of the aromatic and flavor nuances they create. Cool
fermentations yield vibrant, fruity aromas; warmer ones give more spicy and earthy
notes.
The biggest aromatic impact comes after fermentation, when the wine is racked off
the skins and held for clarification and maturation before bottling. Some Cabs are
simply pumped into large vats, generally made of stainless steel, epoxied concrete or
old wood. The large volume of the liquid and the neutral character of the container
emphasize the fruit character inherent in the wine. Other (generally more ambitious
and expensive) wines are racked into small (60-gallon) oak barrels. If the barrels are
old, they too will be basically neutral, adding little in the way of flavor or aroma. If
they are new, however, the wine absorbs elements from the wood that can add
aromas (and flavors) of vanilla, smoke, toast, coffee, even chocolate. These aromas
will vary in character and intensity depending on whether the oak is French or
American in origin, how much the inside of the barrels have been charred, or
"toasted," and what percentage of the barrels are new.
Time in bottle also influences aromas. Young red wines smell of fruit; as they age,
their bouquet evolves into complex perfumes that mingle cedar, tobacco, tea,
mushrooms and spices. Different cultures prefer one stage over the other; the
French drink their reds vigorous and fruity, while the English favor the softer, more
earthy aromas of mature wines. Young wines can be delicious, but a great wine aged
to perfect maturity is a glorious experience, and once sniffed will never be forgotten.
So when you smell our hypothetical Cabernet and find scents that remind you of
plums or blackberries, joined by aromas of vanilla and toast, you can reasonably
assume the wine is young, made from ripe grapes and aged in a high percentage of
new barrels--the "formula" that most often results in concentrated, age-worthy
wines. If there are herbal, vegetal or other "green" notes, you may suspect the
growing season was cool or short, preventing the grapes from achieving complete

maturity. If the fruit smells "cooked," ripe and sweet like jam or even raisins,
overripe fruit from a long, hot summer is a likely cause.
What Tasting Tells:
Clues From Taste
Finally you taste the wine, and the last evidence falls into place. Our taste buds are
blunt instruments--most of what we "taste" is actually perceived by our sense of
smell--but they do add basic information, particularly about sweetness and acidity.
Just as important are other physical sensations perceived in the mouth, such as a
wine's body, astringency and level of alcohol.
A wine's alcohol level results primarily from the ripeness of the grapes at harvest
(more sugar in the grapes equals more strength in the wine) plus, where it's
permitted, from additional sugar added during fermentation (a process called
chaptalization). Most table wines contain from 7 to 14 percent alcohol naturally, and
winemakers generally chaptalize where necessary to reach levels of 12 to 13 percent
(though it's almost always illegal to boost a wine more than two degrees, or percent,
through added sugar). Higher alcohol levels give wines richer textures and fuller
bodies. Alcohol also provides a subliminal sweetness that's necessary to balance acid
and bitter components inevitably present in wine.
Acidity is also inherent in the grapes, though in hot climates (and where it's legal)
winemakers may add some tartaric or citric acid to balance the sugar in ultraripe
fruit. Acidity can also be manipulated through a process called malolactic
fermentation (this is actually a bacterial activity, not a true fermentation). The
process takes place after alcoholic fermentation, almost always in red wines and
selectively in whites, according to the winemaker's vision of the wine. It transforms
rather harsh malic acid (the kind found in green apples) to softer, rounder lactic acid
(the kind found in milk), yielding softer wines that, especially in whites, often show
marked buttery or creamy flavors.
Tannins are elements extracted primarily from grape skins (and so found mostly in
red wines), but which can derive from stems or seeds, and also from oak, especially
new oak barrels. They're perceived as an astringent feeling. Young red wines meant
for long aging are pumped full of tannins, by extending the maceration period or
otherwise enhancing their extraction, because tannins act as a preservative and their
chemical evolution toward softer, silkier textures is part of the maturation of great
wines.
Back to our Cab. In the mouth, you may note a marked astringency, plenty of fruit
and very little tartness. When you swallow, there's a warm feeling in the back of your
throat followed by a long aftertaste. You can reasonably assume that the wine is
made from ripe grapes, possibly grown in a warm climate, and that the winemaker
emphasized extraction to produce a long-lived wine. If the wine is too alcoholic and
lacking in acidity, the grapes may have gotten too ripe before they were picked; if
the tannins are too harsh, the winemaker may have left the juice on the skins for too
long, aiming to make a super-wine but winding up with a bodybuilder, impressive in
youth but unlikely to maintain its form.

Don't stop concentrating when you swallow, though. The finish--the taste that lingers
for seconds, even minutes, when the wine is gone--is the wine's farewell. If it's
short, the wine is simple and probably meant for early drinking. The longer it is, no
matter what its age, the better the chances you have a winner.
With age the tannins soften and the wine, which may be a collection of impressive
but disparate impressions in its youth, will become more harmonious and complex.
One of the most important and least certain judgments a wine taster makes is when
a wine will reach its peak, achieve a point when all its elements come into alignment,
creating a seamless web of color, aroma and flavor. One reason to invest in a wine
by the case is to follow its evolution through the years. This maximizes your chances
of catching the wine at its best.
So our hypothetical tasting is over. Given an unknown red wine, we've determined
that it has a deep garnet color, offers vibrant aromas and flavors of blackberries and
toast, and is full-bodied and firmly tannic on the palate, with a long, clean finish. We
can make a good guess that it's a young California Cab from a good vintage that's
been made to develop with age and that, while it's attractive to drink now, it will be
smoother and more complex after two or three years in the bottle. (Of course, we
won't be surprised if it's from Bordeaux or Australia or even from some completely
different grape!)
If we know that the wine we're drinking is, say, Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Valley Private Reserve 1992 ($45, rated 95 points or "classic" by Wine Spectator
editors), we can agree that it delivers on its promises and happily put our other
bottles safely in the cellar for a special dinner down the road.
Understanding Wine
Most of the time, most of us drink young, simple wines. What you taste is what you
get--they may be flavorful and refreshing, but they don't repay extended analysis.
Even so, it can be amusing to taste them blind, to try to reach back through the wine
to its components: grape variety, vintage quality, winemaking techniques.
Sometimes we splurge, drinking a bottle from a topflight producer in a great vintage.

Then, good tasting technique is essential to full appreciation. If the setting or the
company is distracting, or we can't be bothered to concentrate on the data our
senses are providing, then we've wasted our money and insulted the winemaker and
the wine. Recently a Wine Spectator editor dined with a wealthy collector who
opened 17 bottles for eight guests, serving them almost completely at random,
pairing, for example, 1985 Krug Champagne and 1929 Chteau Mouton-Rothschild as
apritifs. Appreciation is impossible when conspicuous consumption is filling the glass.
But when you put senses and imagination to work, tasting a great wine can be more
than a great pleasure; its memory can illuminate all the other wines we drink,
majestic and modest, from then on.
And once in a while we get lucky. Every passionate wine lover tells the same story: a
special night, close companions, an extraordinary bottle of wine. Maybe it's an old
Burgundy, fragile and recalcitrant at first, blossoming into magical complexity. Maybe
it's a honeyed Chteau d'Yquem drunk with an unctuous terrine of foie gras, proving

that a sophisticated disdain for "sweet wines" was utterly mistaken. Suddenly we
have the impression that rather than analyzing the wine we're practically worshiping
it, and what began as superficial sensory pleasure becomes as profound as a
religious conversion. Eating and drinking will never be quite the same again.
Life goes on. Corks are pulled, glasses broken, wine racks fill and empty and fill
again. If we're paying attention along the way, though, our memory's cellar grows
and grows, and every addition adds meaning and value to each wine we drink.
Here's Peynaud again, nearly 70 now, reflecting on a lifetime of wine drinking:
"The world of wine is infinite," he writes. "How could I possibly commit to memory
the thousands of wines that I have tasted from all over the world? The rate at which
I taste now has gone beyond the limits of memory, it is wasteful in effect.
Nonetheless, I still have the notes of all my tastings and every now and again I leaf
through them; the experience is like looking at the pictures in a travel album which
can take me back in time and space."
Wine tasting is a technique that can enhance our everyday experience of eating and
drinking. But it can also be a way of life that enriches our perceptions and deepens
our connections with every aspect of the sensory world. That's a large claim for a
common activity, but those who know wine well know it to be true.
Getting the Most From Wine
Accurate and complete wine tasting depends primarily on the concentration and
perspicacity of the taster. But the right tools and an efficient approach can make a
big difference, too.
Technical details include the serving temperature of the wine, proper opening and
pouring methods, the decision whether or not to decant the bottle and appropriate
stemware.
The "correct" temperature, like so many details in wine tasting, is ultimately a matter
of personal preference. I know Southerners who simply cannot drink a beverage
without ice, and that includes Montrachet and Yquem. But wine temperature
influences wine flavor and there are good reasons to follow time-tested practices.
Cold temperatures enhance the perception of bitterness; warm ones increase the
impact of sweetness and alcohol. According to French enologist Emile Peynaud, "the
same red wine will seem thin and hot at 72 F, supple and fluid at 64, full and
astringent at 50." So a powerful, tannic red should be poured warm enough to
minimize its astringency, but not so warm as to emphasize its alcohol. We drink
sweet white wines well chilled to keep their sweetness in balance.
We recommend serving full-bodied and mature red wines at 60 to 65F, light-

bodied young reds at 55 to 60, dry whites at 45 to 50 and sweet whites at 40
to 50. Remember that the wine will warm up in the glass, since most dining rooms
are heated to 70 or more, so it's better to serve them a couple of degrees too cold
than too warm.

The way you open the bottle won't normally affect its flavors, but as part of the
ceremony of wine it helps put the tasters in a receptive mood. If a capsule covers
the neck of the bottle, cut it cleanly below the protruding lip and remove the top
portion (or simply take the whole thing off). Wipe the neck of the bottle to remove
any mold or mineral salts that may have accumulated. Using a corkscrew that feels
comfortable in your hand (we prefer the Screwpull or a simple waiter's corkscrew),
pull the cork slowly, trying not to disturb any sediment in the wine, and clean the
inside of the bottle neck before pouring.
Should you decant the wine--that is, pour it from the bottle into a different container
for serving? Yes, if the wine has thrown a heavy deposit; vintage Port and full-
bodied, mature reds are the usual culprits here. (But decanting is useless if the
sediment is floating throughout the wine; be sure to stand the bottle upright for a
day or two before opening.) Yes, if you want to show off an heirloom crystal
decanter or hide the identity of the wine. In all other cases, decanting is useless at
best, harmful at worst.
This advice flouts some conventional wisdom, which argues that young reds (and
occasionally other wines as well) benefit from "breathing" and need the vigorous
contact with oxygen that decanting provides in order to "open up" and show their
best. No scientific evidence supports this point of view. It is true that wines change
with exposure to air, but mostly for the worse--old wines, for example, may
deteriorate rapidly after opening. I enjoy following the whole arc of a wine's
evolution, from the first taste until the last sip, which may come hours later.
Don't forget the glasses. Any container that will hold water can serve wine, but
appropriate stemware not only adds beauty to the table, it also enables the fullest
communication between wine and taster. Austrian glassmaker Georg Riedel offers
special glasses specifically made for dozens of particular wine types, and
investigation has convinced me that glass shape and size can affect wine taste
significantly. If cost is no object, it pays to tailor your stemware to your wines. On
the other hand, even Riedel offers an "all-purpose" goblet.
In our experience, the best wine glass is a slender goblet of thin, clear crystal with a
long stem on a sturdy base. Heavy cut glass may take light beautifully, but it blunts
the contact between wine and tongue, and examining wine through colored glass is
like gazing at a beautiful friend who's wearing wraparound sunglasses. The glass
should hold 10 to 18 ounces and the bowl should be biggest at the bottom, tapering
to a small opening in order to concentrate the wine's aromas.
Once you've got the mechanics in place, two more subjective questions arise: When
is the wine ready to drink? What foods make the best match with the wine you want
to serve?
These are long discussions without clear answers. English wine authority and Wine
Spectator columnist Jancis Robinson once wrote a book, Vintage Timecharts,
exploring the maturation curves of great wines. She plotted arcs on graphs showing
time on one axis and wine evolution on the other; the colored lines curving sinuously
across the pages are impressively scientific but hopelessly confusing. The truth is
that different people prefer wines at different stages of maturity, and different

bottles of the same wine may mature at different rates. Trying to find the "perfect"
match between taste and development is like trying to hit two moving targets with
one shot.
Wine and food matching is even more complicated, and fine books have been written
on the topic. However, before you submit to the many complex and dogmatic rules
offered by seemingly authoritative experts, remember that in the 1890s the best
restaurants in America routinely served sweet white Bordeaux, such as Barsac and
Sauternes, with oysters and other shellfish--exactly the opposite of today's taste.
The best advice is: Eat what you like and drink what you like. You'll find
combinations that work, and they will suggest general rules that will increase your
chances of creating other magical matches. And one day, when everything comes
together--the food, the wine, the company--to create a whole that far surpasses any
single element, you'll be glad you took the time and the effort to get the details
right.
Judging a Wine By Its Label
More people choose wines by their labels than are comfortable admitting it. Novices
reach for pretty pictures; snobs demand famous names. But in fact, a wine label
reveals a great deal about the flavors in the bottle. You can begin your tasting even
before you've pulled the cork.
There are basically three kinds of labels: varietal-based, terroir-based and sheer
fantasy. The information they offer--much of it required by law--overlaps to a large
extent, but each one reflects a different approach to winemaking.
Have you ever bought a Chardonnay? Then you're already familiar with the varietal
approach: wines named for the grape variety that makes up all (or some legally
defined minimum) of the juice in the bottle. California pioneered this method, and
most of the New World producers have adopted it. However, some European wine
regions--Alsace in France, Friuli in Italy, for example--have traditionally followed this
approach.
Most European wines, however, use terroir-based labeling. Terroir is a French word
that comprehends all the physical factors which distinguish a given vineyard or wine
region: its soil, exposure, microclimate, etc. These wines may be made from a single
grape variety (such as Pinot Noir for red wines in Burgundy) or a blend that may vary
by vintage (such as Bordeaux's judicious mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and
Cabernet Franc).
Some winemakers have found themselves so frustrated by local wine regulations--

which may dictate certain grape blends or vinification techniques as prerequisites to
obtaining labels, whether based on varietal or terroir--that they abandon traditional
approaches and use labels based simply on fantasy. In Tuscany, producers
determined to make new-style wines abandoned the terroir-based Chianti labels for
the humble designation vino da tavola (table wine). In California, winemakers
working with the grapes and flexible blending approach of Bordeaux have given up
some varietal-based labels to bottle "Meritage" wines.

Each kind of label gives different clues to the wine inside the bottle, but all labels
include a few basics. For example, the producer's name is always prominent. Most
wineries develop consistent signatures, based on their location, winemaking skills
and marketing goals; once you're familiar with a winery's profile, the producer's
name is perhaps the most reliable indicator of wine style and quality.
The wine's vintage is almost always shown, too. If you're familiar with the vintages
of a given region, this can be a telling indicator--red Bordeaux were mostly light and
diluted in 1992, but rich and concentrated in 1990. However, even if you don't know
whether a specific vintage was good or bad, knowing how old a wine is indicates
something about its current style: young, fresh and fruity, or older, smoother and
more complex. Most whites, and very many reds, are best within three years of the
vintage; wines that age well increase in price over time. Beware of old, inexpensive
wines.
Most labels indicate the region where the grapes were grown and the wine made. On
terroir-based labels, this is emphasized: The Burgundian appellations of Nuits-St.-
Georges and Vosne-Romane, for example, are more or less homogenous and
distinctive vineyard areas that, at least in theory, impart recognizable character to
their wines, especially since appellation laws generally regulate many aspects of
grape growing and wine making. Varietal-based labels also generally indicate
appellations (though often in small type), sometimes right down to the name of the
vineyard. But in these production areas regulation tends to be much looser, and so
wines from the same appellation tend to have less in common. Fantasy labels often
avoid any mention of origin at all (some-times the laws won't permit their indication).
But since fantasy wines deliberately break with the traditions of their regions, origin
doesn't mean that much, anyway.
Finally, don't forget the price tag, stuck right there next to the label. Yes, there may
be wide disparities between a wine's cost and its quality. Wine Spectator takes pains
to point these out, whether it's a great wine for little money or an overpriced bottle
to avoid. But more often than not, there is a rough correlation.
If you're spending under $5 per bottle, the wine is likely to be simple, offering
alcohol as its principal virtue. From $5 to $12, most wines offer fresh fruit, enough
structure to marry well with food and some individual personality. From $12 to, say,
$50, you can expect complex flavors of ripe fruit and new oak, enough concentration
to develop with aging and a distinctive character stamped with the wine's creator
and origin. Pay any more, and you enter into a rarefied world inhabited by
passionate and deep-pocketed collectors; the rest of us usually pass by with a shake
of the head.
Wineries put a lot of effort into their labels. Savvy wine lovers can decipher what the
law says they must say, what the producers want to say and sometimes more than
they intend to say. Spend some time studying labels before you buy and you'll
increase your chances of finding a wine to suit your tastes.

Decoding the Language
of Wine Tasting
Understanding the wine you taste is only half the battle; communicating your
impressions to others in words is just as big a challenge. And since the wine itself
disappears as you drink it, verbal descriptions are the only way to preserve the
pleasure wine provides.
It's easy to ridicule our feeble attempts to put wine into words. Perhaps the most
famous satire on tasting notes is a James Thurber cartoon: Three people at a dinner
table look quizzically at their host, who's got a glass in his hand and a manic look in
his eye, saying, "It's merely a naive domestic Burgundy, but I think you'll be amused
by its presumption."
In fact, the struggle to develop a lucid and coherent vocabulary for wine tasting has
been going on for centuries. In his landmark study, The Taste of Wine, Bordeaux
enologist Emile Peynaud traces the slow accretion of terms commonly used to
describe fine wines. Ancient Greeks and Romans wrote about wine, and even in the
15th century there are references to wines called "good, clean, honest and
commercial." But the true taster's vocabulary really began in the 18th century, when
Bordeaux wines such as Haut-Brion and Lafite began to be sold at four to five times
the price of ordinary claret, and it became necessary to find words to describe and
justify the difference.
Based on extensive research in the literature of wine, Peynaud culled about 40 terms
used in the late 18th century, ranging from "acrid," "sour" and "hot," to "lively,"
"fine" and "strong." More specific flavor descriptors appear in the 19th century, such
as "balsamic," "herbal" and "woody." A manual for wine merchants published in 1896
used nearly 200 different descriptors, and today Peynaud recognizes over a thousand
terms commonly used to describe wines. In fact, the vocabulary has gotten a bit out
of hand; in Wines: Their Sensory Evaluation, Maynard Amerine and Edward Roessler
list over 300 terms to avoid in wine description, including the innocuous "charming"
and "intense" and even the antique "lively."
Wine Spectator attempts to use commonsense words to describe wines in our tasting
reports. Our goal is to characterize the wine in general terms, give several distinctive
taste descriptors, compare it to other wines of its specific type and indicate when it
may be drinking at its best. Though writing tasting notes is more of an art than a
science, the descriptions give a fuller idea of a wine's character than the
accompanying score, which locates the wine on a comparative quality ranking.
Here are recent tasting notes for three wines, all Chardonnays, that differ widely in
quality and character. By "deconstructing" them, I hope to make all our notes more
accessible to readers, and to assist you in developing your own vocabulary for
describing the wines you taste.

Chardonnay Carneros Reserve 1994 (95, $25)
Bold, ripe, smooth and creamy. A real mouthful of Chardonnay. Its tiers of ripe pear,
fig, honey flavors are framed by smokey, toasty oak. An altogether complex and
beautifully crafted wine with a rich butterscotch aftertaste that still has all those
delicious flavors chiming in.
On Wine Spectator's 100-point scale, a wine rating 95 points or higher is considered

"classic, a great wine." This level of quality generates real enthusiasm in the note,
with such positive words as "bold," "beautifully crafted" and "delicious." The wine is
clearly full-bodied, and all the fruit descriptors indicate it was made from very ripe
grapes: Unripe Chardonnay tends to taste of green apples or citrus fruits. The
"smoky, toasty" flavors are typical results of fermentation and aging in new French
oak, an expensive technique generally reserved for top wines, usually reflected in
higher price tags. Despite the opulent flavors, skillful winemaking has achieved a
harmonious whole, and this Chardonnay shows the ultimate badge of high quality, a
long, complex finish. The note doesn't indicate when to drink the wine, but it sounds
irresistible now.
Chardonnay South Australia 1995 (87, $11)
Bright with fruit and supple in texture, this harmonious white has a generous dose of
peach and pear flavors and a hint of honey on the finish.
An 87-point wine is "very good, a wine with special qualities," and this Chardonnay
offers virtues without flaws. Australia is known for a full-bodied, ripe style of
winemaking, and that heritage is reflected in this wine's "supple" texture, "generous"
fruit flavors and "hint of honey," which all imply fully ripe grapes. Yet the adjectives
"bright" and "peach" suggest some refreshing tartness, so it avoids fatness or
dullness. Since there are no typically oaky descriptors, it may be that new oak wasn't
used during vinification; at least, it doesn't make a strong impression, so wine
drinkers who look for those flavors may want to pass. Overall, the note is positive
without being insistent; you'll enjoy this wine, especially given the reasonable price,
but you probably won't remember it for the rest of your life
Chablis Grand Cru Vaudsir 1994 (75, $45)
Fat, rich, quite heavy, overdone. Full-bodied and quite mature, as evidenced by its
yellow color.
Chablis is located in the northern Burgundy region of France; it makes white wines
from Chardonnay grapes. The vineyards are divided into three quality levels, with
grand cru the best. The 1994 vintage was quite successful in Chablis, which makes
this wine especially disappointing. A wine scoring 70-79 points is "average, a
drinkable wine that may have minor flaws." This may be acceptable in an
inexpensive quaffing wine, but not one selling for $45. The tasting note makes this

Vaudesir sound almost like a parody of a great wine: Instead of being complex, it's
"fat"; rather than being well crafted, it's "overdone." Even the color is off--Chablis is
generally a keen green-gold, but this one is a dull "yellow." And though not even 2
years old, it's already "quite mature," lacking life and acidity, a danger sign to wine
drinkers who expect top white Burgundies to improve for years in the cellar. Even
the short, choppy style of the note is a warning to readers who may be impressed by
the prestigious label.
The best way to develop your own wine vocabulary is to write your own tasting
notes. You'll find that certain words recur as descriptors of similar wines and soon
you'll be fluently describing your organoleptic sensations. Of course, the bottom line
of tasting is your own pleasure; your description should reflect your judgment. It has
always been thus. There's something disconcertingly familiar in one of the earliest
known tasting notes, found in a third century document from Roman Egypt: "The
wine taster has declared the Euboean wine to be unsuitable." We hope few of your
wine-tasting experiences fall into the same dismal category.
Grape Varieties
In order to appreciate wine, it's essential to understand the characteristics different
grapes offer and how those characteristics should be expressed in wines. Cabernet
Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel are all red grapes, but as wines their personalities
are quite different. Even when grown in different appellations and vinified using
different techniques, a varietal wine always displays certain qualities, which are
inherent in the grape's personality. Muscat should always be spicy, Sauvignon Blanc
a touch herbal. Zinfandel is zesty, with pepper and wild berry flavors. Cabernet
Sauvignon is marked by plum, currant and black cherry flavors and firm tannins.
Understanding what a grape should be as a wine is fundamental, and knowing what
a grape can achieve at its greatest is the essence of fine-wine appreciation.
In Europe, the finest wines are known primarily by geographic appellation (although
this is changing; witness the occasional French and Italian varietals). Elsewhere,
however--as in America, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand--most wines are
labeled by their varietal names; even, sometimes, by grape combinations (Cabernet-
Shiraz, for example). To a large extent, this is because in the United States, the
process of sorting out which grapes grow best in which appellations is ongoing and
Americans were first introduced to fine wine by varietal name. In Europe, with a
longer history for matching grape types to soil and climate, the research is more
conclusive: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, for instance, are the major grapes of
Burgundy. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petite Verdot
are the red grapes of Bordeaux. Syrah dominates northern Rhne reds. Barolo and
Barbaresco are both made of Nebbiolo, but the different appellations produce
different styles of wine. In Tuscany, Sangiovese provides the backbone of Chianti. A
different clone of Sangiovese is used for Brunello di Montalcino.

As a result, Europeans are used to wines with regional names.
In time, the New World's appellation system may well evolve into one more like
Europe's. Already California appellations such as Carneros and Santa Maria Valley are
becoming synonymous with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Oregon's Willamette Valley
is known for Pinot Noir and Australia's Hunter Valley for Shiraz; back in California,
Rutherford, Oakville and the Stags Leap District are all associated with Cabernet-
based red table wines. Wineries with vested financial interests in these appellations
and the marketing clout to emphasize the distinctive features of the wines grown in
these areas will determine how the appellation system evolves and whether specific
wine styles emerge. The appellations themselves will also determine which grapes
excel and deserve special recognition.
Following are descriptions of the most commonly used Vitis vinifera grapes. American
wine is also made from native Vitis labrusca, especially the Concord grape. For
definitions of wine-making terms mentioned, please see the glossary. For information
about wine growing regions mentioned, please see the country descriptions.
BARBERA (Red) [bar-BEHR-uh]
Most successful in Italy's Piedmont region, where it makes such wines as Barbera
d'Asti, Barbera di Monferato and Barbera di Alba. Its wines are characterized by a
high level of acidity (meaning brightness and crispness), deep ruby color and full
body, with low tannin levels; flavors are berrylike. However, plantings have declined
sharply in the United States. A few wineries still produce it as a varietal wine, but
those numbers too are dwindling. Its main attribute as a blending wine is its ability
to maintain a naturally high acidity even in hot climates. The wine has more potential
than is currently realized and may stage a modest comeback as Italian-style wines
gain popularity.
BRUNELLO (Red) [broo-NEHL-oh]
This strain of Sangiovese is the only grape permitted for Brunello di Montalcino, the
rare, costly Tuscan red that at its best is loaded with luscious black and red fruits
and chewy tannins.
CABERNET FRANC (Red) [cab-er-NAY FRANK]
Increasingly popular as both stand-alone varietal and blending grape, Cabernet Franc
is used primarily for blending in Bordeaux, although it can rise to great heights in
quality, as seen in the grand wine Cheval-Blanc. In France's Loire Valley it's also
made into a lighter wine called Chinon. It is well established in Italy, particularly the
northeast, where it is sometimes called Cabernet Frank or Bordo. California has
grown it for more than 30 years, and Argentina, Long Island, Washington state and
New Zealand are picking it up.
As a varietal wine, it usually benefits from small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and
Merlot, and can be as intense and full-bodied as either of those wines. But it often
strays away from currant and berry notes into stalky green flavors that become more

pronounced with age. Given its newness in the United States, Cabernet Franc may
just need time to get more attention and rise in quality.
Much blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, it may be a Cabernet Sauvignon mutation

adapted to cooler, damper conditions. Typically light- to medium-bodied wine with
more immediate fruit than Cabernet Sauvignon and some of the herbaceous odors
evident in unripe Cabernet Sauvignon.
CABERNET SAUVIGNON (Red) [cab-er-NAY SO-vin-yon]
The undisputed king of red wines, Cabernet is a remarkably steady and consistent
performer throughout much of the state. While it grows well in many appellations, in
specific appellations it is capable of rendering wines of uncommon depth, richness,
concentration and longevity. Bordeaux has used the grape since the 18th century,
always blending it with Cabernet Franc, Merlot and sometimes a soupon of Petite
Verdot. The Bordeaux model is built around not only the desire to craft complex
wines, but also the need to ensure that different grape varieties ripen at different
intervals or to give a wine color, tannin or backbone.
Elsewhere in the world--and it is found almost everywhere in the world--Cabernet

Sauvignon is as likely to be bottled on its own as in a blend. It mixes with
Sangiovese in Tuscany, Syrah in Australia and Provence, and Merlot and Cabernet
Franc in South Africa, but flies solo in some of Italy's super-Tuscans. In the United
States., it's unlikely any region will surpass Napa Valley's high-quality Cabernets and
Cabernet blends. Through most of the grape's history in California (which dates to
the 1800s), the best Cabernets have been 100 percent Cabernet. Since the late
1970s, many vintners have turned to the Bordeaux model and blended smaller
portions of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petite Verdot into their Cabernets.
The case for blending is still under review, but clearly there are successes. On the
other hand, many U.S. producers are shifting back to higher percentages of
Cabernet, having found that blending doesn't add complexity and that Cabernet on
its own has a stronger character.
At its best, unblended Cabernet produces wines of great intensity and depth of
flavor. Its classic flavors are currant, plum, black cherry and spice. It can also be
marked by herb, olive, mint, tobacco, cedar and anise, and ripe, jammy notes. In
warmer areas, it can be supple and elegant; in cooler areas, it can be marked by
pronounced vegetal, bell pepper, oregano and tar flavors (a late ripener, it can't
always be relied on in cool areas, which is why Germany, for example, has never
succumbed to the lure). It can also be very tannic if that is a feature of the desired
style. The best Cabernets start out dark purple-ruby in color, with firm acidity, a full
body, great intensity, concentrated flavors and firm tannins.
Cabernet has an affinity for oak and usually spends 15 to 30 months in new or used
French or American barrels, a process that, when properly executed imparts a
woody, toasty cedar or vanilla flavor to the wine while slowly oxidizing it and
softening the tannins. Microclimates are a major factor in the weight and intensity of
the Cabernets. Winemakers also influence the style as they can extract high levels of
tannin and heavily oak their wines.

CARIGNAN (Red) [karin-YAN]
Also known as Carignane (California), Cirnano (Italy). Once a major blending grape
for jug wines, Carignan's popularity has diminished, and plantings have dropped from
25,111 acres in 1980 to 8,883 in 1994. It still appears in some blends, and old
vineyards are sought after for the intensity of their grapes. But the likelihood is that
other grapes with even more intensity and flavor will replace it in the future.
CARMENERE (Red) [car-men-YEHR]
Also known as Grande Vidure, this grape was once widely planted in Bordeaux, but is
now associated primarily with Chile. Carmenere, along with Merlot and Cabernet
Sauvignon, was imported to Chile around 1850. According to Chilean vintners,
Carmenere has been mislabeled for so long that many growers and the Chilean
government now consider it Merlot.
CHARBONO (Red) [SHAR-bono]
Found mainly in California (and possibly actually Dolcetto), this grape has dwindled
in acreage. Its stature as a wine was supported mainly by Inglenook-Napa Valley,
which bottled a Charbono on a regular basis. Occasionally it made for interesting
drinking and it aged well. But more often it was lean and tannic, a better story than
bottle of wine. A few wineries still produce it, but none with any success.
CHARDONNAY (White) [shar-dun-NAY]
As Cabernet Sauvignon is the king of reds, so is Chardonnay the king of white wines,
for it makes consistently excellent, rich and complex whites. This is an amazingly
versatile grape that grows well in a variety of locations throughout the world. In
Burgundy, it is used for the exquisite whites, such as Montrachet, Meursault and
Pouilly-Fuiss, and true Chablis; in Champagne it turns into Blanc de Blancs. Among
the many other countries that have caught Chardonnay fever, Australia is especially
strong.
Chardonnay was introduced to California in the 1930s but didn't become popular
until the 1970s. Areas such as Anderson Valley, Carneros, Monterey, Russian River,
Santa Barbara and Santa Maria Valley, all closer to cooler maritime influences, are
now producing wines far superior to those made a decade ago.
Though there is a Mconnais village called Chardonnay, no one agrees on the grape's
origin--it may even be Middle Eastern.
When well made, Chardonnay offers bold, ripe, rich and intense fruit flavors of apple,
fig, melon, pear, peach, pineapple, lemon and grapefruit, along with spice, honey,
butter, butterscotch and hazelnut flavors. Winemakers build more complexity into
this easy-to-manipulate wine using common vinification techniques: barrel
fermentation, sur lie aging during which the wine is left on its natural sediment, and
malolactic fermentation (a process which converts tart malic acid to softer lactic
acid). No other white table wine benefits as much from oak aging or barrel
fermentation. Chardonnay grapes have a fairly neutral flavor, and because they are

usually crushed or pressed and not fermented with their skins the way red wines are,
whatever flavors emerge from the grape are extracted almost instantly after
crushing. Red wines that soak with their skins for days or weeks through
fermentation extract their flavors quite differently.
Because Chardonnay is also a prolific producer that can easily yield 4 to 5 tons of
high-quality grapes per acre, it is a cash cow for producers in every country where
it's grown. Many American and Australian Chardonnays are very showy, well oaked
and appealing on release, but they lack the richness, depth and concentration to age
and have in fact evolved rather quickly, often losing their intensity and concentration
within a year or two. Many vintners, having studied and recognized this, are now
sharply reducing crop yields, holding tonnage down to 2 to 3 tons per acre in the
belief that this will lead to greater concentration. The only downside to this strategy
is that lower crop loads lead to significantly less wine to sell, therefore higher prices
as well.
Chardonnay's popularity has also led to a huge market of ordinary wines, so there's a
broad range of quality to choose from in this varietal. There are a substantial number
of domestic Chardonnays, which can range from simple and off-dry to more complex
and sophisticated. The producer's name on the wine, and often its price, are
indicators of the level of quality.
CHENIN BLANC (White) [SHEN'N BLAHNK]
This native of the Loire valley has two personalities: at home it's the basis of such
famous, long-lived whites as Vouvray and Anjou, Quarts de Chaume and Saumer, but
on other soils it becomes just a very good blending grape. It is South Africa's most-
planted grape, though there is called Steen, and both there and in California it is
currently used primarily as a blending grape for generic table wines. Chenin Blanc
should perform better in California, and someday it may. It can yield a pleasant
enough wine, with subtle melon, peach, spice and citrus notes. The great Loire
whites vary from dry and fresh to sweet, depending on the vintage and the producer.
In South Africa, Chenin Blanc is even used for fortified wines and spirits.
DOLCETTO (Red) [dole-CHET-to]
Almost exclusive to northwest Piedmont, this produces soft, round, fruity wines
fragrant with licorice and almonds that should be drunk within about three years. It's
used as a safety net for producers of Nebbiolo and Barbera wines, which take
much longer to age. There are seven DOCs: Acqui, Alba, Asti, Dinao d'Alba, Dogliani,
Langhe Monregalesi and Ovada.
FUME BLANC (White) [FOO-may BLAHNK]
see Sauvignon Blanc

GAMAY (Red) [ga-MAY]
Beaujolais makes its famous, fruity reds exclusively from one of the many Gamays
available, the Gamay Noir Jus Blanc. Low in alcohol and relatively high in acidity,
the wines are meant to be drunk soon after bottling; the ultimate example of this is
Beaujolais Nouveau, whipped onto shelves everywhere almost overnight. It is also
grown in the Loire, but makes no remarkable wines. The Swiss grow it widely, for
blending with Pinot Noir; they often chaptalize the wines.
California, meanwhile, grows a variety called Gamay Beaujolais, a high-yield clone

of Pinot Noir that makes undistinguished wines in most places where it's grown. In
the United States the grape is used primarily for blending, and acreage is declining,
as those serious about Pinot Noir are using superior clones and planting in cooler
areas.
GEWURZTRAMINER (White) [geh-VERTS-trah-mee-ner]
Gewrztraminer can yield magnificent wines, as is best demonstrated in Alsace,

France, where it is made in to a variety of styles from dry to off-dry to sweet. The
grape needs a cool climate that allows it to get ripe. It's a temperamental grape to
grow and vinify, as its potent spiciness can be overbearing when unchecked. At its
best, it produces a floral and refreshing wine with crisp acidity that pairs well with
spicy dishes. When left for late harvest, it's uncommonly rich and complex, a
tremendous dessert wine.
It is also popular in eastern Europe, New Zealand and the Pacific Northwest.
GRENACHE (Red) [greh-NAHSH]
Drought- and heat-resistant, it yields a fruity, spicy, medium-bodied wine with supple
tannins. The second most widely planted grape in the world, Grenache is widespread
in the southern Rhne. It is blended to produce Chteauneuf-du-Pape (although
there are some pure varietals) and used on its own for the ross of Tavel and Lirac; it
is also used in France's sweet Banyuls wine. Important in Spain, where it's known as
Garnacha Tinta, it is especially noteworthy in Rioja and Priorato. Grenache used to
be popular in Australia, but has now been surpassed by Syrah; a few Barossa Valley
producers are making wines similar to Chteauneuf-du-Pape. In California it's a
workhorse blending grape, though occasionally an old vineyard is found and its
grapes made into a varietal wine, which at its best can be good. It may make a
comeback as enthusiasts of Rhne style seek cooler areas and an appropriate
blending grape.
Also,Grenache Blanc, known in Spain as Garnacha Blanca, which is bottled in the

Southern Rhne. It's used for blending in France's Rousillon and the Languedoc, and
in various Spanish whites, including Rioja.

GRUNER VELTLINER (White) [GROO-ner VELT-linner]
The most widely planted grape in Austria, it can be found to a lesser extent in some
other parts of eastern Europe. It achieves its qualitative pinnacle in the Wachau,
Kremstal and Kamptal regions along the Danube River west of Vienna. Gruner, as it's
called for short, shows distinct white pepper, tobacco, lentil and citrus flavors and
aromas, along with high acidity, making it an excellent partner for food. Gruner is
singularly unique in its flavor profile, and though it rarely has the finesse and
breeding of the best Austrian Rieslings (though it can come close when grown on
granite soils), it is similar in body and texture.
MALBEC (Red) [MAHL-beck]
Once important in Bordeaux and the Loire in various blends, this not-very-hardy
grape has been steadily replaced by Merlot and the two Cabernets. However,
Argentina is markedly successful with this varietal. In the United States Malbec is a
blending grape only, and an insignificant one at that, but a few wineries use it, the
most obvious reason being that it's considered part of the Bordeaux-blend recipe.
MARSANNE (White) [mahr-SANN]
Popular in the Rhne (along with Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Viognier).
Australia, especially in Victoria, has some of the world's oldest vineyards. At its best,
Marsanne can be a full-bodied, moderately intense wine with spice, pear and citrus
notes.
MERLOT (Red) [mur-LO]
Merlot is the red-wine success of the 1990s: its popularity has soared along with its
acreage, and it seems wine lovers can't drink enough of it. It dominates Bordeaux,
except for the Mdoc and Graves. Though it is mainly used for the Bordeaux blend, it
can stand alone. In St.-Emilion and Pomerol, especially, it produces noteworthy
wines, culminating in Chteau Ptrus. In Italy it's everywhere, though most of the
Merlot is light, unremarkable stuff. But Ornellaia and Fattoria de Ama are strong
exceptions to that rule. Despite its popularity, its quality ranges only from good to
very good most of the time, though there are a few stellar producers found around
the world.
Several styles have emerged. One is a Cabernet-style Merlot, which includes a high
percentage (up to 25 percent) of Cabernet, similar currant and cherry flavors and
firm tannins. A second style is less reliant on Cabernet, softer, more supple, medium-
weight, less tannic and features more herb, cherry and chocolate flavors. A third
style is a very light and simple wine; this type's sales are fueling Merlot's overall
growth.
Like Cabernet, Merlot can benefit from some blending, as Cabernet can give it
backbone, color and tannic strength. It also marries well with oak. Merlot is relatively
new in California, dating to the early 1970s, and is a difficult grape to grow, as it sets
and ripens unevenly. Many critics believe Washington State has a slight quality edge
with this wine. By the year 2000, vintners should have a better idea of which areas

are best suited to this grape variety. As a wine, Merlot's aging potential is fair to
good. It may be softer with age, but often the fruit flavors fade and the herbal
flavors dominate.
There is also an unrelated Merlot Blanc.
MOURVEDRE (Red) [more-VAY-druh]
As long as the weather is warm, Mourvdre likes a wide variety of soils. It's popular
across the south of France, especially in Provence and the Ctes-du-Rhne, and is
often used in Chteauneuf-du-Pape; Languedoc makes it as a varietal. Spain uses it
in many areas, including Valencia. In the United States it's a minor factor now,
pursued by a few wineries that specialize in Rhne-style wines. The wine can be
pleasing, with medium-weight, spicy cherry and berry flavors and moderate tannins.
It ages well.
MUSCAT (White) [MUSS-kat]
Known as Muscat, Muscat Blanc and Muscat Canelli, it is marked by strong spice and
floral notes and can be used in blending, its primary function in California. Moscato in
Italy, Moscatel in Iberia: This grape can turn into anything from the low-alcohol,
sweet and frothy Asti Spumante and Muscat de Canelli to bone-dry wines like Muscat
d'Alsace. It also produces fortified wine such as Beaumes de Venise.
NEBBIOLO (Red) [NEH-bee-oh-low]
The great grape of Northern Italy, which excels there in Barolo and Barbaresco,
strong, ageable wines. Mainly unsuccessful elsewhere, Nebbiolo also now has a small
foothold in California. So far the wines are light and uncomplicated, bearing no
resemblance to the Italian types.
PETITE SIRAH (Red) [peh-TEET sih-RAH]]
Known for its dark hue and firm tannins, Petite Sirah has often been used as a
blending wine to provide color and structure, particularly to Zinfandel. On its own,
Petite Sirah can also make intense, peppery, ageworthy wines, but few experts
consider it as complex as Syrah itself.
There has been much confusion over the years about Petite Sirah's origins. For a
long time, the grape was thought to be completely unrelated to Syrah, despite its
name. Petite Sirah was believed to actually be Durif, a minor red grape variety first
grown in southern France in the late 1800s. However, recent DNA research shows
Petite Sirah and Syrah are related after all. A study done at the University of
California at Davis determined not only that 90 percent of the Petite Sirah found in
California is indeed Durif, but also that Durif is a cross between Peloursin and Syrah.
Just to make things more confusing, in France, growers refer to different variants of
Syrah as Petite and Grosse, which has to do with the yield of the vines.

PINOT BLANC (White) [PEE-no BLAHNK]
Often referred to as a poor man's Chardonnay because of its similar flavor and
texture profile, Pinot Blanc is used in Champagne, Burgundy, Alsace, Germany, Italy
and California and can make a terrific wine. When well made, it is intense,
concentrated and complex, with ripe pear, spice, citrus and honey notes. Can age,
but is best early on while its fruit shines through.
PINOT GRIS or PINOT GRIGIO (White) [PEE-no GREE or GREE-zho]
Known as Pinot Grigio in Italy, where it is mainly found in the northeast, producing
quite a lot of undistinguished dry white wine and Collio's excellent whites. As Pinot
Gris, it used to be grown in Burgundy and the Loire, though it has been supplanted,
but it comes into its own in Alsace--where it's known as Tokay. Southern Germany
plants it as Rulnder. When good, this varietal is soft, gently perfumed and has more
color than most whites.
PINOT NOIR (Red) [PEE-no NWA]
Pinot Noir, the great grape of Burgundy, is a touchy variety. The best examples offer
the classic black cherry, spice, raspberry and currant flavors, and an aroma that can
resemble wilted roses, along with earth, tar, herb and cola notes. It can also be
rather ordinary, light, simple, herbal, vegetal and occasionally weedy. It can even be
downright funky, with pungent barnyard aromas. In fact, Pinot Noir is the most fickle
of all grapes to grow: It reacts strongly to environmental changes such as heat and
cold spells, and is notoriously fussy to work with once picked, since its thin skins are
easily bruised and broken, setting the juice free. Even after fermentation, Pinot Noir
can hide its weaknesses and strengths, making it a most difficult wine to evaluate
out of barrel. In the bottle, too, it is often a chameleon, showing poorly one day,
brilliantly the next.
The emphasis on cooler climates coincides with more rigorous clonal selection,
eliminating those clones suited for sparkling wine, which have even thinner skins.
These days there is also a greater understanding of and appreciation for different
styles of Pinot Noir wine, even if there is less agreement about those styles--should it
be rich, concentrated and loaded with flavor, or a wine of elegance, finesse and
delicacy? Or can it, in classic Pinot Noir sense, be both? Even varietal character
remains subject to debate. Pinot Noir can certainly be tannic, especially when it is
fermented with some of its stems, a practice that many vintners around the world
believe contributes to the wine's backbone and longevity. Pinot Noir can also be
long-lived, but predicting with any precision which wines or vintages will age is often
the ultimate challenge in forecasting.
Pinot Noir is the classic grape of Burgundy and also of Champagne, where it is
pressed immediately after picking in order to yield white juice. It is just about the
only red grown in Alsace. In California, it excelled in the late 1980s and early 1990s
and seems poised for further progress. Once producers stopped vinifying it as if it
were Cabernet, planted vineyards in cooler climates and paid closer attention to

tonnage, quality increased substantially. It's fair to say that California and Oregon
have a legitimate claim to producing world-class Pinot Noir.
RIESLING (White) [REES-ling]
One of the world's greatest white wine grapes, the Riesling vine's hardy wood makes
it extremely resistant to frost. The variety excels in cooler climates, where its
tendency to ripen slowly makes it an excellent source for sweet wines made from
grapes attacked by the noble rot Botrytis cinerea, which withers the grapes' skin and
concentrates their natural sugar levels.
Riesling is best known for producing the wines of Germany's Mosel-Saar-Ruwer,

Pfalz, Rheinhessen and Rheingau wines, but it also achieves brilliance in Alsace and
Austria. While the sweet German Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese wines,
along with Alsace's famed Selection de Grains Nobles, are often celebrated for their
high sugar levels and ability to age almost endlessly, they are rare and expensive.
More commonly, Riesling produces dry or just off-dry versions. Its high acidity and
distinctive floral, citrus, peach and mineral accents have won dry Riesling many fans.
The variety pairs well with food and has an uncanny knack for transmitting the
elements of its vineyard source (what the French call terroir).
The wines from Germany's Mosel region are perhaps the purest expression of the
grape, offering lime, pie crust, apple, slate and honeysuckle characteristics on a
light-bodied and racy frame. Germany's Rheinhessen, Rheingau and Pfalz regions
produces wines of similar characteristics, but with increasing body and spice.
In Alsace, Riesling is most often made in a dry style, full-bodied, with a distinct petrol
aroma. In Austria, Riesling plays second fiddle to Gruner Veltliner in terms of
quantity, but when grown on favored sites it offers wines with great focus and clarity
allied to the grape's typically racy frame.
In other regions, Riesling struggles to maintain its share of vineyard plantings, but it
can be found (often under synonyms such as White Riesling, Rhine Riesling or
Johannisberg Riesling) in California, Oregon, Washington, New York's Finger Lakes
region, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South America and Canada.
SANGIOVESE (Red) [san-geeo-VEHS-eh]
Sangiovese is best known for providing the backbone for many superb Italian red
wines from Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino, as well as the so-called super-Tuscan
blends. Sangiovese is distinctive for its supple texture and medium-to full-bodied
spice, raspberry, cherry and anise flavors. When blended with a grape such as
Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese gives the resulting wine a smoother texture and
lightens up the tannins.
It is somewhat surprising that Sangiovese wasn't more popular in California given the
strong role Italian immigrants have played in the state's winemaking heritage, but
now the grape appears to have a bright future in the state, both as a stand-alone
varietal wine and for use in blends with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and maybe even

Zinfandel. Expect sweeping stylistic changes as winemakers learn more about how
the grape performs in different locales as well as how it marries with different
grapes. Worth watching.
SAUVIGNON BLANC (White) [SO-vin-yon BLAHNK]
Another white with a notable aroma, this one "grassy" or "musky." The pure varietal
is found mainly in the Loire, at Sancerre and Pouilly-Fum, As part of a blend, the
grape is all over Bordeaux, in Pessac-Lognan, Graves and the Mdoc whites; it also
shows up in Sauternes. New Zealand has had striking success with Sauvignon Blanc,
producing its own perfumed, fruity style that spread across North America and then
back to France.
In the United States, Robert Mondavi rescued the varietal in the 1970s by labeling it
Fum Blanc, and he and others have enjoyed success with it. The key to success
seems to be in taming its overt varietal intensity, which at its extreme leads to
pungent grassy, vegetal and herbaceous flavors. Many winemakers treat it like in a
sort of poor man's Chardonnay, employing barrel fermentation, sur lie aging and
malolactic fermentation. But its popularity comes as well from the fact that it is a
prodigious producer and a highly profitable wine to make. It can be crisp and
refreshing, matches well with foods, costs less to produce and grow than
Chardonnay and sells for less. It also gets less respect from vintners than perhaps it
should. Its popularity ebbs and flows, at times appearing to challenge Chardonnay
and at other times appearing to be a cash-flow afterthought. But even at its best, it
does not achieve the kind of richness, depth or complexity Chardonnay does and in
the end that alone may be the defining difference.
Sauvignon Blanc grows well in a variety of appellations. It marries well with oak and
Smillon, and many vintners are adding a touch of Chardonnay for extra body. The
wine drinks best in its youth, but sometimes will benefit from short-term cellaring. As
a late-harvest wine, it's often fantastic, capable of yielding amazingly complex and
richly flavored wines.
SEMILLON (White) [SEM-ih-yon]
On its own or in a blend, this white can age. With Sauvignon Blanc, its traditional
partner, this is the foundation of Sauternes and most of the great dry whites found in
Graves and Pessac-Lognan; these are rich, honeyed wines,. Smillon is one of the
grapes susceptible to Botrytis cinerea. Australia's Hunter Valley uses it solo to make a
full-bodied white that used to be known as Hunger Riesling, Chablis or White
Burgundy. In South Africa it used to be so prevalent that it was just called "wine
grape," but it has declined drastically in importance there.
In the United States, Smillon enjoys modest success as a varietal wine in California
and Washington, but it continues to lose ground in acreage in California. It can make
a wonderful late-harvest wine, and those wineries that focus on it can make well
balanced wines with complex fig, pear, tobacco and honey notes. When blended into
Sauvignon Blanc, it adds body, flavor and texture. When Sauvignon Blanc is added to
Smillon, the latter gains grassy herbal notes.

It can also be found blended with Chardonnay, more to fill out the volume of wine
than to add anything to the package.
SYRAH or SHIRAZ (Red) [sih-RAH or shih-RAHZ]
Hermitage and Cte-Rtie in France, Penfolds Grange in Australia--the epitome of

Syrah is a majestic red that can age for half a century. The grape seems to grow well
in a number of areas and is capable of rendering rich, complex and distinctive wines,
with pronounced pepper, spice, black cherry, tar, leather and roasted nut flavors, a
smooth, supple texture and smooth tannins. In southern France it finds its way into
various blends, as in Chteauneuf-du-Pape and Languedoc-Roussillon. Known as
Shiraz in Australia, it was long used for bread-and-butter blends, but an increasing
number of high-quality bottlings are being made, especially from old vines in the
Barossa Valley.
In the United States., Syrah's rise in quality is most impressive. It appears to have
the early-drinking appeal of Pinot Noir and Zinfandel and few of the eccentricities of
Merlot, and may well prove far easier to grow and vinify than any other red wines
aside from Cabernet.
TEMPRANILLO (Red) [temp-rah-NEE-yo]
Spain's major contribution to red wine, Tempranillo is indigenous to the country and
is rarely grown elsewhere. It is the dominant grape in the red wines from Rioja and
Ribera del Duero, two of Spain's most important wine regions.
In Rioja, Tempranillo is often blended with Garnacha, Mazuelo and a few other minor
grapes. When made in a traditional style, Tempranillo can be garnet-hued, with
flavors of tea, brown sugar and vanilla. When made in a more modern style, it can
display aromas and flavors redolent of plums, tobacco and cassis, along with very
dark color and substantial tannins. Whatever the style, Riojas tend to be medium-
bodied wines, offering more acidity than tannin.
In Ribera del Duero, wines are also divided along traditional and modern styles, and
show similarities to Rioja. The more modern styled Riberas, however, can be quite
powerful, offering a density and tannic structure similar to that of Cabernet
Sauvignon.
Tempranillo is known variously throughout Spain as Cencibel, Tinto del Pais, Tinto
Fino, Ull de Llebre and Ojo. It's also grown along the Douro River in Portugal under
the monikers Tinta Roriz (used in the making of Port) and Tinta Aragonez.
TREBBIANO or UGNI BLANC (White) [treh-bee-AH-no or OO-nee BLAHNK]
This is Trebbiano in Italy and Ugni Blanc in France. It is tremendously prolific; low in
alcohol but high in acidity, it is found in almost any basic white Italian wine. It is so
ingrained in Italian winemaking that it is actually a sanctioned ingredient of the blend
used for (red) Chianti and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Most current Tuscan
producers do not add it to their wines, however.

The French, who also often call this grape St.-milion, used it for Cognac and
Armagnac brandy; Ugni Blanc grapevines outnumbered Chardonnay by five to one in
France during the '80s.
VIOGNIER (White) [vee-oh-NYAY]
Viognier, the rare white grape of France's Rhone Valley, is one of the most difficult
grapes to grow, But fans of the floral, spicy white wine are thrilled by its prospects in
the south of France and the new world. So far most of the Viogners produced in the
United States are rather one-dimensional, with an abundance of spiciness but less
complexity than they should have. Still, there are a few bright spots.
It is used in Condrieu's rare whites and sometimes blended with reds in the Northern
Rhone. There are also a variety of bottlings available from southern France, most of
them somewhat light.
ZINFANDEL (Red) [ZIHN-fan-dell]
The origins of this tremendously versatile and popular grape are not known for
certain, although it is thought to have come from Southern Italy as a cousin of
Primitivo. It is the most widely planted red grape in California (though Australia has
also played around with the grape). Much of it is vinified into white Zinfandel, a
blush-colored, slightly sweet wine. Real Zinfandel, the red wine, is the quintessential
California wine. It has been used for blending with other grapes, including Cabernet
Sauvignon and Petite Sirah. It has been made in a claret style, with berry and cherry
flavors, mild tannins and pretty oak shadings. It has been made into a full-bodied,
ultraripe, intensely flavored and firmly tannic wine designed to age. And it has been
made into late-harvest and Port-style wines that feature very ripe, raisiny flavors,
alcohol above 15 percent and chewy tannins.
Zinfandel's popularity among consumers fluctuates. In the 1990s Zinfandel is

enjoying another groundswell of popularity, as winemakers took renewed interest,
focusing on higher-quality vineyards in areas well suited to Zinfandel. Styles aimed
more for the mainstream and less for extremes, emphasizing the grape's zesty, spicy
pepper, raspberry, cherry, wild berry and plum flavors, and its complex range of tar,
earth and leather notes. Zinfandel lends itself to blending.
Zinfandel is a challenging grape to grow: its berry size varies significantly within a
bunch, which leads to uneven ripening. Because of that, Zinfandel often needs to
hang on the vine longer to ripen as many berries as possible. Closer attention to
viticulture and an appreciation for older vines, which tend to produce smaller crops
of uniformly higher quality, account for better balanced wines.

CHEESE
The History of Cheese
Most authorities consider that cheese was first made in the Middle East. The earliest
type was a form of sour milk which came into being when it was discovered that
domesticated animals could be milked. A legendary story has it that cheese was
'discovered' by an unknown Arab nomad. He is said to have filled a saddlebag with
milk to sustain him on a journey across the desert by horse. After several hours
riding he stopped to quench his thirst, only to find that the milk had separated into a
pale watery liquid and solid white lumps. Because the saddlebag, which was made
from the stomach of a young animal, contained a coagulating enzyme known as
rennin, the milk had been effectively separated into curds and whey by the
combination of the rennin, the hot sun and the galloping motions of the horse. The
nomad, unconcerned with technical details, found the whey drinkable and the curds
edible.
Cheese was known to the ancient Sumerians four thousand years before the birth of
Christ. The ancient Greeks credited Aristaeus, a son of Apollo and Cyrene, with its
discovery; it is mentioned in the Old Testament.
In the Roman era cheese really came into its own. Cheesemaking was done with skill
and knowledge and reached a high standard. By this time the ripening process had
been developed and it was known that various treatments and conditions under
storage resulted in different flavours and characteristics.
The larger Roman houses had a separate cheese kitchen, the caseale, and also
special areas where cheese could be matured. In large towns home-made cheese
could be taken to a special centre to be smoked. Cheese was served on the tables of
the nobility and travelled to the far corners of the Roman Empire as a regular part of
the rations of the legions.
During the Middle Ages, monks became innovators and developers and it is to them
we owe many of the classic varieties of cheese marketed today. During the
Renaissance period cheese suffered a drop in popularity, being considered unhealthy,
but it regained favour by the nineteenth century, the period that saw the start of the
move from farm to factory production.
Acid
A term used to describe a cheese with a lightly sourish flavour.
Ammoniated
When certain cheeses are past their prime and overripe they will smell and often
taste of ammonia. This particularly applies to soft cheeses such as Brie and
Camembert. For those unfamiliar with this smell, it can possibly best be described by
imagining a cheese that has been sprayed by a particularly vm catQa thing to be
avoided at all costs!

Annatto
A colouring agent used to colour a great variety of cheeses ranging from English
Cheddar to the French Maroilles. Annatto is a dye obtained from a South American
plant.
Aroma
A cheese's smell or odour which can vary from lightly aromatic to ferociously
overpowering. Note that while most strong smelling cheese will also be strong
tasting, this does not apply to all. Limburger is a case in point. The American cheeses
Brick and Liederkranz both have distinctive aromas but are not overly strong tasting
cheeses unless well aged.
Barnyardy
A descriptive term often used to describe a cheese's aroma and sometimes its taste
as well. Many people find goat's milk cheeses barnyardy, particularly aged ones.
Bleu
French name for blue veined cheeses.
Bloomy rind
Cheeses that develop a light white down on their surfaces are known as bloomy or
flowery rind cheeses. Such a rind develops as a result of the cheese's surface being
sprayed with the Penicillium candidate spore. The best known cheeses of this type
are Camembert and Brie.
Brushed
Certain types of natural rind cheeses, cooked and uncooked varieties, have their
rinds brushed during the period they spend ripening. This brushing, done by hand or
machine, helps the interior of the cheese to keep moist during the ripening period; it
also has an effect on the final flavour of the cheese.
Casein
the element of milk which solidifies when coagulation takes place.
Cellar
The room, usually underground, where cheeses are left to ripen. Some cheeses,
Roquefort is the most famous, are ripened in caves.
Cheddaring
A cheese that is 'cheddared' has its curd cut into blocks which are turned and
stacked at the bottom of the cheese vat at intervals of ten to fifteen minutes for
about one-and-a-half hours.
Close
Used to describe a cheese's texture. A close textured cheese is one which is smooth,
unblemished and devoid of holes or cracks.

Cooked
A step in the cheesemaking process when the cheese curd is heated, sometimes in
the surplus whey. Cooked cheeses are all hard cheeses such as Emmentaler and
other Swiss types.
Cream
The fatty element of milk.
Creamy
Used to describe both the taste and sometimes the texture of certain cheeses.
Curdling
An early stage in cheesemaking when milk coagulates due to the introduction of
rennet.
Curing
Also known as maturing or ageing - the stage in the cheesemaking process when a
cheese is left to ripen.
Crumbly
The condition of a cheese that breaks away when cut often applicable to blue veins.
Dry matter
The part of the cheese that remains after all moisture is removed. Soft cheeses, such
as Brie and Camembert, will, on average, contain about 50 per cent dry matter and
50 per cent water.
Earthy
A descriptive term often used to describe the nature of monastery cheeses.
Fat content
The fat content of cheese refers to the fat content in the dry matter of the cheese. It
is usually indicated on the cheese's packaging. The average is 45 per cent but it can
be as low as 4 per cent and as high as 75 per cent.
Fresh cheese
Cheese that does not undergo a ripening period e.g. Cottage Cheese, Cream Cheese,
Ricotta.
Gruyere
Not only the name of one of the best known Swiss cheeses in the world but also a
general name for large cheeses made in France e.g. Gruyere de Comte, Beaufort,
Emmentaler.
Hard
Descriptive term for cooked cheeses.

Holes
Also called 'eyes', basically openings in the body of cheese such as Emmentaler,
Gruyere and other Swiss types. Such holes are spherical, equally spaced and about
the size of cherry stones. The holes are caused by bacterial activity which generates
prioponic acid causing gas to expand within the curd.
Lactic
Milk aroma, sometimes flavour, of certain cheeses.
Micro-organisms
Yeasts and ferments present in milk and milk curd.
Monastery
Certain cheeses are linked historically in that they were originally developed by
monks. They are known as monastery cheeses although they range in flavour and
aroma considerably.
Moulds
Moulds can be on the surface of cheese or be developed internally. Surface moulds
are the result of cheese being treated with the Penicillium candidate spore; internal
moulds are created by the introduction of Penicillium glaucum or Penicillium
roqueforti spores both to create blue veined cheeses. Certain French goat milk
cheeses develop a natural bluish surface mould and some of the newer double creme
cheeses have both a surface mould and an internal mould e.g. Blue Castello,
Bavarian Blue, Duet.
Mushroomy
Flavour and aroma description of certain soft and semi-soft cheeses, particularly
members of the Brie/ Camembert family.
Nutty
A flavour description of certain cheeses, often refers to a hazelnut flavour.
Open
Texture description referring to a cheese which contains openings and holes in its
body. The opposite of close.
Paraffin
Many cheeses are coated with a paraffin wax, particularly those destined for export
markets. Edam is probably the best known. The wax protects the cheese.
Pasteurisation
The treatment given to partially sterilised milk.

Paste
The interior of a cheese.
Pronounced
Descriptive term for a cheese's aroma or flavour.
Penicillium
Moulds that are developed on the surface of bloomy rind cheeses (Camembert, Brie)
and internally in blue veins (see moulds).
Persille
A French term for a blue vein cheese used in reference to Roquefort because it is the
only bleu from sheep's milk.
Piquant
Descriptive term for a sharp tasting cheese.
Rennet
A substance obtained from the stomach linings of young calves which contains a
coagulating enzyme.
Rind
The protective external surface of a cheese. Rinds can be natural or artificially
created, thick or thin, hard or soft, washed, oiled, brushed or paraffined. Their prime
role is to protect the cheese's interior and allow it to ripen and develop harmoniously.
Their presence affects the final flavour of the interior of the cheese.
Skimmed milk
When part or all of the cream has been removed from milk, the milk is referred to as
skimmed. Cheeses made from such milk generally have a lower fat content than
average; some (but not all) are quite pronounced in taste.
Starter
A bacterial culture which produces lactic acid.
Supple
Descriptive term used to describe a cheese's texture - firm but not hard, pliable and
resilient.
Tangy
Descriptive term used to denote a cheese's flavour usually meaning sharp,
distinctive, flavoursome.
Texture
A cheese's texture can be soft, firm, supple, waxy, open, close and so on. Texture is
largely dependent on its moisture content - the softer the cheese the higher its
moisture content.

Washed rind cheese
The rinds of certain cheeses are regularly washed while they are being ripened. The
purpose of this is to keep the cheese moist, supple and to ensure it does not dry out.
Such washings can be done with elements as varied as salt water or brandy - thus
the washing plays a part in the cheese's final flavour. Some of the strongest smelling
and tasting cheeses in the world are washed rind varieties.
blanch
To dip into boiling water to cook for less than a minute & then transfer into cold water
to prevent discoloring or loosen skin, e.g. tomatoes are blanched so that the skin is
loosen & thus easier to remove.
boil
Liquid produces bubbles over high fire.
braise
To cook food, usually meat or vegetables over a long period of time. Food undergoes
searing (see sear) before it's braised.
chill
Keep cool in the fridge.
chop
Cut into non-uniform pieces.
deep-fry
Oil is heated up to a high temperature. Food floats on top of the hot oil while getting
cooked.
dice
Cut into small even pieces.
dry-fry
No oil is used when frying, e.g. chili or curry paste.
grill
To cook food usually over hot coals. Popular cooking method for steaks, chicken
wings, hamburgers & salmon.
julienne
It's a French word that simply means
to cut food into very thin strips.
marinade
Seasonings are rubbed onto meat, fish & vegetables to create better taste. Marinaded
food is often set aside for 15 minutes or a couple of hours or even left overnight.
minced
Chopped till very fine.
poach
To cook in liquid heated over a low fire.
roast
To cook meat in an oven.

saut
A French word that refers to cooking food quickly over medium to high fire with little
oil. Tossing is needed to prevent over-browning.
sear
Where meat is subjected to high fire for browning to take place in order to seal in the
meat juices. It causes meat to be soft & tender. However meat at this point may not be
fully cooked.
simmer
Liquid has reached below it's boiling point, i.e. just when the bubbles begin to break.
stock
A strained solution obtained after boiling water with added ingredients such as pork,
chicken or fish bones, shells from shellfish (eg. shrimps, clams & abalone) or other
seasonings.
steam
To cook using steam from boiling water. Make sure the water in the steamer/wok is
boiling before cooking the food.
stew
To cook either by boiling or simmering in a tightly covered pot over a long period of
time.
stir-fry
To fry small pieces (such as garlic & onions) over high fire.
sweat
To sweat food, particularly vegetables, is to cook with a small amount of oil or fat over
a low fire. The pot is covered & vegetables will gradually soften without turning brown.
Baking - Cook in a dry heat in an oven. Baking can be done uncovered as in bread
that results in a crust, or covered to seal in the moisture as in a casserole.
Basting - is the spooning of liquid over food while cooking.
Batter - is the uncooked mixture of ingredients, including flour and eggs that is thin
enough to be poured or spooned.
Blanching - plunging food into water for a short period of time usually to remove
the skin more easily or to preserve the texture and nutritional value of the vegetable
while killing germs on the skin.
Boiling - is heating liquid until it continuos bubbles break the surface.
Broiling - is cooking directly under a very hot heating unit.
Caramelizing - is melting of sugar over a low heat until it becomes golden brown.
Chopping - is cutting into coarse or fine irregular pieces.
Coating - is the even covering of food with wet or dry ingredients.

Cooling - is when you allow cooked food to stand at room temperature.
Coring - is the removal of the center of a piece of fruit.
Crisp - is a state of cooking that yields an vegetable that is not corked through.
Crushing - is used to release as much of the flavor as possible. It is the process of

pressing the item into very fine particles.
Cubing - is usually the cutting of food into equally sided, three dimensional squares
approximately 1/2 inch or larger.
Cut up - is the cutting of a food item into irregular pieces or the separating of parts
such as a chicken by using a knife.
Dash - is less than 1/8 teaspoon.
Deep Frying - is cooking in hot fat deep enough to submerge the food.
Dicing - is the cutting of food into cubes of less than 1/2 inch.
Dissolving - is the stirring of dry ingredients into a liquid until the solid disappears.
Draining - is the removal of water from a the food being cooked.
Drizzle - is the pouring of thin lines of a liquid over food for the purpose of glazing,
directing or flavoring a dish.
Dusting - the light sprinkling of such items as flour, cocoa, or sugar over the subject
food.
Flaking - is the pulling apart of small pieces of the food using a fork.
Fillets - are boneless pieces of meat or fish of varying size according to the size of the
animal and where it was taken from.
Fluting - is the squeezing together of a pastry with your fingers to produce a

decorative seal.
Frying - is generally the cooking of a food in fat over a medium or high heat in a pan
with edges perpendicular to the stove.
Glazing - is accomplished by brushing , drizzling or otherwise spreading ingredients

onto food to yield a glossy or hard finish.
Grating - is the rubbing of a hard food such as cheese against a rough, sharp edged
surface to produce tiny particles.
Greasing a Pan - is rubbing the inside of a pan with a fat such as butter or shorting to
prevent food from sticking.
Greasing and Flouring a Pan - is the same as above but dusting the greased pan with
flour after greasing.
Grilling - is the cooking of food over an open flame of charcoal. Most grilling of meat
is done over a very high heat that produces a sealing in of the juices of the meat.
Julienne - is the cutting of (usually) a fruit or vegetable into match sized strip. This is
done to control cooking time and / or the intensity of flavor and texture within a
dish.
Kneading - is the working of dough on a floured surface to produce a smooth elastic

mass.
Marinating - is the soaking of food for an extended period so that the flavor of the
marinade penetrates the food and also chemically tenderizes it with the use of an
acid such as lemon juice or vinegar.
Minced - is using a knife to cut food into smaller pieces than chopped.
Pan Frying - is frying, starting with a cold pan in very little or no fat. It is also normal
to pour off any of the liquid produced by the food in the pan.
Peaks - is a term that pertains to whipping. When whipping egg whites , for
example, they are whipped until they form light peeks within the bowl.
Poaching - is the cooking in water that is just bellow a boil.
Reducing - is the boiling of any flavored liquid to reduce the volume thereby
increasing the flavor.
Roasting - is the cooking in the oven in a shallow uncovered pan.
Sauting - is usually done in a pan with angled sides. It differs in frying because it
uses less oil, usually at lower temperature as well as frequent tossing and stirring.
Scoring - is the cutting of the surface of food about 1/4 of an inch deep with a knife.
This serves to aid in the cooking and seasoning of the scored food.
Shellfish - are broken into two categories. Crustaceans are long bodies with jointed
legs such as crabs or lobsters. Mollusks are soft bodied with no spinal column they
can be covered in a shell such as clams or oysters or have no shell such as squid or
octopus.
Shredding - is the cutting of anything into long thin pieces.
Simmering - is cooking in a liquid, just below the boiling point.
Slicing - pertains to a uniform cutting thickness.

Softening - is letting the product, such as butter, stand at room temperature to make
it easier to work with.
Steaming - is a healthy way of cooking without letting the food touch the water. This
is done by suspending the food over boiling water. There are many products made to
steam food, the Chinese are experts in the use of material such as bamboo.
Stewing -is slow cooking with a small amount of liquid over a long period of time.
Stir frying - made popular by the Chinese, this is a method of frying uniform sized
pieces of food, quickly, with a small amount of fat over a very high heat.
Straining - is the removal of large particles suspended in a liquid.
Tearing - is the breaking into small pieces using your fingers.
Tossing - is the use of a lifting motion to mix. Most often it is used in relation to salad
or greens in a dish.
Exercise:
Take a look at the picture and make a list of what went wrong at the restaurant.

WORKING AS A TEAM
Dont wait to be asked to do things.
Teamwork is about making a positive contribution to your

colleagues, being self-motivated and keeping yourself busy.
Whatever your personal feelings are about your fellow work associates, clients must
never sense a bad atmosphere within the salon caused by a friction between staff.
You will spend a lot of time in the company of people you work with, but you will not
always like everyone you meet. People are different: at work, in order to work as a
team, a mutual respect for others is more important than close friendships. So
remember:
Treat others with respect

Be sensitive and responsive to others feelings
Show concern and care for others.
Good staff communication
Many clients return to a salon because it has a good atmosphere and the staff are
always happy and cheerful. Tension or bad atmosphere in the salon can result in lost
clients and poor working relationships.
If someone asks you to help If you need help yourself, ask

them always respond with a for it as politely as you can,
smile. even if the pressure is on!
Look and see who needs help Dont offer to take on work
in the salon and try to offer without checking with your
support without being asked supervisor first
first. (you may think you can attempt
a new haircut, but does your
supervisor think you can do it).
Body Language
As well as using words, we express our interest and attitudes by non-verbal

communication - our eye contact, posture and general body positioning. So it is very
important that we convey the right message, particularly when dealing with clients
and potential customers.

Eye contact.
Maintain eye contact with the client when talking to her. Where possible, maintain
the same eye level as the client; for example, when you carry put a consultation with
a client and she is seated, sit beside or opposite her. Standing or above her and
looking down will convey a feeling of authority, or as if you are trying to assert
control. This is intimidating and definitely the wrong signal to send to a customer.
Distances.
People have a comfort zone , a space around the body within which they feel at
ease. Within a close, intimate relationship shared proximity may be welcome, but
uninvited invasion of this space is at least uncomfortable, at its worst menacing or
threatening.
Posture/body positioning/gestures.
Volumes have been written on this subject alone and the psychology of body
language is far too complex to address in a few paragraphs. But following certain
obvious rules can help us convey the right message and impression: Slouching in
the salon looks really unprofessional. Folded arms - crossing the arms on the chest
are a protective gesture and suggest a closed mind or a show of defensiveness.
Open palms - as a gesture supporting explanation or information, with hands at waist
height, palms upward, this indicates that the person has nothing to hide. This is
interpreted as openness or honesty. Never point a direction with your finger!
Scratching behind the ear or rubbing the back of the neck while listening indicates
that the listener is uncertain or doesnt understand. Talking with your hand in front of
your mouth may lead the listener to believe that you are not being honest. You are
hiding yourself by your gestures. These forms of communication are only indications
of feelings and emotions. In isolation, they may not mean anything at all. Taken
together, however, they can convey a very clear message. Make sure that you show
the appropriate signals; be- and look- interested, keen, ready to help and positive.
Above all, show that you can listen.


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Generic comprehensive F & B Training Manual

Basic Restaurant Training Manual

To be perfect is normal at Hotel

Copyright: Mr. Beat Amacker and Professor Daniel G. Fuchs 1

How does a good waiter look?

Always be friendly and smile

Copyright: Mr. Beat Amacker and Professor Daniel G. Fuchs 2

DEPORTMENT AND POSTURE

By now you should have the appearance of a Professional Service person.

The Running Waiter:

The Slouching Waiter:

The Confident Waiter:

Copyright: Mr. Beat Amacker and Professor Daniel G. Fuchs 3

POSTURE AND BODY LANGUAGE

A good posture is critical to building guest confidence, always be conscious

Copyright: Mr. Beat Amacker and Professor Daniel G. Fuchs 4

Copyright: Mr. Beat Amacker and Professor Daniel G. Fuchs 5

be unfriendly to your guests and co-workers

Attributes of the Service Staff

The first attribute is cleanliness !

The second attribute is conscientiousness !

The third attribute is a methodical mind !

Copyright: Mr. Beat Amacker and Professor Daniel G. Fuchs 6

The inner attribute :

Copyright: Mr. Beat Amacker and Professor Daniel G. Fuchs 7

The most important rules of restaurant service:

The personal rules :

Walk forward, only forward

Copyright: Mr. Beat Amacker and Professor Daniel G. Fuchs 8

TABLE CLOTH SET-UP

Molton : The molton is exactly the same size as the table.

Then open the thumb and forefinger

The table cloth must hang down on

When covering a round table ensure

But later you will find it easy after

So, try, try and once more try!!!

Copyright: Mr. Beat Amacker and Professor Daniel G. Fuchs 9

LAYING A BANQUET CLOTH

A Work in pairs, as a team

Lay cloth over table

Copyright: Mr. Beat Amacker and Professor Daniel G. Fuchs 10

Fold #1 Bishops Mitre

1. Fold napkin bringing top to bottom.

1. Fold napkin in half diagonally.

Copyright: Mr. Beat Amacker and Professor Daniel G. Fuchs 11

1. Fold napkin in half diagonally.

Fold #4 The Crown

1. Fold napkin half diagonally.

Copyright: Mr. Beat Amacker and Professor Daniel G. Fuchs 12

Fold #5 The Rose

1. Fold all 4 corners of open napkin to center.

Lady Windermeres Fan

1. Fold napkin in half.

Copyright: Mr. Beat Amacker and Professor Daniel G. Fuchs 13

The Clowns Hat

Copyright: Mr. Beat Amacker and Professor Daniel G. Fuchs 14

Copyright: Mr. Beat Amacker and Professor Daniel G. Fuchs 15

Two plates (1st method)