FOOD SELECTION AND

PREPARATION
Glenda J. Maglonso
FOOD SELECTION AND
PREPARATION
Food selection and preparation are
fundamental processes in the culinary world
that involve carefully choosing ingredients and
transforming them into edible, enjoyable, and
nutritious meals. These processes are essential
for creating delicious, visually appealing, and
safe dishes.
FUNDAMENTAL ASPECTS OF
FOOD SELECTION AND
PREPARATION
 Food Selection
• NUTRITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
• FRESH AND SEASONAL CHOICES
• QUALITY AND SOURCE
• DIETARY PREFERENCES AND
RESTRICTIONS
• CULINARY VERSATILITY
 Food Preparation
• Sanitation and Food Safety
• Knife Skills
• Cooking Techniques
• Flavor Enhancement
• Recipe Adaptation
• Timing and Coordination
1
Herbs are leaves of low-growing
shrubs which can be used fresh
or dried. These are essential
elements of cooking, adding
distinct flavors, scents, and
visual appeal to a wide range of
dishes, from salads and soups
to main courses and desserts.
BASIL
Used in Italian cuisine,
particularly in pasta
dishes, pesto, salads,
and tomato-based
sauces.
PARSLEY
Often used as a
garnish, it adds a
fresh flavor to salads,
soups, stews, and
sauces.
FLAT PARSLEY
Flat parsley has flat,
broad, and serrated
dark green leaves. It
provides a mild, slightly
peppery flavor and is
commonly used for
salad, soups, and
sauces.
CILANTRO LEAF
Cilantro leaves are flat,
delicate, and finely cut with a
distinctive bright green color.
It has a unique, pungent,
citrusy, and slightly peppery
flavor. A fundamental herb in
various cuisines, particularly
in Mexican, Indian, Thai, and
Middle Eastern cooking.
DILL
Dill leaves are feathery and
delicate, resembling fine,
soft needles. It has a unique
flavor profile, offering a
combination of freshness,
citrus-like notes, and a mild
anise or licorice taste.
Commonly used to flavor
and preserve pickles.
LEMON GRASS
Lemongrass consists of long,
slender, grass-like stalks with
a bulbous base. It has a
strong citrusy, lemon-like
aroma and a slightly sweet,
taste. Commonly used in stir-
fry, curries, soups,
marinades, beverages and
infusions.
BAY LEAF
Bay leaves are elliptical, green
leaves with a leathery texture.
They are usually used in their
dried form. They have a strong,
aromatic fragrance and a
slightly bitter, pungent, and
spicy flavor, used to flavor
soups, stews, rice, pilafs,
braising, and roasting.
OREGANO
Oregano leaves are oval to
lance-shaped, with a slightly
fuzzy texture and a deep
green color. It has a robust,
pungent flavor with a
combination of earthy,
peppery, and slightly bitter
notes. Used to flavor pizza,
pasta, salads, marinades and
rubs
ROSEMARY LEAF
Rosemary leaves are narrow,
needle-like, and have a dark
green color on top and a
silvery underside. It has a
robust, woody aroma with a
slightly piney and citrusy
flavor. Used in roasts and
grilled dishes, bread, baked
goods, sauces, and
marinades.
SAGE LEAF
Sage leaves are oval-shaped
with a soft, downy texture on
the surface and a grayish-
green color. It has a strong,
aromatic scent with a slightly
peppery, slightly sweet, and
earthy flavor. Poultry Dishes,
Sauces, Soups, Sausages
and Meatballs.
TARRAGON
Tarragon leaves are long,
narrow, and lance-shaped,
with a deep green color and
a glossy surface. It has a
strong, licorice-like aroma
and a slightly sweet, anise-
like, and peppery flavor.
Used in Chicken and fish
dishes, sauces, eggs and
salads.
THYME
Thyme leaves are small,
oval-shaped, and typically
gray-green in color. It has a
strong, aromatic fragrance
with a slightly sweet, minty,
and earthy flavor. Commonly
used in
MINT
Mint leaves are typically
bright green, small, and
come in a rounded or oval
shape with a serrated edge.
It has a strong, fresh, and
cool aroma with a sweet,
slightly spicy, and peppery
flavor. Commonly used in
mint tea, tabbouleh, mojitos,
chutney and sauces
MARJORAM
Marjoram leaves are small,
oval-shaped, and green with
a slightly fuzzy texture. It has
a mild, sweet, and slightly
citrusy flavor with a delicate
aroma. Used in Soups,
Stews, pasta, sauces, meat,
poultry, and vegetable
dishes.
SPRING ONION
Spring onions have small, white
bulbs at the base, which gradually
transition into hollow, cylindrical
green stalks. They have a mild,
onion-like flavor that is less
pungent than mature onions,
making them a popular choice for
salads and garnishes, also used in
salads, stir-fry, soups or porridge,
noodles, dips and sauces
2
 Allspice
Comes from its flavor, which is
said to resemble a combination
of cinnamon, cloves, and
nutmeg. Used as a flavor
enhancer, baking ingredient,
sauces, and marinades, pickling
and preserving
 Cinammon
Cinnamon is a versatile spice
derived from the bark of trees
in the Cinnamomum genus. It's
known for its warm, sweet, and
aromatic flavor and is widely
used in both sweet and savory
dishes.
 Coriander
Powder
with a
warm, nutty, citrusy flavor with a
slightly spicy and earthy aroma.
Commonly used as spice blends,
meat, vegetables, lentils, rice
flavoring, pickling, and baking
 Cardamon
Cardamom is a highly prized
and versatile spice known for
its intense, aromatic, and
slightly sweet flavor.
Cardamom is widely used in
both sweet and savory dishes,
as well as in beverages.
 Cumin
Cumin is a widely used spice
that adds a distinctive and robust
flavor to various dishes, it has a
warm, earthy, slightly nutty
flavor with a hint of bitterness
and a strong, aromatic aroma.
An essential ingredient in taco
seasoning for Mexican cuisine
 Cloves
These dried buds are popular
spices known for their strong,
pungent aroma and sweet, warm
flavor. Cloves are a common
ingredient in various cuisines and
have medicinal and aromatic uses.
It provides a warm, aromatic, and
slightly spicy note that
complements the savory and salty
flavors of ham.
 Fennel
Seed
These seeds are known
for their distinct anise or
licorice-like flavor and are
commonly used as a
spice in sausages, curries,
tea, and marinades.
 Ginger
a flowering plant whose
root is widely used as a
spice and folk medicine.
It is celebrated for its
distinctive flavor,
medicinal properties, and
culinary applications.
 Nutmeg
Nutmeg is a spice derived from
the seed of the Myristica
fragrans tree, which is native to
the Banda Islands of Indonesia.
The spice has a distinctive,
warm, sweet, and aromatic
flavor.
 Paprika
a spice made from ground,
dried sweet, or hot varieties
of Capsicum annuum.
Commonly used as
seasoning, garnish, spice
blends, and colorant.
 Saffron
Saffron is a highly prized and
expensive spice derived from the
flower of Crocus sativus. It is
known for its vibrant red threads,
often referred to as "stigmas,"
which are handpicked and dried to
produce saffron. Saffron is widely
regarded for its distinct flavor,
aromatic qualities, and bright
golden-yellow color it imparts to
dishes.