Food, MAN-ORG
The necessity of food for survival is something that all humans have in common, but the trends of diet and food consumption can vary considerably from region to region. Find out more about the ingredients, dishes, and drinks that fuel people around the world.
Food Encyclopedia Articles By Title
mango, (Mangifera indica), member of the cashew family (Anacardiaceae) and one of the most important and widely......
mangosteen, (Garcinia mangostana), handsome tropical tree (family Clusiaceae) native to Southeast Asia and cultivated......
Manhattan, cocktail typically made with rye whiskey or bourbon, vermouth, and bitters and traditionally served......
manna, any of a variety of plants and plant products known for their sweet taste. Certain resins produced by the......
manna, in biblical literature, one or more of the foods that sustained the Israelites during the 40 years that......
maple syrup, sweet syrup made by concentrating the sap of certain species of North American maple trees, chiefly......
margarine, food product made principally from one or more vegetable or animal fats or oils in which is dispersed......
margarita, cocktail traditionally prepared with tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice. Margaritas are usually......
marjoram, (Origanum majorana), perennial plant of the mint family (Lamiaceae), grown as a culinary herb. Its fresh......
Marks & Spencer PLC, one of the largest British retail clothing and food companies. Headquarters of the firm are......
Mars, Inc. is a global corporation that manufactures products in many different categories, including food, confectionery,......
marshmallow, aerated candy that originated as a versatile medicinal syrup and ointment; it was made from root sap......
martini, an alcoholic drink traditionally made with gin and dry vermouth and sometimes made with vodka in lieu......
marzipan, a malleable confection of crushed almonds or almond paste, sugar, and whites of eggs. Soft marzipan is......
mascarpone, an Italian cream cheese. Mascarpone is one of Italy’s most distinguished cheeses. Some believe its......
mast, in botany, nuts or fruits of trees and shrubs, such as beechnuts, acorns, and berries, that accumulate on......
matcha, powdered green tea of Japanese origin by way of China, and popular among tea connoisseurs everywhere. Matcha......
mate, tealike beverage, popular in many South American countries, brewed from the dried leaves of an evergreen......
matsutake mushroom, (Tricholoma matsutake), prized edible and medicinal wood-dwelling fungus of the family Tricholomataceae......
Patrick Matthew was a Scottish landowner and agriculturalist best known for his development of an early description......
matzo, unleavened bread eaten by Jews during the holiday of Passover (Pesaḥ) in commemoration of their Exodus from......
mayonnaise, cold sauce originating in French cuisine, an emulsion of raw egg yolks and vegetable oil. As the yolks......
mazer, medieval drinking bowl of turned (shaped on a lathe) wood, usually spotted maple. The oldest extant examples,......
Linda McCartney was an American photographer and musician who was widely known for her marriage to musician Paul......
mead, alcoholic beverage fermented from honey and water; sometimes yeast is added to accelerate the fermentation.......
meat, the flesh or other edible parts of animals (usually domesticated cattle, swine, and sheep) used for food,......
Meat Inspection Act of 1906, U.S. legislation, signed by Pres. Theodore Roosevelt on June 30, 1906, that prohibited......
meat processing, preparation of meat for human consumption. Meat is the common term used to describe the edible......
medlar, (genus Mespilus), either of two species of the genus Mespilus of the rose family (Rosaceae). The common......
melon, (Cucumis melo), trailing vine in the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), grown for its often musky-scented edible......
meringue, mixture of stiffly beaten egg whites and sugar that is used in confections and desserts. The invention......
mezcal, distilled alcoholic beverage derived from the fermented juice of the baked core of the agave plant and......
Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin was a Russian horticulturist who earned the praise of the Soviet government by developing......
migas, a Tex-Mex breakfast dish of scrambled eggs cooked with crunchy corn tortilla pieces, cheese, onions, chili......
milk, liquid secreted by the mammary glands of female mammals to nourish their young for a period beginning immediately......
millet, any of several species of cereal grasses in the family Poaceae, cultivated for their small edible seeds.......
mineral water, water that contains a large quantity of dissolved minerals or gases. Mineral water from natural......
George Richards Minot was an American physician who received (with George Whipple and William Murphy) the Nobel......
mint, (genus Mentha), genus of 25 species of fragrant herbs of the mint family (Lamiaceae). Native to Eurasia,......
miracle fruit, (Synsepalum dulcificum), evergreen shrub of the family Sapotaceae, grown for its mild fruits that......
miso, cultured, fermented paste and seasoning made of soybeans and other ingredients and used as the base for soups......
Mixue Bingcheng, commonly known as Mixue, is a Chinese fast-food company specializing in ice cream, tea-based drinks,......
mochi, rice cakes of Japanese origin. In A Diplomat in Japan (1921), Sir Ernest Satow described mochi as being......
molasses, syrup remaining after sugar is crystallized out of cane or beet juice. Molasses syrup is separated from......
mole, a cooked chili sauce of Mexican origin, considered an essential item of Mexican cuisine. In Mexican Spanish,......
molecular gastronomy, the scientific discipline concerned with the physical and chemical transformations that occur......
Mondelēz International is an American global snack manufacturer spun off from Kraft Foods in 2012. A leader in......
monk fruit, (Siraitia grosvenorii), perennial, herbaceous, tuberous vine found in the humid subtropical mountain......
monosodium glutamate (MSG), white crystalline substance, a sodium salt of the amino acid glutamic acid, that is......
Monterey Jack, mild, smooth cow’s-milk cheese produced mainly in California; it originated in Monterey county but......
mooncake, Chinese pastry traditionally consumed during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Mooncakes are as central to the......
Moonshine is a term typically used to refer to illicitly distilled liquor. The word is derived from the notion......
morel, Any of various species of edible mushrooms in the genera Morchella and Verpa. Morels have a convoluted or......
moringa, (Moringa oleifera), small deciduous tree (family Moringaceae) native to tropical Asia but also naturalized......
moussaka, dish of baked lamb and eggplant prepared throughout the Balkans and Middle East but most closely associated......
mousse, savoury or sweet dish with the consistency of a dense foam, composed of a puréed chief ingredient mixed......
mozzarella, mild, smooth-textured cheese made in its authentic Italian version from the milk of the water buffalo;......
mulberry, (genus Morus), genus of about 10 species of small to medium-sized trees in the family Moraceae and their......
mung bean, (Vigna radiata), legume plant of the pea family (Fabaceae), grown for its edible seeds and young sprouts.......
William P. Murphy was an American physician who with George R. Minot in 1926 reported success in the treatment......
musk cucumber, (Sicana odorifera), perennial vine of the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), native to the New World......
muskmelon, any of several varieties of netted-rind melons in the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), noted for their......
mustard, condiment made from the pungent seeds of either of two main herbs belonging to the family Brassicaceae.......
mutton, flesh of a mature ram or ewe at least one year old. See...
Málaga, sweet, usually red, fortified wine that originated in the southern Spanish Mediterranean coastal province......
Münster cheese, semisoft cow’s-milk cheese that originated in a monastery in Alsace. Though noted for its pungent......
naan, teardrop-shaped, leavened flatbread traditionally baked in a tandoor oven (a beehive-shaped clay oven) or......
Nabisco, former U.S. snack food and bakery product company. The National Biscuit Company was formed in 1898 when......
napa cabbage, (Brassica rapa, variety pekinensis), form of Chinese cabbage, belonging to the mustard family (Brassicaceae),......
natto, Japanese dish consisting of fermented soybeans. Natto begins as cooked soybeans. These are fermented with......
nectarine, (Prunus persica), smooth-skinned peach that is grown throughout the warmer temperate regions of both......
nef, European vessel in the form of a medieval ship, often complete with rigging. Although occasionally made of......
New Coke, reformulated soft drink that the Coca-Cola Company introduced on April 23, 1985, to replace its flagship......
Jacobus Nienhuys was a Dutch businessman and planter who was responsible for establishing the tobacco industry......
noodle, a cooked egg-and-flour paste prominent in European and Asian cuisine, generally distinguished from pasta......
nougat, aerated confection made by mixing nuts and sometimes fruit pieces in a sugar paste, the composition of......
nouvelle cuisine, eclectic style in international cuisine, originating in France during the 1960s and ’70s, that......
NOVA classification, system used to categorize foods according to the extent and purpose of their processing. The......
nutmeg, (Myristica fragrans), tropical evergreen tree (family Myristicaceae) and the spice made of its seed. The......
nutraceutical, type of food substance that helps to maintain health and prevent illness. The term nutraceutical......
nutrient, substance that an organism must obtain from its surroundings for growth and the sustenance of life. So-called......
Sure, we all know that we’re supposed eat a balanced diet to contribute to optimal health. But all foods are not......
nutritional supplement, in foods, any vitamin or mineral added during processing to improve nutritive value and......
nutritional yeast, inactive dried yeast used as a condiment and food product. It is most often made from the Saccharomyces......
oatmeal, edible preparation of oats (Avena sativa), usually served as a warm breakfast. Oatmeal is made from the......
oats, (Avena sativa), domesticated cereal grass (family Poaceae) grown primarily for its edible starchy grains.......
offal, any of various nonmuscular parts of the carcasses of beef and veal, mutton and lamb, and pork, which are......
oil, any greasy substance that is liquid at room temperature and insoluble in water. There are many types, such......
okra, (Abelmoschus esculentus), herbaceous hairy annual plant of the mallow family (Malvaceae) and its edible fruit.......
oleaster, small deciduous tree of Eurasia, about 4.5 to 6 m (15 to 20 feet) high. It has smooth, dark brown branches......
olive oil, oil extracted from the fleshy part of the ripened fruit of the olive tree, Olea europaea. Olive oil......
Jamie Oliver is a British chef who achieved worldwide fame with his television shows The Naked Chef (1999) and......
omakase, Japanese word meaning to “leave to someone else,” which diners at Japanese sushi restaurants use to indicate......
onigiri, popular Japanese snack consisting of a ball or cone of rice, often with a filling and wrapped in nori......
onion, (Allium cepa), herbaceous biennial plant in the amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae) grown for its edible bulb.......
oolong, tea of Chinese origin, made from partially oxidized tea leaves. It therefore falls between a black tea......
orange, any of several species of small trees or shrubs of the genus Citrus of the family Rutaceae and their nearly......
oregano, (Origanum vulgare), aromatic perennial herb of the mint family (Lamiaceae) known for its flavorful dried......
Oregon grape, any of several species of the genus Mahonia, evergreen shrubs of the barberry family (Berberidaceae)......
organic food, fresh or processed food produced by organic farming methods. Organic food is grown without the use......