Find the meaning of Italian food terms that you see in recipes and on our cooking courses in Tuscany


Dictionary

# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
There are currently 255 names in this directory beginning with the letter M.
macaira
sea fish: marlin
maccheroni
macaroni
macchia
(of tablecloth &c) stain
macchiare
(of liquid) to add a dash to; (of tablecloth) to stain
macchiato
a (of coffee) with a dash of milk
macchina
(of coffee/ice &c) machine; apparatus
macchinetta
(of coffee/ice &c) machine; apparatus
macedonia di frutta
fruit cocktail; fruit-salad
macellaio (a)
butcher
macelleria
(of shop) butcher’s
macello
abattoir
macerare
to macerate; to soak; (of meat &c) to marinate
macerato
a macerated; soaked; (of meat &c) marinated
macerazione
maceration; soaking
macero
a macerated; soaked
macinacaffe
coffee-mill; coffee-grinder
macinapepe
pepper-mill
macinare
(of meat) to mince; (of coffee) to grind; (of corn) to grind; to crush
macinato
a (of pepper/coffee) ground; (of meat) minced
macinatoio
(of pepper/coffee) grinder; (of meat) mincer
macinino
(of pepper/coffee) grinder; (of meat) mincer
macis
(of spice) mace
madera
(of fortified wine) Madeira
madia
cupboard; bin; bread bin
mafarka
rice/coffee/lemon peql pudding
magagna
(of fruit &c) blemish, imperfection
maggio
May
maggiorana
marjoram
maggiorazione
(of price) extra charge
maggiordomo
butler
magnum
(of bottle) magnum
magrezza
(of meat) leanness
magro
a (of meat) lean; (of bacon) back; low-fat; meagre; thin; fasting
maiale
pig; pork; hog
maialino
piglet; – da latte suckling pig
maionese
(of sauce) mayonnaise
mais
maize; sweetcorn
maitre
maitre d’hotel
malacarne
(of meat) cheap cut
malfatto
cheese/spinach gnocchi; ravioli
malo
a bad; off; sour
maltaggio
malting
maltagliati
rough-cut pasta
maltasi
maltase
malvasia
malmsey
mancanza
scarcity; shortage
mancia
(of service charge) tip
mandarino
mandarin; tangerine; anatra -a mandarin duck
mandorla
almond; kernel; crema (pasta) di -e frangipane; -e pelate blanched almonds
mandorlato
almondincluding; almond/caramel cake
mangereccio
a edible
mangiabile
a (of meal quality) edible
mangiare
to eat; nm eating; cooking; food; da – cruda (of apple) eating
mangiarino
delicacy
mangiatutto
a (of peas) mange-tout
mangiucchiare
to nibble
mango
mango
mangostano
mangosteen
manicaretto
dainty; delicacy
manico
(of pan) handle
manioca
(of flour) cassava, manioc
manna
manna
mannaia
meat cleaver
mantecato
a creamy; (of fish) in rich creamy sauce; cream of [ ] mantecare : vt to whisk; to whip
mantenersi
(of food) to preserve; to keep
mantovana
almond-dusted cake; alla – pumpkin-based
manuale
manual; handbook; – di istruzioni (~ d’utilizzo) operating manual
manzo
beef
mapo
(of fruit) grapefruit clementine cross
marasca
morello cherry
maraschino
maraschino
Marche
(of region) Marches
marcio
a (of fruit &c) bad, rotten, off
mare
sea; frutti di – seafood; M- Adriatico Adriatic Sea; – Ionio Ionian Sea; M- Mediterraneo Mediterranean Sea; – Tirreno Tyrrhenian Sea
marena
morello cherry
marenata
morello cherry syrup
marengo
a (of chicken) Marengo; fried/tomatoed crayfish/egg-garnished; oil/ wine/garlic embellished
margarina
margarine
margarita
margarita; lemon/ tequila cocktail
margherita
a (of pizza) mozzarella/tomato/basilgarnished
marinara (alla)
a lightly tomatosauced; (of fish) onion/garlic parsley-ed
marinare
to marinate (marinade); to pickle
marinaro
a seaside; seafooddressed; (of pizza) anchovy/ olive/tomato/caper-garnished
marinata
marinade; pickle
marinato
a marinaded; pickled; soused
marinatura
marinading
maritozzo
sweet bun
marmellata
jam; – di agrumi marmalade; sfogliatina alla ~ jam-puff
marmitta
earthenware pot, casserole, stewing-pot marmorizzato a (of cake) ~a marble
marron glace
marron glace; crystallized chestnut
marrone
chestnut
marsala
(of fortified wine) Marsala
marsigliese (alla)
a of Marseilles
marsovino
porpoise
martedi
Tuesday; – grasso pancake day; Mardi Gras; Shrove Tuesday
martini dry
dry Martini
marzaiola
(of duck) garganey
marzapane
marzipan
marzo
March
mascarpone
(mascherpone) nm soft fresh cow’s milk cream cheese
mascella
jaw; chap
maschio
cock; male bird; (of animal) buck; (of gamebird) blackcock; a (of gender) male
massaia
housewife; alla – simply cooked
masticare
to chew
matrimonio
marriage; an,oiversario – wedding anniversary
mattatoio
abattoir
matterello
rolling-pin
mattina
morning
mattone
brick; (of pizza) wood-fire-brick cooked
mattonella
(of ice-cream) brick
maturare
vUvi (of fruit) to ripen
maturato
a (of fruit) ripened; matured
maturita
ripeness
maturo
a mature; ripe; ready; aged; mellow
mazza di tamburo
(of mushroom) parasol
mazzacuogno
king prawn; imperial prawn
mazzancolla
king prawn; imperial prawn
mazzo
(of flowers/vegetables) bunch
medaglia
(of excellence) medal
medaglione
round slice, medallion
medio
a (of oven temperature &c) medium; moderate; average
mediterraneo
Mediterranean
megattera
(of whale) humpback
megnesia effervescente aromatizzata
sherbet
mela
apple; – da cuocere (of apple) cooker; – cotogna quince; – granata pomegranate; – renetta pippin; – selvatica crab-apple
melagrana
pomegranate
melangola
bitter orange
melanzana
aubergine; egg plant; – alla parmigiana parmesan/tomato-sauced
melarancia
sweet orange
melarosa
(of fruit) rose apple
melassa
golden syrup
melba
a (of peach) melba
melograno
pomegranate
melone
rim melon
mensa
dining-room; canteen dining-hall; table; (of military) mess; mess-hall; buono – luncheon voucher
menta
mint; (of confectionery) peppermint; – piperita peppermint; – Romana peppermint; – verde spearmint
mentina
peppermint; mint
mentuccia
wild mint
menu
menu
mercatino
local market
mercato
market; a buon – cheap; good value; – Comune Common Market; – coperto covered market; – ortofrutticolo fruit and vegetable market; – del pesce fish market; – rionale local market
mercoledi
Wednesday; – delle ceneri Ash Wednesda~
merenda
snack
merendina
light-snack
meringa
meringue
meringata
cream/meringue cake
meringato
a meringued
merlango (merlano)
whiting; – nero pollack; saithe; coley
merlo
blackbird
merluzzetto
codling
merluzzo
cod; uova di ~ cod’s roe
mescere
(of beer &c) to pour; to top-up
mescita
wine shop; (of jug) pouring-out
mescitore (mescitrice)
barman (barmaid)
mescolamento
mixing
mescolanza
mixture
mescolata
(of salad &c) toss; stir
mescolatore
(of equipment) blender
messe
harvest; crop
messicano
a Mexican; beef olive
mestolata
ladleful meta nf half
mestolo (mestola)
ladle; scoop
mettere
(of table) to lay; to set; to place
meuniere (alla)
a cooked in butter/parsley/lemon
mezzaluna
double-handled crescent chopping-knife
mezzanino
mezzanine
mezzanotte
midnight
mezzo
half; (of wine) half-litre; – bicchiere small bottle; – cotto half-cooked; -a pensione half-board; -a pinta half-pint
mezzogiorno
lunchtime; midday; noon; intervallo di – lunch-hour
mezzosangue
(of animal) crossbreed
microonde
microwave oven
midolla
crumb
miele
honey; – in favi honeycomb
mieloso
a sugary; honeyed mietere, vt to harvest
mietitura
(of wheat) harvest
migliaccio
black pudding; chestnut cake
miglio
millet
milanese (alla)
a (of meat) breaded; (of rice) saffroned; (of risotto) white wine/ parmesan/saffroned; cotoletta alla – wiener schnitzel
milk-shake
milk-shake; malted milk
millefoglie
cream puff pastry
millesimato
a vintage; non – non-vintage
milligrammo
milligramme
mimosa
mimosa
minerva
safety-match
minestra
soup; first course; ~ indiana al curry mulligatawny soup
minestrina
consomme
minestrone
minestrone
minutaglia
(of fish) fry
minuto
a very small
mirtillo
blueberry; whortleberry; bilberry; huckleberry; – rosso cranberry
mirto
myrtle
miscela
(of whisky &c) blend; mixture
miscelare
to mix; to blend
miscelatore
a mixing; blending
miscelatura
mixing; blending
mischiare
to mix; to blend
misoltino
freshwater fish: dried lake sardine
misticanza
(of salad) wild/cultivated mix
misto
a (of grill/fruit &c) mixed
mistra
anis liqueur
mistura
mixture
misura
measure
misurare
to measure
misurino
measure; measuring-scoop; cocktail measure, jigger
mitilicoltura
mussel-farming
mitilo
mussel
mobile bar
cocktail cabinet
moccolo di candela
candle-end
modellare
to shape; to mould
modulo
(of kitchen furniture) unit; module
moleccha
soft-shelled crab moka : nf mocha
molisano
a (of region) of Molise molle a doughy; soft
mollette
(of ice/sugar) tongs; -o a slightly soft
mollica
soft part of bread; -¢ crumbs
molluschicoltura
mollusc farming
mollusco
mollusc, shellfish clam
molva
sea fish: ling
mondare
(of grain/nuts) to hull; (of fruit) to peel
mondatura
(of fruit) peeling mondo a peeled
moneta
coin; telefono a -e pay-phone
montagnola
hill
montare
(of eggs) to beat; tc whip
montato
a (of cream) whipped
montebianco
chestnut/chocolate/meringue/cream
montone
mutton; collo di – scrag-end
mora
blackberry; mulberry
mora di gelso
mulberry
mora di rovo
blackberry; – camemoro nf cloudberry
morbido
a soft; smooth
mordere
to-bite
morena
lamprey
moro
mulberry; testa di – plain chocolate
morso
mouthful; bite
mortadella
mortadella; large spicy pork sausage
moscaiola
meat safe
moscardino
squid; eledone
moscatello
muscatel
moscato
muscat; noce -a nutmeg
mosco
musk deer
Mosella
Moselle
mostacciuoli
moustache shaped biscuits
mostarda
french mustard; ~ di Cremona (of fruit) syrup ed pickled candies; – di frutta (of preserves) fruit mustard
mosto
(of wine) must
mozzarella
mozzarella; buffalo/cow’s milk cheese; ~ in carrozza bread/mozzarella fritter; – milanese cheese fried in eggs/bread crumbs
mucca
cow
muffa
mould
mug
mug
muggine comune
sea fish: grey mullet
mugnaia (alla -)
a parsley/butter/lemon-cooked; (a la) meuniere; miller’s wife method
multiplano
a (of carpark &c) multistorey
murena
sea fish: moray eel
muscolo
brawn; lean meat; muscle; mollusc: mussel
musso
(of pig) snout
mussola
muslin
muta
(of wine) decanting
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