Instructions: Aquaculture
AH-kwah-kuhl-tcher The cultivation of fish, shellfish or aquatic plants (such as SEAWEED) in natural or controlled marine or freshwater environments. Even though aquaculture began eons ago with the ancient Greeks, it wasnt until the 1980s that the practice finally began to expand rapidly. Aquaculture "farms" take on a variety of forms including huge tanks, freshwater ponds, and shallow- or deep-water marine environments. Today, the farming and harvesting of fish and shellfish is a multimillion-dollar business. Among the most popular denizens of the deep that are farmed are BIVALVE like OYSTERS, CLAM and MUSSEL; CRUSTACEAN like CRAYFISH, LOBSTER and SHRIMP; and FISH like CATFISH, SALMON, TROUT and TILAPIA. See also HYDROPONICS.

aromatic
n. Any of various plants, herbs and spices (such as bay leaf, ginger or parsley) that impart a lively fragrance and flavor to food and drink.

arrowroot
The starchy product of a tropical tuber of the same name. The rootstalks are dried and ground into a very fine powder. Arrowroot is used as a thickening agent for puddings, sauces and other cooked foods, and is more easily digested than wheat flour. Its thickening power is about twice that of wheat flour. Arrowroot is absolutely tasteless and becomes clear when cooked. Unlike cornstarch, it doesnt impart a chalky taste when undercooked. It should be mixed with a cold liquid before being heated or added to hot mixtures. Some English and early American cookie recipes call for arrowroot flour, which is the same product. Arrowroot can be found in supermarkets, health-food stores and Asian markets.

artificial sweeteners
This category of nonnutritive, high-intensity sugar substitutes includes ASPARTAME, ACESULFAME-K and SACCHARIN. Two sweeteners undergoing FDA approval at this writing are ALITAME and SUCRALOSE. Cyclamate lost its FDA approval in 1970. Numerous new sweeteners are in various stages of development or review. Most of these are from two groups: the fructo-oligosaccharides (FO) and the L-sugars.

ascorbic acid
as-KOHR-bihk The scientific name for vitamin C, ascorbic acid is sold for home use to prevent browning of vegetables and fruits. Its used in commercial preparations as an ANTIOXIDANT.

aseptic packaging
uh-SEHP-tihk; a-SEHP-tihk A system of packaging food and drink products so the contents are exposed to a minimal amount of air; such products are typically vacuum-packed. Because oxygen is the major contributor to spoilage in most foods, aseptic packaging can retain a products freshness for several months, even years. Milk, juices, chopped tomatoes and even inexpensive wines are packaged aseptically in plastic bags within cartons or boxes. The bags collapse as the contents are poured out, keeping the remaining food or drink relatively free of air contamination.

aspartame
ah-SPAHR-taym; AS-pahr-taym An ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER thats 180-200 times sweeter than sugar. Its synthesized from two amino acids(aspartic acid and phenylalanine), the building blocks of protein, and contains about 4 calories per gram. Regular aspartame breaks down and loses its sweetness when heated but is excellentfor sweetening cold dishes. A new encapsulated (and therefore heat-stable) form of this sweetener has been developed especially for baking. At this writing, however, its not available to consumers. See also ACESULFAME-K; ALITAME; SACCHARIN; SUCRALOSE.

assaisonne
ah-say-zoh-NAY French for "seasoned" or "seasoned with."

au jus
oh-ZHOO A French phrase describing meat served with its own natural juices, commonly used with beef. See also JUS.

au lait
oh-LAY French for "with milk," referring to foods or beverages served or prepared with milk, as in CAFE AU LAIT.

au naturel
oh-nah-teur-EHL The French term for food served in its natural state-not cooked or altered in any way.

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