We quizzed city chefs to test their knowledge of kitchen lingo

Chef Parvana Mistry, director of operations, Parsi Dairy Farm ADVERTISEMENT I CAN imagine my children saying this word; I guess having young kids helps to keep up with slang terms. I know they use it to describe something that has got them excited or that’s good, cool or happening. It’s an African rice-based dish but [to a Mumbaikar’s ear] it sounds like a fun combination of jelly and rice, don’t you think? I’m not sure but is it used to describe a crackling texture? It’s a nice way of calling a chef.

Kulfi popsicle – A large pick-and-go popsicle in all kulfi flavours with Indian mithai toppings at Parsi Dairy Farm. 3/4 Chef Moshe Shek, culinary entrepreneur and founder, Knead by Moshe Shek To make something very fancy like a chef. An added touch on a simple dish perhaps.

Zhuzh? Sounds like a [fancy or funny] pronunciation of juice! Haha! Someone who is training in the kitchen. 2/3 Chef Rahul Shrivastava, executive chef, Sesame – Hyatt Centric Juhu The name describes it; it’s when you smash the patty of a burger. Think of aloo tuk; what is it? You take aloo and smash it to make a patty.

There you go, smashburger! Oh, what is this? Is this related to making something better, making something in chef-style? It’s the chef way of doing something, it’s chef-style. During the pandemic, everyone was ‘cheffy’, where they made [plated] dishes and took photos of them. We’ve also used this term for the last 15 years.

It’s a polite way to call the chef. For instance, the F&B manager calls the chef with love — ‘cheffy, can you please do this’ or ‘cheffy, the guest has a request’. It’s like a papad, it’s a SouthEast Asian chip-like item.

Okay, chef – This phrase is an emotion. It means ‘I hear you, whatever is said will be done’. There are variants across fields like ‘yes, captain’.

4/4 Chef Akash Deshpande, chef de cuisine, Nava A person who interns in the kitchen for free for a few months instead of going to culinary school. No clue! I’m assuming it’s a dish of flavoured rice. I know this, it’s when you press down or smash the patty of a burger.

Is it related to a busboy? Bhasad – I’m pretty sure every chef uses this term. It refers to the time when the kitchen is extremely chaotic or busy. 3/4 Correct Answers A slightly bitter cracker or chip popular in Indonesia that is made from the dried flattened seed of the melinjo tree An unpaid intern working in a professional kitchen as part of their training to become a chef A hamburger patty that is pressed thin onto a heated pan or griddle at the start of cooking A small improvement, adjustment, or addition that completes the overall look, taste, etc.

of something Extremely good, excellent A West African dish of rice cooked in a sauce of tomatoes and onions seasoned usually with garlic, thyme, hot pepper, and other spices and often accompanied by meat, fish, or vegetables Characteristic of or befitting a professional chef (as in showiness, complexity, or exoticness).