Glossary Y

Deutsch: Yamato / Español: Yamato / Português: Yamato / Français: Yamato / Italiano: Yamato

Yamato in the food context often refers to Yamato Imo or Yamato Nadeshiko, which are types of ingredients or cuisine styles related to traditional Japanese food. The term "Yamato" is historically significant, denoting ancient Japan or Japanese heritage, and is associated with traditional Japanese products and ingredients.

Yakbap refers to one of the rice dishes from Korea. It is made of glutinous rice mixed with various ingredients to gove it flavor, like honey, dates, chestnuts. It is then steamed in an eartherware steamer. Yakbap is one of Korea's traditional foods.

Deutsch: Joghurt / Indian: Thayer
Yogurt or yoghurt or yoghourt is a fermented milk product (soy milk, nut milks such as almond milk, and coconut milk can also be used) produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as "yogurt cultures". Fermentation of lactose by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give yogurt its texture and its characteristic tang.

Deutsch: Hefe / Español: Levadura / Português: Levedura / Français: Levure / Italiano: Lievito

Yeast is an eukaryotic microorganism classified in the kingdom Fungi, with 1,500 species currently described. Yeasts are unicellular, although some species with yeast forms may become multicellular through the formation of strings of connected budding cells known as pseudohyphae, or false hyphae, as seen in most molds.

Yufka refers to ready-made very thin and delicate pastry dough or leaves used in Turkey and Greece for making sweet and savory dishes with fillings and stuffings, like Baklava and Börek/Boerek, respectively.

Yufka which are sold in plastic packs are sometimes available in big supermarkets. If a Turkish foodshop is nearby, Yufka will definitely be available. If it is not readily available, sheets of phyllo/filo dough can be use as a substitute.

I encountered my first Yufka when I discovered a small Turkish shop nearby my home. I was so happy to find there, almost everything I want, like Lentils, preserved chilis, Olives, Eggplant, Banana pepper, Spinach, Chickpeas, Fresh herbs and spices, like Parsley, Dill and most especially, the fresh Coriander which is my favorite.

Yufka is a work of a great cook. It is as thin as a paper, soft and delicate, like it was rolled and flattened and rolled again to arrive at the final product. I salute those Turkish housewives and cooks who still make Yufka today. It is truly an amazing food invention. I made my first experiment with Yufka, I think I failed, but now I know better how to handle Yufka.

The pictures below is a pack of Yufka, I bought in this wonderful Turkish Foodshop where I only need 10 minutes to reach by foot. Now, I am excited to make Börek and maybe later my first Baklava and Im sure I will already be a Yufka friend.