Food, MAC-OIL
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
macaron
macaron, sweet, small, round French sandwich cookie made from meringue, almond flour, sugar, and food colouring......
macaroni
macaroni, small tubular form of pasta...
macaroon
macaroon, cookie or small cake made of sugar, egg white, and almonds, ground or in paste form, or coconut. The......
mace
mace, spice consisting of the dried aril, or lacy covering around the seed, of the nutmeg fruit of Myristica fragrans,......
Madeira
Madeira, fortified wine from the Portuguese island of Madeira in the Atlantic. Because the island was a customary......
madeleine
madeleine, delicate scallop-shaped French tea cake often served with fruit or sherbet. In its preparation, flour,......
mafé
mafé, a West African dish consisting of meat in a peanut or peanut butter sauce served over rice or couscous. It......
Maillard reaction
Maillard reaction, is a non-enzymatic reaction that occurs between amino acids and reducing sugars under heat.......
Malt
Malt, grain product that is used in beverages and foods as a basis for fermentation and to add flavour and nutrients.......
Mamey apple
Mamey apple, (Mammea americana), large tree and its edible fruit (family Calophyllaceae), native to the West Indies......
Mango
Mango, (Mangifera indica), member of the cashew family (Anacardiaceae) and one of the most important and widely......
mangosteen
mangosteen, (Garcinia mangostana), handsome tropical tree (family Clusiaceae) native to Southeast Asia and cultivated......
Manhattan
Manhattan, cocktail typically made with rye whiskey or bourbon, vermouth, and bitters and traditionally served......
manna
manna, in biblical literature, one or more of the foods that sustained the Israelites during the 40 years that......
manna
manna, any of a variety of plants and plant products known for their sweet taste. Certain resins produced by the......
maple syrup
maple syrup, sweet syrup made by concentrating the sap of certain species of North American maple trees, chiefly......
margarine
margarine, food product made principally from one or more vegetable or animal fats or oils in which is dispersed......
margarita
margarita, cocktail traditionally prepared with tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice. Margaritas are usually......
marjoram
marjoram, (Origanum majorana), perennial plant of the mint family (Lamiaceae), grown as a culinary herb. Its fresh......
Mars, Inc.
Mars, Inc. is a global corporation that manufactures products in many different categories, including food, confectionery,......
marshmallow
marshmallow, aerated candy that originated as a versatile medicinal syrup and ointment; it was made from root sap......
martini
martini, an alcoholic drink traditionally made with gin and dry vermouth and sometimes made with vodka in lieu......
marzipan
marzipan, a malleable confection of crushed almonds or almond paste, sugar, and whites of eggs. Soft marzipan is......
mascarpone
mascarpone, an Italian cream cheese. Mascarpone is one of Italy’s most distinguished cheeses. Some believe its......
mast
mast, in botany, nuts or fruits of trees and shrubs, such as beechnuts, acorns, and berries, that accumulate on......
matcha
matcha, powdered green tea of Japanese origin by way of China, and popular among tea connoisseurs everywhere. Matcha......
mate
mate, tealike beverage, popular in many South American countries, brewed from the dried leaves of an evergreen......
matsutake mushroom
matsutake mushroom, (Tricholoma matsutake), prized edible and medicinal wood-dwelling fungus of the family Tricholomataceae......
Matthew, Patrick
Patrick Matthew was a Scottish landowner and agriculturalist best known for his development of an early description......
matzo
matzo, unleavened bread eaten by Jews during the holiday of Passover (Pesaḥ) in commemoration of their Exodus from......
mayonnaise
mayonnaise, cold sauce originating in French cuisine, an emulsion of raw egg yolks and vegetable oil. As the yolks......
mazer
mazer, medieval drinking bowl of turned (shaped on a lathe) wood, usually spotted maple. The oldest extant examples,......
McCartney, Linda
Linda McCartney was an American photographer and musician who was widely known for her marriage to musician Paul......
Mead
Mead, alcoholic beverage fermented from honey and water; sometimes yeast is added to accelerate the fermentation.......
meat
meat, the flesh or other edible parts of animals (usually domesticated cattle, swine, and sheep) used for food,......
Meat Inspection Act of 1906
Meat Inspection Act of 1906, U.S. legislation, signed by Pres. Theodore Roosevelt on June 30, 1906, that prohibited......
meat processing
meat processing, preparation of meat for human consumption. Meat is the common term used to describe the edible......
medlar
medlar, (genus Mespilus), either of two species of the genus Mespilus of the rose family (Rosaceae). The common......
melon
melon, (Cucumis melo), trailing vine in the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), grown for its often musky-scented edible......
meringue
meringue, mixture of stiffly beaten egg whites and sugar that is used in confections and desserts. The invention......
mezcal
mezcal, distilled alcoholic beverage derived from the fermented juice of the baked core of the agave plant and......
Michurin, Ivan Vladimirovich
Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin was a Russian horticulturist who earned the praise of the Soviet government by developing......
migas
migas, a Tex-Mex breakfast dish of scrambled eggs cooked with crunchy corn tortilla pieces, cheese, onions, chili......
milk
milk, liquid secreted by the mammary glands of female mammals to nourish their young for a period beginning immediately......
Millet
Millet, any of several species of cereal grasses in the family Poaceae, cultivated for their small edible seeds.......
minari
minari, (Oenanthe javanica), perennial herb in the carrot family (Apiaceae) that grows in wetlands and is widely......
mineral water
mineral water, water that contains a large quantity of dissolved minerals or gases. Mineral water from natural......
Minot, George Richards
George Richards Minot was an American physician who received (with George Whipple and William Murphy) the Nobel......
mint
mint, (genus Mentha), genus of 25 species of fragrant herbs of the mint family (Lamiaceae). Native to Eurasia,......
miracle fruit
miracle fruit, (Synsepalum dulcificum), evergreen shrub of the family Sapotaceae, grown for its mild fruits that......
miso
miso, cultured, fermented paste and seasoning made of soybeans and other ingredients and used as the base for soups......
Mixue
Mixue Bingcheng, commonly known as Mixue, is a Chinese fast-food company specializing in ice cream, tea-based drinks,......
mochi
mochi, rice cakes of Japanese origin. In A Diplomat in Japan (1921), Sir Ernest Satow described mochi as being......
molasses
molasses, syrup remaining after sugar is crystallized out of cane or beet juice. Molasses syrup is separated from......
mole
mole, a cooked chili sauce of Mexican origin, considered an essential item of Mexican cuisine. In Mexican Spanish,......
molecular gastronomy
molecular gastronomy, the scientific discipline concerned with the physical and chemical transformations that occur......
Mondelēz International
Mondelēz International is an American global snack manufacturer spun off from Kraft Foods in 2012. A leader in......
monk fruit
monk fruit, (Siraitia grosvenorii), perennial, herbaceous, tuberous vine found in the humid subtropical mountain......
monosodium glutamate
monosodium glutamate (MSG), white crystalline substance, a sodium salt of the amino acid glutamic acid, that is......
Monterey Jack
Monterey Jack, mild, smooth cow’s-milk cheese produced mainly in California; it originated in Monterey county but......
mooncake
mooncake, Chinese pastry traditionally consumed during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Mooncakes are as central to the......
moonshine
Moonshine is a term typically used to refer to illicitly distilled liquor. The word is derived from the notion......
morel
morel, Any of various species of edible mushrooms in the genera Morchella and Verpa. Morels have a convoluted or......
moringa
moringa, (Moringa oleifera), small deciduous tree (family Moringaceae) native to tropical Asia but also naturalized......
moussaka
moussaka, dish of baked lamb and eggplant prepared throughout the Balkans and Middle East but most closely associated......
mousse
mousse, savoury or sweet dish with the consistency of a dense foam, composed of a puréed chief ingredient mixed......
mozzarella
mozzarella, mild, smooth-textured cheese made in its authentic Italian version from the milk of the water buffalo;......
mulberry
mulberry, (genus Morus), genus of about 10 species of small to medium-sized trees in the family Moraceae and their......
Mung bean
Mung bean, (Vigna radiata), legume plant of the pea family (Fabaceae), grown for its edible seeds and young sprouts.......
Murphy, William P.
William P. Murphy was an American physician who with George R. Minot in 1926 reported success in the treatment......
musk cucumber
musk cucumber, (Sicana odorifera), perennial vine of the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), native to the New World......
muskmelon
muskmelon, any of several varieties of netted-rind melons in the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), noted for their......
mustard
mustard, condiment made from the pungent seeds of either of two main herbs belonging to the family Brassicaceae.......
mutton
mutton, flesh of a mature ram or ewe at least one year old. See...
Málaga
Málaga, sweet, usually red, fortified wine that originated in the southern Spanish Mediterranean coastal province......
Münster cheese
Münster cheese, semisoft cow’s-milk cheese that originated in a monastery in Alsace. Though noted for its pungent......
naan
naan, teardrop-shaped, leavened flatbread traditionally baked in a tandoor oven (a beehive-shaped clay oven) or......
Nabisco
Nabisco, former U.S. snack food and bakery product company. The National Biscuit Company was formed in 1898 when......
napa cabbage
napa cabbage, (Brassica rapa, variety pekinensis), form of Chinese cabbage, belonging to the mustard family (Brassicaceae),......
natto
natto, Japanese dish consisting of fermented soybeans. Natto begins as cooked soybeans. These are fermented with......
Nectarine
Nectarine, (Prunus persica), smooth-skinned peach that is grown throughout the warmer temperate regions of both......
nef
nef, European vessel in the form of a medieval ship, often complete with rigging. Although occasionally made of......
New Coke
New Coke, reformulated soft drink that the Coca-Cola Company introduced on April 23, 1985, to replace its flagship......
New Year’s Food Traditions from Around the World
The arrival of a new year is welcomed by different cultures in varied ways. It is a time to feast and hope for......
Nienhuys, Jacobus
Jacobus Nienhuys was a Dutch businessman and planter who was responsible for establishing the tobacco industry......
noodle
noodle, a cooked egg-and-flour paste prominent in European and Asian cuisine, generally distinguished from pasta......
nougat
nougat, aerated confection made by mixing nuts and sometimes fruit pieces in a sugar paste, the composition of......
nouvelle cuisine
nouvelle cuisine, eclectic style in international cuisine, originating in France during the 1960s and ’70s, that......
NOVA classification
NOVA classification, system used to categorize foods according to the extent and purpose of their processing. The......
nutmeg
nutmeg, (Myristica fragrans), tropical evergreen tree (family Myristicaceae) and the spice made of its seed. The......
nutraceutical
nutraceutical, type of food substance that helps to maintain health and prevent illness. The term nutraceutical......
nutrient
nutrient, substance that an organism must obtain from its surroundings for growth and the sustenance of life. So-called......
Nutritional Powerhouses: 8 Foods That Pack a Nutritional Punch
Sure, we all know that we’re supposed eat a balanced diet to contribute to optimal health. But all foods are not......
nutritional supplement
nutritional supplement, in foods, any vitamin or mineral added during processing to improve nutritive value and......
nutritional yeast
nutritional yeast, inactive dried yeast used as a condiment and food product. It is most often made from the Saccharomyces......
oatmeal
oatmeal, edible preparation of oats (Avena sativa), usually served as a warm breakfast. Oatmeal is made from the......
Oats
Oats, (Avena sativa), domesticated cereal grass (family Poaceae) grown primarily for its edible starchy grains.......
offal
offal, any of various nonmuscular parts of the carcasses of beef and veal, mutton and lamb, and pork, which are......
oil
oil, any greasy substance that is liquid at room temperature and insoluble in water. There are many types, such......