Vegan Cooking Terms You Need to Know

When you decide to go vegan you will be faced with a lot of new cooking terms that you may not be familiar with. In order to prepare vegan dishes you will need to learn these terms. Some of the most commonly used vegan cooking terms include: vegan, raw veganism, nutritional yeast and agar.

Vegan Definition

A good place to start when learning about vegan cooking terms is "vegan." A vegan is a person who has a diet that is devoid of animal food products. They do not eat meat, eggs or dairy products. All vegans are vegetarians, but not all vegetarians are vegans.

Raw Veganism Definition

Raw Veganism is a sub-culture of the raw food movement. This group of people believe that it is healthier to eat vegan foods that have not been processed, and that have in particular, have not been cooked. The rule of thumb for this food movement is that you cannot eat anything that has been heated over 115 degrees F. This rule helps to preserve the nutrients and the natural digestive enzymes that are found within the food that you eat.

Nutritional Yeast Definition

Nutritional yeast is a vegan food product that is used as a flavor agent as well as a nutritional supplement. It is made by deactivating a yeast. The strain of yeast that is used for nutritional yeast is similar to the strain used in Brewer's yeast. Many manufacturers of nutritional yeast fortify their products with B vitamin complexes, particularly Vitamin B12.

Agar Definition

Agar is the vegetarian version of gelatin. It is made from vegetables harvested from the sea floor like algae. It is used as a thickener in vegan cooking. It can also be used for making gelatin molds.

Casein Definition

Casein is a protein that is found in milk. It is often added to vegetarian products that are designed to replace dairy products. If you are a vegan you need to avoid products that contain this ingredient, which will include many protein shakes.

Tahini Definition

Tahini is a paste that is made by mixing oil with ground sesame seeds. It is used for flavoring ethnic dishes, and is very tasty.

Textured Vegetarian Protein Definition

Textured vegetarian protein is like dehydrated tofu. It is a high fiber, high protein product that can be used to add texture and nutrients to vegan dishes like soups, stir fries and salads.