Spanish Vocabulary - La cocina
Just a note, this post is coming from a different one that was talking about restaurant vocab.
Many of these words are equally useful, but obviously you would need to worry less about knowing mesero/a or camarero/a if you’re talking about the kitchen.
el restaurante = restaurant
el salón = the large room
poco hecho/a OR poco cocido/a = rare [meat]
medio hecho/a OR medio cocido/a = medium well [meat]
bien hecho/a OR bien cocido/a = well done [meat]
la comida rápida = fast-food
la comida basura = junk food [lit. “trash food”]
los palillos chinos = chopsticks [lit. “little Chinese sticks”]
la copa = wine glass [goblet]
la taza = coffee cup / teacup
la lata = can (of something) [lit. “tin”]
la bebida = drink / beverage
el agua (f.) = water [a feminine noun with a masc. article]
el vino blanco = white wine
la soda / el refresco / la cola / la gaseosa = soda / pop
el té = tea [té negro = black tea, té verde = green tea, té blanco = white tea]
el zumo = juice [typically Spain or Mexico]
el jugo = juice [typically Latin America]
el almuerzo / la comida = lunch
[for some places la comida meaning “meal” or “food” is used for a midday meal, while almuerzo is “lunch” as well but less common in some places]
el plato principal / el plato fuerte = entrée / main dish
el menú / la carta = menu
¿Cuál…? / ¿Cuáles…? - Which…? / Which ones…?
Appliances / Furniture / Rooms
la estufa = stove / stovetop
el gabinete, los gabinetes = cabinet, cabinets
el armario = closet OR cupboard
la despensa = cupboard OR pantry
la encimera = counter [Spain]
el mesón = counter [Colombia]
la mesada = counter [Argentina]
el tope = counter [Venezuela]
el refrigerador = refrigerator
la nevera / la heladera / el congelador = freezer / ice box
el lavaplatos = dishwasher
el microondas = microwave
el tostador / la tostadora = toaster
la vajilla = silverware / flatware
el aparato = device / appliance
el electrodoméstico = device / appliance
el utensilio, los utensilios = utensils
los cubiertos, la cubertería = cutlery / silverware / place settings
la batidora = mixer (or potentially “blender”)
la licuadora = blender [Latin America mostly]
poner la mesa = to set the table
las verduras = vegetables
el pescado = fish (to be eaten)
los lácteos = dairy (food group)
sabroso/a = tasty / flavorful
la manteca / la mantequilla = butter [manteca or mantequilla depends on where you are]
la salsa de tomate / la ketchup / la catsup = ketchup
la salsa = sauce OR salsa
el pollo = chicken OR poultry
la salchica = sausage OR hot dog
el camarón / los camarones = shrimp [sometimes seen as la gamba which may be used interchangeably, or for “prawn”]
el macarrón / los macarrones = macaroni [also known as los coditos “little elbows”]
el pimiento (rojo/verde) = (red/green) pepper
el ají / el chile = pepper [often Bell peppers or spicier peppers]
el hongo, la seta = mushroom
los frijoles / las alubias / las habichuelas = beans
el haba / las habas = beans (bigger, usually) [fava beans OR el haba de cacao is “cocoa beans”, el haba de café “coffee beans]
la papa, la patata = potato
las papas/patatas fritas = French fries
la naranja / la mandarina = orange
la fresa = strawberry [in some places it’s la frutilla]
el arándano (azul) / la mora azul = blueberry [in some cases arándano is “blackberry” as well]
el durazno / el melocotón = peach [Latin America / Spain, respectively]
la piña / el ananá = pineapple [Latin America / (sometimes) Spain, respectively]
la masa = dough (or corn masa)
la torta / el pastel = cake
la torta = pie, cobbler (etc.)
la tortilla = omelette OR tortilla
el cacahuete / el maní = peanut
glaseado / glacé = frosted / with frosting / glazed
la nuez / las nueces = nuts [in general, but also refers to “hazelnut”]
las hierbas / las yerbas = herbs
el pimentero = pepper shaker
la pimienta de Jamaica = allspice [Jamaican allspice]
la (pimienta de) cayena = cayenne pepper
el clavo, los clavos = cloves
el cilantro / el coriandro = coriander
la hoja/hojita de laurel = bay leaf
la hierbabuena / la yerbabuena = peppermint
alcohólico/a = alcoholic / with alcohol
la bebida alcohólica = alcoholic drink/beverage
una copa = a glass (of wine / alcohol)
el vino blanco = white wine
la soda = seltzer / club soda
el refresco / la gaseosa / la cola = soda / pop / cola
___ con gas = sparkling ___
sobre hielo / con hielo = on the rocks / with ice
la cerveza negra / oscura = ale
la cerveza inglesa / la cerveza de malta = ale
la cerveza rubia / lager = lager
la cerveza tirada / de barril = draft beer
el aguamiel / el hidromiel = mead
el whisky / el whiskey = whiskey
el (whisky) escocés = scotch
el Bourbon / borbón = Bourbon
el licor = liquor / liqueur
la coctelera = cocktail shaker
agitar la coctelera = to shake the shaker
*Note: Most cuisines also function as nationalities or ethnicities. The main difference is that cuisine is implied to be regional, and feminine.
I say feminine because the adjectives that follow are often in reference to la comida “food”, la cocina “cuisine / way of cooking”, or in very formal settings it's la gastronomía.
la cocina = cuisine / cooking style
la cocina buena = fine dining / good cooking
la gastronomía = gastronomy / cooking
gastronómico/a = related to food and dining / gastronomical
la comida china = Chinese food
la comida italiana = Italian food
la comida mexicana = Mexican food
la comida española = Spanish food
la comida francesa = French food
la comida india / hindú = Indian food
la comida japonesa = Japanese food
la comida rusa = Russian food
la comida griega = Greek food
la comida marroquí = Morroccan food
la comida vietnamita = Vietnamese food
la comida mediterránea = Mediterranean Food
la cocina francesa = French cooking / French cuisine
la cocina mexicana = Mexican cooking / Mexican cuisine
la gastronomía de Francia = French cuisine
el ayuno = a fast / fasting
ayunar = to fast / to go without eating
desayunar = to eat breakfast
*el almuerzo = to eat lunch
*la merienda = tea time / high tea [dated, and very British]
*merendar = to take tea [dated, and very British]
la tapa, las tapas = tapas / bar food / food to be eaten with alcohol, usually at a bar
picotear = to snack in between meals / to nibble on something / to peck at
comerse = to eat up / to devour / to consume [more common in spoken Spanish in some places]
Provecho / Buen provecho / Que aproveche(n) = Enjoy the meal / Bon appétit
*Note: There are some places that will use comer or la comida to mean “lunch” rather than el almuerzo or almorzar.
This is considered a regionalism, but it can qualify as a partial false cognate in that someone would see comer and think “to eat”… not necessarily “to eat lunch”.
It’s really defined by context, but the way I list it is more how it shows up in a textbook.
vegetariano/a = vegetarian
camarero/a = waiter / waitress [more Europe]
mesero/a = waiter / waitress [more Latin America]
el cocinero, la cocinera = cook
panadero/a = baker [often bread; el pan]
pastelero/a OR repostelero/a = pastry chef
el restaurador / la restauradora = restaurant owner
el dueño / la dueña = owner
el / la ayudante = helper
repartidor / repartidora = delivery person
el/la recepcionista = receptionist / host(ess) / person answering the phones
[There isn’t really a word for a “host” or “hostess” in Spanish in the sense of someone who greets you and seats you. A “host” will be anfitrión / anfitriona but that’s more someone who invites you to their house]
ser alérgico/a a algo = to be allergic to something
poner la mesa = to set the table
tomar = to eat, to drink, to take
pedir = to ask for, to order [in the sense of making a request for food]
servir un vaso de agua = to pour a glass of water
poner un vaso de agua = to pour a glass of water
pagar en efectivo = to pay in cash
recomendar = to recommend
helar, congelar = to freeze
hornear = to bake in the oven
glasear / escarchar = to frost (something)
probar = to taste / to try
sazonar, aliñar, aderezar = to season, to add spices
llevar = for a dish to contain (something)
el plato lleva… = the dish contains…
¿Qué lleva este plato? = What does this dish contain?
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