What are the Standard Terms Used to Describe Liquid Viscosity in Cooking?
When describing the thickness of a sauce or other liquid when cooking, what are the standard terms that should be used?
I've heard things like "gravy-like" or talk of coating metal spoons, but I'd like to know if there's a list of "standard terms" that are known to most chefs/cooks.
Best Answer
The one I hear most often in professional kitchens is nappe, which is the "coat the back of a spoon" test. That is the general starting point for an average sauce that you can use in a wide variety of dishes; it is thick enough to cling to food without being stodgy.
Beyond that, I'm not familiar with other standard professional terms specifically for viscocity. Usually just thin, thick, stiff and so forth. Sometimes it is useful to talk in terms of percent reduction, as in "add 2 cups of wine and simmer until reduced by half", although in many cases this is done more by eyeball than with precision.
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What is viscosity in cooking?
Viscosity is an important property of fluid foods. It is defined as the internal friction of a liquid or its ability to resist flow. The internal friction in a fluid can be easily demonstrated by observing a liquid that has been vigorously stirred to create a vortex.What is the viscosity of a liquid?
Viscosity is a measure of a fluid's resistance to flow. It describes the internal friction of a moving fluid. A fluidwith large viscosity resists motion because its molecular makeup gives it a lot of internal friction.How do you measure viscosity in food?
The most common way to measure and track viscosity is with a viscometer. Today's viscometers are very user friendly and functional thanks to the Rotational Viscometer technology. These viscometers measure a large range of viscosity from 200-106000000 with an accuracy range of \xb11% to \xb10.2%.What are some examples of viscosity?
Let's discuss a few examples of viscosity in daily life.- Honey.
- Engine Oil.
- Brake Oil.
- Lubricant.
- Cooking Oil.
- Liquid Soap.
- Printing Ink.
- Super Glue.
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Answer 2
I'm not sure what other terms there are, but the "coat the back of a spoon" test is known as nappe.
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