Cooking together: essential vocabulary for small chefs

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Do you like cooking? Or maybe you are more of a restaurant and takeout type? No matter which case it is, it’s always good to know how to talk about cooking in English. Cooking with children is a fun activity to do together in your free time. It also develops your child’s creativity and helps them understand the basics of measurements, textures, colors and… different cuisine from all around the world.

When cooking together with a kid, it’s all about making it fun and easy. Of course, you still need to supervise your child, especially with scissors, knives, some kitchen utensils and the kitchen stove, but give your child a lot of space for experimenting. Even if some extra flour gets into the bowl or an egg falls unintentionally on the ground – don’t make a big fuss about it.

While cooking together with your child, some essential vocabulary for small chefs may come in handy. That’s why today we listed how to name some of the most commonly found food in English to practice and use with your child during your next cooking adventure. In this article you will find English names of the most popular dishes and cooking ingredients.

Food in English – vocabulary

Here you will find all the popular ingredients that are often seen in cooking recipes. The origin of the recipe might differ, but the vocabulary used in them – not so much. Now, pick your child’s favorite recipe and check how many ingredients you can spot from the list below.

eggs
milk
yogurt
olive oil
butter
sour cream
fruits
vegetables
meat
fish
rice
pasta
quinoa
oats
baking products
flour
nuts
herbs
spices
honey
sugar
powdered sugar
bread crumbs
potato starch
salt
pepper
soy sauce

Are you ready to learn more essential vocabulary for small chefs? Find out the most popular vegetables, fruit and dish names in English.

Vegetables

asparagus
beetroot bell peppers
broccoli
cauliflower
brussels sprout
cabbage
lettuce
carrots
celery
corn
cucumber
eggplant
mushroom
onion
potatoes
pumpkin
radish
tomato
zucchini
spinach
leek
garlic
turmeric

Fruit

apple
pear
banana
orange
lemon
mandarine
lime
watermelon
melon
grape
plum
mango
pineapple
kiwi
peach
apricot
kiwi
avocado
coconut
blueberry
blackberry
raspberry
strawberry
cherry
passion fruit
papaya
pomegranate
grapefruit

Popular dishes

breakfast
lunch
dinner
supper
dessert
sandwiches
pancakes
scrambled eggs
salad
pizza
pasta
ice-cream
tomato soup
chicken soup
chicken breast
steak
dumplings
risotto
quiche
french fries
vegetarian meal
side dish
main course
sushi
stir-fry
cake
oatmeal
cereal

Is the vocabulary listed here not enough? Check out Novakid’s YouTube channel for kids and subscribe for more! In this short video-lesson, you can learn how to prepare for a picnic. Use the vocabulary you already learned and combine it with new words from the video. Watch it with your kid and… get ready for a real picnic in the park!

little girl is cooking with her mother in the kitchen

Useful cooking verbs in English

Have you ever wondered which cooking terms are essential while talking about meal preparation? The following list contains the most common cooking verbs in English, which may come in handy when testing new recipes with your kid. Be creative and experiment in the kitchen. Cooking together with children is a lot of fun, both for the adults and the little ones.

to cook
to grill
to broil
to barbecue
to gratin
to fry
to bake
to roast
to steam
to toast
to microwave
to heat up
to add
to slice
to chop
to drain
to dice
to pour
to beat
to break
to grease
to combine
to mince
to peel
to dissolve
to whisk
to layer
to roll out
to cut
to melt
to spread
to taste
to mix
to weigh

Learning English doesn’t have to be boring and based on just learning the vocabulary by heart. At Novakid we have a completely different approach to teaching children. Lessons are engaging, fast-paced and last just 25 minutes, making it easier for children to maintain focus and retain the material. The topics presented during each lesson are introduced in a fun and engaging way, mostly through games, songs, rhymes and communication with native teachers, in a fun virtual classroom.

If you want to learn more about Novakid’s approach to teaching English, check the dedicated YouTube channel for parents.

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