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habanero pepper (ah-bah-NEH-roh) – You might also know this Yucatan-raised, lantern-shaped chile as a Scot bonnet or Bahamian chile. Whatever you call it, with a fire reportedly 60 times that of a Jalapeno, these pods pack a punch. It is the hottest of all chiles in the world. It should be handled only while wearing plastic gloves. Ripe Habaneros, which are dark green, red, or orange-red, have a sweeter flavor and are fruitier than the green, unripe ones.

haggis (HAG-ihs) – Haggis is a Scottish dish made from sheep’s offal (windpipe, lungs, heart and liver) of the sheep, which is first boiled and then minced. It is then mixed with beef suet and lightly toasted oatmeal. This mixture is placed inside the sheep’s stomach, which is sewn closed. The resulting haggis is traditionally cooked by further boiling (for up to three hours).

This is the most traditional of all Scottish dishes, eaten on Burns Night (25th January; the birthday of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns, 1759-1796) and at Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve). Haggis is traditionally served as “haggis, neeps and tatties”. The neeps are mashed turnip or swede, with a little milk and allspice added, whereas the tatties are creamed potatoes flavored with a little nutmeg. To add that authentic touch, consume your haggis, neeps and tatties with a dram of good whisky.

haricot vert (ah-ree-koh VEHR) – The French term for green string beans, Haricot means, “bean,” and vert means, “green.” They are much thinner than regular green beans and traditionally have a much better flavor. They are also known as French green beans and French beans.

hash – A dish of chopped pork or beef combined with various chopped up vegetables and seasonings. Hash is often thought of as a dish that you throw into it whatever is left in the kitchen. In the 19th century, cheap restaurants were called “hash houses” and the workers in these restaurants were called “hash slingers.”

Haute Cuisine – Food that is prepared in an elegant or elaborate manner; the very finest food available. The French word “haute” translates as “high” or “superior.” Cuisine translates as “cooking” in general. Literally meaning “high cooking” or high-class cooking, the rich sauces, fine ingredients and exquisite taste of haute cuisine typifies classic French cooking.

Haute Cuisine Couture – It means “Recipe for Comfort” and it relates to the fashion world. It is first and foremost a form of expertise or savoir-faire, involving a craft that has endured for more than one hundred and fifty years. The origins of haute couture date back to Charles Frédéric Worth who, in 1858, founded the first true house of haute couture at 7, rue de la Paix, in Paris, creating original models for individual clients. Haute couture involves craftsmanship, the skill of the seamstress and embellisher (feather makers, embroiderers, milliners) who, each season, create the finery of the exceptional.

havarti cheese (huh-VAR-tee) – It is a light to pale yellow cheese with tiny holes “eyes” in its smooth body, it melts well when it is shredded. It is similar to Montery Jack cheese.

hazelnut – Also called filberts. According to a manuscript found in China, from the year 2838 B.C., the hazelnut took its place among the five sacred nourishments God bestowed to human beings. The cultivation of hazelnuts has been going on for over 4500 years. In olden times, the nut was used as a medicine and tonic. Up until 1940, most hazelnuts were imported to the United States from Sicily and Naples. Now the nuts are grown in Oregon and Washington. Nuts begin forming on the trees in the early spring. They mature during the summer months and are harvested in the early fall. The nuts usually grow in clusters of two or three, each nut covered with an open ended husk that extends beyond the rounded nut itself. When the nuts mature, they fall free from the husks to the ground where they are harvested.

hollandaise sauce (butter) – Uses butter and egg yolks as binding. It is served hot with vegetables, fish, and eggs (like egg benedict). It will be a pale lemon color, opaque, but with a luster not appearing oily. The basic sauce and its variations should have a buttery-smooth texture, almost frothy, and an aroma of good butter. Making this emulsified sauce requires a good deal of practice — it is not for the faint of heart. Béarnaise sauce, which is “related” to hollandaise sauce, is most often served with steak.

Hommard a L’amoricaine – Hommard in French means “lobster or crawfish” and amoricaine “mean in the style of America or American Sauce.” Also called Lobster a L’amoricaine.

hors d’oeuvres (or DERV) – Means little snack foods, small items of food or light courses, served before or outside of (“hors”) the main dishes of a meal (the “oeuvres”) which are intended to stimulate the appetite. The terms hors d’oeuvres and appetizers are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference: hors d’oeuvres are the small savory bites, typically finger food, served before a meal, while appetizers appear as the first course served at the table. The name hors d’oeuvres comes from the French and is literally translated as “out of the work,” but it’s more logical to think of it as meaning “apart from (or before) the meal.”

Horseshoe Sandwich – The sandwich is considered the signature dish or Springfield, Illinois, the home of Abraham Lincoln. This sandwich will make our arteries cringe and your taste buds rejoice. The sandwich starts out with two to three slices of thick toasted bread. On top of that you have two traditional choices: a thick fried ham steak or two large hamburger patties. Then a large amount of freshly made French fries are placed onto the top of it. The secret to this sandwich is the sauce that is poured over the top. Every restaurant and chef seems to have his or her own secret cheese sauce recipe. The name of the sandwich comes from the shape of the ham with the fries representing the horseshoe nails, and the heated steak platter as the anvil. If you order a Pony Shoe Sandwich, it is the same thing, but a smaller or half a Horseshoe portion (usually one slice of toast).

hushpuppies – A finger-shaped dumpling of cornmeal that is deep-fried (they are traditionally served with fried catfish). Hushpuppies, also known as corn dodgers. They are especially popular throughout the South.