9 culinary products that many confuse, but you will never be wrong again

There are many things that confuse us all the time: names of countries or cities, of products we buy and even the spelling of certain words. If we’ve already lost ourselves with themes like these, imagine how common it is to be mistaken about the universe related to cooking, especially when the conversation is about ingredients!

Today, we awesome.club, we will return to the kitchen to reveal to you the correct names of many vegetables. It’s time to put an end to doubts!

It is difficult to distinguish these plants by appearance, but by smell it is easy. For starters, parsley leaves are thicker, more divided, and generally larger. Cilantro foliage is smaller and its tips look more like semicircles than triangles. In addition, coriander is much stronger smelling and its bright aroma is reminiscent of a mixture of lemon and pepper, while parsley is mild and less pronounced.

The names and appearance are very similar. That is, the risk of confusion is enormous. But not quite. Let’s see the difference. Feta is a typical Greek cheese, made from sheep’s and goat’s milk and usually salted, which makes it quite salty. And “Fetaxa” (just like that, with a capital letter) is a Hochland brand cheese product, produced differently and tastes much less salty. The consistency of Fetaxa is similar to that of cottage cheese. And feta is more like compressed cottage cheese.

These fish are from the same family, the salmonidae🇧🇷 When buying fillet, it’s easy to confuse the two because salmon and trout meat are almost identical in appearance. Except that the salmon one has a warmer orange tone (the ‘salmon’ color). Buying the whole fish, however, eliminates the confusion: trout, unlike other fish in the family, is darker, while salmon is silver. In addition, the trout has pink stripes on the flanks and spots on the back.

It is very easy to confuse asparagus and green beans, at least at first glance: both have elongated shapes and a green color tending towards dark. But on closer inspection, it becomes clear that the asparagus is a kind of sprout; the pod already has the grains inside. No secret. Finally, it is worth remembering that both vegetables are healthy and delicious and that they should be boiled in slightly salted water.

Caraway and cumin seeds are very similar, but the taste is very different. So if you add the wrong seasoning to a dish, the result can be dismal. What is the difference? For example, color: Caraway seeds are larger and lighter in color (brown to grey-green) and cumin seeds are dark brown in color. Caraway has a bitter, strong smell with hints of nuts. Cumin aroma is not so strong but spicy.

Parsnip and parsley root (also known here as mandioquinha or salsa potato) are plants that belong to the same family, the apiaceae🇧🇷 Both are roots and very similar, but the flavors are slightly different; therefore, they are used in different dishes. Parsley root is long and tending towards cream in color. In addition, it has the same spicy aroma as the leaves. The parsnip, on the other hand, is softer and larger. The stem growth point is slightly concave and has a dark edge. The flavor and aroma of parsnips are milder than parsley.

Many people think they are the same berry. But let’s take a closer look: the lingonberry is large, fleshy, and sometimes has a whitish coating on the surface. The pulp is clear and dense. It tastes sweet, without a pronounced smell. The blackberry is smaller, darker and firmer; the juice is almost black, the pulp is dark purple and the flavor is strong.

Many people get these two vegetables wrong. Contrary to common sense, pumpkin and zucchini are not the same thing. Italian zucchini is a type of squash originating, as the name suggests, from Italy. They are small bright green vegetables that vary from dark (most common) to light. It is common to eat them both cooked and raw (for example, in salads). The pumpkin is a kind of cucurbite🇧🇷 By the way, you can not only eat the fruits. The stuffed flowers are also delicious.

Both plants are legumes of the family of fabaceae🇧🇷 Chickpea seeds are small, rounded and usually clear, with a small ‘tail’ (hence the term ‘beak’). They have a faint nutty flavor. Chickpeas are used in one of the most famous dishes of Arab and Jewish cuisine, hummus. Soy beans are small, brown, round and wrinkled. Soy usually doesn’t have a very strong flavor; that’s why it’s a wonderful base for other products, such as sauce (shoyu), noodles, tofu, milk and even soy meat.

What culinary products still confuse you? And which are your favorites? Comment with us.