What does the term "reduce" mean in cooking?

Prepare for the ACF Tri-Tech Culinary Test. Utilize flashcards and multiple choice questions, with each answer explained. Enhance your culinary skills and pass your exam!

In cooking, the term "reduce" specifically refers to the process of simmering or boiling a liquid so that its volume decreases through evaporation. This technique is often used to intensify the flavors of sauces, soups, and stocks, as concentrating the liquid results in bolder and richer taste profiles. When a liquid is reduced, water content is lost while salts and other flavor components become more pronounced, enhancing the overall quality of the dish.

The other options indicate different methods that do not match the definition of reducing; for example, adding more liquid increases volume rather than decreasing it, straining separates solids from liquids instead of concentrating them, and cooling a liquid affects temperature rather than its volume or flavor concentration.

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