The common aubergine is fairly large, an elongated oval shape and purple in colour. You find white, mauve and green, some even striped. The flesh inside is white and spongy but it browns when cut. Salting them is meant to remove their bitterness, but varieties sold these days are less bitter than they used to be (although salting does make them absorb less of the oil in which they`re cooked).

Emmental is a semi-hard cow's milk cheese known as the Swiss cheese. It has a complicated hole-forming fermentation process. It keeps well.

Concentrated aromatic extract, such as from the vanilla pods, almonds, anchovies or coffee beans.