Merriam-Webster Just Added These Food Words To The Dictionary

Merriam-Webster announced today that it has added 850 new words to the dictionary, including a couple of our funky, fermented favorites. Now officially welcomed into the English language: natto and kombucha, as well as and aquafaba, tzatziki and fond. Non-food but still useful terminology like dumpster fire, glamping and mansplain has also been added. Check out the full list of newly added food words — we like them all!

Aquafaba — the liquid that results when beans are cooked in water

Arnold Palmer — a cold beverage of iced tea mixed with lemonade

Cotija — a hard, white, crumbly Mexican cheese made from cow's milk

Fond — small particles of browned food and especially meat that adhere to the bottom of a cooking pan and are used especially in making sauces

Harissa — a spicy North African paste made from dried chilies, salt, oil, and other seasonings

Kabocha — a winter squash (Curcubita maxima) of Japanese origin that is round with somewhat flattened top and bottom, typically dark green skin usually streaked or mottled with pale green, and yellowish-orange sweet flesh

Kombucha — a gelatinous mass of symbiotic bacteria (as Acetobacter xylinum) and yeasts (as of the genera Brettanomyces and Saccharomyces) grown to produce a fermented beverage held to confer health benefits

Natto — a dish of fermented soybeans with a pungent flavor and gluey texture that is eaten chiefly in Japan and usually served over rice

Poke — a Hawaiian salad made typically from cubed pieces of raw seafood (such as tuna) marinated with soy sauce and sesame oil and mixed with onions or other ingredients

Queso/Chili con queso — a dipping sauce of melted cheese and chopped chili peppers

Tzatziki — a Greek yogurt sauce made with cucumbers and garlic

Unoaked — (wine) not aged in oak barrels

Za'atar — a Middle Eastern spice blend made usually of dried herbs (such as thyme or marjoram), dried sumac, and sesame seeds