Complete Meat & Poultry Guide: Multilingual Guide

A complete reference guide for meat and poultry terms across Tamil, English, Kannada, and Hindi languages, plus detailed explanations of popular non-veg dishes and cooking styles!

🐐 Goat & Mutton (Lamb/Sheep)

🐔 Chicken & Poultry

🦌 Other Meats & Specialty Items

🐄 Animal to Meat Terminology

Understanding the proper culinary terms for different animal meats:

🥓 Understanding Processed Meats & Special Cuts

Ham

What is Ham: Ham is pork meat from the hind leg of a pig that has been preserved through curing, smoking, or salting. The curing process gives it a distinctive pink color and salty-sweet flavor.

Types:

• Smoked Ham: Cured and smoked for deep flavor
• Honey Glazed Ham: Sweet coating, popular for holidays
• Black Forest Ham: German-style, heavily smoked
• Prosciutto: Italian dry-cured ham, thinly sliced

Uses: Sandwiches, breakfast, pizza toppings, charcuterie boards

Popular in: Western cuisine, breakfast platters, Christmas dinners

Bacon

What is Bacon: Salt-cured pork belly sliced into thin strips. When cooked, it becomes crispy and releases savory fat.

Types:

• Streaky Bacon: Fatty strips with meat streaks (American style)
• Back Bacon: Leaner, from the loin (British/Canadian style)
• Turkey Bacon: Healthier alternative made from turkey

Uses: Breakfast, burgers, wraps, pasta carbonara

Keema (Minced Meat)

What is Keema: Ground or minced meat (usually mutton, lamb, beef, or chicken). The word comes from Turkish “kıyma” meaning minced.

Popular Dishes:

• Keema Curry: Spiced minced meat gravy
• Keema Pav: Mumbai street food with bread
• Keema Samosa: Fried pastry filled with spiced keema
• Keema Paratha: Flatbread stuffed with keema

Uses: Curries, kebabs, stuffings, pasta sauces (Bolognese)

Sausage

Ground meat mixed with spices and stuffed into casings. Can be fresh, smoked, or cured.

Types: Chorizo (Spanish), Bratwurst (German), Italian sausage, Breakfast sausage, Hot dogs

Salami

Cured and fermented sausage that’s air-dried. Hard texture, can be sliced thin. Popular in sandwiches and pizza.

🍗 Understanding Chicken Parts

Drumstick

The lower part of the chicken leg, connected to the thigh. It’s called “drumstick” because it resembles a drum stick (musical instrument). Contains dark meat and is very flavorful. Popular for grilling, frying, and curries.

Thigh

The upper part of the chicken leg, attached to the body. Contains dark meat with more fat than breast, making it juicier and more flavorful. Great for roasting, grilling, and slow cooking.

Leg Piece

The entire leg including both thigh and drumstick. In Indian cuisine, this is often sold as a single piece. Very popular for tandoori and curry preparations.

Chicken Breast

The lean white meat from the chest area of the chicken. Low in fat, high in protein. Often used for grilling, baking, and healthy preparations. Can be butterflied or sliced into fillets.

Fillet

Boneless, skinless breast meat that’s been butterflied or sliced thin. Very versatile and cooks quickly. Used in stir-fries, rolls, and quick-cooking dishes.

Chicken Lollipop

A popular appetizer/starter where the drumette (upper wing portion) is cut and meat is pushed down to form a lollipop shape. Typically marinated, fried, and served with sauce.

Giblets

A collective term for the edible internal organs of poultry including:

• Heart: Small, muscular organ
• Liver: Largest organ, rich and flavorful
• Gizzard: Muscular stomach part
• Neck: Sometimes included

Often used to make rich gravies, stocks, or fried as appetizers.

Gizzards

The muscular stomach of the chicken. Chewy texture when cooked. Often marinated and fried, or slow-cooked in curries. Popular in Southern and Asian cuisines.

🥫 Non-Veg Related Condiments & Items

Mayonnaise

What is Mayonnaise: A thick, creamy condiment made from egg yolks, oil, and vinegar or lemon juice. The egg yolk acts as an emulsifier, binding the oil and liquid together.

Ingredients:

• Egg yolks (the non-veg component)
• Vegetable oil or olive oil
• Vinegar or lemon juice
• Salt and sometimes mustard

Common Uses:

• Sandwich spread
• Burger and wrap dressing
• Salad base (coleslaw, potato salad)
• Dipping sauce
• Base for other sauces (ranch, aioli, tartar sauce)

Note: While mayonnaise contains eggs, some brands make eggless versions using milk proteins or soy.

Popular Brands: Hellmann’s, Kraft, Veeba, Del Monte

Fish Sauce

What is it: Fermented fish condiment, salty and umami-rich. Essential in Southeast Asian cuisine (Thai, Vietnamese).

Uses: Curries, stir-fries, dipping sauces, marinades

Oyster Sauce

What is it: Thick, dark brown sauce made from oyster extracts. Sweet and savory flavor.

Uses: Chinese stir-fries, noodles, marinades

Worcestershire Sauce

What is it: Fermented liquid condiment containing anchovies (fish), vinegar, molasses, and spices.

Uses: Marinades, Caesar salad, Bloody Mary cocktails, meat dishes

Anchovy Paste

What is it: Ground anchovies (small fish) in a paste form. Very salty and intensely flavored.

Uses: Caesar dressing, pasta sauces, pizza toppings

Gelatin

What is it: Protein derived from collagen in animal bones and skin (usually pork or beef).

Uses:

• Jello and desserts
• Gummy candies
• Marshmallows
• Thickening agent in soups and sauces
• Yogurt and dairy products

Note: Vegetarian alternatives include agar-agar (seaweed-based) and pectin (fruit-based).

Lard

What is it: Rendered pork fat, solid at room temperature.

Uses: Baking (flaky pie crusts), frying, traditional cooking

Alternative: Vegetable shortening, butter, or oil

Bone Broth / Stock

What is it: Liquid made by simmering animal bones (chicken, beef, fish) with vegetables and herbs for hours.

Uses:

• Base for soups and curries
• Cooking rice and risotto
• Health drink (rich in collagen and minerals)
• Gravies and sauces

Ghee from Non-Veg Sources

While traditional ghee is vegetarian (clarified butter from milk), some cultures use animal fats:

• Mutton Fat: Used in some regional cooking
• Chicken Fat (Schmaltz): Used in Jewish cuisine

🍖 Famous Non-Veg Dishes & Cooking Styles

🔥 Shawarma

Origin: Middle Eastern (Lebanon, Turkey)

What is Shawarma: Thinly sliced meat (chicken, beef, or lamb) stacked on a vertical rotisserie and slow-roasted. The outer layer is shaved off as it cooks, creating tender, flavorful meat.

Serving: Wrapped in pita bread or flatbread with vegetables, pickles, tahini, and garlic sauce.

Popular in: India, Middle East, worldwide

🍢 Shawai Chicken

What is Shawai: Shawai (شواء) means “grilled” or “roasted” in Arabic. Shawai chicken refers to chicken pieces marinated in Middle Eastern spices and grilled over charcoal or in a tandoor.

Preparation:

• Marinated with yogurt, garlic, lemon, and spices
• Grilled or roasted until charred and smoky
• Often served with rice, hummus, and pita

Similar to: Tandoori chicken but with Middle Eastern flavor profile

🍲 Kuzhi Manthi

Origin: Malabar region (Kerala, India)

What is Manthi: Manthi (or Mandi) is a traditional Arabian rice dish with spiced meat, originally from Yemen. The name comes from the Arabic word “nada” meaning “dew” - referring to the moisture from the meat that flavors the rice.

What is Kuzhi: Kuzhi means “pit” in Malayalam/Tamil. Traditional preparation involves cooking in an underground pit.

Preparation:

• Meat (usually chicken or mutton) is marinated with special spices
• Cooked in a sealed pot or underground pit with rice
• Slow-cooked to perfection, allowing flavors to infuse
• Rice becomes aromatic and flavorful from meat juices

Serving: Rice and meat served together, often with raita and pickle

Essential Accompaniment - Spicy Tomato Chutney (Sahawiq/Dakoos):

Kuzhi Manthi is traditionally served with a fiery spicy tomato-based chutney that’s essential to the authentic experience.

What is Sahawiq/Dakoos:

• Sahawiq (سحاوق): Yemeni-style hot sauce/chutney
• Dakoos (دقوس): Another name for the same spicy condiment
• Made with fresh tomatoes, green chilies, garlic, and coriander

Ingredients:

• Ripe tomatoes
• Green chilies (bird’s eye or Thai chilies)
• Garlic cloves
• Fresh coriander (cilantro)
• Cumin seeds
• Salt
• Lemon juice

Characteristics:

• Bright red color from tomatoes
• Extremely spicy and tangy
• Chunky or smooth texture
• Fresh, vibrant flavor

How It’s Served:

• Small bowl on the side with Kuzhi Manthi
• Mix a spoonful with rice for extra heat
• Balances the rich, aromatic rice and meat
• Can also be used as a dip for bread

Similar To:

• Mexican salsa cruda
• Indian green chutney (but tomato-based)
• Yemeni zhoug (but with tomatoes)

🔴 Tandoori

Origin: Punjab region (India/Pakistan)

What is Tandoor: A traditional clay oven that reaches very high temperatures (480°C/900°F). Used for thousands of years in Indian subcontinent.

Tandoori Cooking:

• Meat marinated in yogurt and spices (often with red color from Kashmiri chili or food coloring)
• Skewered and cooked in the tandoor
• High heat creates charred, smoky flavor
• Retains moisture while developing crispy exterior

Famous Dishes:

• Tandoori Chicken
• Tandoori Fish
• Tandoori Paneer
• Naan bread

🔥 Grilled

Method: Cooking over direct heat (charcoal, gas, or electric grill)

Characteristics:

• High heat sears the outside
• Creates grill marks
• Smoky flavor (especially with charcoal)
• Healthier as fat drips away

Popular Grilled Items:

• Chicken tikka
• Seekh kebab
• Grilled fish
• BBQ ribs

🍗 Al Faham

Origin: Middle Eastern (Arabian Gulf countries)

What is Al Faham: Arabic for “charcoal” or “coal”. Al Faham chicken is marinated with a special spice blend and grilled over charcoal.

Spice Blend Includes:

• Black pepper
• Cardamom
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Garlic
• Yogurt

Characteristics:

• Smoky, charcoal flavor
• Juicy and tender
• Often served with rice and garlic sauce

🌯 Kathi Roll

Origin: Kolkata, India (1930s)

What is Kathi: “Kathi” means “stick” in Bengali - originally the skewers used for kebabs.

Preparation:

• Paratha or flatbread warmed on griddle
• Filled with kebab (chicken, mutton, paneer, or egg)
• Rolled with onions, chutneys, and sauces
• Wrapped in paper for easy eating

Popular Varieties:

• Chicken Kathi Roll
• Egg Kathi Roll
• Paneer Kathi Roll
• Mutton Kathi Roll

🥟 Momos

Origin: Tibet (popular in Nepal, India, Bhutan)

What are Momos: Dumplings made with thin wheat or flour dough filled with meat or vegetables.

Types:

• Steamed Momos: Traditional, healthier option
• Fried Momos: Crispy exterior
• Pan-fried (Kothey): Half steamed, half fried
• Tandoori Momos: Grilled in tandoor
• C Momos: Topped with spicy sauce and vegetables

Fillings:

• Chicken
• Buff (buffalo meat)
• Pork
• Vegetables
• Paneer

Served with: Spicy red chutney (tomato-based) and clear soup

🍖 Other Famous Non-Veg Dishes

🔪 Cooking Method Comparison

📝 Shopping & Cooking Tips

🌍 Regional Meat Preferences

🔍 How to Use This Guide

1. Shopping: Show vendors the specific part you want in their language
2. Cooking: Find the right cut for your recipe
3. Ordering: Understand menu items at restaurants
4. Learning: Expand your culinary vocabulary across languages