The A-Z of vegetarianism

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J is for...

Jacket Potato: An excellent convenience (though not necessarily fast) food. Jacket potatoes can be a low-fat, high fibre base for a whole variety of meals. Try adding beans, cheese, veggie sausages, curry, chilli… In fact almost all veggie main meals will go well with a baked spud! Why not try cooking one instead of rice or pasta with your favourite sauce?

Jaggery: Either unrefined, coarse, dark, natural sugar made from the sap of the coconut palm or raw sugar cane juice that is often used as a sweetener in Asian sweets. As it is unrefined it contains more mineral salts than refined sugar.

Jalapeno peppers: A member of the chilli family whose name originates from the city of Xapala, in Mexico, where it was first discovered.

Jam: A generic term for any preserved fruits or vegetables that have been mashed, pulped or chopped and boiled with sugar and water.

Jambalaya: Traditional Cajun meal usually made with rice and ham, sausage, chicken or fish although it’s very easy to make a veggie version and is a good way to use up any spare vegetables. Jambalaya recipe

Jelly: Although commonly made with gelatine, veggie versions of this wobbly party treat are usually available.

Jelly Beans: These small bean shaped sweets are available in a wide variety of colours and flavours. Bogey flavour was even featured in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone but thankfully that’s not yet made it into the shops. Jelly beans are often suitable for veggies but can sometimes include gelatine and cochineal.

Jersey Royals: An early season (new) potato with a waxy texture and delicious buttery taste. Only potatoes actually grown in Jersey can be called Jersey Royals and outside of Jersey can only be bought in Great Britain.

Jerusalem Artichoke: This vegetable has no connection with Jerusalem and is not even an artichoke! In-fact it’s not even a vegetable! Only joking… it is a vegetable, a root vegetable no less, but it does belong to the sunflower family of plants! Some people will even have you believe that it got its name from the Italian word for sunflower, girasole. It has a mild taste similar to, wait for it, wait for it, artichokes! Be warned though, eating Jerusalem artichokes can give some people excess wind! Toot toot!

Jojoba: A shrub, usually pronounced “hohoba”. It’s seed has been used as a food and drink source and its oil is sometimes used in cosmetics and as a coating agent for dried fruit.

Julienne: Commonly used to describe vegetables, such as carrots and celery, that have been cut into thin strips. Can also refer to a light vegetable soup.

Junket: A sweet dessert made from milk which has been heated with rennet. Can be vegetarian.

Junk Foods: Food and drinks that are high in fat, salt and sugars with little nutritional value but high calorie content.

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