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Food is a big part of our everyday life. But have you ever thought about cooking in Spanish? We generally eat three meals a day, and even if you don\u2019t enjoy cooking, you will need some Spanish food vocabulary to get by. Moreover, even if you know your way around the kitchen, you will need some Spanish kitchen vocabulary when in a local one.<\/p>\n
Below, we will focus on 15 sentences from our \u201cEveryday Life\u201d collection that are key when cooking in Spanish. We will cover cooking instructions and questions, health and dietary restrictions, Hispanic meal times, and other key aspects. But first, let\u2019s take a look at our curated collection.<\/p>\n
Our fantastic team has chosen 120 sentences in different categories, including food and cooking, to help you master everyday life in any Hispanic country. While the collection<\/a> focuses mainly on vocabulary, it also showcases important grammar structures used in each context. We have picked 15 examples from the food and cooking section that highlight the relevance of this collection. Let\u2019s dig in!<\/p>\n It might seem we are starting quite high up the complexity ladder. However, even when you buy a ready meal, there will be some instructions for you to follow. Therefore, Spanish kitchen vocabulary is vital to all. Below, we will see examples of cooking instructions and helpful questions.<\/p>\n 1. A\u00f1ade un poco de ajo picado.<\/strong> (Add a bit of minced garlic.<\/em>)<\/p>\n The first thing of note in this sentence is the verb conjugation. When cooking in Spanish, we use the present simple for instructions. If you need a refresher, take a look at this guide on the entire Spanish present tense<\/a>. A\u00f1adir <\/em>(to add) is the most basic Spanish cooking verb, and you will come across it quite often, just like in English.<\/p>\n Who doesn\u2019t like a bit of vagueness in their seasoning? This is where un poco <\/em>(a bit) comes in. You could even say poquito <\/em>and turn it into a little bit!<\/p>\n Finally, if you are up to date with your Spanish food vocabulary, you will be familiar with ajo <\/em>(garlic). Picado<\/em> might be a new one, however. This adjective comes from the verb picar <\/em>and can mean minced or chopped.<\/p>\n 2. Corta la cebolla en trozos peque\u00f1os.<\/strong> (Cut the onion into small pieces.<\/em>)<\/p>\n Here we have another Spanish kitchen vocabulary essential: cortar<\/em> (to cut). The instruction in this sentence adds how to cut the onion in question: en trozos peque\u00f1os<\/em>. This means in small pieces, rather than large pieces or en trozos grandes<\/em>. This detail can make a big difference to your dish!<\/p>\n 3. \u00bfPodr\u00edas escurrir la pasta, por favor?<\/strong> (Could you drain the pasta, please?<\/em>)<\/p>\n You might want to ask someone for help around the kitchen. This question includes two ways to ask for assistance politely: the verb poder<\/em> and por favor<\/em>. We often use podr\u00edas<\/em> for requests as the equivalent of \u201ccould you\u201d (this article includes a deep dive on the verb poder<\/em><\/a>, if needed). It is also always nice to say please (por favor<\/em>)! Although we are sure you are well acquainted with this phrase.<\/p>\n 4. \u00bfA\u00f1adiste sal a la salsa?<\/strong> (Did you add salt to the sauce?<\/em>)<\/p>\n We have seen the verb a\u00f1adir<\/em> above, but this form is a little different. Instead of the present tense, this question is in the past tense. We are not giving instructions but checking if something has been done, like adding salt. So, if you want to double-check if your sous-chef has been following your instructions, this question is your friend.<\/p>\n We know the basics of cooking in Spanish. However, it is important to be safe while cooking or eating out. Below are some useful sentences and questions regarding allergies and intolerances to ensure a safe meal.<\/p>\n 5. Evita la sal si tienes hipertensi\u00f3n.<\/strong> (Avoid salt if you have high blood pressure.<\/em>)<\/p>\n You might have heard health warnings like this one. Evitar<\/em> (to avoid) is a useful verb for dietary restrictions. Evitar <\/em>does not mean you can\u2019t have something, but that you shouldn\u2019t eat it due to health concerns.<\/p>\n Moreover, if you have high blood pressure, we normally use the technical term hipertensi\u00f3n <\/em>(hypertension) in Spanish, but you can also say presi\u00f3n alta <\/em>in layperson terms.<\/p>\n 6. Soy intolerante a la lactosa, lo siento.<\/strong> (I\u2019m lactose intolerant, I\u2019m sorry.<\/em>)<\/p>\n We have all been offered something we don\u2019t like or we can\u2019t eat at some point. This sentence is handy when refusing a meal due to a dietary restriction. It explains that you are lactose intolerant (intolerante a la lactosa<\/em>) and adds an apology to avoid offending the person offering the food.<\/p>\n 7. Mi hermano es al\u00e9rgico a los cacahuates.<\/strong> (My brother is allergic to peanuts.<\/em>)<\/p>\n What about allergies? These are called alergias<\/em> in Spanish, and the adjective to ask someone if they have a specific one is al\u00e9rgico <\/em>for the masculine and al\u00e9rgica <\/em>for the feminine. Moreover, this sentence shows how you can express an allergy on behalf of someone else.<\/p>\n Regarding Spanish food vocabulary, we would like to direct your attention to cacahuates<\/em>. Cacahuates <\/em>means peanuts, but we use man\u00ed <\/em>instead in South America. This is an important reminder that there is a lot of variation in Spanish vocabulary. Something to keep in mind when cooking in Spanish!<\/p>\n 8. Necesito un men\u00fa sin gluten, gracias.<\/strong> (I need a gluten-free menu, thank you.<\/em>)<\/p>\n Another common dietary restriction is gluten. Most people have a gluten intolerance rather than a gluten allergy. This is called celiac disease or enfermedad cel\u00edaca<\/em> in Spanish. We refer to the person as celiac or cel\u00edaco\/a<\/em>. This sentence shows us how to request a special menu. In this case, one without gluten.<\/p>\n You can use the previous three sentences for all dietary restrictions by just changing some key words. Here are some examples:<\/p>\n The questions below nicely complement the statements in the previous section.<\/p>\n 9. \u00bfPuedes preparar la carne sin sal?<\/strong> (Can you prepare the meat without salt?<\/em>)<\/p>\n Whether due to health issues or personal preference, this sentence shows us how to request something be removed from our meal.<\/p>\n 10. \u00bfTienes alguna restricci\u00f3n alimentaria especial?<\/strong> (Do you have any particular dietary restrictions?<\/em>)<\/p>\n If you are organising a meal for friends or an event, it is important to ask them about their dietary restrictions. This question does just that.<\/p>\n 11. \u00bfPuedo reemplazar la harina normal por avena?<\/strong> (Can I replace regular flour with oatmeal?<\/em>)<\/p>\n Finally, you might be on the hunt for new recipes, but often find they include ingredients you or a loved one cannot have. You can replace the ingredients in this question with whatever the recipe calls for and your chosen replacement. This way, you can check if it would still work with a substitute.<\/p>\n This final section includes some key vocabulary we couldn\u2019t quite group with the rest, but that is equally important.<\/p>\n 12. \u00bfTienes una receta f\u00e1cil de sopa?<\/strong> (Do you have an easy soup recipe?<\/em>)<\/p>\n What if you\u2019d like to improve your cooking in Spanish by asking a friend for a recipe? You probably already know tener <\/em>(to have) is an irregular verb. If you need a refresher, here is the entire conjugation<\/a>.<\/p>\n Another neat feature of this question is the word f\u00e1cil <\/em>(easy). You might be looking for just any recipe, but if you want to keep it simple, this is a good word to include in your vocabulary database.<\/p>\n 13. Mi ensalada lleva zanahorias, lechuga y ma\u00edz.<\/strong> (My salad has carrots, lettuce and corn.<\/em>)<\/p>\n What if you need to respond to the previous question? Then you can use the verb llevar<\/em>. Llevar<\/em> usually means \u201cto take.\u201d However, in this context, it means \u201cto have.\u201d You might have seen this verb used with clothes, meaning \u201cto wear.\u201d While the flexibility of this verb is quite impressive, it can prove tricky to learn.<\/p>\n 14. Voy a hornear un pastel de manzana.<\/strong> (I\u2019m going to bake an apple pie.<\/em>)<\/p>\n There is nothing unusual about this sentence, but we\u2019ll use it as an excuse to expand your Spanish kitchen vocabulary. Both Spanish and English have a lot of different verbs when it comes to cooking and baking. As seen above, hornear<\/em> means to bake. Here are some other examples:<\/p>\n<\/a>Cooking in Spanish<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Cooking in Spanish: instructions<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Cooking in Spanish: questions<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Safety in Spanish kitchen vocabulary<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Safety in Spanish kitchen vocabulary: giving information<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Safety in Spanish kitchen vocabulary: asking questions<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Cooking in Spanish: miscellaneous section<\/h2>\n