Kitchen terms, defined
Clear, factual definitions of the terms every cook and restaurant operator should know. Each entry links to the Cucinovo feature that helps you apply it.
Food Cost Percentage
Food cost percentage is the ratio of a dish's total ingredient cost to its menu selling price, expressed as a percentage. It is the primary metric restaurants use to measure recipe profitability and set menu prices.
Read definitionMise en Place
Mise en place (French: "putting in place") is the practice of preparing, measuring, and organizing all ingredients and equipment before cooking begins. It is a foundational principle of professional kitchen workflow.
Read definitionYield Percentage
Yield percentage is the ratio of the usable (edible) portion of an ingredient to the total amount purchased, expressed as a percentage. It quantifies how much raw product is lost to trimming, peeling, deboning, or cooking shrinkage.
Read definitionBatch Cooking
Batch cooking is the practice of preparing large quantities of a dish or component in a single production run, then holding, portioning, or storing the output for service over an extended period. It is a core efficiency technique in commercial kitchens and meal prep workflows.
Read definitionRecipe Standardization
Recipe standardization is the process of documenting a recipe with precise ingredient quantities, preparation methods, cooking times, and expected yields so that it produces a consistent result every time, regardless of who prepares it. It is the foundation of quality control and cost management in food service operations.
Read definition