Jaggery: Sweetener made from the juices of sugar cane stalks, sold as hard or semi-sweet unrefined sugar cane, flavor is similar to molasses.

Jalapeno: Small green chili pepper A grass-green, smooth-skinned chili, about 2 inches long. Hot and juicy, rather stringy. The jalapeno is widely available fresh or canned

Japanese Gelatin: A tasteless dried seaweed that is used as a thickening agent.

Jarlsberg: Norwegian cow's milk cheese

Jicama: Of Central American origin, peeled and used cooked or raw, somewhat similar to radish but sweeter and crunchier yet not as delicate or sweet as water chestnuts, avoid large ones that are fibrous.

Jimono: Japanese for fish of local specialty

Jocoque: Mexican style sour cream

Julienne: To cut into narrow thin strips

Junsai: Japanese for watertarget shield, purplewan, dock shield