Pass the amchoor, darling... and do you fancy any zhoug?

How you can learn the latest kitchen language (according to Waitrose)

A FEW decades ago korma, spaghetti bolognese and chow mein were like a foreign language to many of us.

These days we’re learning to speak an even more exotic lingo – amchoor, cà ri gà and zhoug – as our tastes become increasingly adventurous.

These are among the flavours of the future, according to Waitrose, which has compiled an A to Z of ingredients and dishes that it predicts will increasingly feature in our kitchens.

The list – including items and recipes from as far afield as the Himalayas and Australia – reflects the influence of Britain’s diverse immigrant communities and the ever greater ambitions of home cooks today.

Sampling many of them will be as simple as heading to the speciality aisle of your supermarket, but the dishes will require more than a little patience to achieve the complex flavours. A spokesman for Waitrose magazine said: ‘Never before have home cooks had access to such a wide range of inspiration.’

Topping the list is amchoor, a powder made from dried green mangoes. It is widely used in north Indian dishes to lend a fruity tartness to marinades.

Cà ri gà is a Vietnamese chicken curry, with the meat slowly simmered with potatoes and carrots in a garlicky, lemongrass-scented coconut broth.

Also on the list is kalamansi, a citrus fruit from south-east Asia, which is a cross between a kumquat and a mandarin.

Waitrose said: ‘It is common in Filipino kitchens, mixed with soy sauce, vinegar and chilli to make a versatile dipping sauce, or in zingy marinades.’

Tangzhong is an East Asian baking technique, which involves pre- cooking some of the flour and water to achieve an especially soft and pillow-like texture in milk breads.

Zhoug is a blend of herbs, chilli and spices from Yemen. Not dissimilar to pesto, it can be stirred into yoghurt or drizzled on grilled meat and veg.

Also on the list is jollof, the Nigerian rice dish, and from Australia, lamingtons, the coconut-covered squares of cake.