Cooking is not just an act of preparing food, it is an art and cultural representation. When learning Arabic, acquainting yourself with culinary phrases can enrich your vocabulary and enhance your ability to enjoy the region’s cuisine. Here, we will explore a variety of cooking and culinary phrases in Arabic, complete with their definitions and example sentences.

طَبَخ (Tabakh) – To cook
This verb is used to describe the action of cooking in a general sense.
أنا أحب أن أطبخ الطعام الشرقي في المنزل.
(I love to cook Middle Eastern food at home.)

مَطبَخ (Matbakh) – Kitchen
This is the place where the cooking happens. It is one of the central spaces in the home.
المطبخ نظيف وجاهز لنبدأ الطهي.
(The kitchen is clean and ready for us to start cooking.)

وصفة (Wasfa) – Recipe
A set of instructions for preparing a particular dish, including a list of the ingredients required.
أتبعت وصفة جديدة لصنع الكيك اليوم.
(I followed a new recipe to make cake today.)

مقادير (Mqaddir) – Ingredients
The components that are used to prepare a dish.
يجب أن نشتري جميع المقادير للطبخة التي نريد تحضيرها.
(We need to buy all the ingredients for the dish we want to prepare.)

مِلْعَقة (Mil’aqah) – Spoon
A utensil consisting of a small, shallow bowl on a handle, used for eating, stirring, and serving food.
هل يمكنك تمرير الملعقة، من فضلك؟
(Can you pass the spoon, please?)

سِكين (Sikkin) – Knife
A tool with a cutting blade, used for chopping or cutting food during preparation.
حافظ على شحذ السكين لتقطيع الخضروات بسهولة.
(Keep the knife sharp to easily cut vegetables.)

طَهِي (Tahi) – Culinary, cooking
This adjective describes anything related to the process or skill of preparing food.
أعشق البرامج التلفزيونية التي تُعرض فنون الطهي.
(I adore television programs that showcase culinary arts.)

مِقلاة (Miqalla) – Pan
A metal container used for frying, searing, and browning foods.
ارفعي النار عند استخدام المقلاة لقلي البطاطس.
(Turn up the heat when using the pan to fry potatoes.)

فرن (Furn) – Oven
An enclosed compartment, typically part of a stove, for cooking and heating food.
أخرجي الكيك من الفرن بعد ان ينضج.
(Take the cake out of the oven once it’s done.)

تتبيل (Tatbeel) – To season or marinate
The process of adding spices or marinating food to enhance its flavor.
تتبل الدجاج لمدة ساعتين قبل الشواء.
(Marinate the chicken for two hours before grilling.)

غلي (Ghaly) – To boil
To heat a liquid until it reaches a temperature where it bubbles and turns to vapor.
اترك الماء يغلي قبل إضافة الباستا.
(Let the water boil before adding the pasta.)

خَبز (Khabaz) – Bread / To bake
This can refer to the food item ‘bread’ or the action of baking.
خبزت كعكة شوكولاتة لعيد ميلاد أختي.
(I baked a chocolate cake for my sister’s birthday.)

Each of these phrases provides a vital piece of the language needed for cooking and understanding food culture in Arabic-speaking regions. Mastering these words will not only help you in the kitchen but also enrich your conversations with native speakers about one of the most universally beloved topics: food.