Nutrition Q & A
Are Simmering and Braising the Same Thing?
Recipes often use instructions like simmer or braise without any further explanation. Both culinary terms refer to moist-heating cooking methods that use water or water-based liquids such as broth to cook foods.
Simmering is cooking food in a hot liquid that is bubbling but not boiling. Braising is cooking food either barely covered by liquid or submerged in liquid at temperature below boiling in a covered pot.
A basic, standard cookbook will often provide definitions and more detailed instructions.
To access a list of cookbooks by Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics members, visit www.eatright.org/gnrl.