What is a tad, dash, pinch, smidgen and a drop?

A Pinch of This … A Smidgen of That

I know what a drop is, but a smidgen? Hmmmm

Have you ever tried a recipe that asks for a tad, dash, pinch, smidgen or a drop? Did that leave you scratching your head? Even experienced cooks scratch their heads and then just go ahead and guess. But these imprecise measurements can have novice cooks or those trying a recipe for the first time, very frustrated.

I remember my Grandmother telling me that a pinch was the amount you could pinch up between your thumb and a finger. “BUT,” I said, “your fingers are larger than mine, and Grandpa has even bigger hands.” That pretty well stopped my Grandmother in her tracks. “Just toss in a little and then taste,” was her final decree.

The smallest spoon on a regular measuring spoon set is normally 1/8 tsp … while the rare set will have a 1/16 spoon. It becomes more of a challenge to measure out anything less … which is why recipe writers resort to dashes, pinches and smidgens.

Here’s what the Merriam-Webster Dictionary has to say about smidgens:

Helpful isn’t it!

Finally someone has solved the mystery by creating a measuring spoon set that solves the problem.

I actually buy a dozen of these sets at a time. I give them out as gag gifts at gift-exchange Christmas parties, as small token gifts to my foodie friends, and especially as wedding shower gifts (part of a measuring spoon/ measuring cup package).

I find my set to be MOST useful when measuring out the ultra small quantities of the pure concentrated Stevia or Splenda sweeteners when cooking and baking.

You can get it here … on Amazon (yes that is an affiliate link)

My grandmother would simply wag her finger at you and say, “You have taste buds don’t you?|

Originally published on the Sugar-Free-Zone.com

I use the tad-dash-pinch-smidgen-drop measuring spoons any time I am cooking with Stevia …