Kitchen
What is Quanto basta (q.b.)?
Pronounced /KWAN-toh BAH-stah/
Definition
Quanto basta, abbreviated q.b., means "as much as needed" — the Italian recipe instruction to season to taste.
You will see it beside salt, oil, and pepper in nearly every Italian recipe. It is not vagueness; it is an assumption that the cook is tasting.
The practical translation: add, taste, add again, stop when it tastes right.
Larry says
Every recipe on this site lists a number, but the pan still gets the final vote.
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