Food Encyclopedia

dust

1. In cooking, to dust a preparation (such as a cake or bread) involves lightly coating it with a powdery ingredient such as flour, powdered sugar or cocoa powder. The sugar, cocoa, etc., is typically placed in a fine sieve, then the strainer is tapped or shaken lightly to release a fine dusting of the ingredient. The dusting adds both flavor and visual effect. 2. The word "dust" is also used to describe inferior, coarsely crushed tea leaves.