Clair Cordier, Getty Images
Clair Cordier, Getty Images
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If you like to cook or bake you always have a recipe that gives you terms like a smidgen, a dash or a pinch. A lot of these recipes seem to be handed down from Grandmother's or Mothers and they know what those terms mean. Unfortunately most of us don’t, so let’s try to describe some of these terms.

 Most of these terms have two measurements, both are fairly close to each other and it all depends on how much of what you are adding and how much you personally want.

Let’s start with a Smidgen; this is also called a Smidge. The measurement is 1/32nd teaspoon or 1/48th teaspoon.

Another you hear all the time is Pinch, this is 1/16th teaspoon or 1/24th teaspoon.

A Dash equals 1/16th teaspoon or less than 1/8th teaspoon.

When someone tells you to add a Tad, as in, add a Tad of salt, they mean 1/8th teaspoon.

A Drop is only 1/60th teaspoon, 1/80 teaspoon or 1/120th teaspoon.

The only one that doesn’t seem to have a unit of measure is a Hint; this unit is defined as a ‘trace’.

After all of that, the rule of thumb is all of the measurements are so small they won’t make a difference in the final outcome of what you are making, so just take a little between your thumb and pointer finger and that should be good enough.

They do sell measuring spoons that have these terms on them if you prefer to use them when you cook.

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