---
title: "Dash: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates"
description: "A dash is a tiny, loose amount, usually about ⅛ teaspoon of a dry spice or a few drops of a liquid such as hot sauce or bitters."
url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/dash"
---

# Dash

A dash is a tiny, loose amount, usually about ⅛ teaspoon of a dry spice or a few drops of a liquid such as hot sauce or bitters.

Also called Dashes.

A dash is a very small amount of an ingredient, added by a quick shake of the bottle or jar. It is not exact. For dry spices it is usually taken as about ⅛ [teaspoon](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/teaspoon), which is a little more than a [pinch](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/pinch). For a liquid such as hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce or cocktail bitters, it means a few drops, about what comes out in one quick shake.

## How to use it

Some measuring spoon sets include spoons marked "dash", "pinch" and "smidgen". On those sets a dash is ⅛ teaspoon (about 0.6 ml), a pinch is 1/16 teaspoon and a smidgen is 1/32 teaspoon. In a Swedish kitchen, a dash is a little under one [krm](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/krm).

For a liquid, hold the bottle upside down over the pot and give it one firm shake. If the bottle has a dropper or a dasher top, one dash is about 5 to 8 drops. A splash is larger, about a teaspoon to a tablespoon of something like vinegar, wine or cream.

A dash is meant for strong ingredients, where a little changes the dish: cayenne, hot sauce, bitters, nutmeg, liquid smoke, fish sauce or lemon juice. It is rarely worth measuring. Add one dash, stir, taste, and add another if you want more.

## Common mistakes

* Shaking straight from a large jar of cayenne over the pot. Too much can come out at once. Shake it into your hand or a spoon first.
* Treating a dash of something very strong, like liquid smoke, as a splash. It can take over the dish.
* Leaving it out because it seems too small to matter. A dash of acid or heat often lifts a dish that tastes flat.

## In recipes

You will see "a dash of hot sauce", "2 dashes aromatic bitters" and "a dash of salt and pepper". When a recipe says "a dash, or [to taste](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/to-taste)", it is inviting you to [adjust the seasoning](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/adjust-the-seasoning) yourself.

## Related terms

* [PinchA pinch is the small amount you can hold between your thumb and one or two fingers, about 1/16 teaspoon. It is used for salt, spices and saffron.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/pinch)
* [TeaspoonA teaspoon holds 5 ml, and 3 teaspoons make a tablespoon. Here is how to measure one level, and how it compares to tsk and krm in Swedish recipes.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/teaspoon)
* [To tasteTo taste means you decide how much to add by tasting as you go. It is used for salt, pepper, acid and heat, where preferences and ingredients vary.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/to-taste)
* [Adjust the seasoningTo adjust the seasoning is to taste a dish at the end and add salt, acid, pepper or sweetness until it tastes right. Here is how to do it in steps.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/adjust-the-seasoning)
* [KrmKrm, short for kryddmått, is the Swedish spice measure and holds exactly 1 ml. Here is how it compares to tsk, msk and US teaspoons.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/krm)

[More in measurements](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/measurements)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)