Pinch

A pinch is the amount of a dry ingredient that can be held between the forefinger and thumb. It is smaller than a dash, and the exact size depends on who is measuring. University of Illinois Extension notes that a pinch of salt might be close to one sixteenth of a teaspoon, while a Clemson University Extension conversion chart gives a pinch of dry ingredient as one eighth of a teaspoon or less.

Bakers use the word for seasoning in small amounts: a pinch of salt in a batter, a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg in a filling, or a pinch of cream of tartar in egg whites. Because the amount is so small, the result is hard to taste if it is off by a little, which is why a pinch appears in recipes where precision is not critical.

When a recipe needs an exact figure, it will name a fraction of a teaspoon instead.