jowl ˈjau̇-lē noun
1. a fullness and looseness of the flesh of the lower cheek and jaw (characteristic of aging)
2. the jaw in vertebrates that is hinged to open the mouth
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The word jowl has appeared in 23 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Jan. 28 in “A Day of Rice Cakes for the Lunar New Year” by Tejal Rao:
WEST COMPTON, Calif. — In a sunny field here in Los Angeles County, the chef Diep Tran folded a banana leaf like wrapping paper, running her fingers along the crease. As she spooned some pork jowl and rice on top, a dozen women leaned over to observe her technique.
“Not too much!” Ms. Tran said. “Don’t forget, rice expands as it cooks.”
Tet, or Vietnamese New Year, falls on Feb. 5 this year. To celebrate and prepare for the holiday, Ms. Tran gathered about 100 women to make banh chung, the rich, sticky rice cakes filled with pork, shallots and mung beans, wrapped in banana leaves and boiled until tender. The women would take home their finished banh chung to share with family and friends.
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