What is the culinary term for squeezing excess liquid from food?

The culinary term for squeezing excess liquid from food is best described as wringing. This term is particularly appropriate in contexts where solid food items, such as vegetables or fruits, are enveloped in a cloth or other material and then twisted to remove moisture. Wringing is often used in scenarios where a significant amount of liquid needs to be expelled, making it a precise action relevant to certain cooking techniques.

Pressing is commonly understood but tends to refer more broadly to applying weight or pressure rather than a specific action of squeezing out liquid. Draining typically involves allowing liquid to flow away from food, often by placing it in a sieve or colander, which may not indicate that any squeezing action is taking place. Straining also signifies the removal of liquids through a fine mesh, but does not specifically imply the physical action of squeezing, focusing instead on filtering. Thus, wringing aligns more closely with the active process of removing excess moisture by manual pressure.