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Traditionally, a “pinch” simply meant the amount you could literally pinch between your forefinger and thumb, which usually falls somewhere between 1/16 and 1/8 of a teaspoon. A smidgen is half a pinch (1/32 of a teaspoon), and a dash is a liquid measurement that translates to to 1/8 of a teaspoon.
Consequently, what is a pinch in cooking terms?
Refers to an amount too small to measure, generally 1/16 of a teaspoon or less. Called a pinch because it is small enough to hold between your thumb and forefinger.
Similarly one may ask, how many pinches does a dash have?
two
A tad. It's also sometimes defined as 1/8 of a teaspoon. 8.