A drop is a small, rounded portion of a liquid or soft ingredient released from a spoon or other utensil onto a surface, rather than piped, spread, or shaped by hand.
The technique is common in baking - dropping spoonfuls of cookie dough, batter, or melted chocolate to form uniform, individual portions - and in savory cooking, where a dollop of an ingredient such as pesto, crème fraîche, or a yogurt-based sauce is dropped onto soup, pasta, or roasted vegetables to finish the dish.
The size and shape of a drop depends on the consistency of the ingredient: thick, viscous ingredients like nut butter or fruit compote hold a distinct rounded shape, while thinner liquids spread out on contact. It differs from a drizzle, which distributes a liquid in a continuous thin stream rather than a single discrete portion.