flambé
/flɒmˈbeɪ/ IELTSAcademic
verb
To pour a strong alcoholic drink over food or into a pan and set it on fire briefly. It is often done for flavor, show, or both.
- The chef flambéed the crepes at the table.
- She flambéed the sauce with brandy.
- Do not flambé near a paper towel.
adjective
Cooked with a brief flame after alcohol is added. It describes food prepared in this way.
- We ordered flambé bananas for dessert.
- The restaurant is known for flambé dishes.
- He tried the flambé orange sauce.
Adinary Nuance
Flambé is not the same as simply 'burned' or 'set on fire.' It means a quick, controlled flame, usually after adding alcohol. Writers use it when the fire is part of cooking, not an accident. It also sounds more restaurant-style than everyday words like 'cook' or 'heat.'
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- áp lửa
- Spanish
- flambeado
- Chinese
- 火焰烹调
- Japanese
- フランベ
- Korean
- 플람베
Etymology
From French flambé, past participle of flamber, meaning 'to flame.' It entered English through cooking language, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Common phrases
flambéed dessertflambé at the tableflambé saucebanana flambé
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is flambé the same as burn?
- No. Flambé means a quick, controlled flame during cooking, usually with alcohol.
- Is flambé a common word in English?
- It is fairly common in cooking and restaurant English, but not in everyday conversation.
- How do I use flambé in a sentence?
- Use it for food or sauce: 'The chef flambéed the dessert.'
- Is flambé formal or informal?
- It is neutral, but it sounds more like restaurant or cooking language.