rillette
/rɪˈlɛt/ IELTSAcademic
noun
A rich French meat spread made from cooked, shredded meat mixed with fat. It is usually eaten cold on bread or toast.
- She served rillette with crusty bread.
- The rillette was rich and salty.
- We shared duck rillette at lunch.
Adinary Nuance
Rillette is close to pâté and spread, but it is not the same. Pâté is usually smoother and can be made with a finer texture. Rillette is more shredded and stringy, with a chunky feel. Use rillette when you want the specific French meat spread, not any generic meat paste.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- thịt xé phết
- Spanish
- paté de carne
- Chinese
- 肉酱
- Japanese
- リエット
- Korean
- 리에트
Etymology
From French rillette, from rille, a strip of pork. The word entered English through French food writing and menus.
Common phrases
duck rillettepork rilletteserve rillettea rillette spread
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is rillette the same as pâté?
- No. Rillette is usually shreds of meat mixed with fat. Pâté is often smoother.
- How do you eat rillette?
- People usually eat it cold on bread, toast, or crackers.
- Is rillette a common word in English?
- It is not very common. You will see it mostly on menus and in food writing.