Kitchen French - all those French terms in the kitchen

Writer: Helena Bergström

Today we're talking about cooking French! The French language contains lots of words about food and cooking, and many of the words we also use in Swedish - either as they are or in a Swedishised version. Join us on a tasty language journey!

Kitchen French

France has a special position when it comes to fine dining, and in fact French cuisine is listed as an Intangible World Heritage Site on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In our home we like both food and language. Peter is the one who loves to cook and I am very fond of words. Together we've immersed ourselves in kitchen French, and today we're sharing a list of French terms used in the kitchen. You're sure to recognise a lot of them... and maybe even discover that you know a bit more French than you thought!

Cookery French - meat and charcuterie

We start by diving into the meat counter. Here you will find lots of words that you recognise even from Sweden.

French	Sanitisation	Significance
to the stew	aladåb	meat or fish cooked in jelly
châteaubriand	chateaubriand	thick slice from the centre of a beef fillet
entrecote		"between the pages"
filet mignon		small round pieces of meat from pork fillet
foie gras		fatty liver from duck or goose
roll	rolled / rolled	rolled up meat slice with stuffing
terrine	shrine	cold dish of meat, fish, or vegetables, with a binder
tournedos	thorn thaw	thick slice of beef fillet

Kitchen French - stews and casseroles

Is there anything as French as a rich meat stew? Even in Sweden, the French names are used from time to time ...

French	Sanitisation	Significance
beef bourguignon		Burgundian meat stew
coq au vin		young rooster cooked in wine
fondue		in France it means cheese fondue
fricassee	fricassee	chicken, veal or lamb stew
pot-au-feu		stew with long-cooked meat
stew	ragu	stew on meat or poultry
ratatouille		scrambled vegetables with tomato, aubergine, courgette and peppers

Kitchen French - soups

When it comes to soups, there are many words in French that describe soups of different consistencies. Is the soup made from broth, is it blended, is it flavoured, does it contain cream...? If you're going to delve into the noble art of cooking, you'll probably be confronted with these terms.

French	Sanitisation	Significance
bisque		smooth and rich soup made with seafood
bouillabaisse		Southern French fish soup
stock	broth	decoctions of meat, fish or vegetables
consumed	consumption	clear and thin soup
cream		smooth, thick and creamy soup
soup		slightly thicker soup, often blended
soup	soup	soup
velvety		smooth and creamy soup made on broth base

Kitchen French - more dishes

French cuisine is full of exciting dishes, many of which we Swedes have brought with us to Sweden. Sometimes we also use the French names of the dishes.

French	Sanitisation	Significance
crepes		thin pancake with filling
cordon bleu		pork schnitzel stuffed with cheese and ham
galette	galette	buckwheat pancakes
gratin	gratin	baked dish in the oven
julienne		shredded vegetables
fried mussels		mussels with French fries
French fries		shredded fried potatoes
quiche		matinee pie
raclette		melted cheese sliced/scraped and eaten with potatoes
Nicoise salad	Nicoise salad	salad with tuna, anchovies, olives, eggs and beans
quenelle	quenelles	fish balls
vol-au-vent	volauvent	puff pastry pie

Cooking French - sauces

Another thing that French cuisine is famous for is sauces! There are lots of French sauce words that we are more or less familiar with in Sweden too.

French	Sanitisation	Significance
béchamel / béchamelle	bechamel	white sauce
beurre blanc		butter sauce
hazelnut butter		browned butter (with nutty flavour)
Café de Paris		spicy butter sauce
background		boiled down concentrated broth
mayonnaise	mayonnaise	emulsion between egg yolk and cooking oil
remoulade	remoulded	seasoning sauce
sauce	gravy	gravy
béarnaise sauce	béarnaise sauce	butter sauce with tarragon and chervil

Kitchen French - various food items

There's a lot to look at in French supermarkets, and of course a lot of it is recognisable. Sometimes you even recognise the words, one way or another.

French	Sanitisation	Significance
mushroom	mushroom	mushrooms (in French, all varieties)
goat		goat
cream	cream	cream
fresh cream		boilable lightly soured cream
snails		snails
cheese		cheese
green beans		green beans
vegetables	legumes, legume salad	vegetables
apple		apple
potato		potatoes (eg: Jerusalem artichoke)
rice	reef	reef

Kitchen French - bread and desserts

Bread is an important part of the French diet, and both pastries and desserts are popular. No wonder there are boulangeries and patisseries in every village!

French	Sanitisation	Significance
baguette		French white bread
biscuit	biskvi	crust, biscuits
brioche		small wheat bread with butter
crème brûlée		burnt cream (a dessert)
croissant		pastry-like wafer
crouton	crouton	toasted bread cube
ice cream	glass	glass

Cookery French - drinks

Drinks are also part of French cuisine - from coffee to wine. Here are some drink-related words, where we in Sweden have been inspired by the French.

French	Sanitisation	Significance
aperitif	aperitif	oppression
with		with (often referring to brandy or liqueur with coffee)
bouquet		aroma/flavour (in wine)
coffee with milk		coffee with milk
black coffee		black coffee
champagne		sparkling wine from the Champagne region
cider	cider	fermented fruit drink
cognac	brandy	spirits of the brandy type
cremant		French sparkling wine
wine	wine	wine

Cookery French - the meal

It is not only in terms of bet we eat, but also how we eat, which we have been inspired by French food culture. Here are a number of French food words that you may encounter in one way or another in Sweden.

French	Sanitisation	Significance
appetiser		appetisers
buffet	buffet	smorgasbord
dessert		dessert
entry		starter
hors d'œuvre		light, appetising side dishes
picnic	picnic	takeaway food that you take out
supper	super	midday meal

Cooking French - cooking methods

And then there was the actual cooking. Wow, so many French words we use in the Swedish kitchen when we cook!

French	Sanitisation	Significance
in the oven		oven-fried
bleach	bleach	wither
braise	braise	simmer
burnish	brew	fry until brown on the surface
candied	confit / confectionery	boil in its own fat
flare	flambé	burning off with alcohol
sailor	marinera	put in marinade
breadcrumb	breadcrumbs	cover with breadcrumbs or similar
poach	pochera	boil in lightly simmering water
roast	toasted	oven-fried
stir-fry	will jump	fry quickly with a little fat in high heat
under vacuum		cooking raw material in vacuum in tempered water bath
slice	slice	cut open when serving

Cooking French - in the restaurant

Last but not least, we need to talk about some of the kitchen French used when visiting restaurants, some in France and some in Sweden.

French	Sanitisation	Significance
per minute		food is cooked to order
à la carte		according to the house menu
bistro		simple restaurant
brasserie		brewery that also serves food
covered	envelope	table setting per person
haute cuisine		higher cookery
menu	menu	menu
dish of the day		dish of the day
restaurant	restaurant	food service
sommelier		wine waiter

READ MORE: Shopping in French supermarkets - our experiences

More French terms in the kitchen?

Do you have more examples of French words and terms in the kitchen? Please tell us!