Flambé vs Sear: What’s the Difference?

The difference at a glance

Flambé involves igniting alcohol on a dish to burn off excess spirits and provide a signature flavor. Searing uses high heat to brown the surface of food without the addition of flames.

What does Flambé mean?

verb / adjective · /flɒmˈbeɪ/

To pour alcohol over food and ignite it briefly, allowing the flames to burn off the alcohol while adding a complex, slightly caramelised flavour. A technique as theatrical as it is functional — the flambé is both a cooking method and a performance.

Flambé in a sentence

He flambéed the crêpes tableside — a blue flame, three seconds, then gone.

The Baked Alaska arrived already flambéed, meringue still warm from the brief burning.

What does Sear mean?

verb · /sɪər/

To cook the surface of food quickly over very high heat, creating a browned, flavorful crust through the Maillard reaction while keeping the interior moist. A foundational technique for meat, fish, and vegetables.

Sear in a sentence

She waited until the pan was smoking before she added the steak — a proper sear required heat you could feel across the kitchen.

Don't move it. Let it release. The pan will tell you when it's ready. That's the whole lesson of the sear.

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