Flambé
verb / adjective /flɒmˈbeɪ/ — To pour alcohol over food and ignite it briefly for flavour and effect.
Definition
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.
Beyond the definition
The flambé is the moment when the kitchen becomes theatre. The pan catches, blue flame runs across the surface, and for a moment everything is burning and beautiful. Food that has been through fire carries it.
Origin & history
French: 'flamber' (to flame, to singe). From 'flamme' (flame). The technique became fashionable in French haute cuisine in the 19th century.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
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.
Some moments in a relationship are flambé: brief, brilliant, transformative — and then immediately over.
How to use it
Follow this entry’s examples for grammatical form and sentence placement.
Choose “Flambé” when the meaning fits your context: 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.
Synonyms
ignite, flame, torch, burn
Antonyms
simmer, steam, poach
Related words
Flambé vs sear
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.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Savouring Rich Sauce
An adult holds bread dipped into a dark, simmering, rich sauce, with steam rising up.
The heat and richness of the sauce represent the effects of a flambé. It captures the transformative result where the process adds a complex, deep flavor to the dish through the application of focused, intense heat.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Flambé" mean?
Flambé is verb / adjective meaning: To pour alcohol over food and ignite it briefly for flavour and effect.. 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.
Where does the word "Flambé" come from?
French: 'flamber' (to flame, to singe). From 'flamme' (flame). The technique became fashionable in French haute cuisine in the 19th century.