Roux
noun /ruː/ — Cooked fat and flour used to thicken sauces.
Definition
A cooked mixture of equal parts fat (butter, oil, or lard) and flour, used as the thickening base for sauces, soups, and stews. White roux cooks briefly; dark roux (essential to Cajun cooking) for thirty minutes or more until nutty and deep-colored.
Beyond the definition
A roux is patience made physical — the cook standing at the stove, stirring continuously. The more you cook it, the deeper the flavor and the weaker the thickening power.
Origin & history
French: 'reddish-brown'; from Latin 'russus' (reddish). French classical cuisine formalized roux-based sauces in the 17th century.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
New Orleans gumbo requires a dark roux — thirty minutes of constant stirring, the color moving from paste to peanut butter to dark chocolate.
She made the roux too quickly: pale and gluey where it should have been golden and nutty.
Every French mother sauce begins with a roux — the foundation that makes the rest possible.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Roux” when the meaning fits your context: A cooked mixture of equal parts fat (butter, oil, or lard) and flour, used as the thickening base for sauces, soups, and stews. White roux cooks briefly; dark roux (essential to Cajun cooking) for thirty minutes or more until nutty and deep-colored.
Synonyms
thickener, butter-flour base
Related words
Roux vs beurre manié
A roux is cooked fat and flour combined before adding liquid. A beurre manié is uncooked butter and flour mixed together and added to hot liquid to thicken.
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
Baker Working With Custard And Sauce
A baker at a kitchen counter works with a bowl of smooth, thick custard and a caramel-colored sauce, emphasizing texture and consistency.
A roux is a mixture of fat and flour used to thicken liquids. The varying textures of custard and sauce demonstrate the foundational role of this mixture in providing the body and depth necessary for culinary sauces.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Roux" mean?
Roux is noun meaning: Cooked fat and flour used to thicken sauces.. A cooked mixture of equal parts fat (butter, oil, or lard) and flour, used as the thickening base for sauces, soups, and stews. White roux cooks briefly; dark roux (essential to Cajun cooking) for thirty minutes or more until nutty and deep-colored.
Where does the word "Roux" come from?
French: 'reddish-brown'; from Latin 'russus' (reddish). French classical cuisine formalized roux-based sauces in the 17th century.