What does chiffonade mean?
Chiffonade is a finely chopped food preparation, usually consisting of vegetables or meat cut into very small pieces and then cooked. The technique is especially useful in soups, sauces, stews, and braised dishes, where the small pieces absorb flavor quickly and create a smooth, even texture. Unlike a rough chop, a chiffonade is deliberately and carefully produced, often by slicing or cutting ingredients into tiny, consistent pieces. The word is used in both British and American English, particularly in culinary writing and recipe instructions. It can refer either to the resulting mixture or to the chopping technique itself. Although chiffonade is sometimes associated with delicate, refined cooking, it is primarily a precise description of size and texture rather than a claim about a dish's quality.
nounA food preparation, especially of vegetables or meat, made by cutting the ingredients into very small pieces and usually cooking them. The term can also refer to the culinary technique or process of chopping food this way.
- A food, especially vegetables or meat, that has been cut into very small pieces and usually cooked.
- The culinary technique of cutting food into very small pieces.
"The recipe calls for a chiffonade of carrots, onions, and celery cooked slowly until tender."
"She prepared a chiffonade of leeks and mushrooms for the sauce."
"The chef demonstrated chiffonade by reducing the vegetables to fine pieces with a sharp knife."
The plural is uncommon because chiffonade is often treated as a mass noun, but it is used when referring to separate preparations.
"The caterer prepared several distinct chiffonades for the tasting menu."
Chiffonade is the culinary secret for turning a handful of vegetables into dozens of tiny, flavor-catching pieces.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chiffonade
The word comes from French, where chiffonner means to shred or cut into fine strands and is related to chiffon, the term for a gauze-like fabric. French chiffonade developed culinary meanings referring both to the shredding process and to food cut into very small pieces. English borrowed the culinary term during the nineteenth century, when French culinary vocabulary strongly influenced professional British and American cooking.
How chiffonade is actually used
This is chiefly a culinary term used in recipes and professional cooking. It describes a texture and cutting method more precisely than a general reference to chopped food.
Easily confused with chiffonade
Chiffon is a lightweight, sheer fabric, whereas chiffonade is food cut into very small pieces.