What does parboiling mean?
Parboiling is the controlled, partial boiling of food before it is cooked by another method. It is most often applied to potatoes that will subsequently be roasted, fried, or baked. This preliminary cooking softens the potatoes and helps their interiors become fluffy, while their relatively firm surfaces brown and crisp during the final cooking stage. The process can also be used with other vegetables, especially when their texture needs to be developed before a longer cooking method. As a noun, “parboiling” names the procedure; as an adjective or participial modifier, it describes food undergoing that procedure or the associated stage of preparation. The word comes from the established English verb “parboil,” which is closely related in origin to “boil,” and it is especially familiar in recipes and culinary writing.
The process of partially cooking food by boiling it for a limited time before another cooking method.
"Parboiling the potatoes helped them cook evenly in the oven."
Usually used with potatoes or other vegetables and often discussed in culinary contexts.
Relating to or describing food that has been partially boiled, or the process of partial boiling.
"She drained the parboiling potatoes and transferred them to the hot oil."
Most often appears before a noun, especially “potatoes,” and is a participial adjective rather than an independently developed adjective.
Parboiling is a hidden first step for perfectly crisp roast potatoes: the potatoes are cooked before roasting so their centers become fluffy without their outsides burning.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does parboiling come from?
“Parboiling” comes from the English verb “parboil,” which was borrowed from Dutch “parboilen.” The Dutch form combines a prefix element with “boil,” reflecting the idea of cooking in water before another stage of preparation. The English verb developed into the present participle “parboiling,” which functions both as a gerund naming the process and as an attributive modifier.
Related word forms
How parboiling is actually used
The term is most commonly used with potatoes, though it can apply to other vegetables. It is particularly common in British, American, Australian, and South Asian cooking contexts.