souffle

Where does the word "souffle" come from? It comes from French souffler, and was adopted directly into English (1810s).

Souffle’s story begins in French: souffler meant “to puff up, to blow.” To puff up, to blow, describing the dish's light, risen texture. It reached English by 1810s as souffle. French 'puffed', from 'souffler', to blow; the chef Antoine Beauvilliers popularized it around 1800. Today, souffle means a light, airy baked dish made with beaten egg whites, sweet or savory.

1. Stage 1 · French · medieval souffler "to puff up, to blow", to puff up, to blow, describing the dish's light, risen texture.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1810s souffle "a light, airy baked dish made with beaten egg whites", French 'puffed', from 'souffler', to blow; the chef Antoine Beauvilliers popularized it around 1800.