Allumettes

Definition

Even thinner than julienne—matchstick-like cuts (approximately 2mm × 2mm × 5-6cm). It's basically julienne for people with too much time and patience.

Example Usage

The French fries were cut into perfect allumettes for that classic bistro look.

Origin

French 'allumettes' (matches); literally 'matchsticks' because they look like matches

Fun Fact

Most people just call these 'thin julienne' now because saying allumettes makes you sound like you're trying too hard.

Source: Classical French knife cuts

Related Terms

Intermediate

Sous Vide

A cooking method where food is vacuum-sealed in a bag and cooked in precisely temperature-controlled water for hours. It's basically a slow hot tub for your dinner. The results are incredible, but explaining to guests that you boiled their steak in a bag requires strong PR skills.

🍳 Food / Culinary

Beginner

sanguini

A humorous term for an exceptionally fresh and delicious sandwich from a quality deli, as opposed to mass-produced chain sandwich shop fare. Think artisanal, not assembly-line.

🍳 Food / Culinary

Beginner

chard

A leafy green vegetable that looks like celery mated with spinach and had rainbow babies, with colorful stems ranging from white to neon pink. Also known as Swiss chard (despite not being particularly Swiss), this beet relative offers nutritious greens that taste slightly bitter and earthy. It's what you buy when you want to feel healthy but kale seems too trendy.

🍳 Food / Culinary

Intermediate

fire

The command to begin cooking a specific dish, not an actual emergency requiring evacuation. When the expeditor calls 'fire table seven,' that's your cue to start the clock.

🍳 Food / Culinary

Advanced

forcemeat

Finely minced or ground meat mixed with fat, spices, and seasonings, typically used as stuffing for poultry, pâtés, or terrines—fancy culinary speak for 'really well-seasoned meatloaf mixture.' This classical preparation requires careful grinding and blending to achieve the proper emulsification and texture. It's what happens when chefs decide that regular ground meat isn't sophisticated enough.

🍳 Food / Culinary

Advanced

Fromagerie

A cheese shop, but saying it in French means the cheese costs four times as much and comes wrapped in paper instead of plastic. It's where you go to feel cultured while spending $30 on something that smells like gym socks and tastes like heaven.

🍳 Food / Culinary

Translate This Term

See “Allumettes” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

Try the Translator

Share This Term

Post on X Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn

Discover a Term

Advanced

JDAM

Joint Direct Attack Munition — a guidance kit that turns regular dumb bombs into GPS-guided smart bombs. It is basical...