chiffonade
Americanadjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of chiffonade
From French, dating back to 1875–80; see origin at chiffon, -ade 1
Explanation
A chiffonade is a bunch of very thinly sliced herbs or vegetables. Your favorite pasta recipe may call for a chiffonade of basil as the finishing touch. In French, chiffonade means "little ribbons," and no matter what you're slicing, that's just what it should look like when you use this cooking technique. It works best with wide leaves that you can stack, roll, and delicately slice. Try a chiffonade of kale in a salad or a chiffonade of mint on top of homemade chocolate pudding. This word can also be used as a verb to refer to the act of cutting herbs or greens into thin strips. If you take a cooking class, you might learn to chiffonade spinach.
Vocabulary lists containing chiffonade
Mardi Gras: Food
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English Words Derived from French, List 11
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List 8
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Additionally, chiffonade radish greens are a great garnish on top of baked fish or grilled chicken, LaMarita said.
From Salon • Jun. 9, 2025
Each of the tanks has a fresh chiffonade of the pintos’ favorite red and emerald green algae on which the abalone may graze.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 14, 2021
Fortunately for the table, the crusty pork Milanese shows up as merely a substantial cutlet splayed across a chiffonade of snap peas and fresh mint.
From Washington Post • Sep. 2, 2021
Garnish with scallion chiffonade and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
From The Wall Street Journal • Aug. 5, 2015
Add a handful of chiffonade, cook five minutes and serve.
From Twenty-four Little French Dinners and How to Cook and Serve Them by Moore, Cora
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
