Soufflé

1. 1Lift comes from whipped egg whites folded into a base — not chemical leavening
2. 2Baked so it rises above the rim of its mould and is served immediately before it falls
3. 3A flavoring base (béchamel/cheese for savoury; pastry cream, chocolate, or fruit purée for sweet)
4. 4Baked in a straight-sided, buttered-and-coated ramekin or dish
5. 5Delicate, airy interior; the texture, not the flavor, defines the form

Whipping egg whites to firm peaks

The trapped air is the sole source of lift; under- or over-whipping kills the rise

Folding whites into the base gently

Preserves the air bubbles so the soufflé can expand in the oven

Buttering and coating the mould

Lets the batter climb the straight sides evenly for a tall, even rise

Served

Straight from the oven in its ramekin

Temperature

Hot

Portion

Individual ramekin or shared dish

Pairs with

Crème anglaise (sweet) · Green salad (savoury cheese soufflé) · Dessert wine

• Whipped egg whites → Baking powderinadmissible

  Breaks the dish — a soufflé is defined by egg-white aeration, not chemical leavening

• Cheese base → Vegetable purée baseadmissible

  Works for savoury variations like spinach soufflé

• Wheat-flour béchamel base → Flourless egg baseadmissible

  Acceptable for a lighter or gluten-free version, but less stable

• Deflating the egg whites by overmixing when folding
• Opening the oven during baking, causing collapse
• Failing to butter and coat the mould so the batter cannot climb
• Serving it late after it has already fallen
• Relying on baking powder instead of properly whipped whites

A creation of French haute cuisine codified in the early 19th century, attributed to French chefs such as Marie-Antoine Carême; emblematic of French technique.

Claimed by: France

1. 1.French classical culinary references
2. 2.Escoffier / Carême technique tradition

Confidence: high