Are you hungry? “Oui” are! Ha! This Wonder of the Day features a French dish. Get it? (“Oui” is the French word for “yes” and it’s pronounced like “we.”) Oh well…“oui” tried! Oops! “Oui” did it again!
OK, enough silliness for now. If you find yourself in France and you’re seriously hungry, you might want to try a French delicacy with a distinctly-French name. What are we talking about? The soufflé, of course!
Soufflés are light and puffy cakes made with egg yolks, beaten egg whites and a variety of other ingredients. Soufflés can be served as a savory main course or sweetened to be a delicious dessert.
The name soufflé comes from the French verb souffler, which means to blow up or puff up. This accurately describes what happens when a soufflé is baked.
The two main parts of a soufflé are a custard base (a creamy sauce) and egg whites that have been beaten to form a meringue. The custard base provides the flavor and the meringue provides the rising effect that soufflés are famous for.
Egg whites, which are pure protein, are beaten to add air to them. The proteins in the egg whites surround the air bubbles and develop into a frothy mixture that, when baked, makes the soufflé rise. After it has been cooked, a soufflé will fall to its final form within about 5-10 minutes after it leaves the oven.
Soufflé custard can be made with many different types of ingredients for a wide variety of soufflé flavors. Common ingredients include cheese, chocolate, fruits, berries and jam. To create sweet desserts, a good amount of sugar is also added. Chefs around the world have used their imaginations to create hundreds of different types of soufflés.
Soufflés are often served in the glazed, white, round porcelain containers they’re cooked in. These containers — called ramekins — come in many different sizes. Because soufflés are delicate creations, they’re usually served quickly upon coming out of the oven. If you’re ever asked if you’d like a soufflé, say “Oui!” and enjoy!
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Is all cheese healthy? Also the video it reminded me of French Food!
Hey Wonder Friend Crystal! Thanks for WONDERing about delicious souffles today! We’re glad you learned about a cool French-inspired food with us. Cheese sure is delicious, but just like chocolate, only small amounts of cheese are better for us. We don’t want too much of a good thing! We bet you’ll enjoy Wonder #24– Do French Fries Really Come From France? http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/belgian-fries/
I love eating souffle.
YUM, we’re glad you’ve tried today’s delicious Wonder, Reagan! Thanks for telling us! We Wonder if you are the cook in your house, or if you help someone prepare dinner?
Mm.. Souffle looks SOOO Delicious ! XD
We Wonder if you have ever tried this delicious treat, Ky Duyen Quang? We hope you’ll be able to taste souffle, now that you’ve been WONDERing about it! Thanks for visiting us today– we’re glad your taste buds are happy!
Hi! I liked today’s wonder! I have never tasted a souffle before, but once my family went to an alpaca farm and the was an alpaca there named chocolate souffle. It is interesting how the word souffle comes from the French verb, souffler which means to puff things up. I want to taste a souffle! Thank you for today’s wonder!
Thanks for sharing another awesome comment, Berkleigh! We like the alpaca’s name, Chocolate Souffle! We think it would be fun to name a pet after our favorite desserts, too! We Wonder if you can think of anything else that would be described as “souffler”? We’re still WONDERing ourselves! Thanks for visiting, Berkleigh!
Wow that looks super yummy! I want to try it some time! I used to think souffle was only chocolate! When I grow up I want to make that or when I’m a teenager. Thanks!
We sure hope you will be able to try souffle in the future, Blakeleigh! Perhaps you and your parents can make a souffle of your own someday! We bet you’ll be an excellent cook! We hope your Saturday is super, just like you!
Souffle is a french dessert made from egg whites, and custard. It is kind of like a sponge cake only fluffier. You have to be careful when baking it or it will fall.
You did a SUPER job of summarizing what you learned about souffles today, Remington! Thanks for sharing your comment about our delicious Wonder! Perhaps you’ll be able to make a souffle of your own in the future!?
MY MOM AND I THINK A SOUFFLE SOUNDS REALLY GOOD.
Yum! We hope you and your mom will try out a souffle recipe of your own soon, Lynds! Thanks for sharing your comment and using your culinary skills with us!
The souffle seems like a hard dish!
Hey there, Lils, we learned that even some of the most well-trained chefs have a tough time preparing the perfect souffle! It takes a lot of practice and technique to get it right, but it sure does taste delicious! We hope you’ll be able to try a souffle in the future– perhaps you and a family member can make one together!
Nice wonder and what does it mean when you beat an egg?
Great question, Sierra! Beating an egg is a term used to describe how you mix an egg. Usually, you crack the egg into a bowl, and use a fork or a whisk to stir the egg so it becomes one liquid… usually there are bubbles that form, too! Thanks for sharing your comment and asking your question!
I WONDER HOW YOU MAKE THAT, IT LOOKS VERY GOOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We’re so happy you enjoyed our delicious souffle Wonder, Zarus! Thanks for WONDERing with us… perhaps you and your family could try a souffle recipe together! That sounds like a fun family activity!
So it’s like a mini cake.
That’s a great analogy, Wonder Friend Courtney! A souffle is a smaller version of a type of cake– it includes custard and egg whites, which makes it different than the cake you might eat for birthday celebrations! Thanks for visiting us today!
Okay now I’m hungry!!!!!!!
We certainly agree, Wonder Friend Courtney! It’s nearly dinner time at Wonderopolis and we’ve already got a sweet tooth or two! We hope you’ll try a souffle soon for yourself! YUM!