Fumette

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A delicate and fragrant vapor emitted while cooking that contributes to the overall flavor profile of dishes
2. An aromatic mist resulting from cooking processes that enriches food with unique flavor nuances
3. A subtle and flavorful steam released during cooking that enhances the taste and aroma of various dishes

Etymology: The word "fumette" comes from French "fumet", a term for the appetizing odour of wine or meat, and the name is a reminder that a good dinner's smell was once thought of as a kind of smoke. French "fumet" descends from Latin "fumus", meaning "smoke", the same root that gives English "fume". Cooks and diners who spoke of a rich fumet were, in effect, describing the rising vapour that carries a dish's aroma into the room. The English word keeps that sense of rising vapour. Because "fumette" is the English form of the French noun, it names the aromatic steam that drifts up from a pot or roast, rather than the smoke of a fire. Its link to "fume" shows how a word for something unpleasant in the air, such as exhaust or irritating gas, can also describe the pleasant steam of food.