croquembouche
/ˌkroʊkəmˈbuːʃ/
noun
Origin
French
croquer + en + bouche — to crunch in the mouth
Overview
Meaning Now
- A French dessert consisting of a conical tower of choux pastry profiteroles bound together with threads of caramel.
Literal older meaning
crunch in the mouth
Language path
French
Earliest form
croque-en-bouche
Earliest period
19th century
Journey
The croquembouche gained prominence in the early 19th century as a centerpiece of haute pâtisserie, popularized by Marie-Antoine Carême. It is traditionally served at weddings, baptisms, and first communions in France.
Evolution
- Early 19th century
croque-en-bouche
“Something that crunches in the mouth”
Coined by French pastry chefs like Carême.
- Late 19th century to present
croquembouche
“Conical pastry tower”
Standardized spelling without hyphens.
Connections
Word parts
croquer
root
to crunch
en
other
in
bouche
root
mouth
Related across languages
French
croquer
to crunch
Related words
Explore next
Related to croquembouche
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.