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French word of the day: Croustiller

The Local France
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French word of the day: Croustiller
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond"

It’s the kind of word that sounds delicious when you say it but also when you find out what it means.

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Why do I need to know croustiller?

Because there are a lot of ways to talk about food and eating in French, and this is one way to get more specific.

What does it mean?

Croustiller is usually used to describe something that has a bit of a crunchy texture, but it also means to eat.

In the 18th century, croustiller meant : “to eat small crusts to be able to drink after the meal and to stay longer at the table”, according to the definition in the dictionary Le Trésor de la langue française.

Croustiller first appeared in the French language in the 17th century to describe the action of “eating bread crust”.

It comes from provençal (the language from the southern region of Provence in France) word croustilha, croustiller in standard French. 

READ MORE: Why are the French so snobbish about accent?

 

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Use it like this

Mmmm ce gâteau croustille sous la dent ! – Mmmm this cake is crunchy when you chew it!

J’adore l’odeur du pain qui croustille. – I love the smell of crusty bread.

Synonyms

Croûter – to eat

Croquer – to munch

 

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