Blancmange
/blɑːnˈmɑːnʒ/noun
A sweet, usually molded dessert made with milk or cream and thickened with starch or gelatin.
Did you know?Blancmange comes through Old French from a phrase used for a pale, refined dish, and its color was part of the prestige: whiteness in medieval cuisine often signaled luxury, purity, and high status.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhel-
“to shine, gleam, or be white”
Late Latin
Latin
blancus
“white, bright”
Old French
Old French
blanc mangier
“white dish; a pale prepared food”
Middle English
English
blancmanger
“a white dish made from milk, rice, or meat in medieval cuisine”
Modern English
English
blancmange
“a sweet milk-based dessert, usually set with starch or gelatin”