[1] Margherita with a chiffonade of basil, which spreads the basil flavor far better than sprinkling leaves of basil atop the pie (photo: The Nibble).

[2] You can use as little garnish as you like, or a heavier garnish as with the pizza above (photo: The Nibble).

Updated June 2026

We so often recommend a chiffonade (shif-oh-NOD) garnish that we’re devoting this brief article to it.

Chiffonade is a French slicing technique in which leafy herbs or greens (basil, sage and spinach, for example) are cut into thin, ribbon-like strips.

The name translates to “made of rags”—although we think a more attractive reference might have been chosen. See the section below for how the luxurious, sheer fabric, chiffon, evolved from those rags.

It’s the perfect technique for slicing delicate herbs that can be bruised by chopping. Equally as important, it helps to release the flavor and aroma of the herb.

Use the chiffonade as an elegant garnish, or stir the ribbons into eggs, risottos, salads, soups, stews, etc.

Below:

> How to chiffonade.

> The best herbs and greens to chiffonade, and where to use them.

> The history of the chiffonade technique.

> Why the fancy sheer silk fabric chiffon is named after chiffonade.
 
 
HOW TO CHIFFONADE

Start With Large Leaves

Large, stackable leaves are needed—the technique doesn’t work with small leaves such as parsley, rosemary, or thyme.

The chiffonade technique is used to slice leafy greens and herbs into long, thin, ribbon-like strips. It is best suited for flat, broad leaves that can be neatly stacked and rolled into a tight cylinder.

The word comes from the French chiffon, “little rag,” and refers to the shreds that this technique produces. It is also used to slice other foods (such as crêpes or thin omelets) into strips.

Vegetables and herbs perfectly suited for a chiffonade include: >Leafy greens and herbs: basil, cabbage (green, red, or Savoy), collard greens (remove the tough stems), kale (strip the tough central rib first), lettuce (butterhead, iceberg, romaine), mint, sage, shiso, spinach, Swiss chard.

The technique, shown in the photo, is easy:

1. STACK the leaves.

2. ROLL them tightly.

3. SLICE perpendicular to the roll.

Basil

 
Mint

 
Sage

 
Shiso (Perilla)

 
Spinach & Other Leafy Greens

 
 
THE HISTORY OF CHIFFONADE

Chiffonade belongs to the vocabulary of French brigade-style cooking that was codified in the 19th century, largely through the influence of figures like Escoffier and Carême. It was one of those techniques that simply was part of the accumulated practical knowledge of professional French kitchens.

The technique appears in classical French culinary texts as a standard preparation, particularly for sorrel and lettuce, which were often used as a base or garnish in soups and sauces.

Chiffonade was originally more about cooking than garnishing. In classical French cuisine, a chiffonade of sorrel was a common addition to cream soups and egg dishes: The fine ribbons would wilt quickly and melt into the dish.

The modern use as a fresh herb garnish is a more contemporary application.

But our imagination harkens back to a 17th century chef deciding to slice very thin ribbons, looking at those little green slices, and thinking “little rags.”
 
What About The Luxury Fabric?

How did the same word—chiffon—come to mean both rags and luxury fabric? The word, a rag or scrap of cloth—something worn, tattered, or worthless—comes from the word chiffe, meaning a flimsy or poor-quality piece of fabric. It’s humble, even dismissive reference.

The upgrade in status happened gradually through the logic of the material itself. Chiffon the fabric, a sheer, lightweight, plainly woven silk (in the mid-20th century also made from nylon or polyester) was given the name somewhat ironically yet descriptively: It was so thin and wispy it was almost like a scrap, a mere wisp of cloth. But because it was made of silk and required considerable skill to weave, it was actually expensive and associated with haute couture and evening wear. The name stuck even as the connotations flipped entirely.

A parallel word in English is gossamer, originally referring to something insubstantially thin, almost nothing. Yet it became associated with delicacy, elegance, and beauty rather than flimsiness.

In the culinary context, chiffonade preserves the older, humbler sense perfectly: Those thin ribbons of basil or mint really do look like little green scraps or rags. The technique was named before “chiffonade” had fully shed its raggy origins in the culinary world.
 

[4] Sheer chiffon fabric, here beautifully embroidered (photo © Pretty Lace Shop | Etsy).
 

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Looking for “gourmet” Super Bowl fare? Try this recipe from Dietz & Watson. Just a bit of fresh basil elevates bacon-wrapped shrimp to new flavor heights.

Serve the shrimp on a platter for game-watching, with cocktails or as an appetizer or first course for dinner.

RECIPE: BACON-WRAPPED SHRIMP WITH BASIL

Ingredients For 4 Servings

Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 375°F and butterfly the shrimp: Make a deep slit along the back of each, but not all the way through.

2. RINSE the shrimp and pat dry. Place one basil leaf inside the slit in each shrimp. Wrap each shrimp in a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick.

3. HEAT the oil over high heat to 350°F in a medium stockpot or saucepan. When hot, carefully add the shrimp, a few at a time. Deep-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp from the oil and place on a tray lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.

4. COMBINE the barbeque sauce, horseradish and hot pepper sauce in a skillet. Add the shrimp to the sauce and heat, basting the shrimp for 5 minutes, until they are heated through. Serve on a platter garnished with lemon wedges and sprinkle with a chiffonade of basil.
 
HOW TO MAKE A CHIFFONADE

A chiffonade is a cut that creates long, thin strips. Stack the leaves, roll them tightly and slice perpendicular to the roll. See the photo above.

Some people have no problem using leftover wine in the next day or so—typically by drinking it! But if you’re just a social drinker and not likely to drink the leftovers by yourself, here are some suggestions:

1. MAKE A SPRITZER. If there’s not enough left for a full glass of wine, add club soda for a spritzer. If you like sweet drinks, make a “winetail”—a wine cocktail—by adding ginger ale or lemon-lime soda.

2. DEGLAZE A PAN. It’s easy to make a delicious wine-accented sauce with pan juices. Here’s how to deglaze.

3. FLAVOR SAUCES, SOUPS & STEWS. Wine adds rich flavor to recipes. Match the wine to the dish: white wine (including sparkling wine) with clear or creamy soups and sauces, red wine with tomato or beef-based soups, stews and sauces. You can use either with chicken and most vegetables. Reduce the wine or by boiling for 10 minutes to burn off the alcohol.

4. MAKE SALAD DRESSING. Yes, add wine to vinaigrette, along with wine vinegar. Using a 3:1 proportion of olive oil to vinegar, split the tablespoon of vinegar into 2 teaspoons vinegar and 1 teaspoon wine (match the type of wine vinegar to the type of wine). Season with salt and pepper to taste and some optional minced shallot.

5. ASSORTED RECIPES. Just look at what you’re cooking to see how wine could fit in. We love to sauté mushrooms and onions with a splash of wine; we toss it into poaching liquid for seafood or chicken, pears and other fruits. You can also add it to a marinade.

6. FREEZE IT. If you can’t think of what to do with the wine today, just pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze. When the cubes are frozen, store them in a plastic freezer bag. You can then use them for all the purposes above and more—like adding to sangria or chilling down a too-warm glass of wine from the next bottle you open.
 
Have additional tips? Let us know!
  

So we jumped on this Asian-inspired wings recipe from Chef Lorena Garcia. Plan ahead: They need to marinate overnight (and can be prepped up to three days in advance).

RECIPE: GINGER ORANGE CHICKEN WINGS

Ingredients For Approximately 30 Wings

1. PLACE orange juice concentrate, lemon juice, hoisin sauce, sugar, canola oil, ginger and garlic in a large resalable plastic bag. Seal and shake to mix.

2. ADD chicken wings; seal and shake to coat evenly.

3. REFRIGERATE overnight, or up to 3 days.

4. PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Line a large sheet pan with aluminum foil. Spread wings on foil.

5. BAKE for 45 minutes, until brown and shiny. Transfer to serving platter, sprinkle with scallions and serve.
  

It turned out to be ice cream;
an ice cream volcano, to be exact. It’s a mound of vanilla ice cream covered with Heath Bar Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits.

The volcano is brought to the table and flambéed, then sliced and served to guests. It inspired today’s tip: Flambé a dessert. Baked Alaska, Bananas Foster, Cherries Jubilee and Crêpes Suzette are classics.

Flambé means to douse food with liquor and set it alight briefly. It is done with both desserts and savory dishes (Steak Diane, for example).

Although the art has gone out of style with the decline of classic French restaurants, you can try your hand at home. It will light up a special occasion (pun intended).

The practice of igniting food for show can be traced to the Moors in the 14th century. But modern flambéing became popular only in the late 19th century.

We’re not sure who is responsible. Henri Charpentier, a waiter in Monte Carlo, claimed that he created the concept in 1895, when he accidentally set fire to a pan of crêpes he was preparing with orange liqueur. He discovered that burning the sauce affected its flavor in a wonderful way.

Oh, and he claims the guests were Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII) and his companion, one Suzette. Charpentier said that he named the dish Crêpes Suzette after the her.

The story is disputed by Larousse Gastronomique, which claims that Charpentier, who was 14 years old at the time, was not old enough to be serving royalty. [Source: Wikipedia]
 
 
RECIPE: MAKE YOUR OWN ICE CREAM VOLCANO

Most of us don’t have the occasion to make croque-em-bouche (CROAK om boosh), a festive tower of cream puffs held together with crackling caramel threads. You’d have to be good friends with a pâtisserie owner to borrow one (here’s what it looks like).

But you might possibly have a large chinois (SHEEN-wah), a cone-shaped mesh strainer. Otherwise, you’ll have to shape it “freehand,” which can be easier if you buy vanilla ice cream in a cylinder shape carton (like Edy’s and Dreyer’s) instead of a rectangular carton.

Then, all you need are these:

Ingredients

 
If you don’t want to flambé the volcano, serve it as is—perhaps with a birthday or other slender candle on top.
 
Preparation

1. MOUND the ice cream into a volcano (cone) shape. Coat with Heath Bar Bits.

2. FREEZE four hours or more to firm.

3. REMOVE right before serving and flambé (see instructions below).

If you haven’t flambéed before, you should practice igniting alcohol before the big event. Remember to be cautious; you are, after all, “playing with fire.”

To flambé, you need a liquor or liqueur of 80 proof or higher; the higher the proof, the more easily it ignites. You can easily find them at 100 proof or more.* But 80 proof will do; and for those concerned about ingesting the alcohol: most of it burns off in the flames. It does leave some flavor, so choose a liquor/liqueur that is complimentary to the food (chocolate or fruit liqueurs or brandies for desserts and whiskey or brandy for meats).

If you want, you can embed a small metal cup in the top of the volcano (think the something smaller than a tea candle—we used a repurposed bottle top from an empty bottle of Scotch). It will make the flames “spout from the volcano.” You need to embed it as you are mounding the ice cream.

It also helps to dim the light in the room. Then, just before serving:

1. PLACE 1/4 cup liquor and a small metal ladle in a small saucepan. Heat the liquor and the ladle just until the liquor begins to bubble, around 130°F. You will to see vapors rise from the liquid. It must be warm to ignite; but do not allow the liquor to boil off, or it will not stay lit (the boiling point of alcohol is 175°F).

Option: The liquor also can be heated in a microwave oven in a microwave-proof dish for 30 to 45 seconds at 100 percent power. You can warm the ladle in boiling water.

2. WITH A CUP: Ladle part of the liquor into the metal cup and ignite it with a long “fireplace” match or barbecue lighter. As the liquor burns, fill the warmed ladle half full with more of the warmed liquor and drizzle it slowly into the eggshell, raising the ladle as high as you safely can. The flame will go out by itself when the alcohol burns off.

Be sure to ignite the dessert away from guests and flammable objects. A serving cart or other rolling cart is a great idea here.

WITHOUT A CUP: Pour the liquor around the base of the volcano and ignite immediately so the raw alcohol doesn’t seep in to the food. Or, douse sugar cubes in the alcohol briefly—you want the alcohol to absorb but not to cause the cubes to fall apart. Place the cubes around the perimeter of the dish and light.

3. SERVE as soon as the flames disappear.
 
__________________

*Examples of higher proof alcohol: Absolut 100 Vodka (100 proof), Booker’s Bourbon (121 proof), Laphroaig Cask Strength Scotch Whisky (114 proof), The Macallan Cask Strength Scotch Whisky (116 proof), Plymouth Navy Strength† Gin (114 proof), Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum (114 proof), Stolichnaya 100 proof. Note that liquors above 120 proof are highly flammable and considered dangerous when lit.

†FUN FACT ABOUT BRITISH NAVY-STRENGTH GIN: The liquor on warships had to be at least 114-proof. Why? It is the proof level at which the ship’s gunpowder could still be fired should when soaked with booze. The gunpowder was used by the pursers to test that the level of alcohol in the gin was what they had paid for.