Cossettes

Cossettes are thin, irregular pieces of vegetable, most commonly potatoes or sugar beet, that are produced during the slicing process. When potatoes are cut, especially for making chips or fries, the thin slivers that break off are referred to as cossettes. Similarly, in the sugar industry, the process of extracting sugar from sugar beet involves shredding the beets into small, finger-like pieces. These shredded pieces are known as cossettes, and their irregular shape and surface area are optimized for efficient diffusion of sugar into water.

The term "cossette" is also used in other contexts, though less frequently. It can refer to small, thin pieces of almost anything, often implying a broken or irregular fragment. In the culinary world, while not a standard term, a chef might informally describe finely sliced or shaved vegetables as cossettes if they are small and thin. The primary and most widespread use of the word, however, remains within the food processing industries, particularly for potatoes and sugar beet production. The quality and integrity of cossettes can affect the efficiency of subsequent processing steps. For instance, in sugar extraction, the surface area to volume ratio of the cossettes is crucial for maximizing sugar yield.