Förtjocka

Förtjocka is a Swedish verb meaning to make something thicker or to become thicker. It is used primarily for liquids or sauces, but can also describe a process that densifies a mixture. The intransitive counterpart is tjockna, which means to become thicker, while förtjocka is the causative form: to cause to thicken.

Etymology and forms: The word combines för- as a standard prefix meaning “making” or “increasing” with tjocka, from tjock, thick. Infinitiv är förtjocka; presens förtjockar; preteritum förtjockade; supinum förtjockat. The related noun is förtjockning, meaning the act or result of thickening, and en förtjockad vätska refers to a thickened liquid.

Usage: In cooking and food science, förtjocka describes processes that raise viscosity. Common methods include reducing the liquid by simmering or boiling, or adding thickening agents such as roux, starch, arrowroot, eller gelatin. The term is also used in technical contexts to describe the densification of liquids in industrial processes, or in recipes to indicate deliberate thickening steps. In non-culinary contexts, förtjocka can denote making a mixture more dense or viscous through physical or chemical means, though the most frequent everyday usage is culinary.

See also: tjockna, förtjockning, redning. The term is part of standard Swedish culinary and laboratory vocabulary, and is readily understood in contexts involving liquids and sauces that require increased viscosity.

---