Sucrée

Sucrée is the feminine form of the French adjective sucré, meaning sweetened or sugary. It describes foods, flavors, or substances that contain sugar or have a sweet taste. In everyday French, sucrée can also refer to things that are sugar-coated or pleasantly sweet, and it appears in nutrition and gastronomy to distinguish sugary products from savory ones.

Etymology and usage in language follow a straightforward pattern: sucrée is formed from the noun sucre (sugar) with the feminine suffix -ée, used to agree with a feminine noun such as pâte sucrée or boisson sucrée. The term is common in culinary contexts as well as in general descriptions of taste and sweetness.

In pastry and baking, pâte sucrée is a well-known preparation described as a sweet shortcrust pastry. It is typically made from flour, sugar, butter, and eggs, resulting in a firm, pliable crust that holds fillings well. Pâte sucrée is distinguished from pâte brisée (savory shortcrust) by its higher sugar content and additional binding elements such as eggs, which give it a sweeter flavor and a more structured texture. A related concept is pâte sablée, which is crumblier and often creamier, emphasizing a delicate, sandy texture.

Beyond cakes and pies, sucrée appears in phrases like aliments sucrés (sugary foods) and boissons sucrées (sweetened beverages), used to denote products with added sugar. The term thus spans culinary technique, recipe terminology, and nutritional descriptions within French usage.