melange

Melange is a noun meaning a mixture of different elements. In English, the term denotes a heterogeneous blend, and it can apply to culinary dishes, artistic works, scientific classifications, or cultural phenomena. The word carries connotations of variety within a single whole and is often used to emphasize how disparate parts coexist.

Etymology: The term comes from French mélanger “to mix,” with the noun form mélanges representing a mixture. In English, the word is usually written melange without the accent, though the accented form mélangé or mélanges appears in French contexts or when preserving original typography.

Culinary usage: In cooking, a melange refers to a blend of ingredients assembled into a dish or described as a mixed assortment, such as a melange of vegetables or fruits. The word is common in French menus and in English writing to convey variety.

Other usage: Beyond food, mélanges describe cross-genre blends in art, literature, or music, where disparate styles or media are combined into a single work or collection of works. The term often signals eclecticism or cosmopolitan influence.

Fictional reference: In Frank Herbert's Dune series, melange—also called the Spice—is a rare substance produced by sandworms on the desert planet Arrakis. It prolongs life, enhances mental abilities, and enables limited prescience, but it is highly addictive and central to the series' politics and economy.