sous

Sous is a French preposition meaning under, beneath, or below. It functions as a spatial marker in both literal and figurative contexts and appears in many French phrases. In English, the word itself is rarely used outside borrowed terms, especially in culinary and specialized vocabulary. The prefix sous- also appears in some French-derived compounds to convey notions of subordination or being underneath, as in sous-chef and sous-vide.

In culinary usage, two well-known terms with sous are sous-chef and sous-vide. A sous-chef is the second-in-command in a professional kitchen, reporting to the executive chef and coordinating kitchen operations. Sous-vide, literally “under vacuum,” is a cooking method in which food is sealed in airtight bags and cooked in a precisely controlled water bath, typically at lower temperatures than traditional methods. The technique emphasizes precision, moisture retention, and consistent texture, and it is used in both professional and home kitchens.

Geographically and historically, Sous (also spelled Souss) refers to a region in southwestern Morocco centered on the Souss Valley. The area has been characterized by its agricultural production, including dates and citrus, and is associated with the Atlantic coast near Agadir. The term appears in historical and cultural contexts within Moroccan geography and is sometimes linked to the broader Souss-Massa region.

In summary, sous functions as a preposition in French, appears in culinary terminology in English, and also names a geographic region in Morocco.