Define roux and name its three common color stages used in sauces.

Define roux and name its three common color stages used in sauces.

• A. A flour-thickened fat used to thicken sauces; colors are white, blond, and brown (dark).
• B. A vegetable-based thickener; colors are green, yellow, brown.
• C. A sugar-thickened paste; colors are pale, medium, deep.
• D. A wine-based reduction; colors are clear, pale, dark.

Answer: (A)

Roux is a flour-thickened fat used to thicken sauces. The three common color stages are white, blond, and brown (dark). White roux cooks briefly and stays pale; blond roux cooks a bit longer to a light golden color; brown roux cooks the longest, developing a deep brown color and a nutty aroma. The color reflects both flavor and thickening power: lighter roux provides stronger thickening with a milder flavor, while darker roux adds more flavor and color but thickens a bit less. The other options describe thickeners or color schemes that aren’t roux, so they don’t fit this concept.

Roux is a flour-thickened fat used to thicken sauces. The three common color stages are white, blond, and brown (dark). White roux cooks briefly and stays pale; blond roux cooks a bit longer to a light golden color; brown roux cooks the longest, developing a deep brown color and a nutty aroma. The color reflects both flavor and thickening power: lighter roux provides stronger thickening with a milder flavor, while darker roux adds more flavor and color but thickens a bit less. The other options describe thickeners or color schemes that aren’t roux, so they don’t fit this concept.