Italian word
soffritto
the flavour base of gently fried onion, carrot and celery
Looks like
suffered / sofrito
no English word; 'sofrito' is Spanish/Caribbean cooking base — similar but not identical
⚠️ The trap
Italian 'soffritto' and Spanish 'sofrito' sound similar but are different. Italian soffritto is onion, carrot and celery gently fried in olive oil. Spanish sofrito is a tomato-and-pepper-based sauce. Using them interchangeably in a recipe will change the dish entirely.
To say "no English word; 'sofrito' is Spanish/Caribbean cooking base — similar but not identical" in Italian:
soffritto (Italian aromatic base: cipolla, carota, sedano)
"soffritto" in English means:
the flavour base of gently fried onion, carrot and celery
Example
"Il ragù inizia sempre con un soffritto."
"Bolognese sauce always starts with a soffritto."
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