tian

IPA/tjæ̃/
KK[tjˈɑn]IPA/tjæ̃/

tian — noun

1. a baked vegetable dish from southern France in which thin slices are laid in lay

1.nounC1
Definition

a baked vegetable dish from southern France in which thin slices are laid in layers, brushed with olive oil, and finished with cheese or breadcrumbs

Example

Devika made a tian with neat rows of tomato and zucchini.

layered rows of sliced vegetables

The tian on the buffet table disappeared before the roast chicken did.

tian served as a shared side dish

Common collocations
  • make a tian
  • bake a tian
  • serve a tian
  • a vegetable tian
  • a tomato tian
  • a zucchini tian
  • a warm tian
  • leftover tian
Synonyms
  • ratatouille

    another southern French vegetable dish, but ratatouille is usually stewed together instead of baked in layers

  • gratin

    a broader French baked dish with a browned top, often richer and not limited to layered vegetables

  • casserole

    a general oven-baked dish, while tian usually suggests neatly layered sliced vegetables

Usage Note

In English, tian usually refers to the finished dish rather than the shallow baking vessel it was named after in French. Unlike ratatouille, a tian is valued for its visible layers of sliced vegetables and is normally baked rather than stewed.

Common Mistakes

The chef stewed the tian for an hour.
The chef baked the tian for an hour.
a tian is usually arranged in a dish and baked, not cooked as a loose stew.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Tian, ratatouille, gratin, and casserole can all appear as oven dishes, but they are not the same. A tian usually features thin slices of vegetables, often tomato, courgette, and aubergine, arranged in neat layers and baked with olive oil. Ratatouille uses many of the same vegetables, yet they are normally cut into pieces and stewed together, so the result is softer and saucier. A gratin is defined more by its browned top, often from cheese or cream, and can be made with potatoes, pasta, or seafood. Casserole is the broadest word: it can describe almost any baked mixture in a deep dish. If the food is layered and vegetable-focused, tian is the best word.

ratatouille ↗gratin ↗casserole ↗

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

Tian entered English from French, where the word names the shallow dish used in southern France for baking vegetables. The vessel name was later extended to the layered vegetable dish cooked in it, so in English tian usually refers to the finished food rather than the pan itself.