Which thickener is the base for many sauces and can be white or brown depending on heating time?

Which thickener is the base for many sauces and can be white or brown depending on heating time?

• A. Liaison
• B. Roux
• C. Temper
• D. Slurry

Answer: (B)

Roux is a cooked flour-and-fat mixture that thickens sauces. The color changes with how long you cook it—white when cooked briefly, brown when cooked longer. That color shift comes with flavor changes, making roux the foundational thickener for many sauces, from light béchamel (white roux) to richer, darker sauces (brown roux). Other options aren’t base thickeners that vary by heating time: liaison thickens with eggs and cream, temper is a technique for gradual heating, and slurry uses starch (often cornstarch) mixed with liquid to thicken.

Roux is a cooked flour-and-fat mixture that thickens sauces. The color changes with how long you cook it—white when cooked briefly, brown when cooked longer. That color shift comes with flavor changes, making roux the foundational thickener for many sauces, from light béchamel (white roux) to richer, darker sauces (brown roux). Other options aren’t base thickeners that vary by heating time: liaison thickens with eggs and cream, temper is a technique for gradual heating, and slurry uses starch (often cornstarch) mixed with liquid to thicken.