What Does à La Mode Mean?

The culinary world is full of French phrases that get tossed around a lot. From the difference between an amuse-bouche and an appetizer, to the polite way to say bon appétit in France, there are quite a few French phrases that have made their way into the American lexicon. Still, despite how popular these terms have become, not as many people fully understand what these words really mean.

The French phrase "à la mode" is just another example of this phenomenon. Most people could probably say they've heard of it, but also might not be able to offer its true definition. So what does it mean? In some circles it has to do with current fashion trends, but for gastronomes, the answer is fairly simple: "à la mode" simply describes a dish that is served with ice cream on top. This phrase can be applied to several types of foods, most of which are sweets. On a menu, this wording essentially means that customers have the option to get a certain dish topped with ice cream, and it's typically placed after the dish's name. For example, a slice of apple pie with ice cream would be said as "apple pie à la mode".

While there are no specific rules stipulating what dishes can or cannot be served à la mode, due to the use of ice cream, this phrase is used nearly exclusively for desserts. The term is most commonly associated with pie, specifically.

Other popular desserts that can be served à la mode include cakes, brownies, and cookies. Overall, à la mode can work for any dessert that is served warm, as the ice cream can then slowly melt on top of the dessert and add to the texture and taste of the dish as a whole. Generally speaking, vanilla is the ice cream of choice as it can pair easily with the flavors of most desserts. Vanilla ice cream served on top of pie might be the most popular dessert served à la mode, but warm cobblers, crumbles, bread puddings, or graham cracker puddings can all benefit from a cold scoop of ice cream. And on the flip side, other ice cream flavors like chocolate could pair well with peanut butter-based desserts or baked goods that largely feature strawberries or raspberries.