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Glite Dictionary
affinage

affinage

1 9.9
A process of slowly aging cheese or refining metals to make them better
  • noun
  • /ˌæfɪˈnɑːʒ/
  • Specialized
: afinaje
  • The affinage of cheese requires careful control of temperature and humidity.

Examples

  • Skilled artisans oversee the affinage process to ensure the best flavor in specialty cheeses.

  • During the affinage of metals, impurities are removed to achieve higher purity.

  • The affinage of the cheese takes several months.

  • Many artisanal cheeses undergo affinage in special caves.

  • Cheese affinage is essential for developing rich flavors in artisanal cheeses.

  • The affinage process enhances the quality of metal, making it more durable.

  • After months of careful affinage, the cheese developed a complex taste that delighted the connoisseurs.

Synonyms

refining
vsaffinage
  • Specialized
16 3.8

The process of removing unwanted parts from oil, metal, or sugar to make them pure

also involves product aging and maturation rather than only removing impurities
refinement
vsaffinage
  • Specialized
1 4.2

Removing unwanted substances from a material to make it pure

also uses aging to improve product quality rather than only removing impurities

Antonyms

deterioration
42 5.9

A slow change when something like a building or a person's health becomes worse

degradation
41 6.8

The process of making land, water, or buildings worse over time

How Refined

refinement
  • Specialized
1 4.2
affinage
  • Specialized
1 9.9
aging
  • US
7 4.1
rawness
1 5.6

Surface Forms

affinage singular
affinages plural

Etymology

Affinage comes from French affiner, which means 'to refine', and that goes back to the Latin root finis meaning 'end' or 'finish', like the English words fine and finish. So, affinage is the careful aging or refining, especially of cheeses and metals, to bring them to their best quality.