Culinary memories of the 1970s and early 1980s will find a rise in popularity of the soufflé. This decadent dish with French origins is a crème patisserie, which means it has an egg yolk base and is made to be fluffy and airy.
Whether served sweet or savory, the soufflé is a dish that requires patient attention to detail but is absolutely worth the wait.
And when soufflé is combined with cheese? Well, what could be more French than that? National Cheese Soufflé Day is here to celebrate the delectability that takes food from something simply to be eaten into something that is meant to be experienced on a whole new level.
National Cheese Soufflé Day Timeline
Early Soufflé Appears in Print
French chef Vincent La Chapelle publishes “Le Cuisinier Moderne,” which includes one of the earliest recognizable recipes for a soufflé, helping codify the technique of using whipped egg whites to create a light, puffed dish.
Carême Refines the Soufflé
Marie-Antoine Carême, working for European courts, systematizes recipes and techniques for hot and cold soufflés in works like “Le Pâtissier Royal Parisien,” cementing the soufflé as a showpiece of emerging haute cuisine.
Rise of Restaurant Haute Cuisine in Paris
With the growth of grand Parisian restaurants and professionalized chefs, elaborate dishes such as cheese and dessert soufflés become symbols of refinement on menus targeting the bourgeoisie and visiting elites.
Escoffier Standardizes Soufflé in Modern Cookery
Auguste Escoffier’s “Le Guide Culinaire” includes a structured family of savory and sweet soufflé formulas, spreading a consistent method for restaurant kitchens and culinary schools around the world.
Cheese Soufflé Enters American Home Kitchens
Julia Child’s landmark book “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” features detailed cheese soufflé recipes and troubleshooting, introducing generations of American home cooks to this once-intimidating French classic.
Television Demystifies the Soufflé
On “The French Chef,” Julia Child demonstrates making a cheese soufflé on American public television, showing that careful technique and clear steps can make the dish achievable in ordinary home kitchens.
Soufflé Boom in Upscale Western Restaurants
Fine-dining restaurants in the United States and Europe embrace both cheese and dessert soufflés as fashionable signatures, reflecting the era’s enthusiasm for classic French technique and tableside presentations.
How to Celebrate National Cheese Soufflé Day
Enjoy a rich and delightful celebration of this noble dish on National Cheese Soufflé Day! Get started by implementing some of these interesting ideas to pay homage to the fromage (cheese soufflé, that is):
Go Out for Cheese Soufflé
In observance of National Cheese Soufflé Day, enjoy an afternoon or evening meal that incorporates this delicious dish.
High end French restaurants are often the ones who serve this delicacy, so make those reservations in advance to get a table at a local restaurant.
And perhaps ask when making the reservation if it is necessary to order the cheese soufflé in advance, so it’s ready at the exact right time.
Plan a Trip to France
For those who are culinary travelers, perhaps National Cheese Soufflé Day would be just the right time to plan a trip to enjoy this dish in its place of origin.
Pop into a French restaurant or cafe for a delicious taste of unique flavors of dishes, including the fromage (cheese) soufflé. Restaurants with names like Le Soufflé, Le Récamier, and Auberge Bressane are the perfect places to get started on a journey to find the best cheese soufflé in the world.
And, while in Paris, don’t forget to stop by some amazing sights, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and The Louvre!
Interested in following up a Cheese Soufflé with a sweeter, dessert version? Consider celebrating National Chocolate Soufflé Day in February!
History of National Cheese Soufflé Day
The soufflé has a history that dates back to Paris, France, in the mid-1700s. The dish was refined over the years and grew in popularity when, a century later, it was made more famous by French chef Marie-Antoine Carême, in the mid-1800s.
Fast forward another hundred years or so when this French cuisine became popular across the ocean in the United States. By the mid-20th century, the cheese soufflé could be found in restaurants ranging from New York City to San Francisco.
And famous French chef Julia Child did her part to bring French cooking, including the cheese soufflé, to American kitchens.
Now, National Cheese Soufflé Day is here to bring awareness and attention to this delicious treat that melts in your mouth!
Facts About National Cheese Souffle Day
Steam, Not Just Air, Does the Heavy Lifting in a Soufflé
The dramatic rise of a soufflé depends less on “trapped air” and more on steam. As the batter heats, water in the base and the beaten egg whites turn to vapor, expanding within the protein network formed by coagulating egg whites and any starch-thickened sauce.
If the structure sets at the right moment, the steam inflates the soufflé upward and holds it there long enough to serve.
Why Classic Cheese Soufflés Often Rely on Gruyère and Comté
Many traditional cheese soufflés use Alpine cheeses such as Gruyère or Comté because they melt smoothly yet retain enough structure to avoid greasiness.
These cheeses, both protected under European AOP rules, are aged to develop nutty, slightly sweet flavors and have relatively low moisture compared with soft cheeses. That balance of meltability, fat, and flavor helps the soufflé stay light instead of collapsing into an oily sauce.
Copper Bowls Change the Chemistry of Egg Whites
The traditional use of copper bowls for beating egg whites has a measurable chemical basis. Tiny amounts of copper ions bind to a protein in egg whites called conalbumin, forming a more stable complex that slows overcoagulation and prevents the foam from becoming grainy.
This stabilization effect provides cooks a wider margin of error and can produce taller, finer-textured soufflés than foams beaten in glass or steel.
The “Falling” Soufflé Follows Predictable Physical Laws
Soufflés inevitably start to sink after leaving the oven, not because of a culinary mistake but due to basic physics.
Once removed from high heat, the steam inside the airy structure cools and contracts while the surrounding protein network relaxes slightly. The volume decreases as pressure equalizes with room air, so even a perfectly baked soufflé will deflate somewhat as it reaches the table.
Egg Yolks and Starch Turn Cheese Soufflé into a Stable Emulsion
A cheese soufflé’s base is often a thick béchamel or similar sauce that acts as both flavor carrier and structural support.
Egg yolks, rich in lecithin, emulsify the butter and milk, while flour starch granules swell and gelatinize in the heat, thickening the sauce. This stable, viscous base supports the whipped egg-white foam and dispersed cheese, reducing the risk of separation into curds and oil during baking.
Escoffier Standardized Restaurant Soufflé Technique
Auguste Escoffier, often called the father of modern French cuisine, helped standardize how professional kitchens prepared soufflés.
In “Le Guide Culinaire” (1903), he outlined ratios of sauce to egg whites and flavoring ingredients, along with detailed timing and service instructions, so that hot soufflés could be produced reliably in grand hotels and restaurant kitchens.
