char marks
Fire's dark traces
Char marks are the darkened lines or patches left on food from high-heat cooking—grilling, broiling, or searing over open flame.
They indicate caramelization and the Maillard reaction, adding smoky flavor and visual appeal: The steak had perfect char marks from the grill.
Also called grill marks when specifically from grate contact.
- scorchBurn superficially
- burnDamage by heat
- singeBurn the surface
- blackenedDarkened by burning
- burnt edgesOvercooked outer portions
soot · ash · grill · barbecue · hot coals · toast · branded · smoke · heat · fire · open flame · ember · charcoal · carbon · crisp · blister · flame · scorched
char marksunblemished
Free from any defect
spotless · unmarked · immaculate · untouched · mint condition
char marksunburned
Not destroyed by fire
unscorched · ice crystals · condensation · cold damage · freezer burn
char, chars, charred, charring, mark, marks, marked, marking, marker