The French cooking technique that involves vacuum-sealing food and cooking it in a water bath is sous-vide. The French phrase means “under vacuum,” referring to food sealed in a bag or jar before being placed in a precisely controlled bath.
Modern sous-vide cooking emerged in the 1970s. French chef Georges Pralus adopted the method in 1974 while working with foie gras, finding that it retained its shape, fat, and texture. Bruno Goussault later helped develop detailed time-and-temperature guidelines that made the technique practical for professional kitchens.
Unlike boiling or steaming, sous-vide uses a lower, stable temperature and longer cooking time. This helps food cook evenly from edge to center while retaining moisture. A steak may still be seared afterward because browning requires much higher heat than the water bath provides.
Sous-vide is sometimes confused with poaching or boil-in-the-bag cooking, but precise temperature control and sealed packaging are defining features of the method.