choux

This term refers specifically to the unique paste used in French pâtisserie. It is characterized by its high moisture content, which creates steam during baking to produce a hollow center, distinguishing it from denser cake batters or flaky puff pastries.

Grammatically, this word is borrowed directly from French and is treated as an uncountable mass noun in English. It describes the substance of the dough itself rather than individual pastries; to refer to individual items, one must use a partitive construction such as "a piece of choux" or specify the final product, such as "choux buns" or "cream puffs."