Nappage

Nappage is a French word. The Larousse dictionary defines it as the action of coating a dish, and also what is used to coat it. The French national language center's dictionary gives the same pair of meanings, the action of coating a dish or cake and the result of that action.

In pastry, the term describes a thin, shiny layer, often a fruit jelly or pastry glaze, brushed over tarts and fruit. The center's example, from the pastry chef Gaston Lenotre, says tartlets will be coated after baking, covered with fruit jelly or a pastry glaze applied cold with a brush. Food-science texts describe a glaze as a thin, almost see-through coating that adds shine and helps keep the product from drying out.

It sets into a smooth finish.