1. The act of briefly submerging food in boiling water for a short period of time. Sometimes known interchangeably as parboiling.

This technique can be used in conjunction with other cooking techniques (for instance blanching vegetables before stir-frying them).

After blanching food, the cook will typically remove the food from the boiling liquid to drain and rest or shock the food by immersing it in cold water in order to stop the cooking process.

2. A cooking technique where food (usually vegetables and fruits) is put into boiling water briefly, then into cold water to stop the cooking process.