A Quenelle is a type of forcemeat, or ground meat patty, made with a delicate white meat or fish and very lightly spiced, so that it is much more delicately flavored than sausage, for instance. It is typically poached. It is a particular speciality of Lyon, served in the bouchons there.

As with most such self-evident food preparations, similar items are found in many cultures. The Romans are believed to

have introduced this type of food to Western Europe.

It is theorized that the origin of the word quenelle came from the Anglo-Saxon word knyll, meaning 'to grind'. However the word quenelle may also mean a small scoopful, as of a garnish of ice cream or whipped cream; thus the question is, did this meaning of the word develop from the practice of serving the foodstuff in such a form, or did the use of quenelle to mean the food itself develop after the use of the word to describe the serving format.