Food is one of the basic necessities of life. There are many words that can be used to create tasteful images for those who listen to or read our descriptions. It is important to note though, that some words are more suitable for describing certain foods than others. This type of description is important for many reasons. For instance, persons who host food-related shows may need to get the viewers to understand exactly how something tastes, or, those who wish to promote a particular meal or restaurant, have to find just the right words to make the target audience imagine, as clearly as possible, the tastes being described.
1. Sweets
Sweets satisfy the desire for sugary delights in the human diet. The experience and joy of eating a sweet is often so deep, that it has to be shared with others. Here are some words that help to create clear descriptions of sweets for readers and listeners.
- Syrupy: sweet with a syrup-like texture. Sweets that are in thick, liquid forms, are often described as being syrupy.
- Example: Her mom made us some syrupy sweet toffees the last time we went to her house for a sleepover.
- Sugary: an intense sweet taste that replicates the taste of sugar.
- Example: The abundance of sugary candies at the party answered the call of my sweet tooth.
- Chocolaty: a chocolate flavored sweet.
- Example: The doughnuts had a rich chocolaty
- Minty: having a peppermint flavor.
- Example: The minty chewing gum made me feel less drowsy during the long sermon.
- Nectarous: Resembling nectar in texture and taste. Nectar is the sweet liquid extracted from certain plants by bees and some birds.
- Example: The donuts had a nectarous filling that made eating them a pleasure-filled experience.
- Dairy
Dairy includes food sourced from the milk of cows and sometimes other mammals such as milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt, and butter. These foods are rich in nutrients but they are also often rich in taste as well. The adjectives in this section help writers and speakers to share the dairy tasting experience with others.
- Ripe (cheese): a strong flavor- cheese that has been ripened has been allowed to develop a stronger-than-usual flavor by sitting in certain conditions for a particular period of time.
- Example: Mom selected a ripe slice of cheese from the shelf to complete the list of ingredients she needed.
- Buttery: having the consistence and taste of butter
- Example: The cheese was mashed and blended until it became buttery and easier to spread.
- Creamy: soft and smooth in texture with a cream-like taste.
- Example: I had a taste of a deliciously creamy yogurt at the snack counter yesterday.
- Vegetables
Vegetables are a crucial part of the healthy diet. It is very rare that people, especially children find the taste of vegetables enticing. These foods are viewed in a positive light by people who have acquired the taste for them. As with other foods, the taste of vegetables depend on the method used to prepare them. The adjectives below help to create a true picture of the taste of these foods.
- Crispy: having a hard but easily crunched consistency. This word is often used to describe vegetables such as fresh lettuce and pak choi.
- Example: Crispy fresh lettuce pieces garnished the main course.
- Bitter: an unpleasant taste- the opposite of sweet. Some vegetables have a slightly bitter taste when they are ready to eat, but other vegetables have a bitter taste when they are not yet fit for consumption.
- Example: The slightly bitter carrots were rejected by the toddler.
- Wilted: lacking firmness; limp. This word is ideal for describing vegetables such as lettuce that have lost their freshness.
- Example: The lettuces stayed on the shelves for so long that they were wilted.
- Rubbery: flexible-lacking firmness. Vegetables such as carrots are often described with this word when they are no longer fresh.
- Example: Those rubbery carrots are clearly not fresh.
- Fruits
Fruits come in a variety of types and each type has its own unique taste. Most fruits are eaten without being cooked, but there are some recipes that combine fruits with other ingredients and use cooking methods to achieve different flavors. The words in these sections describe some of the flavors that people taste in the fruits they eat.
- Juicy: possessing lots of liquids
- Example: He thoroughly enjoyed every bit of the ripe, juicy mango he got while on vacation.
- Acidic: This word is often used to describe citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and tangerines, which naturally have citric acid.
- Example: Lemon is so acidic that it is often used for cleaning purposes.
- Tart: having a strong or sour taste
- Example: He expected the cherries to be sweet and was shocked to discover that they were quite tart.
- Ripe: the status of a fruit that is ready to be reaped and eaten. Note that this word is dynamic in use since it can also be used to describe cheese.
- Example: He picked a ripe strawberry and gave it to her.
- Sour: an unpleasant taste. A fruit can have a naturally sour taste but the word is also used to describe the smell or taste of a fruit that has gone bad.
- Example a.: The apples fell and stayed in heaps under the trees until they became sour.
- Example b.: Limes are naturally sour and that is why they are excellent addition to drinks and other recipes.
- Poultry
Meat that comes from birds such as chickens, turkeys, and ducks are defined as poultry. Although poultry has some definite tastes and textures, there are some tastes that depend heavily on how it is prepared- meaning whether it is baked, roasted, broiled, or fried, and the recipe used to prepare it. The adjectives below describe poultry.
- Tender: soft and easily chewed
- Example: The chef used some very tender strips of chicken breast for his curried chicken recipe.
- Zesty: having a strong and usually citrus-like flavor. The essence of orange peels is often used to create this flavor.
- Example: For the cooking contest, the winning chef created a zesty chicken stew using deboned chicken strips and a lemon orange sauce.
- Skinless: with the skin removed.
- Example: Skinless chicken is ideal for many baked chicken recipes.
- Fish
Fish is popularly known as one of the healthy food options. Fish is often used as a meat alternative. The words explored below are used to describe fish.
- Boneless: having no bones
- Example: Boneless fish is the best kind for young children because it eliminates the possibility of bones getting caught in the throat.
- Jellied: covered with an edible jelly-like substance
- Example: My favorite part of yesterday’s lunch was the jellied
- Succulent: Soft and pleasant to the tongue and palate.
- Example: Dinner comprised succulent herb infused baked salmon with sautéed vegetables and pasta.
- Briny: a flavor that mimics the saltiness and smell of the sea.
- Example: We sautéed briny sardines with sweet peppers, onions, and tomatoes, and served it with whole wheat bread.
- Beef
Beef is the meat we get from cows, bulls, and oxen. Beef is a rich source of protein and may be prepared for consumption in many ways. The adjectives explored below are among those used to describe this kind of meat.
- Chewy: having a string-like texture
- Example: Vegetables and chewy, stringy, beef slices stewed in barbecue, completed the meal of pasta and beans.
- Spicy: richly seasoned with peppers and spices.
- Example: The meal of spicy sautéed beef strips with julienned sweet peppers and carrots was a hit at the food fair last week.
- Peppery: heavily seasoned with pepper.
- Example: The beef stew that accompanied the Spanish rice was extra peppery.
- Lean: a piece of meat that has no fat. This portion of meat is considered healthier than others by nutritionist and other health experts.
- Example: Sharon searched for a lean cut of beef for the gourmet recipe.
- Marinated: Allowed to soak in seasonings and spices. This word is used to describe meat that has been thoroughly seasoned and then allowed to sit in the seasoning to enhance its flavor.
- Example: the herb marinated barbecued chicken was served with a tossed salad.
- Dry: the opposite of moist: Having little or no moisture. This depends heavily on the method of preparation used. Baking or roasting beef for too long, and without frequent application of moisture, for instance, may result in dry meat. A dry texture is not always a negative for beef though.
- Example: The dry pot roasted beef was well complemented by the rich spicy sauce that accompanied it.
- Grains
Grains play an important role in the human diet. Foods that fall in the category of grains include foods produced from wheat, barley, rice, oats and other grains. Grains may be whole or refined.
- Wholesome: a word used to describe nutritious Whole grains may be described using this word.
- Example: Jones prefers the wholesome taste of unrefined brown rice to refined rice, which makes it easier for him to adopt a healthy diet.
- Lumpy: Containing clusters or lumps.
- Example: The first time she prepared rice it came out quite lumpy, but she was not deterred.
- Fine: This word refers to the individual particles in the grain, indicating that they are very small.
- Example: Fine flour is the best type for baking purposes.
- Refined: This word refers to grains that have been through extensive processing.
- Example: Refined four is slowly being replaced by the healthier alternative, whole flour.
- Pasta
Pasta is a great source of carbohydrates. It can be prepared in different ways and as such may be described using different adjectives as outlined below.
- Saucy: coated with or cooked in a boldly flavored sauce.
- Example: Saucy pasta dishes go well with fish, meat, and beef.
- Stringy: Comprising multiple strings. This word suits the types of pasta that include long strips.
- Example: Tantalizing stringy spaghetti encircled a serving of curried chicken, and made the dish appealing to view and smell.
- Cheesy: Having a very strong cheese-like flavor. Pasta that has been coated with melted or grated cheese may be described in this fashion.
- Example: The children thoroughly enjoyed the cheesy pasta more than any other part of the meal.
- Ambrosial: delicious to taste and smell.
- Example: The tantalizing smell of the ambrosial pasta wafted into the living room from the kitchen.
- Cereals
Cereals are usually made from grains. More and more whole grains are being used in cereals. Sometimes fruits and nuts, among other things, are added to enhance the flavor and nutritional value. The words below help to accurately capture the cereal-eating experience.
- Flakey: Comprising flakes. Breakfast cereals are often made of flakes.
- Example: Samuel loves flakey cereals, so his mom ensures that she picks one up each time she goes shopping.
- Sweetish: Having a sweet taste.
- Example: The sweetish cereal helped to satisfy my sweet tooth.
- Crunchy: Consisting of hard but chewable parts.
- Example: Most of today’s cereals are crunchy and designed to maintain their crunchiness long after having been covered with milk.
- Delicious: very pleasant to taste.
- Example: Kevin thanked his mom for the delicious cereal he received for breakfast.
- Nutty: having a flavor similar to that of nuts. This word is good for describing a cereal that has been infused with nuts or nut flavors.
- Example: I really like nutty cereals, especially the ones that have almonds and walnuts.
- Nuts
Nuts are another type of food that make-up a healthy diet. These foods are often used as snacks, but sometimes, they are included in recipes for other foods. The words explored below are great for describing the many different nuts that people eat.
- Salty: Coated with salt. This word often refers to commercially prepared and packaged nuts.
- Example: Salty peanuts are popular snack items among Americans.
- Caramelized: Coated with caramel, a sugary liquid.
- Example: Sweet, caramelized cashews were placed on the serving table to be enjoyed by everyone.
- Sugar-coated: covered with sugar.
- Example: Sweetness and nuttiness are combined in these mouth-watering sugar-coated