For humans, food lies on an emotional level as well as the instinctual need for survival. We use food as connection, love, memory, identity, understanding, and creation. While there is nothing wrong with eating alone, history has shown us in ALL cultures, meals were meant to be shared. Food brings people together and can even transcend language barriers. Nevertheless, we would like to teach you some ways to connect with the English language through food.
Let us start with taste, it is one of your five senses and is used quite often. Every time you put food, drink, or something in your mouth, you are tasting it. We have words in English to describe these sensations, known as adjectives. Adjectives describe any and every noun and all five of your senses, from taste to smell, sound, sight and touch.
Adjectives are important because they help relate an object, person, or place to another person. In this case, it is relating the pleasant taste of food. Have you ever tasted food so delicious you wanted to share it with other people? Perhaps it is a dish from your home country you would like to share with your other classmates and English teacher. But people can often say no to food because of the way it looks or smells. Most people will change their mind and be willing to try something if given a great description of the flavor. So, you describe the flavor to them. It could be sweet, like candy, or spicy, like a jalapeno. It is important to be accurate when choosing words to describe the flavor of the food.
Below is a list of words commonly used to describe food and some examples:
Bitter: A tart, sharp, and sometimes harsh flavor like coffee.
Citrusy: A bright flavor like thatof lemons, limes, oranges, and other citrus fruits.
Fresh: A light and crisp taste. Often used to describe produce or herbs. Ex. Apples, lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, etc. Or bakery items like breads, muffins, etc.
Fruity: Any taste reminiscent of sweet fruit flavors. Ex. Grapes, blueberries, peaches, etc.
Rich: A full, heavy flavor. Often used to describe foods containing cream. Ex. Potatoes & garlic, soup, and chocolate cake.
Smoky: A taste reminiscent of the smell of smoke. Ex. BBQ
Sour: A biting, tangy, tart flavor. Ex. Lemons, Sour Patch Kids, and other sour candies.
Sweet: A sugary flavor. Ex. Candies, ice creams, desserts, etc.
Zesty: A fresh, vivid, or invigorating flavor. Ex. Tacos, Italian pasta salad, etc.
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Published on September 30, 2021
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