The English language has a large range of vocaulary, and that does not change when it comes to desribing the taste of food. Whether you are looking for the most common ways to describe a dish or looking for some more formal descriptive synonyms (perhaps for a restuarant menu) you can find it down below.
Acidic- When foods have a sharp, perhaps soury taste, they tend to be acidic.
Ex: Tomatoes are very acidic.
Ambrosial- Ambrosial can be used to describe foods that are sweet and rich.
Ex: The milk chocolate tastes ambrosial.
Acerbic- describes food that are sour, or astringent in taste.
Ex: The lemon bites are very acerbic.
Bitter- describes food that tastes harsh or disagreeable.
Ex: The cheese is too bitter for my liking.
Tart- food that is acidy, sour or sharp.
Ex: The pickles are very tart.
Sweet- food that tastes sugary or honey-like.
Ex: The carrot cake was very sweet. I loved it!
Harsh- Unpleasant in taste
Ex: The sauerkraut tastes very harsh. I think we should change to a different recipe.
Delicious- delightful, pleasing to the taste buds.
Ex: The rib-eye steak was delicious!
Salty- when a food tastes highly seasoned by salt.
Ex: The dressing was a bit too salty for me.
Briny- Like brine, salty.
Ex: The pickles may have tasted too briny for some, but they were perfect for this recipe.
Gamy- Used to describe a tangy flavor, usually associated with meat.
Ex: The venison was very gmay, just the way I like it!
Piquant- sharp, tart, or agreeably pungent
Ex: What a piquant cheese!
Pickled- to have a salty, briny taste
Ex: The veggies were pickled and delicious!
Pungent-acrid, generally used to describe a food’s taste or smell.
Ex: The red onions were initially quite pungent but they turned out to be delicious.
Citrusy- food with a citrus flavor produced by citrus fruits such as lemons, oranges,
limes etc.
Ex: The key lime pie was extra citrusy this time.
Cooling- a light, cool taste experienced in such foods as mint.
Ex: The mint was very cooling when added to the recipe.
Earthy- foods that remind one of soil, ground. Generally used to describe root vegetables, mushrooms or even wines.
Ex: This red wine is quite earthy.
Herbal- Foods that are fresh and use herbs.
Ex: Would you like some herbal tea?
Fiery- Spicy, gives off heat.
Ex: Be careful, the salsa is very fiery.
Fresh- Foods that are light and crisp, many times used to describe fruits or vegetables, but can also describe foods such as meat.
The salad is very fresh.
Fruity- taste very sweet, like fruit
Ex: That wine is very fruit.
Good-satisfactory, agreeable, pleasant.
Ex: This lasagna is good!
Great- used to describe foods that are excellent, fantastic or wonderful in taste.
Ex:The pecan pie was great! I will be ordering one to-go.
Okay- acceptable, well-enough, decent.
Ex: The pasta meal was okay. I am satisfied.
Bad- spoiled, rotten, inedible, or overall displeasing to the taste.
Ex: I have to admit, that cappuccino was bad. I should have ordered
A flat white.
Nectarous- produces a delicious or sweet taste.
Ex: The fruit salad was very nectarous.
Nippy- a sharp, tangy taste.
Ex: That Wisconsin cheese was very nippy, but surprisingly good.
Full-bodied-flavorful, rich, usually used to describe wine.
Ex: She wants a glass of full-bodied wine.
Honeyed- foods that have a honey-like taste.
Ex: I would like to find some honeyed peanuts at the fair today.
Nutty- nutlike in flavor.
Ex: The cake is very nutty.
Rich- In regards to taste, it can mean highly seasoned, very sweet or fatty.
Ex: The icing on the cake is too rich for me.
Sharp- bitter or strong in taste.
Ex: Wesley loves sharp cheese.
Robust-foods with a rich, full-bodied flavor.
Ex: Colombian coffee has a very robust flavor.
Refreshing- fresh, pleasant.
Ex: Would you like a refreshing glass of sweet tea?
Scrumptious- delectable, very pleasing in taste.
Ex: The banana nut muffins were scrumptious!
Smoky-to have a smoky, fiery taste.
Ex: The baked beans were smoked.
Sour- to have an acidy or fermented taste.
Ex: The kimchi was a bit too sour for me.
Spicy- to contain spices, to give off a strong, pungent flavor.
Ex: Jimmy loves spicy foods.
Tangy-to have a strong, piquant, distinctive flavor.
Ex: I love tangy wings.
Yeasty-Have a yeast-like flavor.
Ex: The dough was a bit too yeasty for me.
Woody- having a woody flavor, usually used to refer to wine.
Ex: The wine tastes very woody.
Zesty- food that is piquant, full of zest.
Ex: The citrus dressing tastes very zesty.
Light- food that does not have a strong taste.
Ex: The dip was very light. I liked it.
Yummy-tasty, delicious.
Ex: Italian cuisine is so yummy.
Words to describe the Appearance of Food:
Appetizing– used to describe foods that look very appealing, they stimulate one’s appetite.
Ex: The rib-eye looks appetizing.
Crispy– crisp, brittle. Can also be used to describe food that it slightly overcooked.
Ex: The pizza crust looks extra crispy, just the way I like it.
Delectable– delicious, highly pleasing.
Ex: The cake looked delectable! I couldn’t wait to eat it.
Delicious– pleasing, delightful
Ex: The casserole not only looked delicious but tasted dalicious as well.
Dry– to lack moisture. Generally, the word ‘dry’ is used in a negative sense when describing the appearance or taste of food, however there are exceptions, such was when referring to how a food keeps. For example, beans keep better when ‘dry.’
Ex: The meat looks a bit dry. Perhaps we could add more sauce to the recipe.
Fantastic- wonderful, perfect
Ex: The turkey looks fantastic. Great job!
Fluffy– used to describe food that looks light or airy.
Ex: The sponge cake looks very fluffy. I bet it will taste good too.
Good – agreeable, edible, appetizing
Ex: The lasagna looks good. I can’t wait to eat it!
Greasy– Grease-like, very oily
Ex: The pizza looks too greasy for my liking.
Great– delicious, tasty
Ex: Her dessert looks great! Could I have the recipe?
Heavenly– delightful, divine
Ex: The chocolate covered strawberries look heavenly.
Mouth-watering– appetizing in appearance.
Ex: The chef’s premier dish is mouth-watering. I hope he gives each of us a sample.
Piping Hot– to be very hot, referring to the temperature of food
Ex: I like my food piping hot.
Savory– to be agreeable, pleasant
Ex: The jelly looks quite savory.
Scrumptious– delectable, very pleasing
Ex: The carrot cake looks scrumptious.
Tasty- savory, appealing
Ex: The spinach dip looks very tasty.
Sugary-Sweet, high in sugar
Ex: What a sugary donut! I hope it’s not as sweet as it looks.
Yummy– pleasing, appetizing
Ex: Those desserts look yummy!
