Describing Foods - A Masterlist
As a broke university student, I love reading about food. It’s almost like eating a real meal myself <3.
I get a little angry when characters are eating a meal and I barely get to experience it with them. In that, I mean I don’t just want to know what it is, but what it’s like to eat that food—how it tastes, smells, sounds, and feels. Is a perfect croissant still a perfect croissant without the crack of the exterior, the airiness of the pastry inside, the smell of yeast?
Probably not. When writing about a dish, the smell, texture, technique, taste, and how it looks are all important to painting the experience, so here’s some words to use when describing a meal:
Acidic: Sharp tasting. Often used to describe tart or sour foods as well.
Aftertaste: A different taste that remains in the mouth after eating something
Bitter: Tart, sharp, and sometimes harsh flavour.
Bittersweet: Less harsh than bitterness. Tartness + sweetness.
Bland: Has no significant flavor or texture
Briny: Just means salty. Often describes pickled foods.
Citrusy: Bright flavour like… well citrus fruits—oranges, lemons, limes, etc.
Cooling: Mimics that cooling feel—like mint.
Earthy: Reminiscent of soil. Can be used to describe wines, root vegetables, and mushrooms.
Fiery: Another word for spicy.
Fresh: Light and crisp—describes produce or herbs.
Fruity: Sweet and reminiscent of fruit.
Full-bodied: Rich and ‘feels heavy’ in your mouth. Can describe wines or soups.
Herbal: Bright, fresh, sometimes earthy from the presence of herbs
Honeyed: Sweet or candied taste like honey.
Nutty: Taste similar to the flavors of nuts. Often used to describe certain cheeses.
Rich: Full, heavy flavour. Often dishes that contain cream taste rich.
Robust: Rich + Earthy. Used for lots of wines or aged liquor.
Savory: Describes meaty, earthy dishes and soups.
Sharp: Harsh, bitter, or tart taste. Used to describe acidic foods.
Smoky: Reminiscent of the smell of smoke.
Sour: Biting, tangy, tart flavor.
Tangy: Tart, biting taste—feels tingly
Tart: Sharp, bitter, or sour flavour. Used to describe acidic foods.
Woody: Earthy, sometimes nutty taste. Describes some coffees or cheeses.
Yeasty: Earthy taste reminiscent of yeast. Describes beer and bread.
Zesty: Fresh, vivid, or invigorating flavour.
Sound has a lot to do with texture, so I've combined them for this section!
Airy: Light, pillowy texture (think inside of croissant)
Brittle: Hard but easy to break
Bubbly: Usually during heating, when bubbles rise to the surface—low sound.
Buttery: Smooth, creamy texture (think certain pasta sauces)
Chewy: Food that needs to be chewed thoroughly. Can be light and bouncy (chewy bread) or heavy (steak) and sticky (candy)
Creamy: A smooth and rich texture, comes from dairy.
Crispy: Light texture with slight crunch.
Crumbly: Food with loose structure that falls apart into crumbs.
Crunchy: Firm, crisp texture with a sharp, loud noise.
Crusty (behave): Food with a hard outer layer and soft interior (many loaves and breads)
Delicate: Light and fine, feels like it can come apart easily.
Doughy: Soft and heavy, usually pale colouring.
Fizzy: Usually liquids—a hissing sound, feels like ‘static’
Flaky: Light, characterized by layers that come apart during eating.
Frothy/Foamy: Airy bubbles, usually in a drink like a latte.
Gamey: Usually refers to meats when they’re very “meaty”
Gooey: Viscous, sometimes sticky texture from moisture in a dense/solid food.
Hearty: Firm, robust texture.
Juicy: Tender and succulent texture from liquid in a solid food (steak)
Oily: Slick, heavy, lingers on the tongue.
Silky: Fine, smooth texture that feels sleek.
Smooth: Texture free of grit, lumps, or edges.
Snap: A quick, sharp, crackling sound when broken.
Squelch: A soft sucking sound when pressure is applied. Somewhat gross.
Sticky: Gluiness in the mouth.
Succulent: Tender and juicy
Tender: Soft and easy to break down
Acrid: Strong, bitter, unpleasant
Comforting: pleasant, probably calls back to a nice memory
Damp: Wet smelling—probably a bit earthy
Delicate: subtle, faint, not overpowering
Earthy: reminiscent of soil
Fetid: Caused by decay—unpleasant
Fishy: reminiscent of fish
Floral/flowery: Reminiscent of flowers
Fragrant: Sweet or pleasing
Fresh: Cool, crisp, refreshing—produce, probably not cooked
Funky: Something’s gone off
Heady: Strong smell, pungent, rich
Perfumed: Pleasant, reminiscent of something (can be perfumed with citrus, say)
Piquant: stinging, pungent—tickles the nose
Rancid: Definitely gone off, decomposing
Ripe: Strong, usually unpleasant smell
Savory: spicy, salty, no elements of sweetness
Spicy: Sharp, tingles the nose
Tangy: Strong and bitter but in a good way
Woody: earthy smell, reminiscent of wood
Usually texture gives us a really good picture of what a food looks like, so here’s some non-texture sight additions:
Blistered: Bumpy exterior.
Caramelized: Usually golden brown
Cloudy: Splotched. Almost see through if not for a slight white or grey mist.
Colourful: Bright and vibrant
Marbled: Two colours intertwined
Opaque: Not transparent. Can’t see through.
Ripe: Colourful (can be to a fault). Nearing the end of its edible state.
Scaly: Covered in scales, fish.
Shiny: Appears wet or glossy
Sparkling: Glimmers under the light
Stuffed: An ingredient placed inside a larger part with no additional space.
Translucent: Allows light through
Vibrant: Striking, bright
How the food is prepared gives it these other attributes. If your character is familiar with cooking (or is the cook themselves!) they may describe food this way.
Baked: Cooked in an oven. Results in browned or crispy outer layer.
Blackened: When food is dipped in butter and coated with spices then cooked in a hot pan—spices darken, making it appear ‘blackened’
Blanched: Food scalded in boiling water and moved to cold water so it stops cooking. Texture comes out soft.
Braised: Food that is briefly fried in fat and then stewed in a pot. Results in seared, crispy exterior with a tender interior.
Breaded: Coated with breadcrumbs/batter then baked or fried so it turns crispy
Broiled: Food cooked with intense radiant heat in an oven or on the grill. Results in a darkened appearance and crispy texture.
Caramelized: Food slow-cooked until it’s browned, nutty, and has a bit of sweetness.
Charred: Grilled, roasted, or broiled and gains a blackened exterior and smoky flavor.
Fermented: Food that’s sat with bacteria, yeast, or another microorganism and has produced acids, alcohols, or gases. Results in a biting, pungent flavor. (Kimchi is fermented)
Fried: Food cooked by submerging in hot oil. Creates crispy, crunchy texture and golden colour.
Glazed: Food with a coating brushed onto its surface. Appears glossy with a thin, flavorful, and crisp outer layer.
Infused: Food steeped in liquid with another ingredient so it carries the essence of that ingredient. Used with herbs usually.
Marinated: Usually meat soaked in liquid containing flavourful herbs, spices, vinegar, or oil.
Poached: Food cooked in near boiling water. Results in tender, moist texture.
Roasted: Food cooked with dry heat in an oven or over the fire. Results in browned exterior and crisp coating.
Sautéed: Food cooked quickly in small amount of fat.
Seared: Food cooked in small amount of fat until caramelized. Finished by roasting or grilling. Results in crisp exterior and tender interior.
Smoked: Food exposed to smoke from smoldering wood for a long time. Results in that distinctive smoky flavor.
Whipped: Food beaten to incorporate air. Light and fluffy.
