Descriptive Words for Food: Taste, Texture and Beyond

Taste is often the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks about describing food.

Texture is also an important part of the overall description of food items.

The style used to prepare a particular food is an important part of describing the item, as is the temperature at which it is serviced.

Describing the extent to which food is cooked and the temperature at which it is served can be important to help accurately describe it.

Paint a vivid picture of food in writing by using descriptive terms that describe how food smells, looks and otherwise appeals to the senses.

Whether you’re tasked with describing food on a menu or you’re looking to convey your culinary musings in a vivid way, using multiple descriptive terms and gustatory imagery can help you come up with perfect phrases to describe delicious food.

Examples of describing food include:

• artichoke dip - tender artichoke hearts layered between beds of baby spinach, covered with five Italian cheeses
• beef stew - comforting stew featuring tender beef chunks simmered in a thick, peppery gravy with fresh red potatoes and carrots
• chicken strips - juicy chicken tenders, dipped into a spicy seasoned batter and deep fried until crispy
• chocolate cheesecake - rich and decadent, yet airy, texture chocolate cheesecake
• lemon butter curd - cool, citrusy delight with a creamy texture, glazed in honey
• summer squash - refreshing grilled yellow squash and zucchini, lightly tossed in avocado oil and seasoned with fresh basil and sea salt

Want to share the details of a sumptuous meal with your friends on Instagram? Need to write a professional-sounding blog post, restaurant review or descriptive essay? Consider these tips when selecting adjectives to describe food:

• Be as specific as possible. You have to convey taste, smell, emotion, and feeling. Be specific, all the way down to the poppy seeds on the bun.
• Build excitement. Set the scene in the restaurant or kitchen. Offer a quirky tidbit about the dining or cooking experience, then delve into the sumptuous bites and creamy desserts.
• Avoid repetition. Don't overuse smart-sounding adjectives like delectable or sumptuous. Get creative. Describe the food in a manner that allows readers to envision that first bite and taste the juicy flow of goodness.
• Be alluring. Don't leave out any detail when describing food. Lure in readers with the fluffy, lightly-toasted bun on your burger before sharing the news about the five cheeses.

Finding descriptive words for food isn’t difficult, but there certainly are a lot of options. As you look for unique words to spice up your food life, check out this in-depth list of descriptive words, including adjectives, adverbs and gerunds. Learn some common cooking terms to sound like a real culinary master. And when you're ready to take a break and get silly, see if you can pass off any of these food puns with your favorite foodie friends. Keep the food fun going by learning some weird facts about food.