Describing food

Tasty; delicious; tasteless; insipid; bland; mild; plain; sweet; creamy; bitter; sour; salty; sugary; sickly; savoury; highly-seasoned; flavoured; nourishing; hot; spicy; salted; fresh; tender; tough; fatty; lean; fattening; crunchy; stale; greasy; stodgy; more-ish; mouth-watering; succulent; rare; medium-rare; well-done; done to a turn.

Part 1. Interview your partners and then report about the following things.

Use these phrases:

Do you mind if I ask you some questions?

Excuse me, I’d like to know....

I was wondering what food is to your taste? is to your liking?

Do you like your menu varied? monotonous?

What food do you prefer on weekdays? weekends?

Plain Salty Bland Refreshing

Overcooked Undercooked Spicy Succulent

Overdone/ Underdone/ Crispy Crunchy

Lean Highly-seasoned Watery Fatty

Juicy Fattening Disgusting Weak

Insipid Rare Hot Digestible

Tasteless Medium-rare Savoury Dainty

Tart Well-done/cooked Zesty Nourishing

Sour Done to a turn Flavoured Tasty

Bitter More-ish Sweet Delicious

Tough Creamy Sugary Mouth-watering

Edible Rotten Lip-smacking Undersalted/

Stodgy Detestable Crusty Oversalted

Perishable Rough Scrumptious Rich

Lukewarm Tender Appetizing Thick

Stale Greasy Spiced

Part 2. Use the taste and flavour words above to describe the following:

1. Indian curry

2. Pizza

3. Sea water

4. An unripe apple

5. A cup of tea with 5 spoonfuls of sugar

6. Strong black coffee with no sugar

7. Factory-made white bread

Part 3. What might you say to the person/people with you in a restaurant if ……

1. your chips had too much oil/fat on them?

2. your dish had obviously been cooked too much/too long?

3. your piece of meat was absolutely perfectly cooked?

4. your dish seemed to have no flavour at all?

Part 4. Fill in the table using the necessary words which describe taste.

Part 5. Fill in the blanks with the correct word.

1. Indian food is often very hot and …………. .

2. I’m sorry for being so noisy, but this apple is really …………. .

3. Haven’t we got any fresh bread? This loaf is ………… .

4. The meat was …………. because she forgot to take it out of the oven in time.

5. Fizzy drinks are very ……….. and can be bad for your teeth.

Part 6. Choose the right answer.

1. What are you cooking? It ..... good.

a) feels b) flavours c) smells d) sniffs

2. The dish had a very interesting taste as it was ..... with lemon.

a) flavoured b) pickled c) seasoned d) spiced

3. The apple was so ..... that he put some sugar on it.

a) bad b) juicy c)ripe d)sour

4. It tasted so …… of mint that the other flavours were lost.

a) forcefully b) fully c) hardly d) strongly

5. The apples had become so ..... that we had to throw them away.

a) overripe b) poisonous c) rotten d) green

6. That milk smells ..... .

a) acid b) bitter c) sharp d) sour

7. The sauce would be more . . . . . if you had put more garlic.

a) taste b) tasteful c) tasteless d) tasty

8. The delicious spread of sweets made the child's mouth ..….. .

a) cold b) dry c) water d) wet

9. Please, put some more water in my coffee because it is too ….… .

a) black b) dense c) strong d) thick

10. If there is one thing I don't like, it is ..... tea.

a) delicate b) light c) pale d) weak

11. I wouldn't eat those gooseberries if I were you, they don't look ……. .

a) formed b) ready c) ripe d) underdone

12. There is nothing more …… on a warm day than a glass of ice-cold fruit juice.

a) freshing b) quenching c) refreshing d) relaxing

13. Mr Forgetful didn’t put the milk in the fridge so it …….. .

a) went back b) went down c) went off d) went out

14. I don’t like my steak cooked too long. I like it …… .

a) hard b) raw c) underdone d) well done

15.Mr Fatty wants to slim, so he should avoid eating ..... foods such as bread or potatoes.

a) fatty b) greasy c) spicy d) starchy

 Reading and  Speaking

Read the following dialogue and act out your own conversation at table. Explain the meaning of the underlined phrases. Use them in the sentences of your own.

At table

Nick: I say, mum, I’m terribly hungry. I haven’t had a thing all day. I could do with a snack.

Mother: Why, you’re just in time for dinner.

Nick: No soup for me. I’d rather have beefsteak.

Mother: Are you quite sure you wouldn’t like some soup? It tastes all right.

Nick: There is nothing like steak and chips. I’ll go and wash my hands.

Mother: How’s the steak? I’m afraid it’s underdone.

Nick: Oh, it’s done to a turn, just to my liking. I don’t like meat overdone. May I have another helping of chips?

Mother: Yes, certainly. Hand me your plate, please, and help yourself to the salad. Just to see how it tastes.

Nick: Oh, it’s delicious.

Mother: Shall I put some mustard on your steak?

Nick: No, thanks, I don’t care for mustard. I’d rather take a spoonful of sauce. Pass me the sauce, please.

Mother: Here you are. Oh, isn’t there a smell of something burning?

Nick: So there is.

Mother: I’ve left the layer-cake in the oven.

Nick: For goodness’ sake get it out quickly.

Mother (coming back): Oh, Nick! How awkward of you to have split the sauce over the table cloth. Get a paper napkin from the sideboard and cover it up.

Nick: I’m terribly sorry. I was quite upset about my favourite cake getting spoiled.

Mother: Don’t worry. Here it is, brown and crispy on the outside. What will you have, tea or coffee?

Nick: A cup of tea.

Mother: Any milk? Shall I put butter on your bread?

Nick: No, thanks. I can’t see the sugar-basin.

Mother: It’s behind the bread-plate. Have a better look.

Nick: I’m afraid it’s the salt cellar.

Mother: So it is. In my hurry I must have left it in the dresser.

Nick: It’s all right. I’ll get it myself.

Mother: Help yourself to the cake. There’s nothing else to follow.

Nick: I’ve had a delicious meal.