Food & Drink Vocabulary
Fruit (3 words)
A1
Vegetables (3 words)
A1
Meals, Snacks & Desserts (18 words)
A1
A2
B1
B2
devour verb · B2
dih-VOW-ur
to eat quickly and completely
After the long hike, we devoured the whole pizza.
feast noun · B2
FEEST
a large special meal for many people
They prepared a huge feast for the wedding guests.
leftovers noun (plural) · B2
LEFT-oh-vurz
food that is left after a meal
We had pasta leftovers for lunch the next day.
nibble verb · B2
NIH-bul
to eat with small, gentle bites
The kids nibbled on crackers during the movie.
Drinks (3 words)
A1
Groceries & Ingredients (7 words)
A1
butter noun · A1
BUH-tur
soft yellow fat from milk for bread and cooking
I put butter on my bread.
A2
B1
grocery noun · B1
GROH-suh-ree
food sold in a store; food you buy
I bought groceries for the week.
Cooking (27 words)
A2
B2
caramelize verb · B2
KAIR-uh-muh-lyze
to cook sugar or vegetables until they turn sweet and brown
Caramelize the onions slowly until they turn golden brown.
cuisine noun · B2
kwiz-EEN
a style of cooking from a particular country or region
I love trying different cuisines when I travel.
drizzle verb · B2
DRIZ-uhl
to pour a thin stream of liquid over food
Drizzle some olive oil over the salad before serving.
garnish noun · B2
GAR-nish
a small decoration added to a dish
She added fresh parsley as a garnish.
glaze noun · B2
glayz
a shiny sweet coating on food
The chef brushed a honey glaze over the ham.
homemade adjective · B2
HOHM-mayd
made at home, not bought in a shop
Nothing beats my grandmother's homemade bread.
julienne verb · B2
zhoo-lee-EN
to cut vegetables into very thin strips
Julienne the carrots into thin strips for the stir-fry.
marinate verb · B2
MAIR-uh-nayt
to leave meat or fish in a sauce before cooking so it tastes better
Marinate the chicken for two hours before you grill it.
poach verb · B2
pohch
to cook food gently in hot water
Poach the eggs in simmering water for three minutes.
roast verb · B2
ROHST
to cook meat or vegetables in a hot oven
We roasted chicken for Sunday dinner.
simmer verb · B2
SIM-ur
to cook slowly in hot liquid, just below boiling
Simmer the soup for twenty minutes.
whisk verb · B2
wisk
to beat eggs or cream very quickly with a whisk or fork
Whisk the eggs and sugar together until smooth.
C1
deglaze verb · C1
dee-GLAYZ
to pour liquid into a hot pan to loosen the browned bits stuck to it
She deglazed the pan with red wine to make a rich sauce.
emulsify verb · C1
ee-MUHL-sih-fy
to blend oil and water-based liquids into a smooth, stable mixture
Whisk the oil in slowly to emulsify the dressing.
C2
concoction noun · C2
kun-KOK-shun
a mixture of ingredients, often unusual or inventive
Her strange concoction of mango and chili surprised everyone.
infusion noun · C2
in-FYOO-zhun
flavor drawn out by soaking ingredients in hot liquid
She prepared a calming infusion of chamomile and honey.
mise en place noun · C2
meez ahn PLASS
everything prepared and in place before cooking begins
Before service begins, every chef completes their mise en place.
Kitchen (8 words)
A1
A2
B2
utensil noun · B2
yoo-TEN-sil
a tool you use to cook or eat, like a spoon or a knife
This kitchen has all the utensils you need.
At the Restaurant (7 words)
A2
cafe noun · A2
ka-FAY
a small place where you can buy coffee and cake
I meet my friends at the cafe every Friday.
restaurant noun · A2
RES-tuh-ruhnt
a place where you buy and eat food
We ate dinner at a nice restaurant.
B2
portion noun · B2
POR-shun
the amount of food for one person
The restaurant gives very large portions.
C2
amuse-bouche noun · C2
uh-MYOOZ-BOOSH
a small free appetizer served by the chef before the meal
The meal started with an amuse-bouche of chilled pumpkin soup.
degustation noun · C2
deh-gus-tuh-SYON
a tasting menu of many small courses
We booked a seven-course degustation at the new riverside restaurant.
sommelier noun · C2
suh-muhl-YAY
the wine expert in a restaurant who advises guests
The sommelier suggested a light red to match the lamb.
Taste & Texture (23 words)
A2
taste verb · A2
TAYST
to try food to know its flavor
Taste the soup and tell me if it is good.
B1
B2
aroma noun · B2
uh-ROH-muh
a strong pleasant smell, usually from food
The aroma of fresh coffee filled the kitchen.
bitter adjective · B2
BIT-ur
tasting strong and not sweet, like dark chocolate or black coffee
His coffee was too bitter, so he added sugar.
bland adjective · B2
BLAND
not tasty; with no strong flavor
The rice was bland, so I added some salt.
chewy adjective · B2
CHOO-ee
food that needs a lot of chewing
These cookies are soft in the middle and slightly chewy.
crunchy adjective · B2
KRUN-chee
making a loud sound when you bite it, like a carrot or chips
Fresh apples are crunchy and sweet.
savor verb · B2
SAY-vur
to enjoy the taste of food slowly and completely
He closed his eyes to savor the rich chocolate cake.
sour adjective · B2
SOW-ur
tasting sharp and not sweet, like a lemon
The milk went sour after a week in the fridge.
C1
cloying adjective · C1
KLOY-ing
excessively sweet or rich, to the point of being sickening
The dessert was so cloying that I could only eat two bites.
connoisseur noun · C1
kon-uh-SUR
an expert judge of taste, especially in food and drink
As a connoisseur of fine chocolate, she could name the origin of each sample.
insipid adjective · C1
in-SIP-id
lacking flavor or interest; dull and bland
The hospital cafeteria served insipid soup with no seasoning.
mouthfeel noun · C1
MOWTH-feel
the texture and physical sensation of food in the mouth
The creamy mouthfeel of the avocado made the salad luxurious.
piquant adjective · C1
pee-KAHNT
pleasantly sharp or spicy in taste; lively and stimulating
The piquant mustard gave the sandwich a pleasant kick.
succulent adjective · C1
SUH-kyoo-lunt
juicy, tender, and full of flavor
The chef served succulent lamb that melted in our mouths.
C2
delectable adjective · C2
dih-LEK-tuh-bul
extremely delicious
The chocolate dessert was absolutely delectable.
gustatory adjective · C2
GUS-tuh-tor-ee
relating to the sense of taste
The chef designed the evening as a gustatory journey.
Diet & Nutrition (9 words)
B1
vitamin noun · B1
VY-tuh-min
a pill or food that keeps your body healthy
Oranges have a lot of vitamin C.
B2
appetite noun · B2
AP-uh-tyt
the feeling of wanting to eat
The long walk gave us a big appetite.
crave verb · B2
KRAYV
to strongly want a particular food
I often crave salty snacks late at night.
metabolism noun · B2
muh-TAB-uh-liz-um
how your body turns food into energy
Exercise can speed up your metabolism.
nutrient noun · B2
NOO-tree-unt
a healthy part of food that your body needs
Fruit has nutrients like vitamins.
C1
malnutrition noun · C1
mal-noo-TRISH-un
poor health caused by not getting enough nutritious food
Malnutrition in early childhood can permanently impair brain development.
C2
wholesome adjective · C2
HOLE-sum
natural, pure, and good for your health
She prefers wholesome, unprocessed foods over packaged snacks.
Food Production & Farming (2 words)
B1
harvest noun · B1
HAR-vust
collecting crops from the fields when they are ready
Farmers collect the harvest in autumn.
C2
terroir noun · C2
teh-RWAHR
the soil, climate, and landscape that give food or wine its character
This wine tastes of its terroir, the rocky hills of the region.