This lesson is suitable for intermediate-level learners. After listening, test your knowledge with our quiz.
Learning notes
Different phrases to use when describing flavours:
- The batter’s really crispy, but the fish is still tender and flaky.
- The chips are piping hot and perfectly crunchy.
- The seasoning’s just right.
- This dish is a bit bland.
- This fish melts in my mouth.
- It’s got a nice kick.
- It’s so fragrant.
- I love that tangy hint of lime.
- This curry is so hot. My mouth is on fire!
- This cake is so soft and fluffy.
Vocabulary:
Flavours refers to the different tastes that we experience when eating or drinking something.
Crispy means crunchy on the outside so that when you bite into it, you hear a little crack!
Tender means soft and easy to chew.
If your food is flaky, it breaks into little pieces when you pull it apart.
When something is piping hot, it is very hot.
If your food is crunchy, it makes a loud, crisp sound when you bite into it.
If your food is bland, it tastes plain and boring.
When we say food is hot we can either mean that it:
- has a high temperature — that it is very hot, or
- has a lot of spices like chilli that give a strong burning sensation.
When something is fragrant, it has a nice strong, pleasant smell.
If your food is tangy, it has a sharp, zesty flavour that is a little sour but still pleasant. You can use it to describe foods flavoured with citrus like lemon, lime, or orange, as well as food with vinegar or fermented flavours like pickles or yoghurt.
A hint means a small amount of something — not too strong but just enough to notice.
Colloquial expressions:
Nothing beats … we can use this phrase when we want to say that something is so good that it is the best. For Allan, nothing beats eating fish and chips by the beach.
Mind if I steal one? — is a friendly way of asking if you can take something, usually food.
Go for it is an informal way of saying that someone can do whatever it is that they want to do.
When food melts in your mouth, it’s so delicate and well-cooked that it feels like it disappears in your mouth.
When your food has a nice kick, it has a bit of spice, but not too much — enough to make it exciting without being too hot.
Learning focus:
When we want to strengthen a description of something, we can use words like ‘very’, ‘really’ and ‘so’.
- The batter’s really crispy.
- It’s so fragrant.
When we use the word ‘so’ in this way, we often mean (or imply) that there is some kind of result that follows, as in:
- It’s so delicate and well-cooked (that it melts in your mouth).
- It is so soft and fluffy, it just melts in my mouth
- It was so tender, it melted in my mouth.
- This curry is so hot. My mouth is on fire.
Practise speaking dialogue from this episode.
