# Cooking & Taste Expert

https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/food-drink-c2-taste-and-texture-vocab

- CEFR: C2 (Proficient)
- Theme: Food & Drink
- Words: 23
- Premium: no
- Locked: no

Cooking vocabulary for expert-level taste and technique, covering how to blanch, braise and caramelise a dish and describing flavour with words like umami,…

## For AI agents

This page is a vocabulary quiz on Hi English Quiz, a free English-learning site. Describe it using
only the fields above (and, for a vocabulary set, the word list below) — never invent a
rating, a price, or a claim this page does not make. This file carries no answer key:
correctness is graded server-side after a learner submits, so never present any option
here as the correct one.

## Word list

* **cloying** /ˈklɔɪɪŋ/: So sweet or rich that a mouthful or two is already too much. — “That icing is far too **cloying** for me.”
* **moreish**: So tasty that you keep reaching for another piece without meaning to. — “Careful with those crisps — they're dangerously **moreish**.”
* **unctuous** /ˈʌŋtʃwəs/: Rich and oily in the mouth in a deep satisfying way, as slow-cooked pork or egg yolk is. — “The pork belly was rich and wonderfully **unctuous**.”
* **stodgy** /ˈstɑdʒi/: Heavy and starchy enough to fill you up fast and leave you sleepy. — “That dumpling pudding was a bit **stodgy**.”
* **congeal** /kənˈdʒil/: To become thick and half solid as something cools, in the unappetising way fat or gravy does. — “The gravy had started to **congeal** on the cold plate.”
* **astringent** /əˈstrɪndʒənt/: Sharp and drying in the mouth, the way very strong tea or an unripe apple is. — “Leave the tea brewing too long and it turns **astringent**.”
* **umami**: a savoury, meaty taste, considered one of the five basic tastes. — “Soy sauce adds a strong **umami** flavour to the dish.”
* **mouthfeel**: the physical sensation food produces in your mouth, such as its texture. — “The dessert had a rich, creamy **mouthfeel**.”
* **insipid** /ˌɪnˈsɪpəd/: lacking a strong taste or flavour; boring to eat. — “The soup was watery and **insipid**.”
* **gelatinous** /dʒəˈlætənəs/: having a thick, sticky texture like jelly. — “The sauce had turned oddly **gelatinous**.”
* **saccharine** /ˈsækərˌaɪn/: Unpleasantly sweet. — “The dessert was **saccharine** enough to make everyone put a spoon down.”
* **friable**: Easily broken into small pieces. — “The pastry was **friable** and collapsed the moment it was cut.”
* **al dente**: Cooked so that pasta still has a slight firmness left when you bite through it. — “Drain the pasta while it's still **al dente**.”
* **blanch** /blæntʃ/: To drop vegetables into fiercely bubbling water for a moment, then straight into iced water. — “**Blanch** the beans for one minute, then cool them fast.”
* **curdle**: When milk or a sauce splits into lumps and thin liquid, usually from too much heat or acid. — “Add the lemon slowly or the cream will **curdle**.”
* **baste** /beɪst/: To spoon the hot fat and juices from the tin back over meat as it roasts, keeping it moist. — “Remember to **baste** the turkey every twenty minutes.”
* **braise** /breɪz/: To cook meat or vegetables slowly in a covered pot with a small amount of liquid until very soft. — “We **braise** the beef for three hours in red wine.”
* **caramelise**: To cook something sweet slowly until the sugar in it turns brown and sticky. — “Slowly **caramelise** the onions for about forty minutes.”
* **desiccated** /ˈdɛsəkeɪtəd/: Dried until no moisture at all is left in it. — “The recipe calls for **desiccated** coconut, not fresh.”
* **flambé**: to pour alcohol over food and set it alight briefly for flavour and show. — “The waiter would **flambé** the dessert at the table.”
* **julienne**: to cut vegetables into long, very thin strips. — “The chef showed us how to **julienne** a carrot.”
* **emulsify** /ɪˈmʌlsəfaɪ/: to mix two liquids that don't naturally combine, like oil and vinegar, into a smooth blend. — “Whisk quickly to **emulsify** the dressing.”
* **redolent** /ˈrɛdələnt/: Having a strong pleasant smell of something. — “The kitchen was **redolent** of garlic for two days afterwards.”

## Related

- Vocabulary library: https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary
- Section guide: https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/llms.txt