How to describe food in French

Is something sweet or salty? Mild or strong? Crispy or soft? French has a wide range of words for the taste, texture, temperature, and quality of food.

Describing taste

These are common words for describing how something tastes:

There is an important difference between épicé and piquant. Épicé can describe food made with spices without necessarily being hot. Piquant describes the hot or sharp sensation of food such as chili or strong mustard.

Fort and doux can describe the intensity of a flavor. A cheese can be fort, while a mustard can be douce.

Describing texture

Texture is another common way to describe food:

Croquant and croustillant are similar but not always interchangeable. Croquant describes the crunch of foods such as raw vegetables or nuts. Croustillant often describes a crisp surface or exterior, such as the crust of bread or fried food.

Moelleux describes a pleasantly soft texture. Cakes and other baked foods are often moelleux. Un moelleux au chocolat is a soft chocolate cake.

Fondant describes food that is very soft or seems to melt in the mouth. Un fondant au chocolat is a soft chocolate dessert, often with a soft or liquid center.

Describing temperature

These adjectives describe the temperature of food and drinks:

Frais can refer to temperature or freshness. The meaning depends on context.

Du poisson frais is fresh fish. Une boisson fraîche is a cool or chilled drink.

Describing how food is cooked

The way food is cooked often becomes part of its description:

For meat, you may also need to describe how thoroughly it is cooked:

When ordering meat, you may be asked Quelle cuisson ? to find out how you would like it cooked.

Describing freshness and quality

These words describe the condition or quality of food:

Fait maison is common on restaurant menus and signs. It indicates that the food was made by the establishment rather than bought as a ready-made product.

Bio is the everyday short form of biologique, meaning organic.

Giving your opinion

You can say whether you like or dislike something:

You can also explain what you like or dislike about the food by describing a particular quality:

You can use très, un peu, assez, trop, and pas assez to make these descriptions more precise:

Asking about food

You can ask about the taste, texture, or temperature of something before you order:

These questions are useful when the name or description on a menu does not tell you enough about the dish.

From learning to practice

When you eat something, try to describe one or two of its qualities in French. It might be sucré et moelleux, frais et croquant, or fort mais crémeux. Choosing specific words for a food's taste, texture, temperature, and other qualities lets you say much more than simply C'est bon.