20 Words Every Food Lover Should Know
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Twenty words every food lover should know — from epicure to ambrosia — the vocabulary of cooking, tasting and eating well.
Food has its own vocabulary — a mix of ancient words for hunger and pleasure and borrowed names for dishes from around the world. Knowing it makes cooking, ordering, and talking about a meal a great deal more fun.
Here are 20 words every food lover should know, from the person who lives for a good meal to the dishes worth crossing a city for. A few are English words worth reviving; others are delicious imports.
The words behind the flavors
Some of these words describe the eater: an epicure or gastronome takes real pleasure in fine food, an appetite the ancient Greeks and Romans already had a word for. Others describe the act — to slake a thirst, to emulsify oil and egg into mayonnaise, or to sit down to a bouffage, a thoroughly satisfying meal.
And some are simply dishes worth knowing by name: Georgian khachapuri, Persian fesenjan, Brazilian moqueca, French pain perdu. Each carries its origin in its etymology, which is half the pleasure — learning the word and the dish together, the way the MonkeyTaps app pairs a word with its story.
20 words for food lovers
1. epicure
“Someone who loves fine food and drink”
2. epicurean
“Enjoying fine food and drinks”
3. gastronome
“A person who enjoys fine food” — From Greek 'gastronomos' meaning 'one who arranges food'.
4. delectable
“Delicious, delightful” — From Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin delectabilis, from delectare meaning 'to delight'.
5. ambrosia
“Food and drink of the gods in mythology that made mortals immortal when consumed” — Derived from Latin and Greek: from ambrotos meaning 'immortal', via a- + -mbrotos (compare brotos, 'mortal').
6. slake
“To quench or satisfy one's thirst” — From Middle English, from Old English slacian, from sleac slack.
7. emulsify
“To mix two liquids that normally don't combine easily, like oil and water” — From Latin 'emulgere' meaning 'to milk out'.
8. pomology
“The study of growing fruits” — From New Latin pomologia, from Latin pomum meaning 'fruit' + -logia meaning '-logy'.
9. apiary
“A place for keeping bees” — Borrowed from Latin apiārium, from apis meaning 'bee' (of obscure origin) combined with -ārium.
10. subacid
“A little bit sour in taste” — From Latin subacidus, from sub- + acidus.
11. pabulum
“Something that can be eaten” — Latin for food or fodder, akin to Latin pascere meaning 'to feed'.
12. bouffage
“A satisfying meal” — From Old French 'bouffage', meaning 'cheek-puffing meat'.
13. dejeuner
“A meal eaten around noon” — From French desjeuner, from Middle French desjeuner meaning 'to breakfast', ultimately from Old French, derived from (assumed) Vulgar Latin disjejunare meaning 'to break one's fast'.
14. fete
“A big celebration with food and activities” — From Middle English fete, from Middle French and Old French feste.
15. ventripotent
“Having a big belly or overeating” — From French ventri- (from Latin venter, 'abdomen') + Latin potent- (from Old Latin potēre, 'to be powerful').
16. khachapuri
“Cheese-filled Georgian bread, often topped with an egg” — From Georgian 'khacho' (curd) + 'puri' (bread).
17. fesenjan
“A rich Persian stew made with pomegranate molasses, walnuts, and meat” — Derived from Persian 'Fesenjān', a traditional Iranian stew.
18. moqueca
“A Brazilian stew made with fish and seafood in coconut milk, tomatoes, and onions” — From Kimbundu 'mu'keka' meaning 'fish stew'.
19. ajvar
“A pepper sauce made with roasted red peppers, eggplant, and garlic” — From Turkish 'havyar' meaning 'caviar', derived from Persian 'xaviyar'.
20. pain perdu
“Bread soaked in eggs and milk, then fried, often served with syrup” — From French pain perdu “lost bread”, reviving stale bread into sweet dish.
Frequently asked questions
What do you call someone who loves food?
An epicure or a gastronome — both mean a person who takes genuine pleasure in fine food and drink. The adjective epicurean describes that love of good eating.
What does it mean to 'emulsify'?
To emulsify is to blend two liquids that don't normally mix, like oil and water, into a smooth, stable mixture. Whisking oil into egg yolk to make mayonnaise is emulsifying.
What is 'ambrosia'?
In Greek and Roman myth, ambrosia was the food of the gods, said to grant immortality. The word comes from Greek ambrotos, 'immortal', and today it describes anything wonderfully delicious.
What's the best way to learn food words from other languages?
Learn the word and the dish together, and note where it's from — khachapuri is Georgian, moqueca is Brazilian. Pairing a word with a vivid image, as the MonkeyTaps app does, makes it stick.
