Here are 50 vocabulary words related to the topic of food and drink, which could be useful for the IELTS exam:
Types of Food
- Cuisine: A style or method of cooking, especially as characteristic of a particular country, region, or establishment.
- Appetizer: A small dish of food or a drink taken before a meal to stimulate one’s appetite.
- Entrée: The main course of a meal.
- Dessert: A sweet course eaten at the end of a meal.
- Snack: A small amount of food eaten between meals.
- Ingredients: The individual food items that are combined to make a dish.
- Recipe: A set of instructions for preparing a particular dish, including a list of the ingredients required.
- Cuisine: The food characteristic of a particular culture or region.
- Vegetarian: A person who does not eat meat.
- Vegan: A person who does not eat or use animal products.
Cooking Methods
- Boil: To cook food by immersing it in boiling water.
- Grill: To cook food on a grill.
- Bake: To cook food in an oven.
- Fry: To cook food in hot fat or oil.
- Roast: To cook food by prolonged exposure to heat in an oven or over a fire.
- Steam: To cook food using the steam from boiling water.
- Simmer: To cook food gently in water just below the boiling point.
- Saute: To fry quickly in a little hot fat.
- Marinate: To soak food in a sauce before cooking to make it more tender or flavorful.
- Poach: To cook food gently in simmering liquid.
Flavors and Tastes
- Sweet: Having the pleasant taste characteristic of sugar or honey.
- Sour: Having an acid taste like lemon or vinegar.
- Bitter: Having a sharp, pungent taste or smell; not sweet.
- Salty: Tasting of, containing, or preserved with salt.
- Savory: (of food) belonging to the category that is salty or spicy rather than sweet.
- Spicy: Flavored with or fragrant with spice.
- Tangy: Having a strong, sharp taste or smell.
- Umami: A category of taste in food, corresponding to the flavor of glutamates, especially monosodium glutamate.
- Bland: Lacking strong features or characteristics and therefore uninteresting.
- Rich: Containing a large amount of fat, spices, sugar, etc., and having a strong flavor.
Types of Drink
- Beverage: A drink, especially one other than water.
- Juice: The liquid obtained from or present in fruit or vegetables.
- Smoothie: A thick, smooth drink of fresh fruit pureed with milk, yogurt, or ice cream.
- Soda: A carbonated soft drink.
- Cocktail: An alcoholic drink consisting of a spirit or several spirits mixed with other ingredients.
- Mocktail: A non-alcoholic drink consisting of a mixture of fruit juices or other soft drinks.
- Tea: A hot drink made by infusing the dried, crushed leaves of the tea plant in boiling water.
- Coffee: A hot drink made from the roasted and ground bean-like seeds of a tropical shrub.
- Milkshake: A cold drink made of milk, a sweet flavoring such as fruit or chocolate, and typically ice cream, whisked until it is frothy.
- Latte: A type of coffee made with espresso and hot steamed milk, milkier than a cappuccino.
Eating Habits and Preferences
- Gourmet: A connoisseur of good food; a person with a discerning palate.
- Picky eater: Someone who is very selective about what they eat and often dislikes many foods.
- Healthy diet: Eating a variety of foods that give you the nutrients you need to maintain your health.
- Fast food: Easily prepared processed food served in snack bars and restaurants as a quick meal or to be taken away.
- Organic food: Food produced by methods that comply with the standards of organic farming.
- Junk food: Food that has low nutritional value, typically produced in the form of packaged snacks.
- Balanced diet: A diet consisting of a variety of different types of food and providing adequate amounts of the nutrients necessary for good health.
- Processed food: Food that has been altered in some way during preparation.
- Comfort food: Food that provides consolation or a feeling of well-being, typically any with a high sugar or other carbohydrate content and associated with childhood or home cooking.
- Ethnic food: Food that originates from a distinct culture and/or that is traditional to a particular ethnic group.