🧰 Flavour Descriptors

How to Use them in Social Media & Marketing

When creating and marketing food products, understanding taste and flavour is essential. 

This guide explores the different types of taste, the importance of flavour, and how flavour descriptors can impact buyer behaviour, and includes a list of descriptive words for taste, texture, and food preparation methods to inspire your menu descriptions and marketing efforts.

Contents

• What is Taste?

• What is Flavour?

• Flavour Descriptors & Word Lists 

• Words to Avoid

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What is Taste?

When we talk about taste, we refer to the sensory impressions our taste buds register when we consume food or drink. There are five basic tastes that the human tongue can detect:

• Sweet: This taste usually signifies the presence of sugars in food. It's typically associated with foods that provide a pleasurable sensation, like desserts, fruits, and some vegetables.

• Sour: The sour taste is generally linked with acidic foods. Examples include citrus fruits like lemons and limes, fermented foods, and dairy products like yoghurt.

• Salty: This taste is primarily connected to sodium or salt in food. It's found in pretzels, chips, and many prepared and processed foods.

• Bitter: Bitterness is often associated with foods with certain compounds, like alkaloids. Examples include coffee, dark chocolate, and vegetables like kale and arugula.

• Umami: Often described as savoury or meaty, umami is a taste associated with glutamate-rich foods. Examples include meats, cheese, and mushrooms.

Understanding these basic tastes is the first step in the exploration of flavour. But taste is just the tip of the sensory iceberg. The full experience of eating involves another, more complex sensation - flavour.

What is Flavour?

While taste refers to the basic sensations perceived in the mouth, flavour encompasses a broader sensory experience. It is the overall perception of a food or beverage, considering its aroma, mouthfeel, and appearance. 

Flavour profiles are determined by the ingredients, cooking techniques, and other elements that make up a dish. For instance, a dish with lots of garlic, onion, and chilli peppers would have a rich, spicy, savoury flavour profile.  On the other hand, a dish with a lot of cheese, cream, and butter would be creamy, rich, and salty.

Why is Flavour Important?

Flavour plays a pivotal role in our relationship with food. It can evoke memories, trigger emotions, and influence our health and nutrition choices. Understanding and describing flavours is a key skill for marketing in the food and beverage industry. 

A well-crafted flavour profile can elevate a product, making it more enjoyable and memorable for consumers. It can also create a unique selling point, setting a product apart from competitors. It drives consumer preferences and influences purchasing decisions. The correct deployment of flavours can be used in developing new products and creating enticing menus.

Flavour is important not only for consumer satisfaction but also for product development. Food producers strive to create delicious and innovative flavour combinations to cater to the diverse preferences of their target audience. 

By understanding the importance of flavour, businesses can develop products that customers crave.

2023 Flavour Trends

• Mexican flavours 

• Asian flavours

• Botanicals in drinks

• Nostalgic flavours

• Floral flavours

• Intense fruit

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Why is Flavour Important to Customers?

Flavour plays a significant role in our food habits and preferences. It influences how we perceive and enjoy food, impacting various aspects of food consumption, production, and purchasing. 

Customers today are increasingly focused on flavour trends and seek products that offer unique and satisfying taste experiences. Customers consider multiple factors, including brand ethos, methods of preparation, packaging aesthetics, aroma, texture, and flavour. The taste of a product is often the most crucial factor in determining whether customers will enjoy it. 

A well-balanced and delicious flavour can create loyal customers and drive repeat purchases. For instance, a particular ice cream brand may be known for its unique flavour, which helps it stand out from its competitors and garner long-term customer loyalty.

Impact of Flavour Descriptors on Buyer Behavior

Flavour descriptors are potent tools in influencing buyer behaviour. The words used to describe the flavour of a product can evoke specific sensations and emotions, enticing customers to try something new or indulge in their favourite flavours.

A well-crafted flavour descriptor can create anticipation and desire, making customers more likely to choose a particular product. On the other hand, a poorly chosen or confusing flavour descriptor can turn customers away.

A well-crafted description can make a dish sound enticing, pique curiosity, and even induce cravings. For instance, a "juicy, tender chicken with a crispy golden crust" sounds more appealing than a simple "roasted chicken". This power of persuasion can directly impact sales, making flavour descriptors a critical tool in food marketing.

By using descriptive words that accurately capture a product's taste, texture, and preparation methods, businesses can effectively communicate the flavour experience to their customers and increase sales.

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Flavour Descriptors

Flavour descriptors are vital in menu descriptions, product packaging, and marketing materials. They help customers visualise and imagine the taste experience, enticing them to try the product. 

Power Words & Phrases

Using descriptive words and phrases that accurately convey the taste experience is essential when describing flavours. 

Phrases

• Bursting with flavour

• Delicate and subtle

• Bold and robust

• Zesty and refreshing

• Creamy and indulgent

• Tangy and citrusy

• Spicy and aromatic

• Sweet and satisfying

• Savoury and umami-rich

• Fresh and vibrant

Power Words

• Alluring

• Ambrosia

• Attractive

• Concentrated

• Craving

• Delectable

• Delicious

• Delicacy

• Delicate

• Delightful 

• Desire

• Distinctive

• Divine

• Dulcet

• Enchanting

• Enticing

• Exquisite

• Flavourful 

• Glamourous 

• Heavenly

• Hunger

• Homestyle

• Hot

• Interesting

• Intense

• Invigorating

• Juicy

• Luscious 

• Nectarous

• Ravenous

• Refreshing

• Revitalising

• Rustic

• Satisfying

• Scrumptious 

• Sweet-Tooth

• Tasty

• Tempting

• Thirsty

• Wonderful 

• Wholesome

Food Word List

To create compelling flavour descriptions, it's essential to have a comprehensive list of words that can be used to describe taste, texture, and food preparation methods. Here is a compilation of descriptive words for each category:

Words to Describe Taste

• Acidic

• Aromatic

• Bitter

• Bittersweet

• Briny

• Buttery

• Citrusy

• Clean

• Creamy

• Crisp

• Cool

• Delicate

• Earthy

• Exotic

• Fiery

• Floral

• Fragrant

• Fresh

• Fruity

• Full-bodied

• Gamey 

• Heat

• Herbal

• Hint

• Honeyed

• Mellow

• Mild

• Nutty

• Peppery

• Piquant

• Rich

• Robust

• Salty

• Savoury

• Sharp

• Smoky

• Sour

• Spicy

• Subtle

• Sugary

• Sweet

• Tangy

• Tart

• Umami

• Unique

• Vegetal

• Yeasty

• Woody

• Zesty

Words to Describe Texture

• Airy

• Bubbly

• Buttery

• Chewy

• Coarse

• Creamy

• Crispy

• Crumbly

• Crunchy

• Crusty

• Delicate

• Dense

• Doughy

• Firm

• Fizzy

• Flaky

• Frothy

• Fluffy

• Gooey

• Grainy

• Hearty

• Icy

• Juicy

• Light

• Silky

• Sizzling

• Sticky

• Smooth

• Soft

• Tender

• Velvety

Words to Describe Food Preparation Method

• Baked

• Barbequed

• Blanched

• Blackened

• Braised

• Breaded

• Boiled

• Broiled

• Caramelised

• Charred

• Chilled

• Cured

• Deep-Fired

• Fermented

• Fried

• Glazed

• Grilled

• Infused

• Marinated

• Pan Fried

• Poached

• Pickled

• Roasted

• Sauteed

• Seared

• Simmered

• Slow-Cooked

• Steamed

• Steeped

• Stewed

• Stir-Fried

• Smoked

• Toasted

• Whipped

Words to Avoid

While choosing descriptive words to enhance flavour descriptions is essential, certain words should be avoided or used sparingly. These words may have negative connotations or evoke unpleasant associations. Here are some categories of words to avoid:

Generic Words

Using generic words can make flavour descriptions seem uninspired or lacklustre. It's best to be specific and use words that vividly describe the taste experience. Instead of generic words like "good" or "nice," opt for more descriptive terms.

• Appealing

• Nice

• Pleasant

• Perfectly Cooked

• Sinful

My Home Economics teacher Mrs Stevenson always used to say, "Nice is not a word used to describe food! I've got 200 words describing food, and nice isn't one of them!" 

Negative Words

Negative words can have a detrimental impact on customer perception. 

Avoid using words that may make the flavour seem unappealing; highlight the positive aspects of the flavour instead.

• Acerbic

• Acrid

• Aftertaste

• Bland

• Crack

• Overpowering

• Plain

• Pungent

• Toothsome

• Vinegary

Hated Words

Certain words may be universally disliked or overused, leading to a lack of impact. These "hated words" can diminish the effectiveness of flavour descriptions. 

• Bevvy (UK slang for beverage)

• Foodie

• Lip Smacking

• Moist (even typing that word makes me shudder) 

• Mouthfeel

• Mouthwatering

• Nom Nom

• Nosh 

• Sammies (Sandwiches) 

• Tendies (Chicken tenders) 

• Yummy

 Be mindful of your chosen words and opt for more unique and engaging alternatives.

Conclusion

Flavour descriptors are essential for successful marketing efforts, helping customers visualise and imagine the taste experience. 

By exploring the different types of taste and flavour profiles, businesses can develop products that cater to diverse preferences and drive customer satisfaction. 

With well-crafted flavour profiles and enticing descriptions, restaurants and F&B businesses can make a lasting impression and build customer loyalty.

Here's To Your Success 🥂