Lesson 110 — Senses: Smelling and Tasting

Senses: Smelling and Tasting

In this lesson you learn how to talk in English about smells, tastes, and flavours in food and perfume.

**delicate** = subtle, mild, not strong — pleasant and not overpowering. Pronunciation: /ˈdel.ɪ.kət/

• **Delicate flavour** = mild, subtle taste
• The chocolate had a delicate flavour.
• This tea has a delicate flavour.

• **Delicate fragrance** = a mild, pleasant smell
• fragrance = a pleasant smell
• The perfume had a delicate fragrance.
• The fresh flowers had a delicate fragrance.

**Tip:** flavour → food / drink · fragrance → perfume / flowers

**faint** = very weak / barely noticeable **a faint smell** = a very weak smell

• There was a faint smell of smoke in the air.
• I could detect a faint smell of bleach in the laundry room.

**detect** = notice / recognize **Note:** faint also means to pass out — She fainted because of the heat. In a faint smell it means weak.

• **Smell** — general; good or bad
• There was a strange smell in the room.
• **Scent** /sent/ — often perfume, flowers, nature
• The flowers have a sweet scent.
• **Fragrance** — usually pleasant
• The perfume has a delicate fragrance.
• **Aroma** — food, coffee, bread
• The aroma of coffee filled the room.

**make someone's mouth water** — make you want to eat because it looks or smells delicious **saliva** /səˈlaɪ.və/ = mouth water / spit

• The aroma of freshly baked bread was making her mouth water.
• The sight of the burger was making my mouth water.
• The smell of the pizza made my mouth water.

**freshly baked bread** = bread baked recently (sometimes fresh-baked bread)

**appetizing** /ˈæp.ə.taɪ.zɪŋ/ = looking or smelling good enough to make you want to eat

• The pizza looked appetizing.
• The food smelled appetizing.
• That dish looks really appetizing.

**mouth-watering** is similar but stronger: That burger looks mouth-watering.

**insipid** /ɪnˈsɪp.ɪd/ = lacking flavour — tasteless

• The soup was insipid.
• The sandwich was insipid.
• The food tasted insipid.

**bland** = not having a strong or interesting flavour **bland vs insipid:** bland = mild · insipid = almost no appealing taste (more negative)

• The soup was bland.
• The chicken was a little bland.
• The food is too bland for me.

❌ It's bad tastes. → ✅ **It tastes bad.** / **It doesn't taste good.** / **It has an unpleasant taste.**

**woody** = warm, earthy, wood-like scent

• This perfume has a warm, woody scent.
• I prefer woody perfumes.

**fruity** = a scent that reminds you of fruit — apple, peach, berries, orange, mango

• She likes fruity perfumes.
• The perfume has a sweet, fruity scent.

**peppery** = spicy, like pepper

• The aftershave had a peppery fragrance.
• The aftershave had a warm, peppery scent.

• floral · fruity · woody · spicy · peppery · sweet · fresh · citrusy · earthy · musky · smoky

• This perfume has a fresh, citrusy scent.
• He prefers woody and spicy fragrances.

• The chocolate had a delicate flavour.
• The flowers had a delicate fragrance.
• There was a faint smell of smoke in the air.
• I could detect a faint smell of bleach.
• The aroma of freshly baked bread made my mouth water.
• The pizza looked appetizing.
• The soup was bland.
• The sandwich was insipid.
• The perfume had a warm, woody scent.

• A: What do you think of this perfume?
• B: I like it. It has a delicate, woody fragrance.
• A: What about this one?
• B: It's too peppery for me. I prefer fruity perfumes.

• A: How's the soup?
• B: It's a little bland. It needs more salt.
• A: What about the pizza?
• B: It looks really appetizing. It's making my mouth water!

• delicate flavour · delicate fragrance · faint smell · aroma · make my mouth water · appetizing · bland · insipid · woody · fruity · peppery · scent

Words: delicate – faint – appetizing – bland – woody – mouth