Food & Drink Vocabulary Quiz
12 multiple-choice questions on food names, cooking verbs, flavours, restaurant vocabulary and British vs American food terms. A2–B1 level.
Food & Drink Vocabulary — FAQ
Key cooking verbs: boil (cook in hot water), fry (cook in hot oil), bake (cook in an oven), roast (cook meat or vegetables in an oven), grill (cook over direct heat), steam (cook with hot steam), simmer (cook gently in barely boiling liquid), stir-fry (fry quickly over high heat while stirring), and poach (cook gently in liquid).
The five basic tastes: sweet (sugar, honey, chocolate), sour (lemon, vinegar), salty (crisps, soy sauce), bitter (coffee, dark chocolate), and umami (savoury/rich — mushrooms, cheese, meat). Additional descriptors include spicy/hot (chilli), bland/mild (plain rice), tangy (sweet and sour), and rich (heavy, full-flavoured).
Useful restaurant vocabulary: menu, starter/appetiser, main course, dessert, side dish, bill/check, tip, waiter/server, reservation/booking. Phrases: 'Could I have...', 'I'd like to order...', 'What do you recommend?', 'The bill, please.' For meat doneness: rare, medium-rare, medium, well-done.
Popular food idioms: 'a piece of cake' (something very easy), 'spill the beans' (reveal a secret), 'in a pickle' (in a difficult situation), 'bread and butter' (main source of income), 'the icing on the cake' (an extra benefit), 'go bananas' (go crazy), and 'cream of the crop' (the best of a group).
'Hungry' is neutral; 'starving' (informal) means extremely hungry. 'Full' means you have eaten enough; 'stuffed' (informal) means you have eaten too much. Other intensity pairs: thirsty / parched (very thirsty), tasty / delicious / scrumptious (increasing levels of appreciation).
Cutting vocabulary: chop (cut into rough pieces), dice (cut into small cubes), slice (cut into thin flat pieces), peel (remove outer skin), mince (cut into very small pieces), grate (shred using a grater), crush (press to break down), quarter (cut into four pieces), and julienne (cut into thin matchstick strips).
Texture words: crunchy/crispy (firm with a snap), chewy (requires much chewing), tender (soft and easy to cut), creamy (smooth and rich), fluffy (light and soft), sticky (adheres to surfaces), mushy (soft and shapeless), and silky/smooth (very fine and uniform texture).
'Food' is the general uncountable noun. 'Meal' refers to a specific eating occasion (breakfast, lunch, dinner). 'Dish' refers to a particular prepared recipe. 'Cuisine' refers to the cooking style of a country or region (Italian cuisine, Japanese cuisine).
Key differences: crisps (British) = chips (American); chips (British) = fries (American); biscuit (British) = cookie (American); aubergine (British) = eggplant (American); courgette (British) = zucchini (American); sweets (British) = candy (American); mince (British) = ground beef (American).
The three main meals: breakfast (morning), lunch (midday), dinner (evening). 'Brunch' is a late morning meal combining breakfast and lunch. 'Supper' is a light evening meal. A 'snack' is food eaten between meals. 'Elevenses' (British) is a mid-morning snack, usually with tea or coffee.