The Sense of

Taste
Taste and Textures
There are five types of tastes recognised by the human tongue.

What examples of food can you think of for each taste?

Sweet

Sour

Salty

Bitter

Umami
(savoury)

Texture is the way food feels when you touch it or eat it. There are six examples of adjectives to
describe texture below. What adjectives of texture can you think of? Add these in the table.

crunchy soft juicy moist creamy greasy

Idioms and phrases using taste or eat

Idiom/phrase Meaning
a taste of things to come something (such as a brief experience) that gives you some
knowledge about what something is like
eat humble pie to admit that you were wrong or accept that you have been
defeated
eating out someone’s to be completely controlled by someone
hand
have your cake and eat it to have or enjoy the good parts of something without having or
dealing with the bad parts
to taste blood to experience pleasure as a result of defeating an opponent or
achieving success.
dog eat dog used to describe a situation in which people compete with each
other for success in a cruel and selfish way
in poor taste rude or insulting: offensive
a taste of your own to treat someone badly in the same way they treated you
medicine (revenge)
eat your words to take back what you have said: to admit that you were wrong
about something
leave a bad taste in your a strong feeling of disgust after an experience
mouth
to be eaten alive to bite (someone or something) many times (relating to insects)
an acquired taste something or someone that is not easily or immediately liked or
appreciated

Using the phrases above, complete the following sentences using the correct verb tense:

1. It was a very nice hotel, but something about it _____________________________.

2. I don’t feel at all sorry that people are calling you names. You’re getting
_____________________________.

3. None of my friends like K pop but I understand that it is _________________________.

4. His criticism of the dead refugees was _____________________________.

 5. I hated living in New York City because even riding the subway to work in the morning
was _____________ to get a seat.

6. They seem to think they can ________________________ by having excellent schools

for their sons without paying high taxes.

7. When he realised his mistake, John was forced to __________________ and publicly
apologise to Sarah.

8. When I was on holiday in central Vietnam, I felt like I was _____________________ by

mosquitos.

Restaurant reviews

Would you go to a restaurant that had a bad review online? Why?

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Why might a restaurant have a bad review from a customer?

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There are two reviews about the same restaurant in Saigon but from two different customers.
Read each review and identify the different ways that each customer talks about their
experience at the restaurant.

Complete the table with your ideas.

Review 1: Best traditional Vietnamese food with good price!

We stumbled across this restaurant on our first day in Saigon and were glad we did! What a
wonderful introduction to quality Vietnamese cuisine in a pleasant, modern, and cozy
atmosphere. The menu included a lot of options with a good variety for vegans and vegetarians.
The portion sizes were good and suitable for sharing so I was able to try several dishes. The
braised pork and garlic fried rice came out first. The ingredients were fresh, and the flavours full
and rich. This was a good start to the meal! Then we shared a massive Vietnamese pancake,
which was crispy and golden on the outside but soft in the middle with a surprise of juicy
shrimp. The dipping sauce for the pancake was salty and sweet with a hint of spice. My friend
ordered the chicken stir fry with lemongrass and garlic and it was so good that we ordered
another. The sauce was creamy and it tasted like pure heaven on a plate. The fresh spring rolls
were made with crunchy lettuce and carrots, tender pieces of chicken and noodles. We finished
the meal with iced peach tea, which was refreshing and sweet. The only negative part of the
meal was not being able to eat more. I would highly recommend this place to anyone that
appreciates the taste of good, authentic food. So, what are you waiting for?

Review 2: Bad food, bad service!

We went to this place after reading the good reviews online but were extremely disappointed
by the quality of the food. We already knew the portions would be very small, so we were not
even surprised when the main dishes came in plates suitable for small children. None of the
dishes were outstanding or even good, especially the chicken stir fry in lemongrass and garlic. It
tasted like it had been made several days before. The colour of the chicken was dark brown and
it looked nothing like the pictures in the menu. The sauce was greasy like too much oil had been
used. My friend had the braised pork with garlic fried rice, which was even worse. The pork was
fatty with very little meat and the garlic in the fried rice was burnt, probably cooked for too
long, which left a bitter after taste. We also ordered the Vietnamese pancake based on the
recommendation from the waitress, which was a big mistake. The pancake was under-cooked
and the shrimp inside still has the shells on, which was disgusting! Why wouldn’t they just take
them off? This was easily our worst meal in Saigon and much lower quality than regular street
food. Why would anyone rate this horrible place five out of five stars in a review?
Restaurant review comparison

Review 1: Describing food Review 1: Customer feelings

Review 2: Describing food Review 2: Customer feelings

Writing practice

Using the notes above, compare the ways both texts try to inform and persuade the reader
about visiting the restaurant. You should write about:

 each writer’s choice of words to describe the food

 how they reveal their feelings about the restaurant
 how they try to persuade the reader to visit/not visit the restaurant

Compare and contrast language can be used, for example: whereas, however, on the other
hand, but, whereas, although.

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Answer key

1. It was a very nice hotel, but something about it left a bad taste in my mouth.

2. I don’t feel at all sorry that people are calling you names. You’re getting a taste of your
own medicine.

3. None of my friends like K pop but I understand that it is an acquired taste.

4. His criticism of the dead refugees was in poor taste.

5. I hated living in New York City because even riding the subway to work in the morning
was dog eat dog to get a seat.

6. They seem to think they can have their cake and eat it by having excellent schools for
their sons without paying high taxes.

7. When he realised his mistake, John was forced to eat humble pie and publicly apologise
to Sarah.

8. When I was on holiday in central Vietnam, I felt like I was being eaten alive by
mosquitos.