Explanation
Exercises

Food and Food Products (B2)

Adjectives, verbs and product types to help you describe food in a precise, natural way.

CEFR B2 Topic: Food & diet Focus: vocabulary in context

1. Adjectives for describing food

Use these adjectives to talk about taste, texture and freshness.

Word Meaning Example
edible safe to eat; not poisonous The mushrooms looked strange, but the guide said they were edible.
crunchy hard and making a noise when you bite it The salad was fresh and nicely crunchy.
ripe / overripe / rotten ripe ready to eat
overripe too soft, past its best
rotten spoiled, cannot be eaten 		The peaches will be ripe in a few days.
Those bananas are overripe – let’s make banana bread.
We had to throw the apples away; they were rotten.
raw not cooked Some people like eating raw vegetables in salads.
bland with little or no flavour The soup was a bit bland, so I added some salt and herbs.
expired / out-of-date past the “best before” or “use by” date Check the yoghurt – it might be out-of-date.
mouldy with blue/green mould because it is old The cheese had gone mouldy, so we threw it away.
stale no longer fresh; dry and hard The bread was stale, but still OK for making croutons.
savoury salty or spicy, not sweet I prefer savoury snacks like nuts and crisps.
bitter sharp, not sweet (often unpleasant) The coffee was too bitter without any sugar.
sour sharp, acidic taste The lemons were so sour that the children couldn’t eat them.

2. Verbs for cooking, storage and preparation

These verbs help you describe what happens to food and what you do with it in the kitchen.

Verb / phrase Meaning Example
go off become bad / unsafe to eat The milk has gone off – it smells terrible.
waste food throw away food that was still edible We try not to waste food, so we plan our meals.
preserve make food last longer (with salt, sugar, vinegar, etc.) They preserve vegetables in jars for the winter.
peel remove the outer skin Could you peel the potatoes for the soup?
ripen become ripe and ready to eat Leave the avocados out of the fridge so they can ripen.
blend mix food in a blender until smooth I blended some fruit and yoghurt to make a smoothie.
marinate leave food in a sauce so it absorbs flavour We marinated the chicken in lemon and garlic overnight.
season add salt, pepper or spices Don’t forget to season the soup before serving.
sauté fry quickly in a little hot oil or fat First, sauté the onions until they are soft.
thaw let frozen food warm up to room temperature We need to thaw the fish before cooking it.
chop cut into pieces He chopped the carrots and put them in the stew.
dice cut into small cubes Dice the tomatoes and add them to the salad.

3. Types of food products

These nouns describe how food is made, stored or grown.

Word / phrase Meaning Example
packaged foods foods sold in sealed packaging We try not to buy too many packaged foods.
processed foods foods changed a lot in factories (additives, extra sugar, etc.) Highly processed foods often contain a lot of salt.
wholefoods foods close to their natural form, with no additives The diet focuses on wholefoods like beans and whole grains.
dairy products foods made from milk Cheese and yoghurt are popular dairy products.
baked goods foods like bread, cakes and biscuits, cooked in an oven The bakery sells fresh baked goods every morning.
cold / deli meats preserved meats, usually eaten cold in slices We bought some deli meats for sandwiches.
canned goods food sold in metal tins We always keep some canned goods in the cupboard.
root vegetables vegetables that grow underground Carrots and potatoes are common root vegetables.
leafy greens edible green leaves of plants Spinach and other leafy greens are rich in vitamins.
nuts hard-shelled fruits like almonds or walnuts She eats nuts as a healthy snack.
seeds small parts of a plant from which new plants grow Chia seeds are often added to smoothies.
dried fruits fruits that have had most of their water removed He likes to add dried fruits to his breakfast cereal.

4. Quick usage notes

Ripe > overripe > rotten
We usually eat fruit when it is ripe. Overripe is still edible but not perfect, and rotten should be thrown away.
Wholefoods vs processed foods
At B2 level, you should be able to compare diets using terms like wholefoods, processed foods and dairy products to sound more precise.
Exercises:
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Food and Food Products

Choose the correct option to complete each sentence below.
1
I don’t really like sweet snacks; I prefer ones like olives, cheese and crackers.
Correct: Savoury = salty or spicy in flavour, not sweet.
2
This dark chocolate is very – there is almost no sugar in it.
Correct: Bitter = having a strong, sharp taste, like strong coffee or dark chocolate.
3
This yoghurt tastes really – like lemon juice or vinegar.
Correct: Sour = having an acid taste like lemon or vinegar.
4
The soup was hot but completely – it needed salt and spices to give it taste.
Correct: Bland = with very little flavour; not interesting to eat.
5
These fresh carrots are so – they make a loud sound when you bite them.
Correct: Crunchy = firm and making a loud noise when you bite it.
6
The cake looks strange, but don’t worry – it’s completely and safe to eat.
Correct: Edible = safe to eat; not poisonous or dangerous.
7
These peaches are soft, sweet and perfectly – we should eat them today.
Correct: Ripe = ready to eat; fully grown and developed in flavour.
8
The bananas are very soft and brown; they are now, but still OK to use in a cake.
Correct: Overripe = riper than ideal; too soft and very sweet, almost going bad.
9
Throw those tomatoes away – they smell bad and are completely now.
Correct: Rotten = badly decayed and not safe to eat.
10
This chicken is still in the middle – we need to cook it for longer.
Correct: Raw = not cooked at all.
11
The medicine’s use-by date was last month, so it is officially and you shouldn’t take it now.
Correct: Expired = past the date when it is safe or allowed to use a product.
12
This yoghurt is – the date on the lid was two weeks ago, so I’ll throw it away.
Correct: Out-of-date = past the date on the package and no longer suitable to use or eat.
13
Don’t eat that cheese – it’s covered in green spots and looks now.
Correct: Mouldy = covered with or containing mould (a soft, green or white growth) because it is old.
14
The bread is dry and hard – it’s not fresh anymore, it’s , so let’s make breadcrumbs with it.
Correct: Stale = no longer fresh and soft, especially bread or cake.

Food and Food Products

Match the sentences with the food adjectives
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Sentences

Words

Food and Food Products

Food and Food Products