| Descriptors |
Description |
| Acetic |
Sharp and diffusive, vinegar
like. |
| After-taste |
Effect of flavour impression
after consuming |
| Alcohol |
Typical ethanol solvent
character or fusel note other than ethanol |
| Aldehyde |
Orange juice like, as in
Aldehyde C10. Also fatty as in chicken fat. |
| Aromatic |
Full of aroma with high
odour level |
| Artificial |
Does not taste like the
natural product it represents, chemical or solvent
notes detected |
| Astringent |
Harsh and bitter impression,
as in grape skin, tea |
| Balance |
Harmony amongst the individual
components |
| Beany |
Impression associated with
soya beans or green beans |
| Benzaldehyde |
Associated with Almonds,
cooked cherries, cough syrup, marzipan |
| Berry |
Berry family, such as strawberry,
raspberry etc |
| Bitter |
Unpleasant stinging effect,
eg caffeine |
| Burnt |
Reminiscent of burnt organic
material, may have charcoal notes or bitterness. |
| Buttery |
Smooth, fatty –waxy, |
| Canned / Metallic |
Note of metal or tin incorporated
into flavour |
| Caramelised |
Smooth and sweet character
of browned sugar, butter and cream cooked over high
heat. |
| Cheesy |
Rancid sour slightly acid
notes of cheese |
| Chemical |
Artificial character, often
harsh with the taste of industrial solvents |
| Confectionery |
Reminiscent of candy-floss,
estery |
| Cooked |
Refers to cooked or over
heated, eg slightly caramelised taste of cooked fruit
versus fresh fruit. |
| Cooling |
Sensation perceived by tastes,
eg menthol, xylitol |
| Creamy |
Dairy sweetness with rich
mouth feel |
| Earthy |
Reminiscent of fresh earth |
| Fatty |
Chicken fat, pork lard,
beef tallow and butter / cream |
| Floral |
Flower-like character, usually
light, sweet fragrant and pleasant. |
| Fruity |
Aroma or flavour of ripened
fruit |
| Green |
A term used to describe
unripe fruit or vegetables |
| Jammy |
A cooked fruit note which
is similar to the taste of fruit in jams and preserves. |
| Juicy |
Reminiscent of juices found
in fruits or in meat. |
| Medicinal |
Reminiscent of medial preparations
and pharmaceutical products. |
| Mothball |
Napthalene notes |
| Musty |
Stale note of damp cardboard
or paper |
| Natural |
A flavour which tastes like
the natural product it represents. No solvents or chemicals
detected. |
| Off-note |
Undesirable or uncharacteristic
to the origin. |
| Oxidised |
Off-note usually associated |
| Peely |
Refers to the peel of citrus
fruit |
| Pungent |
Strong penetrating aroma
of flavour |
| Rancid |
Reminiscent of rancid or
spoiled fat or oil |
| Ripe |
A term to describe fruit
that is ripe as opposed to green or unripe. |
| Roasted |
Brown cooked character in
nuts or meat. |
| Sharp |
Pungent aroma or biting
acid flavour |
| Skin |
A flavour associated with
the characteristics of the outer layers of fruits,
particularly stone fruit or nuts |
| Smoke |
Reminiscent of wood smoke,
particularly varieties such as hickory or birch. |
| Soapy |
Reminiscent of detergents
or soap |
| Stale |
A flavour that tastes old,
not fresh |
| Sweet |
General term referring to
sweetness as in candy, sugary, vanillin |
| Toasted |
Aromatic notes resulting
from heating carbohydrates |
| Top Note |
The initial flavour sensation
of food |
| Woody |
Reminiscent of wood, usually
with a drying characteristic |
| Yeasty |
Associated with fermented
bread character |
Describing a flavour can be difficult, even for trained
flavourists. To help select the correct flavour we have
summarized some key flavour descriptors used for flavour
description:
We
hold an extensive range of flavour samples in our flavour
library so please 