Food & Drink

Natural word combinations for talking about food, cooking, and dining

Introduction

Food vocabulary goes far beyond knowing the names of dishes. Native speakers use specific word combinations that sound natural together — "strong coffee" not "powerful coffee", "rich flavour" not "heavy flavour". These collocations are essential for sounding fluent when discussing food and drink.

This chapter covers the most common food and drink collocations, from describing tastes and textures to ordering in restaurants and discussing cooking methods.

Themes

All Collocations in This Chapter (28)

• strong coffee Coffee with an intense, rich flavour
• stale bread Bread that is no longer fresh and has become hard or dry
• rich flavour A deep, full, and satisfying taste
• full English breakfast A traditional cooked breakfast with eggs, bacon, sausages, toast, beans, and ...
• fizzy drink A carbonated soft drink such as cola or lemonade
• sparkling water Water with added carbonation or natural bubbles
• heavy meal A large, filling meal that is hard to digest
• light snack A small, easy-to-digest amount of food eaten between meals
• fresh produce Fruits and vegetables that are recently harvested and not processed
• dry wine Wine that is not sweet, with little residual sugar
• sweet tooth A strong liking for sweet foods like chocolate, cake, and desserts
• bitter taste A sharp, unpleasant flavour like dark chocolate, coffee, or medicine
• bland food Food that lacks flavour or seasoning and is therefore uninteresting
• ripe fruit Fruit that is fully developed and ready to eat
• raw vegetables Vegetables that have not been cooked
• hot chocolate A warm drink made from chocolate or cocoa powder mixed with milk or water
• cold beer Beer served at a chilled temperature
• cream tea A light afternoon meal of scones served with clotted cream and jam, plus tea
• black pudding A dark sausage made from pork blood, fat, and oatmeal
• food poisoning Illness caused by eating contaminated or spoiled food
• junk food Unhealthy food that is high in calories, fat, sugar, or salt but low in nutri...
• fast food Food that is prepared and served very quickly, typically at chain restaurants
• square meal A substantial, satisfying, and nutritionally complete meal
• balanced diet A diet containing the right proportions of all the nutrients needed for good ...
• processed food Food that has been altered from its natural state through manufacturing methods
• seasonal vegetables Vegetables that are naturally available and at their best during a particular...
• hearty meal A large, warm, filling, and satisfying meal
• acquired taste Something you grow to like over time, often disliking it at first