Cooking Actions & Flavors — B1 Essential Words

bitter /ˈbɪtər/ adjective B1 Food

Meaning: Having a sharp, unpleasant taste like dark coffee or cocoa without sugar; also feeling angry and hurt for a long time.

Example: The coffee tastes bitter without sugar.

Another example: Dark chocolate is slightly bitter.

Collocations: bitter taste · bitter coffee · bitter about (feelings)

Synonyms: sharp, harsh, unsweetened

Antonyms: sweet, mild

Word family: bitterness (n) · bitterly (adv)

⚠ Common mistake: Taste first: bitter coffee, bitter greens. Feelings borrow it: 'bitter about losing' — the taste of unfairness.

🗣 In spoken American English: Grapefruit eaters proudly defend its honor.

Register: Neutral — flavor essential.

salty /ˈsɔːlti/ adjective B1 Food

Meaning: Containing or tasting of salt; in modern slang, annoyed or bitter about something small.

Example: The soup is too salty.

Another example: Salty snacks make you thirsty.

Collocations: too salty · salty snacks · salty water

Synonyms: salted, briny (sea)

Antonyms: sweet, unsalted, bland

Word family: salt (n) · saltiness (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Slang: a 'salty' gamer is sore about losing. Kitchens fear it — you can add salt but never subtract.

🗣 In spoken American English: French fries made it the world's favorite complaint and compliment at once.

Register: Neutral — flavor essential.

flavor /ˈfleɪvər/ noun B1 Food

Meaning: The taste of food or drink; the particular quality that makes one food different from another.

Example: This ice cream has a strawberry flavor.

Another example: Add spices for more flavor.

Collocations: flavor of · full of flavor · new flavor

Synonyms: taste, seasoning, tang

Word family: flavors (n pl) · flavored (adj) · flavorful (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: American spelling: FLAVOR (no U). Companies launch 'limited flavors' as events now.

🗣 In spoken American English: Vanilla is the world's favorite — and slang for 'plain, ordinary'.

Register: Neutral — food essential.

bake /beɪk/ verb B1 Food

Meaning: To cook food in an oven with dry heat, especially bread, cakes, and pies.

Example: She bakes bread every Sunday.

Another example: We baked a chocolate cake.

Collocations: bake a cake · bake in the oven · freshly baked

Synonyms: roast (meats), cook

Word family: bakes (v) · baker (n) · bakery (n) · baking (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Bake = oven + flour things (bread, cakes); roast = oven + meats and vegetables. The person is a BAKER; the shop is the BAKERY.

🗣 In spoken American English: 'Half-baked' ideas are the undercooked kind — the metaphor travels everywhere.

Register: Neutral — cooking essential.

roast /rəʊst/ verb / noun B1 Food

Meaning: To cook meat or vegetables in an oven or over fire; the large cooked piece of meat itself. Also (informal) to tease someone with jokes in public.

Example: We roasted a turkey for Thanksgiving.

Another example: The roast rested before slicing.

Collocations: roast chicken · roast beef · a Sunday roast

Synonyms: bake, grill, toast

Word family: roasts (n pl) · roasted (adj) · roasting (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Comedy ROASTS honor celebrities by insulting them publicly — the oven became a stage.

🗣 In spoken American English: Coffee beans are roasted too — the smell is the advertisement.

Register: Neutral — cooking essential.

steam /stiːm/ noun / verb B1 Food

Meaning: The gas that water becomes when it boils; to cook food with this hot gas.

Example: Steam rose from the hot soup.

Another example: We steamed the vegetables for dinner.

Collocations: steam the vegetables · steam rises · steam engine

Synonyms: vapor, mist

Word family: steams (v) · steamed (adj) · steamy (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: Steaming is cooking's gentlest method — vegetables keep their color and pride. 'Let off steam' means release stress.

🗣 In spoken American English: Trains ran the world on it for a century.

Register: Neutral — cooking essential.

slice /slaɪs/ noun / verb B1 Food

Meaning: A thin flat piece cut from something larger, like bread, cake, or pizza; to cut into such pieces.

Example: Would you like a slice of pizza?

Another example: Slice the tomatoes thinly.

Collocations: a slice of · slice the bread · one more slice

Synonyms: piece, portion, cut

Word family: slices (n pl) · sliced (adj) · slicer (n)

⚠ Common mistake: 'A slice of life' means a realistic piece of everyday experience. Pre-sliced bread was the wonder invention other inventions compare themselves to.

🗣 In spoken American English: Pizza by the slice is New York's currency.

Register: Neutral — cooking essential.

stir /stɜːr/ verb B1 Food

Meaning: To move a spoon or stick around in a liquid or mixture to mix it; also to move slightly, or to cause an emotion.

Example: Stir the soup so it doesn't stick.

Another example: The speech stirred the crowd.

Collocations: stir the soup · stir well · stir feelings

Synonyms: mix, whip, blend

Word family: stirs (v) · stirring (adj) · stir (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Kitchen first, feelings second: news can 'stir debate'. 'Stir-crazy' is the prison of being indoors too long.

🗣 In spoken American English: Risotto demands it like a meditation: stir, stir, stir.

Register: Neutral — cooking essential.

chop /tʃɒp/ verb B1 Food

Meaning: To cut something into pieces with quick, sharp blows of a knife or axe.

Example: Chop the onions finely.

Another example: He chopped wood for the fire.

Collocations: chop the onions · chop wood · finely chopped

Synonyms: cut up, dice (small cubes), slice (thin pieces)

Word family: chops (v) · chopped (adj) · chopper (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Chop (rough pieces) vs dice (small cubes) vs mince (tiny bits) — recipe verbs come in sizes. Karate borrowed the hand motion's name.

🗣 In spoken American English: 'Chop-chop!' means hurry up — from Chinese pidgin via sailors, now grandma-speed English.

Register: Neutral — cooking essential.

pour /pɔːr/ verb B1 Food

Meaning: To make a liquid flow out of a container into another; rain heavily.

Example: Pour the milk into the glass.

Another example: She poured him some coffee.

Collocations: pour water · pour into · pour the tea

Synonyms: fill, serve (drinks), spill (accident)

Word family: pours (v) · pouring (adj — heavy rain)

⚠ Common mistake: 'It's pouring' = heavy rain. Bartenders 'pour' drinks; hearts 'pour out' feelings in confessions.

🗣 In spoken American English: The sound of pouring coffee opens half of America's podcasts.

Register: Neutral — cooking essential.