Fruit & Vegetable Vocabulary

• pulp

  Soft, wet, fleshy part inside a fruit or vegetable.

• rind

  Thick, hard outer peel of some fruits, like oranges.

• segment

  Natural curved parts that some fruits are divided into, like oranges, lemons, grapefruits.

• bulb

  Round part of some vegetables that have roots and grow underground, like onions, garlic and leeks.

• pip

  Synonym for “seed.” Found in fruits like apples, oranges and watermelons.

• stone

  Synonym for “pit.” Found in fruits like peaches, plums and cherries.

• zest

  Colourful, thin outer skin of a citrus fruit (like a lemon, lime or orange).

• pod

  Long, thin, protective outer shell that holds seeds inside it, like peas and beans.

• husk

  Dry protective outer layer covering some fruits and vegetables, like corn.

• bunch

  Group of the same fruits or vegetables that grow together or are sold in a single package.

Describing taste

• bitter

  Sharp, harsh taste that is not sweet. Like lemons and grapefruits.

• bland

  Having almost no taste or flavour.

• earthy

  Taste that reminds you of fresh earth or soil, like mushrooms.

• mild

  Gentle and smooth taste that isn’t spicy or strong.

• refreshing

  Cool and crisp taste that makes you feel energized and quenches your thirst.

• rich

  Very deep, strong flavour and a thick, heavy texture.

• savoury

  Salty, spicy, or full of rich flavour, rather than sweet.

• tasteless

  That has no flavour at all.

Describing texture

• bumpy

  Rough, uneven, and covered in of small raised spots or lumps. Opposite of “smooth.”

• crisp

  Fresh, firm and crunchy texture. Opposite of “mushy.”

• fibrous

  Full of tough, stringy, thread-like pieces (fibres).

• firm

  Solid, strong, and healthy fruit or vegetables.

• mushy

  Soft, wet and squishy texture. Opposite of “crisp.”

• smooth

  Flat, silky, and regular, with no bumps. Opposite of “bumpy.”

• soggy

  Soft and full of water.

• tender

  Soft, gentle, and very easy to chew or cut.

Describing look & features

• bruised

  That has a soft, dark, damaged spot on its skin.

• diced

  Cut into very small, neat blocks or cubes.

• overripe

  Past its perfect condition, the stage right before turning rotten.

• plump

  Beautifully round, healthy-looking and full.

• seedless

  Without any seeds in it.

• speckled

  Covered with lots of small dots or spots of a different colour

• wilted

  That has become floppy and drooping due to having lost water.

• canned

  That has been cooked or pickled, and sealed in a metal container.

• frozen

  That has been made very cold, hard, and solid like ice, so it can be kept in a freezer.

• organic

  Grown naturally on a farm, without any chemicals.

• seasonal

  That grows and is ready to pick during a specific period (season) of the year.

• raw

  Completely fresh, natural and uncooked.

• to harvest

  To pick, or collect ripe fruits and vegetables at the end of the growing season.

• to ripen

  To become ready to eat, to become ripe.

• to rot

  To decay, and decompose over time.

• to spoil

  To go bad and become unfit or unsafe to eat.

• to chop

  To cut into pieces with quick downward strokes.

• to slice

  To cut into thin, flat, pieces.

• to dice

  To cut into small blocks or cubes.

• to quarter

  To cut into 4 equal pieces.

• to grate

  To reduce into small shredded pieces using a grater.

• to mince

  To cut into the smallest possible pieces.

• to shred

  To cut or tear into small thin strips.

• to pit

  To remove the stone or pip from a fruit or vegetable.