Bracket Battle: Food Fight!
Vote for the word that makes your mouth water
The bracket is set and it’s time for the ultimate Dictionary.com Food Fight! This bracket season, words go head-to-head in a showdown of flavor. Our four divisions include That’s a Mouthful, Cooking with Flair, Love it or Leave It, and Describing Delicacies.
Which word makes your mouth water instantly and which makes your nose wrinkle and call for a timeout? Trust your cravings and vote for the word that wins your appetite. Let the chomping, crunching, and champion-crowning begin!
Need help making your picks? Check out the scouting reports below.
Download the bracket and tag @dictionarycom on Instagram when completed. Voting begins on Tuesday, March 10! 
SCOUTING REPORTS
Round of 32
That’s a Mouthful
| Worcestershire vs. Gnocchi
Worcestershire (say it with confidence) is a bold and sharp sauce that adds a depth of flavor to marinades, gravies, and even a Bloody Mary. Gnocchi, on the other hand, are soft, pillowy Italian dumplings made from potatoes. Are you voting for the tongue-twisting drizzle or the forkful of comfort? |
Bouillabaisse vs. Açaí
Bouillabaisse is a rich French seafood stew, brimming with fish, shellfish, and herbs. Açaí is a deep purple berry from South America, famously used in smoothie bowls piled high with fruit and granola. Are you going for seafood soup or superfruit sweetness? |
| Tzatziki vs. Shakshuka
This matchup brings the Mediterranean heat. Tzatziki is a cool, creamy yogurt sauce mixed with cucumber, garlic, and herbs that pairs well with grilled meats, pita bread, and raw vegetables. Shakshuka is a sizzling skillet of eggs poached in tomato sauce, perfect for crusty bread scooping. |
Crudités vs. Quinoa
A fancy French term for a platter of raw, sliced vegetables, crudités are perfect for dipping and snacking. Then we have high-fiber protein powerhouse quinoa, an Andean seed often mistaken for a grain, the ultimate utility player for salads and bowls. |
Love It or Leave It
| Haggis vs. Anchovy
Haggis, Scotland’s savory powerhouse of minced sheep offal, oatmeal, and spices boiled in a sheep’s stomach, takes on the salty underdog anchovy. Anchovies are tiny fish that’s often tinned or made into a paste and a fundamental ingredient in Caesar salad dressing. |
Tripe vs. Oyster
Tripe, the edible lining of a cow’s stomach known for its distinct honeycomb texture that is beloved in hearty stews around the word, goes head-to-head with oyster, a briny bivalve mollusk. Often slurped raw, oysters bring a chilled, slippery burst of mineral flavor. Both are salty and savory but which will win your stomach? |
| Cilantro vs. Sauerkraut
“The Herby Highlight” faces “The Fermented Finisher” in this match-up. Cilantro are the pungent leaves of the coriander plant, to flavor or garnish various dishes. Depending on your genetic traits, people find it either refreshing or soapy. Sauerkraut is finely shredded cabbage that’s been fermented by lactic acid, a sour probiotic powerhouse with a long shelf life. |
Licorice vs. Durian
Licorice is a root-derived confection known for its polarizing, bitter, medicinal anise flavor. It takes on durian, a spiky Southeast Asian fruit famous for its custardy texture and notoriously pungent aroma. Brace yourself for this daring duel! |
Cooking with Flair
| Sous Vide vs. Flambé
Here we have fire vs. water, in a battle of the elements. Sous vide is a slow and steady cooking method where food is vacuum-sealed and submerged in a low-temperature bath. Flambé is all drama, igniting alcohol in a pan to create a burst of flames and caramelized flavor. |
Emulsify vs. Confit
To emulsify is to whisk two liquids, like oil and vinegar, into a sauce (hello, may and vinaigrettes)! Confit is a slow method of cooking food in fat or syrup until it’s tender, such as duck legs that practically fall apart. |
| Roulade vs. Hibachi
A roulade is a sophisticated technique of rolling meat or pastry around a savory or sweet filling, think a flank steak packed with mushrooms or a sweet Swiss roll. It faces off hibachi, a Japanese grilling style where chefs chop, flip, and flame your meal right before your eyes. |
Tandoor vs. Chiffonade
A blazing-hot clay oven, a tandoor is used to char meats and blister flatbreads, such as naan. It matches up against chiffonade, the delicate technique of stacking, rolling, and slicing leafy herbs into long ribbon-like stripes. Are you voting for bold heat or elegant detail? |
Describing Delicacies
| Luscious vs. Delectable
Luscious just oozes indulgence, an adjective describing something richly sweet, juicy, and intensely pleasing to the senses. Ripe peaches and melty chocolate, the kind of bite that makes you close your eyes. Delectable is a little more refined, the polite but confident way to say “wow, that’s really good.” |
Sumptuous vs. Scrumptious
Sumptuous sweeps in with velvet curtains and candlelight, an adjective to describe a rich and decadent feast. Scrumptious can be used to describe food that is lick-your-fingers lip-smacking good. Both are fun to say but only one can advance. |
| Umami vs. Savory
Umami is one of the five basic tastes, a deep meaty, mushroomy flavor that takes broths and stir-fry to the next level. Savory describes food that is salty or spicy, rather than sweet. One sounds very chef-y while the other feels like home cooking. |
Ambrosial vs. Zesty
Ambrosial floats in on a cloud. It’s a word derived from “ambrosia,” the food of the gods that means exceptionally divine. Zesty is more earthbound, describing a piquant and citrusy flavor, waking up your palate with a lively kick. Are you voting for dreamy and decadent or something bright and bold? |
