Sep 11 2019 26
Piquant is an adjective that means having a pleasantly sharp or spicy taste.
Piquant is a direct loan from our French friends. The word piquer (PEE kay) means ‘stinging or prickling.’ When the word shifted into English, its meaning shifted along with it. Now piquant had come to mean ‘pleasantly stinging.’ For context, something like mustard might be described as piquant, but not, say cornbread.
I usually prefer foods with a sweet as opposed to a piquant taste. But I enjoyed the meal just the same.
