picante

Salsa's spicier option

Picante means spicy or piquant, borrowed from Spanish.

It typically describes foods with heat from chili peppers: picante sauce, salsa picante.

The word appears frequently on menus and food labels, especially for Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine.

In Spanish contexts, picante can also describe something provocative or risqué, though this sense rarely carries into English usage.

spicy

chili

Capsicum pod or stew

jalapenoPungent Mexican pepper
habaneroExtremely pungent chili variety
serranoSmall hot Mexican pepper

cayenne · chipotle · capsaicin · pungent · peppery · fiery · hot · burning · kick · bite

flavor

tangy

Sharp and lively-tasting

zestyLively in flavor
savoryAppetizing, not sweet
pungentSharply strong-smelling

sharp · bold · robust · vibrant · seasoned · aromatic · smoky · garlicky · citrusy · zingy

cuisine

salsa

Spicy tomato condiment

enchiladaSauced stuffed tortilla
tacoFilled, folded flatbread
burritoFilled, wrapped tortilla

nachos · guacamole · quesadilla · fajita · adobo · mole · ceviche · chorizo · tamale · tostada

Categories

sentidos y sensacionesvista, gusto, vision, dolor, color
Andean cuisinequinoa, potatoes, pisco, guinea pig, coca tea
Spanish Wordsagua, adios, amigo, bueno, casa

Opposites

spiciness/heat level

picantemild

Moderate in intensity

bland · sweet · plain · cooling · suave

flavor intensity

picantebland

Lacking distinctive qualities

tasteless · flavorless · insipid · plain · weak

figurative excitement/zest

picantetame

Made gentle, manageable

boring · dull · bland · unexciting · mild

Phrases

picante sauceSpicy tomato-based condiment

Family

spicy, spice, spices, pique, spiced, piquant, spicing

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G