Setting Up the Taste Test
To set up a blind taste test, you will need a blindfold (augabindi). Once you cannot see what you are eating, you just have to take a bite (biti) and chew (tyggja).
| I put the blindfold on you. | Ég set augabindið á þig. |
| You take the bite and chew. | Þú tekur bitann og tyggur. |
Something and Nothing
When guessing mystery ingredients, two essential pronouns are eitthvað (something) and ekkert (nothing). They are independent indefinite pronouns that act as placeholders when you do not know exactly what you are dealing with.
| Now you are wearing the blindfold and see nothing. | Núna ert þú með augabindið og sérð ekkert. |
| Are you tasting something? | Smakkar þú eitthvað? |
| I taste nothing yet. | Ég smakka ekkert ennþá. |
Describing "Something"
Grammatically, both eitthvað and ekkert are neuter pronouns. When you describe them with an adjective, that adjective must be in its neuter singular strong form to match.
For example, saltur (salty) becomes salt, bragðlaus (tasteless) becomes bragðlaust, and annar (other/else) becomes annað.
| We are tasting something sour. | Við smökkum eitthvað súrt. |
| Is this the jam or something salty? | Er þetta sultan eða eitthvað salt? |
| This is completely tasteless, I taste nothing. | Þetta er alveg bragðlaust, ég smakka ekkert. |
| I do not know whether it is garlic or something else. | Ég veit ekki hvort það er hvítlaukur eða eitthvað annað. |
How Does It Taste?
To talk about how a food itself tastes, use the verb bragðast. This is a middle voice verb, identifiable by its -st ending.
You can describe the flavor by pairing bragðast with adverbs like vel (well) or illa (badly), or you can use the phrase eins og (like) to compare it to a specific ingredient, such as vinegar (edik).
| How does this bite taste? | Hvernig bragðast þessi biti? |
| What tastes so bad? | Hvað bragðast svona illa? |
| This drink tastes like vinegar. | Þessi drykkur bragðast eins og edik. |