Design and technology
Describe and compare food: sensory evaluation
Use sensory vocabulary to describe and compare three samples, then record ratings, rank preferences and complete an optional odd-one-out test. The sheet states that tasting is never required and must only happen after the teacher confirms safety and checks allergy information.
Use the radar axes to record a sensory rating. No ratings have been filled in; any tasting follows teacher approval.
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Use sensory vocabulary to describe and compare three samples, then record ratings, rank preferences and complete an optional odd-one-out test. The sheet states that tasting is never required and must only happen after the teacher confirms safety and checks allergy information.
Complete resource. Use the preview for diagrams and layout.
Page 1
NAME CLASS DATE LEARNING GOAL Use sensory words to describe and compare three foods or drinks, and keep your ratings fair. You never have to taste anything. Taste only if your teacher says the food is safe for you and you have checked the label for any allergy. Use a clean spoon each time. Sip water between samples. 1 Find your words Look, sniff, feel, taste Appearance Aroma Texture Taste Sensory words Appearance golden pale glossy shiny dull even uneven bright Aroma sweet fruity buttery savoury fresh smoky strong faint Taste sweet salty sour bitter savoury mild strong Texture crisp crunchy chewy soft smooth creamy crumbly sticky The five basic tastes are sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. Umami is a savoury taste. A dashed box is for a word of your own. 2 Rate the samples 1 to 5 KEY 1 Dislike a lot 2 Dislike 3 Okay 4 Like 5 Like a lot SAMPLE A Name: SAMPLE B Name: SAMPLE C Name: Appearance how it looks 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 Aroma how it smells 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 Texture how it feels 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 Taste how it tastes 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 Overall how much I like it 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 Food sensory evaluation · Ages 11 to 14 Page 1 of 2 FOOD AND NUTRITION AGES 11 TO 14 SENSORY TESTING Food sensory evaluation Describe three samples with the wheel, then rate them. SAFETY
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Food sensory evaluation · Ages 11 to 14 Page 2 of 2 FOOD AND NUTRITION AGES 11 TO 14 SENSORY TESTING Compare and decide Show your ratings, rank the samples and test your tongue. Pick one sample and write its letter here: ___. Mark each rating on its spoke, then join the points. 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 Appearance Aroma Texture Taste Overall STAR PROFILE Rank the samples from the one you like most to the one you like least. Give a reason. RANKING TEST Three cups are coded X, Y and Z. Two hold the same sample and one is different. Only if your teacher says it is safe for you, find the odd one out. The person who sets it up knows which is which. You, the tester, do not. X Odd one out Y Odd one out Z Odd one out ODD ONE OUT DESCRIBE IT: USE WORDS FROM THE WHEEL CONCLUSION 1st: Sample ___ because 2nd: Sample ___ because 3rd: Sample ___ because How I could tell: Sample ___ looked it smelled it felt and it tasted Which sample would I choose for ___, and why?
A teaching sequence
Use sensory terms to describe and compare samples and explain a preference using recorded evidence.
Choose sensory words
Use the word bank for appearance, aroma, texture and taste. Add a word only when it describes an observation accurately.
Which word describes an observation you actually made?
Use the radar axes to record a sensory rating. No ratings have been filled in; any tasting follows teacher approval.
Read the complete materialRate and plot one sample
Name samples A, B and C and rate each feature from 1 to 5; taste may be left blank. Plot one sample’s ratings and describe the profile.
What can your profile show when taste is left blank?
Explain personal preference
Rank the samples by personal preference and give a reason; do not present one as objectively best.
Which feature supports your preference without making it everyone's best choice?
Try an optional supervised test
Only if the teacher confirms safety, checks allergy labels and the pupil is comfortable, try the test with two matching cups and one different cup. Record an observation without pressure.
What can you describe without tasting?
Before you teach
Look for the thinking behind an answer, choose the support your class needs and leave room for an independent response.
What to look for
Look for sensory words connected to observations, complete ratings where the pupil chooses to respond and a reason for a preference. In the triangle test, check that the setup has two matching samples and one different sample and that the result is recorded without coaching the tester.
Give a little support
Offer a no-taste route using appearance, aroma or texture only, and let pupils pass without explanation. Use clean, labelled samples and follow the school’s allergy procedure. Read vocabulary aloud, use visual choices or allow a pupil to record observations in another way.
Take the idea further
Ask pupils to repeat a comparison with a new set of coded samples and consider whether their descriptions are consistent. They can distinguish sensory evidence from preference and suggest how sample size, order or expectation might influence a result.
Things to keep in mind
Sensory responses are personal and can vary. This activity is not an allergy test or a measure of health. Tasting is optional and requires teacher approval, label and allergy checks, clean serving equipment and the setting’s food-safety procedures.
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Ideas to try with your class
Sample teaching perspectives on what to try, what to adapt and what to watch for.
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Steady Marker
The two-page evaluation separates appearance, aroma, texture, taste and overall rating across three samples, with a word bank for sensory descriptions. It explicitly says pupils never have to taste anything.
Bright Margins
The task is comparison through recorded evidence: pupils choose words, rate samples and explain a preference. The safety note requires teacher approval, label checks for allergies and a clean spoon if tasting is permitted.
Kind Check-In
A pupil can describe appearance or aroma without tasting, and the dashed box invites a word of their own. Sip water between samples and use a clean spoon each time if the teacher has confirmed the food is safe.
Chalk & Chai
Preserve the no-taste option and all stated safety checks. A rating reflects one pupil’s response, not a universal product judgement; do not infer preference or safety from the score alone.