What does flavouring mean?
Flavouring is a substance added to food or drink to give it a particular taste or aroma, without necessarily being a main ingredient of the dish itself. Common examples include vanilla extract, lemon essence, and mint flavouring, which may be derived from natural sources or produced synthetically. The word functions primarily as a noun and appears constantly in cooking instructions, recipes, and food labelling, where terms like 'natural flavouring' and 'artificial flavouring' have specific regulatory meanings. It carries no particular connotation of formality and is equally at home in domestic conversation and industrial food production. The British spelling 'flavouring' contrasts with the American 'flavoring', reflecting the broader split between '-our' and '-or' endings inherited from French-influenced English spelling. Related forms include the verb 'flavour' and adjectives such as 'flavoured'. For anyone reading labels, baking, or simply curious about what makes food taste the way it does, 'flavouring' is an essential and practical word to know.
nounA substance added to food or drink to give it a particular taste or smell, especially one that is not a main ingredient. In American English the spelling is typically 'flavoring', while 'flavouring' is the standard British form.
- A substance added to food or drink to impart a particular taste or aroma (e.g. vanilla, almond, or lemon flavouring).
- The act or process of adding flavour to something (a less common sense, derived from the verb 'to flavour').
"The bakery uses natural vanilla flavouring rather than artificial additives."
"Add a few drops of orange flavouring to the icing for a burst of citrus."
"The soup was bland until she stirred in some herb flavouring."
The plural is standard when referring to multiple substances, e.g. in ingredient lists.
"This product contains colourings and flavourings."
That 'natural flavouring' on your ingredient list can be produced in a lab — as long as it started life in a natural source.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of flavouring
Flavouring derives from the noun 'flavour', which entered English from Middle French 'flaur' or directly from Old French, ultimately tracing back to Latin 'flator' ('blowing, breathing'), related to 'flare' ('to blow'). The word's sense evolved from smell or odour toward the modern emphasis on taste. Cognates include the older English form 'savour' from Latin 'sapor', reflecting parallel development of taste vocabulary from Latin roots.
Related word forms
How flavouring is actually used
The word is neutral in register and common in everyday cooking contexts and on food labels. British spelling uses 'flavouring'; American spelling uses 'flavoring'. It often appears with modifiers such as 'natural' or 'artificial', which carry regulatory meaning on packaging.
Easily confused with flavouring
'Flavour' refers to the taste itself, whereas 'flavouring' is the substance added to create that taste.