… nen 嫩
What is nen? Tenderness. Think baby pigeon, veal, pea sprouts and spring bamboo shoots. All are harvested very young to preserve their tenderness, not to mention market value. Whenever you exclaim “Hao nen a!” (“It’s so tender!”), your tongue should touch your upper teeth. Be careful not to bite your tongue – it’s also fairly nen.

… numbness 麻
Unlike sweetness, bitterness, sourness, saltiness, and umami (savory), numbness does not belong to the basic five taste categories. A numbing feeling in your mouth is usually caused by Sichuan pepper, which leaves a lingering tactile sensation. Should you accidentally chew a whole kernel of this peppercorn, you can feel (and almost picture) numerous tiny dots hopping around your tongue. The Sichuanese love to combine numbing pepper with chilli to tame fiery flavors and bring out an extra aromatic layer – sophistication in place of simple, abrupt spiciness.

… nuo 糯
Most commonly used to describe the glue-like texture of sticky short-grain Asian rice – nuomi (糯米). Some people even use nuomi to seal envelopes! Slow-stewed collagen-rich pork skin also has a nuo texture. That slightly adhesive, gelatinous mouthfeel is widely appreciated by the Chinese, who find pleasure in the chewing. In contrast, Westerners usually prefer pig skin to be crisp as crackers – there’s nothing nuo about the suckling pig at your friendly neighborhood Spanish restaurant.

Photo: Superfinefeline