Makuissa

Makuissa is a Finnish grammatical form that translates roughly to “in the flavors” or “in terms of flavor.” It is the inessive plural form of the noun maku, which means taste or flavor. The simple singular inessive is makussa, while the plural inessive is makuissa. As a linguistic item, makuissa is used to refer to the set of flavors present in a substance or to describe sensory impressions in culinary contexts.

In practical use, makuissa appears most often in culinary writing and tasting notes. It signals that a statement concerns taste rather than texture, appearance, or aroma. For example, a reviewer might write that a dish “makuissa on sitruksisia vivahteita” (the flavors include citrus notes) or that a dessert’s makuissa there are hints of vanilla and almond. The form can also convey a sense of overall flavor character in a product such as wine, coffee, or chocolate, emphasizing what is detectable on the palate.

Beyond food and drink, makuissa can be used more figuratively to discuss the flavor or character of non-culinary subjects, though this usage is less common and tends to be metaphorical. In any case, makuissa centers on sensory impressions related to taste.

See also: maku, inessive case, Finnish grammar.