dégustez

Dégustez is the imperative form of the French verb déguster, meaning to taste, sample, or savor. It is used to issue a direct instruction or invitation to taste something, typically in culinary, hospitality, or promotional contexts. The form dégustez is used for the second person plural (you all) or for formal address, while the singular informal imperative is déguste.

Usage and context: Dégustez appears on restaurant menus, wine lists, tasting notes, and promotional materials to invite customers to try a dish or beverage. It is common in wine tastings, culinary demonstrations, and guided tastings, where the instructor or host leads participants through a sensory evaluation. In everyday speech, other forms of déguster are used to describe the act of tasting, while déguster in the imperative shifts the focus to action by the listener.

Etymology and related terms: Déguster derives from the Latin degustare, through Old French deguster, with the root gust- related to taste. Related terms include dégustation (a tasting event or session) and dégustateur/dégustatrice (a taster). The verb is closely connected to other French words for tasting and savoring, such as goûter and goût, and to the broader concept of gustation in culinary and sensory discourse.

See also: dégustation; dégustateur; goùter; goût.