würzen

Würzen is a German verb meaning to season or flavor food by adding salt, spices, herbs, or sauces. It encompasses any intentional act to enhance the taste of a dish, from sprinkling salt to applying a marinade. Common phrases include etwas würzen, mit Salz würzen, mit Pfeffer würzen, and mit Kräutern würzen. The result of this action is described with the past participle gewürzt (for example, das Fleisch ist gut gewürzt).

In grammar and usage, the present tense forms are ich würze, du würzt, er würzt, wir würzen, ihr würzt, sie würzen. The simple past is ich würzte; the past participle is gewürzt, used with haben in the perfect tense (hat gewürzt). In cooking, many recipes also use abschmecken to indicate adjusting the seasoning to taste at the end.

Etymology and related terms: The verb derives from the noun Würze, meaning seasoning or flavoring, and has been part of the German culinary lexicon since the Middle Ages. Related adjectives include würzig (savory, spicy) and nouns such as Würzmischung (spice mix). In some contexts Würze can also denote a broth or flavoring liquid used to season soups and stews.

See also: Würze, Würzmischung.