Ízel

Ízel is a Hungarian term that can denote a small tasting portion or sample of food, typically offered to diners to introduce flavors during a meal or at a tasting event. In culinary contexts, more common expressions are ízelítő falat or egy ízelítő falat, which translate roughly to a tasting bite. In everyday speech, ízel may appear as shorthand for a single taste sample, used informally or regionally rather than as a formal culinary category.

It is rooted in the Hungarian word íz, meaning taste or flavor. The exact historical development of ízel as a standalone noun is not widely documented in standard dictionaries, and usage tends to be informal or regional rather than standardized.

Outside culinary usage, ízel can also appear as a surname or a place name in Hungary, though such uses are rare and there is little encyclopedic coverage.

Related terms include íz (taste), ízletes (delicious), and ízelítő (tasting or sampling). The latter is the closest standard term for a curated selection of bites in a menu, while ízel by itself is more of a contextual or informal variant. As with many language-specific culinary expressions, regional differences may affect how commonly and in what contexts the term is heard.