Nuance Dictionary / Taste & Texture
매콤하다 mae-kom-ha-da
Pleasantly and addictively spicy, not overwhelmingly painful
What does 매콤하다 mean?
매콤하다 (mae-kom-ha-da) means: Pleasantly and addictively spicy, not overwhelmingly painful.
If a food is '맵다', it might make you cry. If it's '매콤하다', it has that perfect, sweet-and-spicy tingle that makes you keep eating even though your lips are burning (like classic Tteokbokki).
How it's actually used
- 이 떡볶이는 매콤해서 계속 손이 가는 맛이야.
i tteok-bok-ki-neun mae-kom-hae-seo gyesok son-i ga-neun mat-i-ya.
This tteokbokki is pleasantly spicy, so I keep reaching for more.
💡 Means appetizingly spicy without being painful. - 어제 먹은 오징어볶음이 매콤하니 딱 내 취향이었어.
eo-je meog-eun o-jing-eo-bok-kum-i mae-kom-ha-ni ttak nae chwi-hyang-i-eot-seo.
The stir-fried squid we had yesterday was nicely spiced and right up my alley.
💡 Often used to praise well-balanced spicy dishes. - 오늘 저녁은 매콤한 떡볶이 어때?
oneul jeonyeogeun mae-komhan tteokbokki eottae?
How about some pleasantly spicy tteokbokki for dinner tonight?
💡 The standard word for an appetizing, moderate spice level.
Related words in Taste & Texture
짭짤하다 jjap-jjal-ha-da달달하다 dal-dal-ha-da삼삼하다 sam-sam-ha-da밍밍하다 ming-ming-ha-da고소하다 go-so-ha-da