to elevate a dish
1
5.0
- phrasal verb
- Adding fresh herbs really elevates a dish, making it taste more vibrant.
Examples
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A pinch of cinnamon can elevate a dish by adding warmth and depth of flavor.
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Using a drizzle of balsamic reduction can elevate any simple salad.
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But Michel and Sbastien, who share a quiet, intense practicality, approach their work without pretension, breaking down for us the balance of textures and flavors that elevates a dish to sublimity.
Blog text (5)
Synonyms
343
4.0
Make something better or more attractive
122
3.9
To move something to a higher place or level
120
4.1
To make a feeling, effect or situation stronger
90
3.9
To make something better by adding knowledge or nutrients
14
3.5
To add small pieces of food on top of a dish to make it look nicer
4
4.6
To put a liquid on food or make something more lively
3
2.3
To add plant seasonings to food to give it more flavor
2
8.6
To make something more refined or better in quality
1
2.8
To add spices or herbs to food to make it taste better
1
5.1
Make something more expensive and stylish to attract people with more money
1
3.4
To add small food items, like herbs or lemon peel, to a dish to make it look nicer
Antonyms
How Tasty
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to improve the flavor, quality, or appeal of food' is a metaphorical extension of 'elevate' (to raise) applied to 'dish' (food). The link is fairly transparent — raising something's status/quality — but it depends on recognizing the non-literal 'raise/improve' sense of 'elevate', so it may not be fully predictable to all B1 learners without prior exposure.
Etymology
Elevate a dish may come from the image of lifting a plate onto a small stand or adding a bright decoration so the food looks higher and more special. To elevate a dish is to make it taste or look better, so today it means 'to improve' food with a special ingredient or simple technique.