# פיקנטי



## albondiga

Hi all,

I would like to know more about the use of the word *פיקנטי*  in Hebrew.

1) Would it be accurate to say that *פיקנטי* is "spicy" and *חריף* is "sharp"?  If not, how would you distinguish these?

2) Can anyone give me an example or two of foods that would (a) be considered פיקנטי, (b) be considered חריף, and (c) can be described by either/both?

3) The etymology seems obvious, but does anyone here know more about when/how this word entered the Hebrew language?


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## Gadyc

חריף  is hot.
פיקנטי - is spicy. 
It seems to come from French "piquant" adjusted to Hebrew adjective form.


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## morgoth2604

1) Hmm, I'm not 100% sure, but I would switch your definitions. I always think of חריף as spicy and פיקנטי as sharp. 
2) A pepper is considered spicy, (פילפל חריף). I know that lots of Israeli super-markets sell חציל פיקנטי which is "sharp egg-plant" if you will.

3) I'm not really sure.


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## Gadyc

I am not sure with the current usage of "sharp". When I got it in an electronic dictionary for חריף I tougth they mixed חריף for hot taste and חריף for clever. 

I am positive that חריף is hot. And פיקנטי is less "burning" on the tongue.
As it is an popular imported word, I think that there is not exact taste for פיקנטי. 
Any taste spicy and higher can be labelled as פיקנטי. On a already cooked meal, I would see it as the oposite of tasteless or unsavory.


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## .Lola.

I would probably describe פיקנטי as of interesting, unusual flavour. It often is hot but does not necessarilly have to be.


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## albondiga

Hmm, I don't really have it so much clearer now (a little bit, though), but thanks to everyone for their input!  It may be one of those things that I'll have to pick up from context.


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## cfu507

For your information, פיקנטי as well as חריף are not tastes. There are only four tastes: מתוק מר מלוח חמוץ. We have only four kinds of receptors on the tongue. חריףis not related to sense of taste, but to pain.
This point is not a language issue. That's what we teach in Psychology and Physiological-Psychology.



Most of us say חריף when it is burning on the tongue and פיקנטי when it is less burning on the tongue (as Gadyc suggested before).


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## albondiga

OK, I think it's starting to make a bit more sense... a jalapeño is חריף, a barbecue-flavored snack food is פיקנטי (correct me if I'm wrong...)


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## Gadyc

albondiga said:


> OK, I think it's starting to make a bit more sense... a jalapeño is חריף, a barbecue-flavored snack food is פיקנטי (correct me if I'm wrong...)


 
Right.

This link is don't add very much but it can give an idea of חריף
http://www.hadashos.com/action4u/article_details.asp?id=535


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## albondiga

Gadyc said:


> Right.
> 
> This link is don't add very much but it can give an idea of חריף
> http://www.hadashos.com/action4u/article_details.asp?id=535



Uh-oh... חריף?  The label says "Picante"!


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## cfu507

albondiga said:


> Uh-oh... חריף? The label says "Picante"!


 
It is very simple. Have you ever tasted a "schug temani"? What is hot for us is like a sugar for them


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