How to say "tasting" in Japanese

• 試食ししょくCommon
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbCovers tasting in the sense of sampling food, as when trying a dish or product before buying. It suggests tasting food samples, typically at a store, event, or tasting counter.
  デパートの試食ししょくコーナーへ行いくと、いろいろな物ものがただで食たべられるよ。↗

  You can get all kinds of things to eat if you go to the free samples area in a department store.
• 試飲しいんCommon
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbCovers tasting in the sense of sampling a drink, such as trying a beverage before purchase. Use this one for drinks; for food samples, 試食 is the word you want instead.
  うちが援助えんじょしてる酒造しゅぞうさんがね、新あたらしい甘酒あまざけを造つくったから試飲しいんしてみてくださいって持もってきてくれたんだけど。↗

  A brewery we finance has made a new sweet sake and brought some to us asking us to try it.

Use 試食 when the thing being tasted is food, and 試飲 when it is a drink; the two divide 'tasting' simply by whether you are sampling something to eat or something to drink.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 試食ししょくsampling food
• 試飲しいんsampling a drink
• 味見あじみtasting
• 玩味がんみtasting
• 味利きあじききtasting
• テイスティングsampling food or drink
• 利きききtasting (alcohol, tea, etc.)
• 聞きききtasting (alcohol, tea, etc.)