Temperado vs. condimentado vs. apimentado vs. picante
While the Portuguese words condimentado, apimentado, temperado, and picante can all overlap with the English concepts of being seasoned or spicy, they describe very different levels of flavor and heat. Understanding their differences requires separating basic seasoning from complex aromatics, and the presence of pepper ingredients from the physical sensation of burning heat.
Temperado
A2The word temperado translates to seasoned. It is the most basic of the four terms and indicates that common flavor enhancers, such as salt, garlic, onion, olive oil, or herbs, have been added to the food. It does not imply that the food is hot or heavily spiced.
Este frango está bem temperado com alho e sal.
(This chicken is well seasoned with garlic and salt.)
Gosto do meu bife temperado apenas com sal grosso e tomilho.
(I like my steak seasoned only with coarse salt and thyme.)
A salada foi temperada com azeite e vinagre balsâmico.
(The salad was dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.)
O peixe precisa ficar temperado na geladeira por duas horas antes de ir ao forno.
(The fish needs to remain marinated in the fridge for two hours before going into the oven.)
Condimentado
B2The word condimentado means spiced. It describes food prepared with a prominent amount of complex spices or condiments, such as cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, or paprika. A condimentado dish is strongly flavored and highly aromatic, but it is not necessarily hot to the taste.
A culinária indiana costuma ser bastante condimentada e perfumada.
(Indian cuisine is usually heavily spiced and fragrant.)
Eles serviram um arroz condimentado com açafrão e cravo.
(They served a rice spiced with saffron and cloves.)
O molho da carne é muito condimentado para o meu paladar.
(The meat sauce is too heavily spiced for my taste.)
Prefiro pratos menos condimentados para não irritar o estômago durante a noite.
(I prefer less spiced dishes so as not to irritate my stomach during the night.)
Apimentado
B1The word apimentado directly translates to peppery or spicy. It explicitly points to the addition of pepper, whether that is black pepper, white pepper, or chili peppers. It tells you exactly what ingredient is providing the strong kick to the food.
O ensopado ficou muito apimentado porque errei na quantidade de pimenta-do-reino.
(The stew got very peppery because I miscalculated the amount of black pepper.)
Achei o molho de tomate um pouco apimentado para as crianças.
(I found the tomato sauce a bit too spicy for the kids.)
Ela pediu um prato levemente apimentado no restaurante mexicano.
(She ordered a mildly spicy dish at the Mexican restaurant.)
O novo salgadinho do mercado tem um sabor de queijo apimentado.
(The new snack at the market has a spicy cheese flavor.)
Picante
A2The word picante translates to hot or spicy in the sense of heat. It refers exclusively to the physical, burning sensation experienced in the mouth and throat. Unlike the other words, picante focuses purely on the fiery effect of the food rather than the ingredients used to achieve it.
Provei uma mostarda picante que me fez chorar imediatamente.
(I tasted a spicy mustard that made me cry immediately.)
Você gosta de comida picante ou prefere algo mais suave?
(Do you like hot food or do you prefer something milder?)
Este molho vermelho é o mais picante que temos na loja.
(This red sauce is the spiciest we have in the store.)
O prato tem um toque picante que aquece a garganta no inverno.
(The dish has a spicy touch that warms the throat in winter.)
Summary
To summarize, use temperado for basic, everyday seasoning like salt and herbs. Use condimentado when talking about deeply aromatic and complex spices that do not necessarily burn the tongue. When heat is a factor, apimentado points out that pepper is the specific ingredient causing the kick, whereas picante describes the actual fiery, burning sensation you feel when eating.