Which of the following words best means very pleasing to eat or taste?

Introduction / Context:
This vocabulary question asks you to choose the word that best matches the definition very pleasing to eat. Several adjectives describe food in English, but they emphasise slightly different aspects such as taste, appearance, smell, or luxury. To answer correctly, you need to know the core meaning and typical usage of each option and then select the one that matches the definition most accurately.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The stem gives the definition very pleasing to eat.
• Palatable usually means pleasant to taste or acceptable to eat.
• Tantalising means tempting or teasing, often by being attractive but just out of reach.
• Sumptuous describes food that is rich, lavish, or luxurious, not just tasty.
• Appetising refers to food that looks or smells attractive and stimulates the appetite.

Concept / Approach:
Palatable directly focuses on taste and acceptability as food. When something is palatable, it is agreeable and pleasant to eat. Tantalising might refer to food that looks temptingly good but is not yet available to eat. Sumptuous highlights richness and abundance but does not necessarily mean that the taste itself is pleasing. Appetising emphasises appearance or aroma that makes you want to eat. Given the exact phrase very pleasing to eat, palatable is the closest match to the idea of enjoyable taste while actually eating the food.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the core phrase pleasing to eat, which points to taste and actual eating experience, not just appearance.Step 2: Recall that palatable means pleasant to the taste or acceptable for eating, making it a strong candidate.Step 3: Consider tantalising, which means temptingly attractive but does not guarantee that the food, once eaten, is pleasing; it is more about temptation.Step 4: Consider sumptuous, which suggests rich and impressive food, often at a feast, but the emphasis is on luxury rather than purely on flavour.Step 5: Consider appetising, which is used when food looks or smells so good that it increases your appetite, again focusing more on appearance than on confirmed taste. Therefore, palatable is the best match for the definition in the question.

Verification / Alternative check:
We can test each word in example sentences. If you say The soup is very palatable, you clearly mean it tastes pleasantly. Saying The display of desserts was tantalising suggests that the desserts looked tempting, but you may not have eaten them. A sumptuous meal brings to mind a grand feast with many dishes, but some of them might still be heavy or not to everyone taste. An appetising smell makes you want to eat, but the actual taste could still disappoint. Only palatable unmistakably refers to an enjoyable eating experience.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Tantalising focuses on interest and temptation, not necessarily on genuine pleasure in eating. Sumptuous highlights rich or luxurious quality, which is more about quantity and presentation than flavour alone. Appetising refers chiefly to visual and olfactory appeal. While all three words may be associated with food, they do not exactly fit the definition very pleasing to eat as well as palatable does.

Common Pitfalls:
Many students choose appetising because they associate it quickly with appetite and food. However, appetising is often used before eating, to describe something that looks or smells good. Another trap is the glamorous sound of sumptuous, which may feel like a stronger word, but it is less precise in the context of simple taste. Always match the exact wording of the definition, here pleasing to eat, with the dictionary meanings of the options.

Final Answer:
The word that best means very pleasing to eat is Palatable, so option A is correct.