If you have an aversion to the word 'moist' as a food descriptor (or just in general), you are far from alone. It comes with negative connotations that once learned are difficult to remove from one's mind. But have you considered the alternatives? Emily Heil has, and she says that we should all learn to love moist because the words that would replace it are even worse.

A recent heated discussion on Twitter got Heil thinking about the word. The discussion arose from Nigella Lawson's description of one of her cakes as "damp." People started arguing about the word in the comments (surprise), with people jumping in both sides of the debate on which 'moist' alternatives were better or worse.

Heil asked several prominent food writers for their opinions on the 'moist' debate. Charlotte Druckmann was among those saying moist is perfectly acceptable: "You wouldn't say 'clammy' or 'sweaty', and 'damp' scares me because I go to 'soggy', and 'soggy' is awful," she says. "When you think about what your alternative might be, 'moist' suddenly doesn't seem so bad."

Photo of Victoria sponge with cardamom, marmalade, and crème fraîche from At My Table by Nigella Lawson