STYLISTIC FEATURES IN ONLINE FOOD DISCOURSE: AN ANALYSIS OF SENSORY ADJECTIVES AND PERSUASIVE LANGUAGE IN WRITTEN FOOD BLOGS

Abstract

This study examines the stylistic features that characterize this online food discourse, with particular attention to some of the ways in which sensory adjectives and persuasive language are used. Utilizing the Appraisal Framework (Martin & White, 2005) as its theoretical lens, this research performs a qualitative analysis and a quantitative analysis of a corpus of 15 food blog entries. The analysis aims to provide an answer to the following important questions: What types of sensory adjectives are most frequently used? How do bloggers use persuasive language to get people to read? And what are the stylistic differences between different authors? The results show a strong focus on adjectives related to taste and texture, with words such as "spicy," "creamy," "crunchy," and "crispy" dominating the sensory vocabulary. Persuasive strategies are mostly achieved through personal anecdotes, direct address, and hyperbole (as a means of building intimacy, authenticity). Furthermore, it is possible to see significant variation in the corpus in terms of style, ranging from highly descriptive, culturally-rich narrative to more direct, instruction-focused texts. This paper concludes that food bloggers are adept at manipulating the resources of the Appraisal system especially Attitude (Appreciation) and Engagement in order to create vivid, multi-sensory experiences and build a strong parasocial relationship with their audience, ultimately leading to participation in culinary activities. This research makes several contributions to the fields of discourse analysis, digital communication and food studies, including a systematic account of the rhetorical power of food blogging in linguistic terms.