Breaking down the roots of “degust” reveals a literal definition. The word stems from the Latin “degustare,” which is a combination of the prefix “de-” (“complete”) and the verb “gustare” (“to taste”). Degusting is not just eating, but rather savoring each bite completely. If you think you might want to make degusting a career, start practicing. In a “Food & Wine” magazine article about how to become a professional taste tester, one woman described a six-month palate-training process. “I was trained to identify and refer back to specific tastes, textures, and other aspects of the ingredients we use,” she recounted.