If you’ve ever chewed on a particularly tough and rubbery bit of food, you could describe it as cartilaginous because its texture is similar to the tough, flexible material that our noses and ears are made of.
Cartilaginous (pronounced kar-tuh-LAJ-uh-nus) relates primarily to cartilage, which is a biological material that is less rigid than bone but firmer than muscle, providing support where flexibility is necessary, such as in joints and certain body structures. In a culinary context, cartilaginous might refer to certain seafood or meats that are more challenging to chew because of their dense, rubbery texture, like shark meat or certain cuts of beef.