Crunchiness is the sensation of muffled grinding of a foodstuff. Crunchiness differs from crispness in that a crisp item is quickly atomized, while a crunchy one offers sustained, granular resistance to jaw action. While crispness is difficult to maintain, crunchiness is difficult to overcome.
Crunchy foods are associated with freshness, particularly in vegetables.[1][2] In bready foods, crunchiness can instead be associated with staleness. Other foods regularly associated with the sensation include nuts[3] and sweets.