Definition:

1 : agreeably stimulating to the palate; especially: spicy

2 : engagingly provocative; also : having a lively arch charm

Example:

"The emphasis is on comedy, but there's an undercurrent of piquant social commentary." — Marty Clear, Tampa Bay Times, October 13, 2012

About the Word:

These days, piquant is a positive description – whether it's applied to spicy food or provocative wit. It hasn't always been. Piquant once meant "disagreeably sharp; stinging; provocative; cutting." Its ancestor meant "to prick or sting."