This is the 954th most frequent Korean word.
특징이다
"To be a characteristic" or "to be a feature."
특징이다 is used here to attribute the defining characteristic of strong flavors to Korean food.
한국 음식은 강한 맛이 특징이다.
Korean food is characterized by strong flavors.
특징이다 emphasizes that liveliness defines the actor's acting style.
그 배우의 연기는 생동감 넘친다는 게 특징이다.
The acting of that actor is characterized by its liveliness.
특징이다 is used to denote what the defining feature of the city ranks as.