2. Points to Consider in
Classifying
Choose only one item to classify
One staple food in your family/culture
One common holiday food with several different types or ways of
preparing
A typical meal in your family, with the parts you ate most days or
every day
Have a clear, specific principle of classification
The principle shows your PLAN for the essay
Be careful NOT to write a paragraph about one specific
dish. Each paragraph should be about a kind, or type, or
part of the item you are classifying.
Each body paragraph should include 2-3 clear examples
with plenty of sense details – taste, texture, smell, etc.—
and explanation about how it is eaten.
Do not describe the cooking process. This is not a process
essay. You should describe how and when it is usually
eaten.
Be sure to include enough background information so that
your reader learns something about the importance of this
food item or part in your family/culture.
3. Classifying Rice (staple food)
Principle : Grain Size/Type
Examples: Ways of eating, frequency of eating
red or black
long grain
rice
short grain glutinous
4. Classifying Tea (staple food)
Principle : Length/Degree of fermentation
Examples: Types of tea; tea characteristics
green other
Chinese
tea
wulong
yellow white
double
"red" (black) fermented
5. Classifying Holiday Cookies in My Family
Principle : Preparation method
Examples: Types of cookies
drop other
cookies cookies traditional
cookies
refrigerator cookie cutter
cookies cookies
6. Parts of a Dinner Meal in my Family
"filler" Dinner dessert
main dish vegetables
7. Bread in My Family
Principle : Meal/Situation where eaten
Examples: Types of bread, ways of eating
bread
lunch/
Sweet (like cake,
dinner eaten with
breakfast
coffee/tea)
8. Soup in My Culture
Principle : Length of cooking; ingredients
Examples: Types of soups
soup
"quick Specialty (looks like
cooking" "long soup but not
cooking" considered soup)
9. Plantains in My Culture
Principle :Ripeness of the fruit
Examples: Dishes
plantains
green
ripe
