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Eating Cultures Outline
Content
Food plays a big role in everyone's culture. What role does food play in your
culture? Discuss the different eating norms for countries including Australia,
United States, England, Ireland, and Canada.
Learning Outcomes
• Learn new vocabulary related to food
• Discuss eating norms in different parts of the world
• Talk about food in you own culture
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Please note
Idioms are a combination of words that have a
figurative meaning, separate from the literal
meaning.
To spill the beans
To eat like a pig
A hot potato
A knuckle sandwich
Cry over spilt milk
To let out a secret
To not have table manners or
eat a lot.
A controversial topic or issue
A punch
To be upset about something
that already happened.
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Please note
Idioms are an important part of a language. It
is estimated that there are at least 25,000
idiomatic expressions in English. Learning the
proper use of some idioms will make your
vocabulary much richer and your speaking
seem much more natural.
Grammar
Example:
My brother is a real couch potato. He really
needs to get out more and move!
What does “couch potato” mean?
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Vocabulary
To bite more than you can chew
To bite your tongue
Cup of tea
In a nutshell
A piece of cake
Icing on the cake
Something fishy
Here are some more eating and food idioms
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Review
B2.1001S
Text
1. Feast Meals in certain countries are nothing short of a feast.
2. Cutlery There are countries where people do not use cutlery to eat.
3. To season You should season the steak with herbs to make it delicious.
4. To set My mom asked me to set the table for Thanksgiving dinner.
Text for conclusions / important knowledge
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Exercises
Reading
Read the following text about noodles
The culture of eating noodles in Asia is quite different compared to that
of the western countries. According to Western table manners, you
shouldn't make sounds while eating and the polite way to eat spaghetti
is to wind the spaghetti up on the fork and eat it in one bite. It is very
impolite to eat half of the noodles and let the other half fall back into
your plate. But the correct manner to eat noodles in Asia is the opposite
of the manner of Western culture. For example, when you eat noodles in
Japan, it is very impolite not to make sounds. Making slurping sounds
while eating noodles shows the cook that you are enjoying their food. If
you eat your noodles quietly, that means you do not enjoy the noodles
and you do not appreciate the work of the person.
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Exercises
Speaking
Discuss the following questions
What is the main difference between eating noodles
in Asia and in Western countries?
What is the appropriate way to eat spaghetti in
Western countries?
What does slurping noodles mean?
Is it appropriate or inappropriate in your culture to
make sounds while eating?
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Exercises
Speaking
Read the statement and answer the
question
In China, people have the custom to eat noodles on their
birthdays. The long and continuous noodles are symbolic of
longevity. So people who choose to eat noodles on their
birthdays show their desire to live longer and maintain a better
life.
Is there any food in your culture that has a special meaning
like noodles do? Does a dish signify longevity?
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Exercises
Speaking
A national dish is a culinary dish that’s
strongly associated with a particular country
What is the national dish in your country? If there is more
than one, which one is your favorite?
Why is it a staple food?
When is it served?
How is it prepared?
Does it have a special meaning?
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Exercises
Reading
Read the following text about Indian
Etiquette
Traditionally, meals in India were eaten while seated either on the floor
or on very low stools or cushions. Food is most often eaten with the right
hand rather than cutlery. The left hand is used to serve oneself when the
courses are not served by the host. Often roti –a type of bread- is used to
scoop curry without allowing it to touch the hand. Contact with other
cultures has affected Indian dining etiquette. For example, the Anglo-
Indian middle class commonly uses spoons and forks, as is traditional in
Western culture.
In South India, cleaned banana leaves, which can be disposed of after
meals, are used for serving food. When hot food is served on banana
leaves, the leaves add distinctive aromas and taste to the food. Leaf
plates are less common today. They are still used for special occasions.
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Exercises
Speaking
Discuss the following questions
Traditionally, how were meals served in India?
What utensils are used to eat?
What has happened due to contact with other
cultures? Give an example.
What are banana leaves used for in South India?
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Exercises
Speaking
Match the vocabulary to its definition
1) Cutlery
2) Starters
3) Condiments
4) Garnish
5) Topping
6) Staple food
a. Food that is eaten all over a region or country
b. Utensils used to eat
c. The very first course during a meal
d. Ingredients that decorate dishes
e. A substance that adds flavor to food (e.g.salt)
f. Ingredients put on top of another base ingredient
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Exercises
Bread is a significant part of German cuisine. About 600 main types of
breads and 1,200 different types of pastries and rolls are produced in
about 17,000 bakeries and another 10,000 in-shop bakeries.
Bread is served usually for breakfast (often replaced by bread rolls)
and in the evening as (open) sandwiches, but rarely as a side dish for
the main meal. The importance of bread in German cuisine is also
illustrated by words such as Abendbrot (meaning supper, literally
evening bread) and Brotzeit (snack, literally bread time). In fact, one of
the major complaints of the German expatriates in many parts of the
world is the lack of acceptable local breads. Whole grain is also
preferred for high fiber.
Reading
Read the following text about German bread
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Exercises
Speaking
Discuss the following questions
Why do you think bread is so important in German
cuisine?
What type of grain is preferred for German bread? Why?
What do some Germans expats complain about?
Is bread as important for your culture as it is for
Germans? Is there something in your culture that is as
important as bread is for Germans?
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Exercises
Speaking
True or False
Bread in Germany is usually side dish.
a) True
b) False
It is very disrespectful to make noises while you eat noodles in Asian
countries.
a) True
b) False
While cultures coming in contact in India have changed some things, eating
without cutlery has remained the same.
a) True
b) False
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Thank you
We would like to thank
the following sources for their content
Images Shutterstock – ID 103699256
Shutterstock – ID 103698122
Shutterstock – ID 58198096
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Shutterstock – ID 114095437
Shutterstock – ID 116211157
Shutterstock – ID 146513615
Shutterstock – ID 114448777
Shutterstock – ID 216241147
Text The culture of eating noodles in Asia,
Wikipedia Contributors,
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title
=The_culture_of_eating_noodles_in_Asia
&oldid=627266360
Retrieved at 7.12.2014, Creative
Commons license
Indian cuisine, Wikipedia Contributors,
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title
=Indian_cuisine&oldid=63686837
Retrieved at 7.12.2014, Creative
Commons license
National dish, Wikipedia Contributors,
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title
=National_dish&oldid=636086527
Retrieved at 7.12.2014, Creative
Commons license
German cuisine, Wikipedia Contributors,
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title
=German_cuisine&oldid=636873177
Retrieved at 7.12.2014, Creative
Commons license
