6. Food and Cuisine
Exercise
A. Match the words with their meanings.
a. ferment - ii. to go through a chemical change
b. squid- iii. a sea creature that has a long soft body, eight arms and two tentacles around its mouth
c. witchetty- i. a large whitish wood-eating larva of a beetle or moth
d. myrtle- vi. a bush with shiny leaves, pink or white flowers and blue-black berries
e. congeal- iv. to change from a fluid to a solid state
f. nutty - v. having a flavor like that of nuts
B.The idiom 'a bridge too far' in the text means 'something that is too extreme'. Match the following idioms with their meanings.
a. get out of hand- iv. to become difficult to control
b. miss the boat - v. to be too late to get what you want
c. break the ice- i. to say or do something to make people feel comfortable
d. cry over spilt milk- iii. to worry over past events which cannot be changed
e. look before you leap- ii. to think about the possible bad results of an action before doing it
C. Complete the sentences below with the correct information from the text in not more than four words.
a. Sometimes even having food can give us the feeling of winning when it is like taking a risk.
b. When we travel we have the chance to try strange dishes which we even do not think of eating.
c. The writer became disappointed while having fermented horse milk in Mongolia which was really bad.
d. The writer's impression of Japanese food is favourable (not mentioned in the text). Leaning Nepal
e. Many people think of jellyfish as scary ones which the Chinese turn into food.
f. Snails become very tasty when they are fried with plenty of garlic and butter.
D. Answer the following questions.
a. Why does food become a challenge for people when they travel?
Answer: Food becomes a challenge for people when they travel because they may encounter new types of food that they are not accustomed to or may have difficulty finding familiar foods.
b. How is haggis prepared?
Answer: Haggis is prepared by grinding up the less desirable parts of a sheep, such as the heart, liver, and lungs, and mixing it with mutton fat, oatmeal, and spices. The mixture is then packed into a sheep's stomach and boiled for several hours.
c. When do you feel that you like shiokara?
Answer:I feel that I like shiokara when the writer suggests that enjoying shiokara with good conversation can enhance the experience and make it more enjoyable.
d. Where can people enjoy the bush food?
Answer: People can enjoy the bush food in Australia.
e. Why does the writer find it difficult to eat larger insects?
Answer: The writer finds it difficult to eat larger insects because they require more than one bite to consume, which makes it challenging for him.
f. Name the country where snails are served as the main dish.
Answer: Snails are served as the main dish in France.
g. What kind of food is bun rieu?
Answer: Bun rieu is a crab-based traditional Vietnamese noodle soup.
h. If you have to choose one of the foods from the list above, which one do you choose? Why?
Answer: I choose bun rieu because it is a flavorful and savory soup that incorporates a variety of delicious ingredients, including noodles, crab, pork, and vegetables.
E. Which of the dishes mentioned in the text did you find the strangest of all? Give reasons.
Answer: I find "Shiokara" to be the strangest dish mentioned. This Japanese dish is made of raw squid mixed with fermented squid belly, which can be an acquired taste due to its strong, salty flavor and pungent aroma. It might not appeal to everyone's taste, particularly those who are not used to eating such flavours and textures.
Grammar I
A. Match the sentence halves in I and II to make a complete sentence.
a. I bought a raincoat and an umbrella- because the monsoon started.
b. I won't be able to get to school on time- as I'm stuck in traffic.
c. The Nepali cricket team is likely to perform well in this tournament- because they have got the best coach ever.
d. The construction company has deployed more workers at the site-so that they can complete the construction in time.
e. We've decided not to go on holiday this year-since the movie was a hit.
f. The metropolitan city has planted trees at the side of the road- to reduce traffic noise.
g. The flight had been delayed- because of the bad weather.
h. We've put a table and chair in the spare bedroom- so that Samip can get to study in private.
i. Nisha went to visit her sister- since she didn't have to go to her office yesterday.
j. We had to queue for two hours- in order to utilise the time for planting paddy.
B. Complete the text below choosing the correct connective from the brackets.
Answer: The people at the fair were leaving (because) the lights were going out. The last two people in dodgem cars also left (as) it was getting dark. The big wheel stopped (and) the merrygo-round had already stopped. The stalls closed down and the stall-owners went home. At 2 a.m. four nightwatchmen walked round the funfair (to) see if there was anyone to be seen. 'Tm fed up walking around," one of them said, "What can we do (so that) there is nothing we can do?" "We can sit and talk." They were bored (because) there was nothing to do on that quiet warm night. "We can have a ride on the merry-go-round!" one of them cried. "That'll be fun!" Three of them jumped on merry-goround horses, (so) the fourth started the motor. Then he jumped on too and round they went. They were having the time of their lives. Suddenly they realized there was no one to stop the machine (because) all of them were on it. They weren't rescued till morning, (so) they felt very sick indeed!
[because, as, and, to, so that, because, so, because, so]
Writing I
A. We can prepare carrot pudding (gajar halwa) using milk, carrot, sugar, cardamom powder and ghee. The steps for cooking carrot pudding are given below. But. they are not in order. Put them in the correct order.
Ans:
Step1: Switch on the stove and melt ghee in a pan.
Step2: Add grated carrots and fry for about seven minutes.
Step3: When carrot turns slightly golden brown, add milk.
Step4: Cook this mixture till all milk dries up.
Step5: Add sugar and cardamom powder after the milk dries up.
Step6: Cook for four more minutes.
Step7: Turn off the stove, gajar haluwa is ready to serve.
B. What is your favourite food? Write a recipe to prepare it. Mention the ingredients and the methods to cook it. My favourite food is MoMo.
Ans: My favourite food is Rice Pudding. Here is the recipe to prepare it Ingredients:
-100g pudding rice
-50g caster sugar
-1 litre whole milk
-1 vanilla pod, split lengthways
- 1 cinnamon stick
Methods
1. Preheat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2.
2. Wash the rice in cold water and drain.
3. Put the rice in a heavy-based saucepan with the sugar and milk.
4. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and add them to the pan with the pod.
5. Add the cinnamon stick and bring to a simmer.
6. Cook over a low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until thick and creamy.
7. Remove from the heat and discard the vanilla pod and cinnamon stick.
A. Complete the crossword puzzle with the help of the meanings given below.
ACROSS
3. a method of cooking meat or other food in a cylindrical clay oven- tandoori
7. a person having administrative or supervisory power in an organization- executive
DOWN
1. a long pin for holding meat or other food while it is being roasted- skewer
2. the whole of something- entirety
4. a feeling of pleasure and sometimes slight sadness at the same time as you
think about things in the past-nostalgia
5. raise to a more important or impressive level- elevate
6. remove water from (food) in order to preserve and store it- dehydrate.
B. Write True for true and False for false statements. If the information is not given in the text, write NG.
a. The interview was taken in Nepal. - False
b. The judges were quite impressed by Santosh Shah's performance in the quarter-finals. - NG
c. Santosh Shah was from a well-to-do family. - False
d. With the support of the chef in the tandoor section, Santosh started helping the Executive Chef. - False
e. The journey of Santosh to MasterChef was full of struggles. - NG
f. Santosh is hopeful about the Nepali food market as the food trends are dynamic. - True
g. Santosh has made more experiments on food as the tastes of people differ geographically. - False
h. Santosh feels sorry for serving octopus in Nepali style. - False
C. Answer these questions.
a. What do you think is the reason that heightened the popularity of Chef Shah?
Answer: Chef Santosh Shah's creative fusion of Nepali cuisine with global flavors and techniques and his impressive performance in MasterChef UK heightened his popularity.
b. Did Shah spend a normal childhood? Why?
Answer: No, Chef Shah did not have a normal childhood. He had to face financial struggles and work from a young age to support his family.
c. How does Shah feel about his performance in Cinnamon Kitchen?
Answer: Chef Shah feels satisfied and proud of his performance in Cinnamon Kitchen.
d. What does Shah want to show the world about Nepali food?
Answer: Chef Shah wants to show the diversity and richness of Nepali cuisine to the world and promote it as a cuisine of its own rather than just an extension of Tibetan and Indian cuisine.
e. Write two things that Chef Shah was careful about while carrying an experiment on sukuti.
Answer: Two things that Chef Shah was careful about while carrying an experiment on sukuti (dried meat) were dehydrating it to soften its texture, and preservation of the original testing Nepal
f. According to Shah, what two things make a person successful?
Answer: According to Shah, two things make a person successful are continuous learning and being a positive influence on others.
g. Why does Shah want the Michelin Star for Ayla?
Answer: Shah wants the Michelin Star for Ayla because it is the Oscar equivalent for Chefs which would further help to elevate the profile of Nepali cuisine globally.
h. What have you learnt from the life story of Santosh Shah?
Answer: From the life story of Santosh Shah, I have learned several lessons. Firstly, hard work, determination, and passion can help a person overcome difficult circumstances and achieve success in life. Secondly, it is essential to continue learning and experimenting to grow and improve in one's craft. Thirdly, staying true to one's roots and culture can be a source of inspiration and creativity. Lastly, giving back to society and being a positive force to others can be rewarding as personal success.
D. Chef Shah cooked many dishes in the competition. If you were one of the judges in the competition, which food would you ask him to cook? Why?
If I were one of the judges in the competition, I would ask Chef Shah to cook Momo, a Nepali dumpling that is very popular in Nepal and other countries. They are typically served with a spicy tomato-based chutney or a sesame-based sauce.
Momo is a perfect dish to showcase Chef Shah's skills and creativity as a chef. The dish has a perfect balance of flavours and textures, and it requires precise skills to create the thin outer layer and the juicy filling. Additionally, momo is a dish that is loved by many people around the world, and it has the potential to introduce Nepali cuisine to new audiences.
Grammar II
A. Choose the correct time expressions in the sentences below.
a. The boys are playing cricket (already/now).
Answer: The boys are playing cricket now.
b. The doctors are preparing a report for their most important patient (last/this) week.
Answer: The doctors are preparing a report for their most important patient this week.
c. The students are preparing for a test (at the moment/usually).
Answer: The students are preparing for a test at the moment.
d. (Currently / Sometimes) the economists are working on the country's financial crisis.
Answer: Currently the economists are working on the country's financial crisis.
e. Susan is playing tennis with Tim (now/then).
Answer: Susan is playing tennis with Tim now.
f. What are you doing (this/next) afternoon?
Answer: What are you doing this afternoon?
g. My teacher is helping us with a math problem (that/this) morning.
Answer: My teacher is helping us with Maths problems this morning.
h. The guard is ringing the bell (now / soon). It's time to go!
Answer: The guard is ringing the bell now. It's time to go!
i. She is (still/yet) mowing the lawn.
Answer: She is still mowing the lawn.
B. Write NOW if the sentence uses the present continuous for action at the moment. AROUND, if action is around the current moment. or FUTURE. if the action is scheduled for the future.
a. The local governments are announcing their policies this month. (AROUND)
b. I think Mr. Rai is taking class at the moment. (NOW)
c. We're meeting with Nabina later today. (FUTURE)
d. I'm looking for a new job currently. (NOW)
e. We're organizing a programme on Wednesday. (FUTURE)
f. They are coming home right now. (NOW)
g. Mom is making dinner for us tonight. (FUTURE)
h. I'm sorry I don't have time. I'm attending a meeting. (NOW)
i. She's looking for a new home as she's sold the old one. (NOW)
C. Complete the text below with the correct form of the verb given in the brackets.
Why is Neelam smiling? It sounds like an easy question: she (is having) a good time with friends and she (feels) good after a good shot. But psychologists often argue about this question. Some believe that smiling is an individual act: we smile because we feel happy unless we (try) to hide our emotions. Others claim that we smile to build social relationships. Some animals use a grin to show that they (will not) fight, for example. Perhaps our smile serves the same function. So, who's right? In one study, researchers filmed people bowling. If you watch people doing a very social activity like this, it looks as if they always (smile). They stop smiling only when they (concentrate) on their next shot. But when do they start smiling again? After each good shot, the researchers took photographs to identify when the smile starts while the player (is still looking) down the alley or a few seconds later when they turn round to share their happiness with the group.
Writing II
Nowadays, many Nepali prefer fast foods like noodles, pizza, burgers, etc. to typical Nepali foods. This has an adverse effect on their health. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this claim? Write a couple of paragraphs giving reasons to support your view.
Adverse Effects of Fast Food Consumption on Nepalese People It is true that fast food has become increasingly popular in Nepal, especially among the younger generation. While it may be convenient and tasty, the consumption of fast food on a regular basis can have adverse effects on one's health. Fast foods are typically high in calories, saturated fats, sodium, and sugar, which can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other health problems.
On the other hand, traditional Nepali foods such as rice, curry, lentil soup, bread, and beaten rice can provide a balanced and nutritious diet. These foods are usually made from fresh ingredients and contain a variety of nutrients that are essential for a healthy lifestyle. For instance, lentils, rice, and vegetables are good sources of proteins, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and fibre.
In conclusion, while fast food may be a convenient and enjoyable option, it is important to balance its consumption with traditional Nepali foods that provide essential nutrients. A healthy diet and lifestyle can prevent various health problems and improve overall well-being.
