Grade 10 English Unit 6, Reading I Strange Food from Around the World Exercise

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Strange Food from Around the World

 

There's nothing like the feeling of challenging yourself and winning, of taking a risk and having it succeed. That goes with so many things, and one of them is food.

 

You have to challenge yourself with food when you travel. You have to take chances on things you wouldn't normally even think of eating. This is what it's all about, experiencing the way other people do things, trusting that they know what they are doing. The food stuff that seems so strange to you is actually so delicious to many others. It doesn't always work out. Sometimes the fermented horse milk in Mongolia that sounds so bad really is so bad. However, if you take a chance on the following dishes, you won't be disappointed.

 

Haggis, Scotland

 

Oddly enough, when you take all of the parts of a sheep that no one else wants - the heart, the liver and the lungs - grind it up. And, mix it with mutton fat, oatmeal and spices. Then pack it in a sheep's stomach and boil it for a few hours. It tastes.... really good. Scotland isn't exactly known for its cooking and eating skills, but give me "haggis, neeps and tats" (haggis with turnips and potatoes) any day of the week.

 

 

Shiokara, Japan

Most Japanese food is simple: it sounds delicious, and it is delicious. But how about raw squid mixed with salty, fermented squid belly? This is shiokara, a Japanese staple, and one I used to hate. However, I'm slowly coming around. Once you get used to it and you have it with good conversation, this food takes on a whole new beauty.

 

Jellyfish, China

 

This dish can appear challenging to those of us who only associate jellyfish with the scary nature of some species of them. There's also a rubbery texture to jellyfish that some find a little challenging. However, the Chinese know what they're doing with these things. They mix jellyfish into salads, pair it with chicken, stir it through sesame oil… it's all tasty, and it's all low-fat.

 

Green ants, Australia

 

You can keep your witchetty foods, as far as I'm concerned: too soft, too many guts. If I'm going for bush food, it's definitely green ants, little insects that are pulled from trees, lightly crushed between your hands, and then eaten. They're lemony, peppery, and delicious. Local producers are even putting them on top of goat's cheeses now, with lemon myrtle, for extra energy. Seriously good.

 

Crickets, Thailand

 

You hear, occasionally, that insects are the protein source of the future, and to that I say: no problem. In northern Thailand, deep-fried crickets are a staple, and they're delicious. They're nutty and crunchy, perfect with salt. I still struggle, however, with the larger insects. Anything that requires more than one bite is a bridge too far for this guy.

 

Snails, France

 

Snails aren't unusual - you'll find them on the menu at most French restaurants, even in Australia. However, some people are still ner- vous about eating garden snails, even though they needn't be. Fried up with plenty of garlic and butter, snail is yummy. Snails, in fact, are eaten in many countries, particularly Vietnam, where fried snails are a very tasty staple dish.

 

Bun rien, Vietnam

Everything about bun rieu, a traditional Vietnamese soup, sounds good; well, almost everything. It's a crab-based soup mixed with noodles. So far, so delicious. It's then topped with roasted tomatoes, crab meat, stewed pork, lime juice, chilli, fresh herbs, banana flower and bean sprouts. Also, extremely good. Then, however, you drop in a large piece of congealed pig's blood, which is a serious challenge for the unsuspecting diner. My advice: give it a try. You won't regret it.

- Ben Groundwater (Adapted from https://www.traveller.com.au/)

 

Glossary:

Fermented: Breaking down substances through microorganisms, creating unique flavors.

Disappointed: Feeling let down or unsatisfied.

Oddly: In a peculiar or unusual manner.

Oatmeal: Ground oats cooked to create a porridge-like cereal.

Neeps and tats: Mashed turnips and potatoes, a Scottish dish.

Squid: Marine mollusk with ten tentacles, used in various cuisines.

Sesame: Plant with small seeds used for oil and flavoring.

Witchetty: Larvae of certain moths eaten as bush food in Australia.

Guts: Internal organs, metaphorically denoting courage.

Myrtle: Aromatic shrub with culinary and fragrance uses.

Nutty: Flavor or aroma reminiscent of nuts.

Crunchy: Firm texture that produces a sound when bitten.

Yummy: Informal term for delicious or tasty.

Congealed: Liquid solidifying or thickening.

Unsuspecting: Not aware or prepared for something.

 

A. Match the words in 'Column A' with their meanings in 'Column B'.

Column A	Column B
a. ferment   b. squid c. witchetty   d. myrtle e. congeal f. nutty	i. a large whitish wood-eating larva of a beetle or moth ii. to go through a chemical change iii. a sea creature that has a long soft body, eight arms and two tentacles around its mouth iv. to change from a fluid to a solid state v. having a flavor like that of nuts vi. a bush with shiny leaves, pink or white flowers and blue-black berries

 Answer

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   b. miss the boat   c. break the ice   d. cry over spilt milk e. look before you leap

i. to say or do something to make people feel comfortable ii. to think about the possi- ble bad results of an action before doing it iii. to worry over past events which cannot be changed iv. to become difficult to control v. to be too late to get what you want

 

Answer:

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 a food can give us the feeling of ……………. when it is like taking a risk.

b. When we travel we have the chance to ………… which we even do not think of eating.

c. The writer became disappointed .......... which was really bad.

d. The writer's impression of the Japanese food is …………………..

e. Many people think ………………….. as scary ones which Chinese turn into food.

f. Snails become very tasty when they are fried with …………..

 

Answer:

a. Sometimes even having a 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 things which we even do not think of eating.

c. The writer became disappointed with the fermented horse milk which was really bad.

d. The writer's impression of the Japanese food is simple and delicious.

e. Many people think of jellyfish as scary ones which Chinese turn into food.

f. Snails become very tasty when they are fried with garlic and butter.

 

D. Answer the following questions.

a. Why does food become a challenge for people when they travel?

Food becomes a challenge for people when they travel because they are often exposed to unfamiliar cuisines, ingredients, and culinary traditions, requiring them to step out of their comfort zones and try new things.

 

b. How is haggis prepared?

Haggis is prepared by taking parts of a sheep that are typically not consumed, such as the heart, liver, and lungs. These parts are ground up and mixed with mutton fat, oatmeal, and spices. The mixture is then packed into a sheep's stomach and boiled for a few hours.

 

c. When do you feel that you like shiokara?

I feel that I like shiokara when I get used to it and have it with good conversation. The food adds a new beauty in that context.

 

d. Where can people enjoy the bush food?

People can enjoy bush food in Australia.

 

e. Why does the writer find it difficult to eat larger insects?

The writer finds it difficult to eat larger insects because they may not be as tasty as the smaller ones.

 

f. Name the country where snails are served as the main dish.

Snails are served as the main dish in France.

 

g. What kind of food is bun rieu?

Bun rieu is a traditional Vietnamese soup made with a crab-based broth mixed with noodles. It is typically topped with various ingredients such as roasted tomatoes, crab meat, stewed pork, lime juice, chili, fresh herbs, banana flower, and bean sprouts.

 

h. If you have to choose one of the foods from the list above, which one do you choose? Why?

If I have to choose one of the foods from the list above I would choose crickets because it tasts nutty and crunchy.

 

 

E. Which of the dishes mentioned in the text did you find the strangest of all? Give reasons.

The dish that may be perceived as the strangest for me is "Shiokara" from Japan. It is a traditional Japanese dish made from raw squid mixed with salty, fermented squid belly. The combination of raw squid and fermented ingredients might be unusual and challenging for those who are not accustomed to strong flavors or unfamiliar with this particular culinary tradition.