Strange Food from Around the World

Reading I

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

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

c. The writer became disappointed while having fermented horse milk which was really bad.

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

e. Many people think 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 to experience new and unfamiliar dishes.

b. How is haggis prepared?

Haggis is prepared by grinding up the parts of a sheep that no one else wants (heart, liver, and lungs), mixing it with mutton fat, oatmeal, and spices, and then packing it in a sheep's stomach and boiling it 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 a good conversation.

d. Where can people enjoy the bush food?

People can enjoy the bush food, green ants, in Australia.

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

The writer finds it difficult to eat larger insects because anything that requires more than one bite is a challenge for him.

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 that is crab-based and mixed with noodles, topped with roasted tomatoes, crab meat, stewed pork, lime juice, chili, fresh herbs, banana flower, and bean sprouts. It also includes a large piece of congealed pig's blood.

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

If I had to choose one of the foods from the list above, I would choose shiokara. I'm intrigued by the strong, salty flavor, and I'm curious to see if I would actually like it. I think it would be an interesting and unique experience.

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

The strangest dish mentioned in the text is shiokara. It is a Japanese dish made from raw squid mixed with fermented squid belly. The strong, salty flavor and the texture of the squid belly are both very unusual, and I think it would be a challenge for most people to try.

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.

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 merry-go-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-go-round 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!

Writing I

A. We can prepare carrot pudding (gajar haluwa) 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.

Method:

Switch on the stove and melt ghee in a pan.
Add grated carrots and fry for about seven minutes until the carrot turns slightly golden brown.
When carrot turns slightly golden brown, add milk.
Cook for four more minutes.
Add sugar and cardamom powder after the milk dries up.
Cook this mixture till all the milk dries up.
Turn off the stove, gajar halwa 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 favorite Nepalese food is momo, a type of steamed dumpling filled with meat or vegetables. Momos are a popular street food in Nepal, and they can also be found in restaurants all over the country.

Here is a recipe for chicken momo:

Ingredients:

400 grams chicken
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
1 package wonton wrappers
Oil for greasing the steamer

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef or chicken, onion, bell pepper, ginger-garlic paste, garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, cayenne pepper, and salt. Mix well.
Place a wonton wrapper in the palm of your hand. Place a heaping teaspoon of the filling in the center of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper over to form a half-moon shape. Press the edges together to seal. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
Grease the steamer with oil. Place the momos in the steamer and steam for 10-15 minutes, or until cooked through. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.