BOX SET: 6 Minute English - 'Food & Drink 2' English mega-class! Thirty minutes of new vocabulary!

Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC

Learning English. I'm Neil.

And I'm Rob.

In this programme, we're talking about biscuits!

Biscuits - a subject close to my heart -

something important to me

and that interests me.

I know, Rob.

You are a biscuit connoisseur after all.

And in the UK, many of us

love to nibble these sweet treats.

And we have lots of names for them too.

Yes, we have the chocolate digestive,

the garibaldi, the custard cream and

the jammie dodger.

It's making my mouth water.

I can see.

But we're not going to be tucking into

any biscuits today.

Instead, we'll be looking at the

origins and the language of this humble snack.

And before we do that, Rob,

let's test your knowledge of biscuits

with a question.

The British aren't the only fans of biscuits.

So in which country are barazeks

traditionally eaten?

Is it in... a) Syria, b) Morocco, or

c) Spain?

Hmmm, well, I've not eaten one,

but I'll have a guess at Syria.

OK, I'll reveal the right answer later on.

But now, let's talk more about biscuits,

also sometimes known as cookies.

They come in all shapes, sizes

and varieties.

They can be sweet or savory -

but I prefer the sweet ones

that are crisp, crunchy and are good for

dunking in my tea.

'Dunking' means dipping into a liquid

for a short period of time.

But enough about your eating habits, Rob.

Let's find out how the biscuit got its name.

It's something the BBC Radio

4 programme Word of Mouth has

been exploring.

Dr Laura Wright, a historical linguist from

the University of Cambridge, explains its origins...

From Latin 'biscoctum' - twice cooked.

And it comes to us via Anglo-Norman French but it's

bread that's been cooked twice

to extract all the moisture so that it goes hard,

and it'll stay fit for consumption for a

long time, which is why you can take it to

sea and have a sea biscuit...

and from the 1500s at least

we spelt it like it sounds 'bisket'

but at some point, in the 1800s,

we started to prefer the French

spelling for reasons of poncy-ness!

So, the English word for biscuits has

its origins in Latin.

It describes cooking bread twice to make it hard.

This baking process meant a biscuit could

be kept for a long time, and as Dr Wright said,

it would stay fit for consumption -

another way of saying edible

or able to be eaten.

That's why they were taken on

long sea voyages - but they weren't like

the biscuits we eat now - they were plain,

simple and very hard baked.

Interestingly, the word biscuit used to be

spelt B-I-S-K-E-T but the French spelling

B-I-S-C-U-I-T was later adopted.

Biscuits are a handy go-to snack for

when I'm hungry or bored.

But how did biscuits become

such a popular foodstuff and how

did we come to depend on them so much?

It's something Anastasia Edwards author of

Biscuits and Cookies, A Global History,

talked about in the Word of Mouth programme.

Listen to the word she uses to mean

'food' in her explanation.

One key fact in the rise of the popularity of

the biscuit is meal times.

Before the Industrial Revolution, people

have a later breakfast and an

earlier supper.

By the end of the Industrial Revolution,

breakfast is much earlier,

the evening meal is much later, so you've

got this big gap of time

where people need sustenance, and so

lunch comes to greater prominence

and tea time comes to greater prominence,

and snacking - so there's this

great opportunity for real really biscuits -

something small, something ready,

something easily consumable, not

expensive, you know, a bit of a sugar rush.

Right, so it was the Industrial Revolution that

led to the rise - that's the increase -

in the popularity of biscuits.

Because the time between breakfast and dinner

in the evening increased, people got

hungry and they needed food

to give them energy - what Anastasia

called 'sustenance'.

So, this is when smaller meals,

such as lunch or tea,

became important or more well-known -

it had greater prominence.

And this included snacking on biscuits.

These were cheap and easily

consumable - easy and quick to eat.

And because of their ingredients,

they gave you a sugar rush -

a quick blast of energy.

Of course, now, we eat biscuits at

any time, and because of their sugar content,

we know to only eat them in

moderation, Rob!

I think a packet a day is fine -

but a whole box, well, that would really

take the biscuit!

Take the biscuit!

Good idiom there, Rob,

to mean 'be the most foolish,

annoying or surprising thing to do'.

But now let's find out the answer to

my quiz question.

Earlier, I asked which country are

barazeks traditionally eaten in?

And I thought Syria. Was I right?

Yes, you were. Well done.

You are a smart cookie!

Barazeks are biscuits filled with

roasted sesame seeds and

pistachio chips.

They sound delicious.

I would love to try some.

OK, well we've been discussing

the language of biscuits and

mentioned some of these words.

'Dunking' describes dipping something,

like a biscuit, into liquid

for a short period of time.

Describing something as being fit for

consumption means it's edible -

which is another one of our words

and it means 'it can be eaten'.

'Sustenance' is another word for food.

And something that has 'prominence'

is important or more well-known.

And when you get a 'sugar rush',

you get a quick blast of energy from,

unsurprisingly, eating something containing

lots of sugar.

OK, well, we only get six minutes for this

programme - that's the way the cookie crumbles -

so we're out of time.

Bye for now.

Goodbye

Hello. This is 6 Minute English

from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

And I'm Sam.

Do you like trying new food?

I do indeed -

I love eating foods from around the world

and I especially like trying out

restaurants that serve new kinds of food.

Me too, and I like food that is

a mix of different styles -

sometimes called fusion food.

But could I tempt you to some insect

tapas or a tarantula doughnut?

Maybe not -

the idea of eating food made from

bugs and creepy crawlies doesn't appeal.

Well, maybe I can convince you in this

programme because that's what we're discussing -

and teaching you some vocabulary along the way.

But first, I must serve you a question

to answer. It's about food -

but not made from bugs.

Do you know what type of food

is sometimes known as 'priest chokers'?

Is it: a) cheese?, b) pasta? or

c) potato?

I think I know this one, Neil.

It's pasta, isn't it?

Well, I'll give you the answer

at the end of the programme.

But, let's get back to food

made from bugs -

which is a growing trend in the Western world.

Insects are an alternative source of

food and experts say they're filled with

lots of good nutrients, including amino acids

and protein.

And eating them could help

to fight world hunger and

reduce pollution.

I'm not convinced yet,

but I do know that the word

for eating insects is 'entomophagy'

and it's something BBC World

Service programme, The Food Chain, discussed.

The programme spoke to experts who think

cooking with bugs is a great idea.

One of them was Andy Holcroft,

founding director of Grub Kitchen

and Bug Farm Foods.

He explained the challenge of getting some

people to eat bugs.

In the Western culture, we've got

a bit of an uphill - I'd say - struggle

because pre-conceptions around eating insects

are already sort of ingrained in society, so

we already think before we even tried

them, they're going to taste disgusting or gross.

So, to actually get someone to

put it in your mouth - the easiest

way we find straight away is

to try maybe, a cricket cookie

or a chocolate chip cricket cookie

where you have...

we're using cricket powder so you don't

actually see any insects whatsoever -

you're getting the idea that you're eating them

so people can deal with that

a bit more than actually seeing

the whole insects.

Interestingly, it seems to be Western

cultures that don't like eating insects -

perhaps because it's thought to be wrong or

just disgusting, even if it's not!

As Andy says, people have pre-conceived

ideas about it.

To change these ideas is an uphill

struggle or needs a lot of effort to achieve.

Yes, the negative attitude to eating

bugs is ingrained into society,

meaning this is a long-lasting attitude

that is difficult to change.

But Andy and other chefs are

trying to change that attitude

by subtly introducing insects into food,

such as his chocolate chip cricket cookies.

This is just for starters!

Other interesting and exotic dishes,

where you do see the bugs you're eating,

are now being served.

I'm still not convinced but maybe

chef Joseph Yoon can change my mind?

He is a chef and an 'edible insect ambassador'.

He's also trying to persuade

the squeamish - people easily upset

by something unpleasant -

to overcome their fears of crickets,

worms and spiders, and instead see

them as a tasty, alternative source of protein.

Here he is,speaking on the BBC's

Food Chain programme talking about

changing people's attitudes.

We approach our work with openness,

with understanding and inclusivity.

When people approach me and

they go like 'urghh' or they

react very viscerally,

I don't get confrontational, I go

like, I understand that you

can feel that way and what we need to do

is start changing these perceptions

from insects as being a pest, that

bites you or that carries disease,

to edible insects, something that's

sustainably farmed and harvested specifically,

for human consumption.

So, Joseph is passionate about edible

insects but is understanding of people who

don't like the idea and maybe

show this viscerally -

having an emotional reaction rather than

one based on fact or reason.

But Joseph wants to change these

negative emotions by explaining the

insects are farmed purely for humans

to eat, and they are farmed

sustainably - in a way that can last for

a long time and is good

for the environment.

I suppose we kill animals such

as cows and sheep to eat

so why not insects or spiders?

The debate about this continues

but there's no debate about the answer

to today's questions, Sam.

Earlier, I asked you if you

knew what type of food is

sometimes known as 'priest choker'?

And I was sure it was pasta.

It is pasta.

Strozzapreti, which means 'priest chokers'

in italian, is an elongated form

of cavatelli pasta.

Its name is thought to come from the

greedy priests who were so enthralled

by the pasta that they ate too

quickly and choked themselves.

No bugs were involved, though.

That's good to know because

we have been talking about entomophagy,

a word for the practice of eating insects.

Other vocabulary we mentioned included

fusion, which means a mix of different styles.

And the expression an uphill struggle

means needs a lot of effort to achieve.

Something that is ingrained is a

long-lasting attitude that is difficult to change.

Viscerally describes having an emotional

reaction rather than one based

on fact or reason.

And, doing something sustainably

is doing it in a way that can last for

a long time and is good for the environment.

Well, that's all for this 6 Minute English.

If you've enjoyed it, join us again soon

for more real-life stories

and topical vocabulary here at 6

Minute English.

Goodbye for now!

Bye!

Hello. This is 6 Minute

English from BBC Learning English.

I'm Rob.

And I'm Sam, and I 'm having

a boiled egg for lunch today.

I'll just uh sprinkle some

salt on top - there!

Oh, you've spilled some salt on the floor,

Sam!

Quick, throw some over your left shoulder.

Throw salt over my shoulder?!?

What are you talking about, Rob?

It's bad luck to spill salt!

Oh dear! It looks like Rob believes in superstitions -

old beliefs which are based on magic

and mystery rather than science.

Many superstitions are connected to

food as we'll discover

in this programme.

Right - like throwing salt over your shoulder

to stop bad luck.

Oh come on, Rob!

You don't really believe that, do you?

Well, lots of people do believe food

superstitions, including otherwise rational,

scientific people.

For example, have you ever blown out

the candles on a birthday cake and

made a wish?

Or thrown rice over the bride and

groom at a wedding?

Yes to both of those.

Maybe I'm more superstitious than I thought!

Well, before we find out, it's time

for a quiz question about another famous

food festival - Halloween.

That's when people carve scary faces

into pumpkins to frighten away evil

spirits.

Yes. Right.

The tradition of carving pumpkins

or Jack o'Lanterns as they're called

in the United States,

started out as a Celtic festival in Ireland -

but it was the Americans who

started using pumpkins.

So what vegetable did the

Irish originally use to scare away ghosts?

Was it: a) turnips?,

b) potatoes?, or c) squash?

I'll say b) potatoes.

OK, Sam, we'll find out the

right answer later on

What's for sure is that cultures

from around the world have been

connecting food and magic

for thousands of years,

and over time it's created some

strange beliefs.

Here's food historian Tasha Marks

describing one unusual superstition

to BBC World Service programme,

The Food Chain:

When you have superstitions and they

sort of mix with science and health

and medicine... and and one of the

examples of that would be something

like garlic which we all know garlic

wards off vampires

but it's also been thought to

ward off the 'evil eye',

and if you come across the term the

'evil eye' it's a sort of blanket

term that that sort of applies to

any bad luck.

Tasha says that garlic

is believed to ward off vampires,

meaning to repel or stop someone from

harming you.

According to this superstition,

garlic also keeps away the evil eye -

bad luck or magical spells

with the power to cause

bad things to happen.

Tasha describes the 'evil eye'

as a blanket term for any bad luck.

Just as a real blanket covers the different

parts of your body, a blanket term

is a phrase that's used to describe

many examples of related things.

But food superstitions aren't only

about bad luck - they also give our

lives meaning.

Jonty Rajagopalan owns a tourist agency

in Hyderabad, India, where she

introduces visitors to some of

the city's food traditions.

Here she's talking with BBC

World Service's The Food Chain,

about a tradition connected with the

Hindu New Year.

Can you spot the different

tastes she mentions?

Some of the traditions give you

a little bit of a lesson,

like on every new year,

and not 1st January, not

the Gregorian calendar New Year, but

the the Hindu calendar New Year,

we would always be given - a

it's a kind of a chutney

which is made of all the five tastes:

so you have sour, you have sweet,

you have something bitter in it

and your mum would always give it

to you saying that this is what

the rest of the year is going to be -

you'll have happiness, you'll have challenges,

you'll have a little sadness, you'll have

bitterness in your life,

which I think is a very nice tradition -

it prepares you for everything in life.

At Hindu New Year mothers give

their children a special chutney -

a mixture of fruit, spices, sugar and vinegar.

Did you spot the chutney's flavours, Sam?

There was sour, sweet and bitter.

Mothers tell their children

that the coming year, like the chutney,

will have its own flavours,

both good and bad.

That's why Jonty says that traditions

can teach (you) a lesson -

they show you what you should

or shouldn't do in the future,

as a result of experience.

What a lovely way to end our look at food

superstitions!

Yes, maybe we should make chutney

at Halloween, instead of carving pumpkins -

or whatever vegetable the Irish originally used.

Ah, yes - in my quiz question

I asked you what vegetable

was originally used instead of pumpkins

to scare away ghosts.

I guessed it was b) potatoes.

Which was... the wrong answer!

In fact, turnips were originally used,

so maybe Irish ghosts are smaller

than American ones!

OK, let's recap the vocabulary

we've learned about superstitions -

old beliefs which are connected with magic.

Garlic is supposed to ward off,

or keep away, dangers like the evil eye -

bad luck or harmful magic.

The evil eye is an example

of a blanket term -

a phrase used to describe

many examples of related things.

One Indian superstition involves chutney -

a food mixing many flavours.

These traditions can teach you

a lesson - show you how to

act in the future

based on your past experience.

Right. Well, that's all for this programme.

Good luck with your language learning!

And if you've enjoyed this topical

discussion and want to learn how to

use the vocabulary found in headlines,

why not try out our News Review podcast?

Bye for now!

Bye bye!

Hello. This is 6 Minute English from

BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.

And I’m Rob.

I see you've been tucking into the

biscuits again, Rob.

Well, I have, Neil.

You can't beat a bite on a biscuit

for a quick and easy sweet treat.

They make me feel good -

as long as I don't eat too many!

So, these are your 'edible comforters' -

a comforter is something that makes you feel

relaxed and feel good.

Put another way, it is your comfort

food, which is what we're talking about

in this programme.

Yes, like biscuits - comfort food is

snacks and meals we like to stuff our

faces with, even if it's not always good for us.

We'll be discussing what actually makes

us eat the stuff.

But how about a question to feast on, Rob?

Patrick Bertoletti from the USA

holds the Guinness World Record for

eating the most cream-filled biscuits

in one minute, but do you know

how many biscuits he ate?

Was it... a) 2, b) 7, or c) 15?

Well, based on my biscuit-eating skills,

I'd say 15 - it depends if he had to swallow

them as well.

I'm not sure about that - but

I'll reveal the answer later on.

Now, biscuits, ice cream, crisps, and pizzas

are all good examples of comfort food.

They're easy to snack on and they

don't require many culinary skills -

culinary means related to cooking.

Umm, well that makes sense,

but there must be something else

that is urging us to seek out this 'easy' food?

According to psychologist Shira Gabriel,

it's about memories and emotional experiences.

She spoke on The Food Chain podcast

on BBC World Service and said

her comfort food was macaroni and cheese -

something that brings back memories...

At some point in my life

those were foods that were made

for me or shared with me by people who

cared about me and loved me and

took care of me, so because

those are the foods that I had

in my youth, i've associated them with,

sort of, those feelings of being taken care of.

And those associations are strong, the

associations we have with food are very

strong, and so by eating those foods, I'm

able to activate those associations

and give myself a rush of positive

feelings and a sense of acceptance.

... so like so many of us, Shira

associates eating certain types of food

with past experiences from her youth.

Associates means makes a connection

in your mind with something.

And these connections between food

and memories are very strong.

I know eating biscuits reminds me of

eating them after school, as a treat.

Well, Shira explains how we get a rush -

a sudden and strong emotion - of

positive feelings when these memories are

activated by eating comfort food.

And it's not just memories

that are activated, but also the

emotions we feel as well.

If we felt happy the first time we ate

the food, then hopefully we'll feel

happy when we eat it again.

It's not always that simple, Rob.

Tucking into food that's high in

carbohydrates, sugar or salt can make

us feel guilty, but we don't realize

our minds are trying to trigger -

or start - a positive emotion

and it's making us eat that food

to do so.

The Food Chain podcast explores

this in more detail –

but what is interesting is that comfort

food isn't universal.

Some languages don't have

a comparable phrase.

It's a good point and something

food writer Jenny Linford

talked about.

Here's her theory on why that is...

Talking to Italian friends,

I've realized that, no, they don't

have a phrase for 'comfort food' -

I think it's sort of irrelevant...

My Italian friends I asked about

comfort food, they were just,

they said to me, look you know,

food is always comfort and always

pleasure and it's a joyful thing,

so it's just really interesting that

you know this idea of comfort food

is not universal, it's actually quite nuanced.

So, according to Jenny's Italian friends,

all food brings comfort and pleasure.

Talking about specific comforting

food is irrelevant - it's not important

or has no connection with the discussion.

Yes, she thinks the concept

of comfort food is quite nuanced,

depending on where you are from -

so there are small but important differences.

Well, maybe we should take comfort

from - or feel less bad about -

the fact that eating any kind of food

can bring us joy, warmth,

happiness and comfort.

So if you don't mind,

I think I'll munch on another biscuit.

Are you trying to beat the record

of Patrick Bertoletti from the USA?

Earlier I mentioned he holds the

Guinness World Record for eating

the most cream-filled biscuits in one

minute, but how many biscuits did he eat?

Was it... a) 2, b) 7, c) 15?

I thought he ate 15.

Was I right?

No, Rob. He scoffed only 7

in one minute.

So maybe you can beat him?

But before you do, let's recap

on some of the vocabulary

we've been discussing.

Of course. We've been talking about

comfort food - food that makes us feel good -

and we described it as a 'comforter' -

something that makes us feel relaxed

and feel good.

We also mentioned culinary -

connected to cooking.

And associated - which means

made a connection in our mind with something.

Something that is irrelevant is

not important or has no connection

with the discussion taking place.

And something that is nuanced

has small but important differences.

Finally, when you take comfort in

something, you don't feel so bad

because of something else.

Well, Neil, we're out of time

but let's take comfort in knowing that

there are lots more 6 Minute English

programmes to enjoy on our website

at bbclearningenglish.com.

We also have an app that you can

download for free from the app stores.

And of course, we are all over

social media.

Thanks for listening and goodbye.

Goodbye

Hello and welcome to 6

Minute English, I'm Neil.

And I'm Rob.

And in this programme we're discussing

food.

Food glorious food!

There's only one thing better

than talking about food

and that's eating it.

Well I know you are a bit of a

gastronome - someone who enjoys

and knows a lot about high-quality food

but today we're talking about

photographing food, not eating it.

That's a shame because I

am on a see-food diet -

if I see food, I have to eat it. Get it?!

Yes Rob, very very funny.

But in the social media-addicted

world, just seeing food - not eating it -

is big business as I will explain shortly.

But shall we feast on a

question first, Rob?

Yes, if it tastes good!

It does.

So, do you know the name for

the person who's usually second in

charge in a restaurant kitchen

after the head chef and

has lots of responsibility for running it?

Is it the... a) Pastry chef, b) Commis chef,

or c) Sous chef?

Hmm, I'm not a chef expert

but I'll say c) Sous chef -

it sounds important!

Well I'll give you the answer

later in the programme.

Now let me explain more

about food and photos.

These days, how well a dish -

that's a noun for food

prepared for eating - is

photographed can matter more

than how it actually tastes.

And I suppose social media

platforms are the best way for

sharing food photos on, aren't they?

And I have been guilty of taking

a picture of my food on my

smartphone - but only when eating some

amazing food at a posh restaurant.

Which isn't very often I suppose!

But by sharing images across

social media, people see them and

think the food looks delicious,

I must go to that restaurant and

eat it!

You could argue it's all about

style over substance, meaning

the look of something is better

than the actual content or product.

Maybe, Rob - although I'm sure

sometimes the food tastes

just as good as it looks.

Anyway, the BBC Radio

4 programme, You and Yours, has

been looking into this.

They spoke to several

influential instagramers and bloggers -

influential means having the power to

make people change what they think.

Here's one of them - Rebecca Milford,

who edits a website called Bar Chick.

What does she think

about this new trend?

I mean it sounds very cliche

that a picture speaks a thousand

words but it really does

and I've got friends now that

instead of doing what you used to

do and going on to the website

of a restaurant to see what they were

serving, then you'd go onto their

Instagram account and check out

the images, and choose what

you want to eat literally based

on what you're seeing.

So it has to be presentable,

I suppose.

Rebecca used a well-known and

well-used phrase there - one

that is used so much it has

become boring - what we call a cliche.

The phrase is a picture speaks a

thousand words.

Yes - and even if it is a cliche -

it's so true.

You describe a fantastic

meal in a long blog

but you can quickly see how

it looks from a picture

and then create an idea in your

mind of how it tastes.

So when you're promoting food,

a photo is everything.

And that's why some restaurants

pay PR companies lots of money

to take stylish photos that can be

shared on social media.

It's like a fashion photo shoot

for food.

Yes and Rebecca said

the food has to be presentable -

that's looking good enough

for people to see - because

people are making choices

on what they see.

I've also heard that some

chefs and restaurateurs

have adjusted their menus

to produce meals that look good on

a smartphone camera.

A restaurateur, by the way,

is the name of a person

who owns and manages

a restaurant.

Now, while there is a risk

that good-looking food on

social media accounts

such as Instagram, might not

match how it tastes,

there is a theory your brain

might trick you into thinking

it does taste good.

The You and Yours programme

also heard from Professor

Charles Spence, an Experimental

Psychologist from Oxford University,

about how this happens…

We see the food first,

or the drink in the glass,

and our brain's already imagining

what it's going to taste like.

And the more beautifully

it's presented, the more artistically,

that sets better expectations

and they kind of carry over and

anchor the tasting experience.

Right, so a great photo of

food can possibly make us

think it tastes better too.

We create an idea in our head of

how it will taste which influences our

expectations when we actually

eat the food.

And expectation means the feeling

that something good is going to

happen.

Right Rob, I'm sure you're

expecting the answer to

the question I set you earlier.

I asked if you knew the name

for the person who's usually

second in charge in a restaurant

kitchen after the Head chef

and has lots of responsibility

for running it?

Is it the... a) Pastry chef,

b) Commis chef, or c) Sous chef.

What did you say, Rob?

I said c) a Sous chef.

Am I right?

You are Rob!

Give that man a job,

here maybe in the BBC canteen!

Come on, Neil. I think I

can do better than that!

But before I do let's remind

ourselves of some of the vocabulary

we've discussed today.

Starting with gastronome -

that's someone who enjoys and

knows a lot about high-quality food -

someone like me!

Maybe Rob. We also discussed

the word influential, meaning having

the power to make people change

what they think.

We also mentioned cliche -

a well-known phrase that is so

overused it's become boring.

Like for example 'a picture speaks a

thousand words.'

You never use cliches

do you, Neil?

Absolutely never.

Let's move on to presentable -

that describes something that

looks good, is smart and is

good enough for people to see.

A bit like me in my smart new

jumper. Do you like it?

Very nice! Well a presenter has

to be presentable, Neil!

Our next word was expectation,

a word that describes the feeling

that something good is going to

happen.

I have an expectation that people

will love this programme!

Well, let's hope so!

Yes, and that brings us to the

end of this programme.

Don't forget to check out

our social media platforms.

See you soon, bye bye.

Goodbye!