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Views #705 | Intermediate 5

Food in England

Phil talks about the food he misses from back home in England.

Script
Vocab
Quiz


Phil	Todd

Todd: So, Phil, I thought we'd talk about food.
Phil: OK, yeah. Food is one of my favorite subjects.
Todd: OK, so let's start out with fruit. OK, what's your favorite fruit?
Phil: My favorite fruit is raspberry, which you can't get in Japan.
Todd: Oh, raspberry.
Phil: Oh, well, you can get it in Japan but it's really expensive.
Todd: I love raspberries. Actually, where I'm from in the states, we have loads of raspberries for free.
Phil: My grand used to have them in her garden so when I was kid, it was always someone picking the raspberries and like vanilla ice cream and raspberries together.
Todd: Oh, man, yeah. My grandmother, actually, she used to make raspberry cobbler.
Phil: Cobbler?
Todd: Yeah. Oh, you don't have cobbler. You probably have a different name for it in England. It's like a pie, but it's really sweet. You take the blackberries or raspberries, and it's the filling and a pie crust over it. It's a pie. They call it cobbler, so..... Actually, speaking of British food, what's a scone?
Phil: A scone is basically a really kind of dried cake, kind or really dried kind of cake material but it's got little bits of raisins in it.
Todd: Right, so when you got to Starbuck's and they have the little triangle things, is that a scone?
Phil: I don't know to be honest. I don't go to Starbuck's very often.
Todd: Right.
Phil: I don't recommend them, they're really, really, really dry. Generally you eat them with cream and tea, but I'm not a fan.
Todd: No. Really.

Phil: Have you ever ate it?
Todd: Speaking of British food, what's your favorite British food?
Phil: Fish n' Chips I suppose.
Todd: You got to be kidding. Fish n' Chips?
Phil: Fish... British food basically is just a cosmopolitan mix of foreign stuff combined with together, like the most popular food now, the national dish, is curry.
Todd: Right. How come it's not fish n' chips?
Phil: I don't know. Just because maybe people are going a bit more healthy or just because it's different, and curry's the most eaten food now.
Todd: Right. Actually, I lived in England for about a year and I loved shepard pie.
Phil: Shepard's pie or cottage pie is very similar, yeah.
Todd: Yeah, right.
Phil: I do like it but, I don't know. I just don't eat it that often.
Todd: No, really. OK, actually now that we're both living in Japan, are there are British foods that you crave?
Phil: Um, kind of, something called Branston pickle, which is basically, it's kind of sandwich spread. You have it with cheese, or with like meat, and you put it on, it's like diced vegetables, but really thinly chopped and it's got a special sauce. It's just really nice. I really miss it.
Todd: Wow. What's it called?
Phil: Branston pickle.
Todd: Branston pickle?
Phil: Yeah.
Todd: Is it like veggiemite?
Phil: Not really, no, no. It's kind of actually lumps of vegetables within in. We have something similar to veggiemite called marmite.
Todd: Ah, that's right.
Phil: But the taste is actually stronger.
Todd: OK, cool.

Learn Vocabulary from the Lesson

can't get

My favorite fruit is raspberry, which you can't get in Japan. If you 'can't get' something, it means that it is not available or you can't find buy it anywhere. Notice the following:

I can't get the copy of the book I need anywhere.
You can't get real jams anymore.

loads of

We have loads of raspberries for free. When you have 'loads of' something, it means that you have so much that you have more than you need or can handle. Notice the following:

I have loads of different shirts at home, you can borrow as many you need.
There is loads of food in the cupboards.

filling

You take the blackberries or raspberries, and it's the filling and a pie crust over it. The 'filling' is the food that is put in the center of a pie or other type of food. Notice the following:

I like to use fruit fillings when I make a pie.
There are lots of different sandwich fillings in the cafe.

cosmopolitan mix

British food basically is just a cosmopolitan mix of foreign stuff. When there is a 'cosmopolitan mix' of something, it means that there is a good variety. Notice the following: 1. I like to live in cities, as there is a cosmopolitan mix of shops and cafes.
2. I have a great cosmopolitan mix of friends.

diced vegetables

You have it with cheese or with meat, and you put it on, it's like diced vegetables, but really thinly chopped. 'Diced vegetables' refers to vegetables which are cut up into very small pieces. Notice the following: