www { food }

Traditional food in Britain

Nigel Haward (Great Britain)

People in the UK usually have breakfast, lunch and dinner at home. All our meals are less formal than years ago. Most families try to have at least one meal a day together, but today members of a busy family may all eat at different times. Snacking is very popular, as is eating meals in front of the television.

Roast meat (pork, beef, lamb ) is usually served with boiled or roast potatoes, peas, Brussels sprouts , carrots, Yorkshire pudding and, of course, gravy. Gravy is made by taking the fat and juices from the cooked roast meat and mixing them with flour and vegetable stock and perhaps some gravy browning. This is mixed together into a liquid, brought slowly to the boil , seasoned and then poured over the meat. It is quite unlike any omáčka you will have tasted. Yorkshire puddings are also made with flour and fat and are like hollow crispy buns .

The English national meals, fish and chips and roast dinners, are also the traditional ones. The stereotype is fish and chips served as a take-away meal wrapped in newspaper. However, wrapping food in newspaper is now banned under EU hygiene regulations . Fish and chips is a balanced meal of carbohydrate (chips), protein (fish), and fats (in the batter around the fish and in vegetable oils). Sprinkled with lots of salt and vinegar , and red or brown sauce, it lacks dietary fibre and some vitamins so it is not recommended that you eat it every day.

A full English cooked breakfast is a hot dish of fried bacon, sausage, egg, tomatoes and sometimes mushrooms. It is usually served with a cup of tea or coffee. However, today people prefer a light breakfast consisting of cereals or porridge and toasts and marmalade.

drinks, chips and ‘turkey twizzlers’ was run by the celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and has gone from a television programme to government policy.

Obesity in children is, however, increasing and the nation is in denial about the problem. Where else can you go and hear a very overweight person order for themselves “A TRIPLE burger, LARGE fries, a DOUBLE chocolate ice cream… and a diet coke”?

In England, roast beef is one of the meals traditionally served at Sunday dinner.

Tikka masala is said to be the nation’s most eaten meal today. Chicken tikka masala, one of the most popular Indian dishes in the world, is covered with a tomato gravy with cream or coconut cream and various spices.

Read about various types of restaurants in the UK and about Irish cooking at: www.bridge-online.cz (section: přístup žáci, nezveřejněné články).

“Waiter, waiter, I’d like to pay…”

Fast food burgers and sugary drinks are causing havoc with the health of young people. A recent campaign to improve food in schools and ban the dreaded fizzy

On special occasions people may go out to dinner or supper to a restaurant or a pub. Depending on the type of restaurant, you can expect different levels of service .

Restaurants curiosities

Some smaller food outlets do not allow payment by credit card. Always check you have enough cash.

Increasingly, restaurants in Britain are non-smoking. From next summer, all food outlets will be non-smoking, including pubs.

In expensive restaurants, there can be a service charge included in the bill . Tipping added to the bill tends to be only in posher restaurants, but a tip is expected whenever you are served at the table. Sometimes there will be a bowl for any loose change next to the till . This will go to the waiter or waitress.

Wine in restaurants is very expensive. House wine is generally cheaper than from a named bottle. Some restaurants are following the Australian style and say B.Y.O. (bring your own).

Despite what you read in phrase books, we hardly use the term waiter or waitress when we need something. A hand gesture or catching their eye is sufficient . Shouting across the room ‘Waiter!’ would make you look like a right idiot.

If you ask for water, it will be straight from the tap unless you say mineral water. Tap water is safe to drink everywhere in the UK and you should not be charged for it.

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A take-away is when you order the food and then take it away to eat either in the car, the park or at home. Chinese and Indian take-aways are very popular. Take-aways do not have to be cheap, and some are very expensive.

Y Vocabulary

to snack [sn&k] - dát si něco malého, lehké jídlo banned under EU hygiene regulations [“haIdZi:n rEgjU”leIS(@)nz] - zakázány podle hygienických předpisů EU batter [“b&t@] - těstíčko to sprinkle with [“sprINk(@)l] - posypat, pokapat vinegar [“vInIg@] - ocet lacks dietary fibre [“faIb@] - postrádá zdravou vlákninu lamb [l&m] - skopové (maso) Brussels sprouts [“brVs(@)lz spraUts] - růžičková kapusta juice [dZu:s] - šťáva flour [“flaU@] - mouka vegetable stock - zeleninový vývar is… brought slowly to the boil [bOIl] - pomalu se to přivede k varu to season [“si:z(@)n] - okořenit hollow crispy buns [“hQl@U “krIspi bVnz] - duté křupavé bochánky cream [kri:m] - smetana are causing havoc with [“h&v@k]

• znamenají pohromu pro

dreaded fizzy [drEdId “fIzi] - obávané perlivé was run by the celebrity chef [sI”lEbrIti Sef] - byla vedena známým kuchařem is in denial about [dI”naI(@)l] - zavírá oči před overweight person [@Uv@“weIt] - člověk s nadváhou

house wine - rozlévané víno straight from the tap [t&p] - přímo z kohoutku levels of service [“lEv(@)lz “s@:vIs] - úroveň služeb outlet [aUtlIt] - provozovna

there can be a service charge included in the bill [tSA:dZ] - může být v ceně zahrnut poplatek za služby tipping, tip [“tIpIN] - spropitné posh [pQS] - nóbl, snobský loose change [lu:s] - drobné till [tIl] - pokladna is sufficient [s@“fIS(@)nt] - stačí poultry [“p@Ultri] - drůbež

Û Glossary

gravy browning - a liquid made of caramelised sugar which cooks add to gravy to darken the colour and make it look more appetising

coconut cream - a creamy white liquid obtained from compressing fresh coconut

turkey twizzlers - cheap and mass produced frozen shaped spirals of poultry meat with added fat, skin, and chemical flavourings that were given to children as a quick lunch usually with chips; they have become the most hated example of bad school food and have been removed from menus by the government

úBritish versus American English

take-away (BrE) - to-go (AmE) bill (BrE) - check (AmE)

American eating habits

Patrick Phillips (USA)

for many people American food means only one thing – Mcdonald’s. But American food is more than fast food. It is the ethnic food that was brought to the US by immigrants, such as Italians, Mexicans, and Greeks. And since almost everyone in the US is from somewhere else, there is a lot of food to choose from!

Breakfast and lunch are usually eaten on the run . People have yogurt or a pastry in the morning and then fast food at lunch. The evening is when Americans have more time to spend on eating, and that is when the biggest meal of the day is usually eaten. At home, the evening meal typically has some kind of meat, a vegetable, and bread. But Americans work long hours, so often they are too tired to cook, and bring home Chinese food or have a pizza delivered instead.

And yes, there are hamburgers. But a proper hamburger is not what you find at McDonald’s. The meat on a real hamburger must be at least 2.5 cm thick, and be served on a thick, soft homemade bun . From there you can have what you want on it, such as cheese, onions, and ketchup. And if you don’t want French fries, you can have onion rings - slices of onion battered and fried to a golden brown.

Americans love to eat out. Restaurants have friendly waiters and serve large portions at affordable prices. Italian food is very popular. Pizza is served with a choice of three different crusts - thin, medium, or thick, and for toppings you can get anything you want, including double cheese or even tuna fish .

So next time you think of American food, don’t just think of McDonald’s, think of the world. American food comes from almost every country on Earth, and it tastes great!

Y Vocabulary

Mexican food is also common. When you first sit down in the restaurant, the waiter brings you a bowl of tortilla [tor-tee-ya] chips and salsa, free of charge. A typical Mexican meal is burrito, a big tortilla stuffed with cheese and your choice of meat filling . You also get Mexican rice and beans with it. Yummy!

on the run - v poklusu (rychle) pastry [“peIstri] - sladké pečivo affordable [@“fO:d@b(@)l] - dostupný, příznivý crust [krVst] - kůrka (zde: těsto na pizzu) topping [“tQpIN] - náplň (to, co se dává na pizzu) tuna fish [“tju:n@ fiS] - tuňák to stuff [stVf] - naplnit (nádivkou) filling [“fIlIN] - náplň bean [bi:n] - fazole bun [bVn] - bochánek, žemle from there - k tomu navíc battered - obalené v těstíčku foundation [faUn”deIS(@)n] - základ to dip - namočit

Û Glossary

tortilla - round flat Mexican bread that comes in two types, flour (made with white flour) and corn (made with corn flour); tortillas are the foundation of almost every Mexican dish

tortilla chips - tortillas that have been cut into triangles and deep fried; they are usually dipped in some kind of salsa

salsa - a spicy Mexican sauce made from tomatoes, chillies, onions and spices; it is on the table in every Mexican restaurant and is used to add extra spice to already prepared meals

Burrito, the name of a tasty Mexican meal, literally means “little donkey” in Spanish.

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Jeff Gulley, Canadian Gerald Taylor (Canada) specialties

Maple syrup has a wide variety of uses: it can be eaten with pancakes or waffles, poured over ice-cream, used as an ingredient in baking, and also added as a sweetener to tea or coffee.

Canada, unlike most nations, doesn’t really have a traditional cuisine. As a nation of mostly immigrants from all over the world, Canada has adopted the cuisines of its immigrant population. Thai, Greek, Italian, french, Indian, and many other ethnic restaurants are all common sights. Even all of the smaller towns tend to have at least one Chinese restaurant, and one English fish‑ and‑chips‑style pub.

As far as eating habits are concerned, Canadians have adopted a very American-like diet . Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are the “three square meals a day” that we live by. Dinner (usually a meat dish with vegetables and potatoes) is the biggest and most important meal of the day, and it is not unusual for people to skip either breakfast or lunch.

Despite all this, there are definitely some aspects of dining in Canada that are truly and uniquely Canadian. Poutine is a French-Canadian snack consisting of French fries smothered with cheese and hot gravy. Apparently, Canadians are the only people who put gravy on their fries and in restaurants

Poutine, the dish that originated in rural Québec in Canada in the late 1950s, is now popular all over the country. There are many variations of poutine. A common variation, Italian poutine, is eaten with spaghetti sauce instead of gravy while another popular variation includes sausage slices.

One name that all Canadians know and love (and visit regularly!) is Tim Hortons, the national coffee, doughnut, and sandwich chain . I miss you, Tim Hortons!

it clearly distinguishes Canadians from Americans.

As the name suggests, French Canadian Pea Soup is from Quebec. It is basically a thick yellow pea soup with bits of pork in it. Newfoundland Pea Soup is very similar, but usually includes more vegetables, such as diced turnips and carrots, and is often topped with small dumplings . In some variations, a little garlic , leeks , other vegetables or a ham bone are added for flavour. Many Canadians like to treat themselves to a smoked salmon steak , fished from the coastal waters of British Columbia.

Y Vocabulary

are all common sight [“kQm@n] - jsou běžně k vidění diet [“daI@t] - jídelníček square [skwE:] - pořádný to skip [skIp] - vynechat snack [sn&k] - něco malého k zakousnutí smothered with [“smVD@d] - zalité, ponořené do to distinguish [dI”stINgwIS] - odlišit thick [Tik] - hustý pea soup [pi: su:p] - hrachová polévka pork - vepřové diced [daIst] - nakrájený na kostičky turnip [“t@:nIp] - tuřín small dumpling [“dVmplIN] - knedlíček garlic [“gA:lIk] - česnek leek [li:k] - pórek ham bone [h&m b@Un] - šunka od kosti to treat oneself to (sth.) - dopřát si (něco) smoked salmon steak [sm@Ukt “s&m@n steIk] - filé z uzeného lososa pancake [“p&nkeIk] - palačinka dual layer [“dju:@ “leI@] - dvojvrstvý almond [“A:m@nd] - mandle chain [tSeIn] - řetězec (obchodů)

Maple syrup is also a truly Canadian dietary tradition; it is a sugary sauce made from the sap of maple trees, and usually eaten with flapjacks ( pancakes ) or ice cream. From Nanaimo, British Columbia, we have one of the sweetest candies in existence. Nanaimo Bar is a dual layer , chocolate-based candy with coconut, almond and graham.

Eating in Australia and New Zealand

Michael Gibbs (Australia)

Like people everywhere, Australians and New Zealanders love food. We have the same eating habits; breakfast is normally cereal, fruit or toast, lunch is something small such as a sandwich, and tea or dinner is the biggest meal of the day. People still like to eat the traditional meals such as roast beef or chocolate pudding, but now there are more choices.

Australia has a lot of cattle and sheep, so beef and lamb are very popular. A typical meal that is served everywhere is a thick beef steak with green salad and chips. Seafood is also very popular, especially mussels and prawns . Some people go down to the coast and collect mussels from the rock pools in the sea.

These days, many New Zealanders enjoy eating Pipis and Toheora - both New Zealand shellfish . In Australia there is the yabby, a big crab that lives in rivers. Children go yabbying, which is fishing for yabbies with a stick and piece of meat tied on a string .

In both countries, there is nothing better to eat on a cold day than a hot meat pie with tomato sauce (not ketchup). However, throughout the whole year people like to have barbeques or barbies. There are barbie sites everywhere by the beaches and in parks, and

Flake, the flesh of small shark, has a mild flavour and a clean white appearance. Thanks to its low price it became the most common type of fish to be served in Australian fish and chip shops.

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A steak is a slice of a larger piece of meat, usually beef that is grilled or fried. It depends on personal preference how much the meat is cooked: rare – the meat has been cooked for a short time and is mostly red; medium – the meat inside is pink, the outside is grey-brown; well done – the meat is cooked thoroughly and sometimes the juiciness is reduced, and the meat may seem dry.

in the backyards of peoples’ homes. On a hot summer evening, people like to get together with family and friends and grill sausages , steak, even octopus together with bread and salad, and talk. Sometimes Christmas dinner is a BBQ on the beach.

Y Vocabulary

cereal [“sI@rI@l] - obiloviny (kukuřičné lupínky, ovesné vločky apod.) roast beef [r@Ust bi:f] - rostbíf, hovězí pečeně mussel [“mVs(@)l] - slávka (škeble) prawn [prO:n] - garnát, kreveta rock pools - tůňky (na skalnatém mořském pobřeží) shellfish [“SElfIS] - měkkýš, korýš tied on a string [taId strIN] - přivázaným na vlasci meat pie [paI] - piroh s masem sausage [“sQsIdZ] - párek, salám, klobása

Many Australians and New Zealanders have a sweet tooth - they like to eat desserts and cakes. There are special Australian and N.Z. recipes for desserts and cakes. The Lamington, a square cake covered in chocolate and coconut, or the Anzac Biscuit made from golden syrup and oats are perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.

octopus [“Qkt@p@s] - chobotnice to have a sweet tooth [swi:t tu:T] - potrpět si na sladké golden syrup [“g@Uld(@)n “sIr@p] - sirup, melasa oats [@Uts] - oves rich [rItS] - vydatný, hutný delicious [dI”lIS@s]- vynikající

The Pavlova is a very rich dessert that Australia and New Zealand disagree on – we both claim to have made it first. But at least we agree that it is delicious !

Û Glossary

BBQ – an abbreviation for barbeque

Û Food glossary

dinner - a word used to mean the main meal of the day (we talk about dinner time even at midday); dinner in the evening often means a formal occasion, dinner party, etc.

food - anything that people or animals eat that gives us energy or nutrients; it can include liquids such as milk. (e.g. There was a lot of food and drink at the wedding party. I bought some cat food in the shop.) meal - various foods that have been prepared and put together according to a recipe and eaten at one time (e.g. I always eat my main meal at noon. We’ll go to have a meal in the new fancy restaurant one day.)

supper - an alternative word for an evening meal; usually smaller and less formal tea - not just the drink tea; it is a very small meal of cake or biscuits eaten in the afternoon with a cup of tea; it can also be a large meal (lighter than dinner) that is eaten early in the evening in some parts of Britain and Australia cuisine - a style of cooking, often characteristic of a particular country or region (e.g. I love French cuisine.) diner (AmE) - a small restaurant

dish - a particular item of prepared meal (e.g. My mother prepared my favourite dish for dinner. The meal consisted of several dishes.) side dish - a small amount of food, such as salad, that goes with the main course of a meal

Czech cuisine

Patrick Phillips (USA)

People usually have řízek with potatoes or potato salad but in some national cuisines it is served also with dumplings and cabbage.

pork or chicken schnitzel. If it is veal, then it is either simply schnitzel (or wiener schnitzel) or breaded veal cutlet.

Though the Czech Republic is known mainly for its architecture and beer, it is also the home to some very tasty food. For Czechs it is customary to eat a light meal in the morning and evening, and the biggest meal at lunch. A typical breakfast consists of yogurt, bread, and perhaps some salami or cheese. Supper is often a cold plate of ham, cheese and bread.

Probably the most significant difference between Czechs and the rest of the world is beer. The Czech Republic is number one in beer consumption , averaging a half liter a day for every man, woman and child. In Czech restaurants, the cheapest drink on the menu is beer. This is unheard of in other countries, and illegal in some (such as Germany). For Czechs, beer is liquid bread, and besides, it is great with Czech cuisine!

All nations have their pub food, and the Czechs are no exception. Typical fare would be pickled sausage with onions, and pickled cheese with peppers . For something more substantial , there are many great choices. When you are talking about svíčková , it becomes magic. This meal is a combination of pieces of tenderloin covered in a sweet creamy sauce, and served with sour cream on a slice of lemon, cranberry sauce and

Y Vocabulary

customary [“kVst@m(@)ri] - obvyklý cold plate - studený (obložený) talíř fare [fE:] - jídlo, pokrm pickled sausage [“pIk(@)ld “sQsIdZ] - naložený buřt (“utopenec”) pepper [“pEp@] - paprika substantial [s@b”st&nS(@)l] - vydatný tenderloin [“tEnd@lOIn] - svíčková (maso) sour cream [saU@ kri:m] - zakysaná smetana slice [slaIs] - řez, krajíček cranberry sauce [“kr&nb(@)ri sO:s] - brusinková omáčka dumpling [“dVmplIN] - knedlík features equal portions [“fi:tS@z “i:kw(@)l “pO:S(@)nz] - obsahuje stejné množství sauerkraut [“saU@kraUt] - kysané zelí breaded and fried [brEdId] - obalený ve strouhance a osmažený veal [vi:l] - telecí significant [sIg”nIfIk(@)nt] - výrazný consumption [k@n”sVm(p)S(@)n] - konzumace averaging [“&v(@)rIdZIN] - která je v průměru this is unheard of [Vn”h@:d]

dumplings .

Goulash, the Czech version of the Hungarian dish, features equal portions of beef and onions cooked with spices and served with dumplings.

Roasted pork is the national dish. Pork, roasted to perfection, is served with sauerkraut and dumplings.

Řízek is a meal which is difficult to translate but easy to eat. Traditionally, řízek is breaded and fried pork. But the meat doesn’t have to be pork. Chicken is quite common, and it can also be veal . If the meat is pork or chicken, then it is called either

• to je neslýchaná věc

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