Listening
Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
- lavish / ˈlæv ɪʃ / (adj.) – large in quantity and expensive in quality
Example:The hotel offers a lavish breakfast with a wide selection of breads, jams, fresh fruits, and various drinks to its guests.
- beverage / ˈbɛv ər ɪdʒ / (n.) – a drink of any kind or type
Example:A beverage company will start selling teas and fruit juices in addition to the sodas it’s known for.
- coincidence / koʊˈɪn sɪ dəns / (n.) – a situation in which two or more events happen at the same time in an unexpected or surprising manner
Example:By coincidence, we ended up at the same restaurant even though we had different ideas about what to eat for lunch.
- sample / ˈsæm pəl / (v.) – to try a small amount of food or drink to see how it tastes
Example:Potential customers are now sampling various chocolates from different chocolate makers around the world.
- psyched / saɪkt / (adj.) – very excited about something
Example:She was psyched about going on vacation and attending a concert with her friends.
Article
Read the text below.
In Denmark, most seasons have a bread or cake associated with them, but no other season’s cakes have as much hype around them as those baked to mark the carnival tradition Fastelavn.
This year, Copenhageners are taking tastings to the extreme—literally running to the best buns in town.
The excitement surrounding its traditional cake, the cream- and jam-filled fastelavnsboller—meaning Fastelavn bun—has only grown in recent years. It’s no longer just available on Fastelavn Sunday, but in bakery windows from early January. Bakers across Copenhagen and Denmark’s other large cities offer the buns, some creating the most lavish pastries possible.
Tipster, a Danish food and beverage company, organized what’s claimed to be the world’s first “Fastelavn Bun Run.”
“We were doing a selection of ten bakeries that we really, really like and that are doing ten Fastelavns buns that we really think that everybody should try. By coincidence, we did the route between the different bakeries, and the route was exactly 21.1 km, which is the exact distance of a half marathon,” explains Tipster founder Simon Evers.
“It was basically just written in the sky that this has to go into a half marathon.” It’s a 21.1-kilometer half marathon visiting ten of the city’s top bakeries and sampling a fastelavnsboller at each.
In just one day, 3,723 people signed up, although only 100 lucky applicants were allowed to take part. Evers says almost 8,000 people applied in all.
The half marathon starts at Flere Fugle, a bakery in Copenhagen’s Northwest district. “This is the best chance that you can get visiting some of the best bakeries in the world and running with 100 people who are just super psyched about it,” he smiles.
“We taste everything from like an old school fastelavns bun to a semlor, which is basically what they do in Sweden. And then we have a lot of modern interpretations of the fastelavns bun as well.”
This article was provided by The Associated Press.
Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
- The Fastelavn bun is a special seasonal treat in Denmark. Why do you think seasonal foods like this are special and unique? What special foods are available at certain seasons in your country? How are these foods important to your country’s history and culture? Discuss.
- Fastelavn buns have become so popular that they are now available from early January, not just on Fastelavn Sunday. Would you like seasonal treats to be available all year, or do you enjoy waiting for them because they’re special? What do you think would happen if these treats were always available? Is there a seasonal food in your country that you’d like to enjoy all year round? Discuss.
Discussion B
- Tipster organized an event that’s claimed to be the world’s first Fastelavn Bun Run. Do you think organizing food-related events is an effective way to promote tourism, local culture, and local food? Why or why not? Discuss.
- Participants of the Fastelavn Bun Run have to run a half marathon while trying out ten buns from different bakeries. If you could organize your own local food festival or event, what type of food would you focus on, and why? What activities would you have during the festival (ex. a cooking show, a parade)? Discuss.
