Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. culinary
    • ex. She went to a culinary school to learn how to cook different types of international dishes.
  2. to name a few
    • ex. Our local market sells fruits like apples, bananas, and oranges, to name a few.
  3. proliferate
    • ex. New coffee shops began to proliferate around the city, making it easy for people to find a place to buy coffee.
  4. authenticity
    • ex. This restaurant is well-known for the authenticity of its sushi dishes.
  5. recreate
    • ex. The artist decided to recreate the famous painting using modern techniques.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Food trends in 2025 will continue to feature a variety of global flavors and exciting new ingredients. In the culinary world, Asian foods, especially from Southeast Asia, are becoming more popular. Asian supermarkets in the U.S., like H Mart and Patel Brothers, are expanding and offering more Asian ingredients like gochujang, sambal, yuzu, and matcha, to name a few. Additionally, foods like dumplings, sushi, ramen, and bulgogi are proliferating.

Another growing trend is the use of chiles in food. People are enjoying the complex flavors of different chiles, not just the spiciness. Chiles are appearing in nuts, cheese, and even in chocolate. Seaweed is another popular culinary trend. Known for its health benefits, seaweed is being used in snacks like fries and chips.

According to Leana Salama of the Specialty Foods Association, customers today search for a mix of authenticity and convenience. After the pandemic, many people wanted to recreate the foods they tried on their travels. This has led to new and unique snacks from different cultures, especially from Asia, South America, and Central America.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Food Trends and Flavors

  • Are you interested in trying food trends, especially those from different cultures? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Why do you think Asian flavors, like gochujang, sambal, and yuzu, are becoming more popular worldwide? Discuss.
  • What food from your country would you like to see become a popular trend (ex. cheesecake, soba)? Discuss.

Food Authenticity and Convenience

  • What does “food authenticity” mean to you? Discuss.
  • Which do you prefer when it comes to food, convenience or authenticity? Discuss.
  • Imagine that you are a supermarket owner. What kind of foods or ingredients will you offer to customers who are looking for a mix of authenticity and convenience (ex. frozen dumplings, instant ramen)? Discuss.