Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. a texture
    • ex. The hot soup has a smooth texture that feels good to eat on a cold day.
  2. crunchy
    • ex. These fresh potato chips are so crunchy that you can hear every bite.
  3. chewy
    • ex. The meat was so chewy because it was cooked for too long.
  4. a coating
    • ex. The cook put a coating of flour on the fish before frying it.
  5. a pastry
    • ex. She bought a pastry at the bakery to eat with her coffee.

Article

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

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Food companies are making snacks and drinks with special textures in the mouth because many customers care about how food feels. Consumers are looking for crunchy, soft, chewy, and smooth foods. Many people enjoy how food feels as much as flavor. But consumers do not always recognize that textures make them want certain foods.

Ingredion, an ingredient company, says food texture affects satisfaction and repeat interest. Stretchy yogurt sells well in China. There is also a new candy called Sprinkled Foamies, which has a crunchy coating and a soft center. In Paris, there is a pastry called the crookie, which is a crispy croissant with a chocolate chip cookie inside.

Interest in food textures goes back centuries. Soft, stretchy Japanese mochi has existed for a long time, and bubble tea with chewy boba was created many years ago. Online searches for soft foods are rising, and videos of crunchy or smooth foods are very popular. An expert thinks that a Cronut, a doughnut-shaped pastry with the texture of a croissant, started this interest ten years ago.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Food Textures

  • According to the article, food textures can make consumers want to eat certain foods. Do you agree or disagree with this idea? Discuss.
  • What is your favorite food texture to eat (ex. crunchy, chewy)? Why? Discuss.
  • Imagine a food company or restaurant changed the texture of the food that you like. Would you continue buying it? Why or why not? Discuss.

Popular Foods and Food Businesses

  • Food companies are making snacks and drinks with special textures. Do you think this is a smart business choice? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • What food item in your country became popular very quickly (ex. wagyu sando, gummy candy)? Discuss.
  • If you were to open a food shop, what kind of food would you sell, and what texture would it have? Discuss.