Food

A hallmark of the study abroad experience in China, food will be an important part of daily conversation. For study abroad students, ordering, buying, and eating food are everyday events that can be much easier by learning key phrases and vocabulary. Conversations here also include discussions about food/taste preferences, special dietary needs, and restaurant reviews.

Exercises

Task 1 Sharing Personal Experience Task (Characteristics of Different Cuisines in China)

Objectives: Students will be able to familiarize themselves with vocabulary and topics related to issues concerning different flavors and cuisines. Students will also be able to share their own experience with Chinese food and their own favorite foods and flavors. This task could be used as a warm-up task at the beginning of this module. Suggested time for this task: 15-20 minutes.

Directions: 

1.1 Listen/Read the dialogue between Zolton and 传祥  (Food 1 dialogue). In groups of 3-4, discuss what they talked about in the dialogue. 

Discussion questions: 

What are Zolton and 传祥 talking about? What kinds of Chinese cuisines are mentioned in the dialogue, and what are the characteristics of these cuisines? What kinds of food does 传祥 like to eat? What kinds of food does Zolton like to eat? Discuss and match the cuisine with the featured food in the following chart.   

Directions in Chinese: 

他们讨论了什么问题？对话中讨论到了哪些中国菜？这些中国菜系有什么特色？传祥喜欢吃什么口味的中国菜？Zolton喜欢吃什么口味的中国菜？

1.2 Have you tried Chinese cuisine? How was it? Share your experience and describe your favorite Chinese cuisine with your group. 

Directions in Chinese: 

你吃过什么中国菜？味道怎么样？酸甜苦辣咸你最喜欢哪一种味道？为什么？和你的组员分享你的经历，并描述你最喜欢的中国菜菜系和口味。

1.3 Check the featured dishes in Ding Tai Feng by following the link (http://www.dintaifung.com.cn/). Choose one dish, read the description, and describe the main food ingredients and overall taste of the dish. Share with your group whether or not you would like to try this dish and why. For example, 

虾仁肉丝蛋饭：主要原料是手剥虾仁，里脊肉，鸡蛋，东北大米，和十几种盐。味道以咸味和鲜味为主。

Task 2 Sharing Personal Experience Task (Cooking – Pumpkins) 

Objectives: Students will be able to familiarize themselves with vocabulary and topics related to cooking experience. Students will also be able to understand different cooking methods in China and the U.S. This task could be used as a warm-up task at the beginning of this module. Suggested time for this task: 15-20 minutes.

Directions: 

2.1 Listen/Read the dialogues between Elisa and 艾 (Food 2 dialogue). In groups of 3-4, summarize the key terms in their discussion. 

Discussion questions: What are Elisa and 艾 talking about? How would 艾 prefer pumpkin to be cooked? How would Elisa prefer pumpkin to be cooked? What kind of different dishes mentioned in the dialogue use pumpkin as the main ingredient? Other than food, what else can pumpkins be used for? Based on the dialogue, do those pumpkins different from the ones used in cooking? What are some differences? 

Directions in Chinese: 

听/读Elisa和艾的对话（食物2）。3-4人一组，讨论对话的主要内容并回答以下问题。

问题：他们在讨论什么？艾更喜欢怎么做南瓜？Elisa更喜欢怎么做南瓜？对话中提到了哪些用南瓜做的食物？除了作为食物以外，南瓜还可以用来作什么？那些南瓜和平时吃的南瓜有什么不同？

2.2 There are several common methods to cook food (such as frying, boiling, etc.). Define each cooking method in Chinese, illustrate some advantages of this cooking method, and provide a dish using this cooking method. Discuss whether or not this cooking method is commonly used in the U.S. 

Directions in Chinese: 

常见的烹饪方式有很多，用中文解释下表出现的烹饪方式，讨论这种烹饪方式的优点，并给出用这种烹饪方式做的菜。讨论每种烹饪方式在美国是否常见。

 Download Worksheet Here Food_Worksheet 1

Task 3 Project & Creative Task (Food Localization)

Objectives: Students will be able to understand specific issues related to food localization in different contexts. Students will also be able to cooperate with group members and practice reading, writing, and speaking skills upon completing this task. This task could be divided into two class hours, for instance, first using it as a main activity of a regular class to practice reading skills, and then as a homework assignment to prepare for group presentation (including writing, listening, and speaking). Suggested time for this task: 40 min for the reading for the first class + 100 min for group presentation or assigned as homework. 

3.1 Reading comprehension and discussions (40 min)

Directions: 

Read the answer on Zhihu (a Chinese question and answer platform) about McDonald’s and KFC localization in China and discuss the following questions. 

Original Source: Answer by 汪惟 under question “肯德基和麦当劳的口味对中国人进行了哪些针对本土的改良”  https://www.zhihu.com/question/34321506

Read the article and images (see Worksheet 2 below for revised reading excerpts). Summarize the three major food localization changes in China’s McDonald’s and KFC and illustrate at least two examples for each category. Describe how the two fast food companies have adjusted their food menu to the Chinese market. Use the following chart to guide your summary. 

In a group of 3 to 4, discuss your opinions toward food localization. Read carefully again through image 1- 14, what kinds of differences do you see between McDonald’s and KFC in China and in the U.S.? 

Directions in Chinese: 

阅读文章（下载文章和练习），总结文章中提到的肯德基和麦当劳菜单本土化的三个方面，并用至少两个例子来介绍每个方面有什么特点。描述这两家公司是如何针对中国市场调整他们的菜单并填写下表。

3-4人一组，讨论你的对快餐本土化的看法。仔细阅读图片的内容，并讨论中国和美国的肯德基和麦当劳有什么不同之处。

 Download Worksheet Here Food_Worksheet 2

3.2 Presentation task (100 min in class or assigned as homework)

Directions: Now you’ve learned more about the taste of food, different cuisines, cooking methods, and food localization. Based on what you learned, in groups of 3-4, create a group presentation discussing the topic “Westernized Chinese food – food localization and globalization”. Please first choose a typical Chinese food chain in the U.S. (e.g. Panda Express) and summarize the key features of Chinese food in the U.S., then discuss the differences between Chinese food in China and in the U.S. Discuss how Chinese food is adjusted to the U.S. market and how the Chinese food is “Westernized”. Finally, summarize your presentation and provide your evaluation of food localization and globalization. 

Directions in Chinese: 这一课我们了解了食物的味道，不同的菜系，烹饪方法，以及食物本土化。根据你看到/听到/读到/学到的，3-4人一组，准备一个8-10分钟的报告，主题为“食物的本土化和全球化”。首先请挑一个在美国的中餐连锁公司（比如，熊猫快餐），总该中餐的主要特点，并讨论中餐在中国和美国的不同。讨论介绍中餐在美国是如何适应美国市场的。最后，总结报告的内容并评价食物的本土化和全球化的好处和坏处。

Task 4 Additional Activity  

Directions: Watch the beginning of the movie “饮食男女” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIFvSFnDCXg) directed by An Lee. Summarize at least three dishes you observed that appeared in the clip and the cooking methods used to make them. Use a few sentences to describe each dish (e.g. color, smell, taste, etc.). 

Directions in Chinese

观看电影《饮食男女》的开头，总结至少你在视频中观察到的三道菜，以及这些菜的烹饪方式。用几句话描述每道菜的颜色，香味，和味道。