Food in France
Layla talks about food and eating habits in her home country of France.
Todd: So Layla, we're talking about food in France and in the U.S. So in France what do you like best about French food? Because French food is quite famous around the world. What makes French food so famous?
Layla: For me I think the best thing is the bread. It's very, very different. Even if I go here in any bakery, I cannot find the same bread. The bread if France is very soft, and it almost melts in the mouth, and I think that makes it famous, the food in France.
Todd: So in France do you have fast food? Do you have fast food restaurants and like chain restaurants in France?
Layla: Yes, we do have that because it's very cheap and people like it cheap and there is something very fast and we can find chain restaurant everywhere, but most of the time we find independent restaurant, small restaurant.
Todd: So in your country is it common for parents to teach their children how to cook?
Layla: Yes, they do. But I don't have any brother but my mom teach us how to cook.
Todd: So what kind of things has your mother taught you how to cook?
Layla: My parents are from Morocco so she teach my how to cook Morocco food.
Todd: Oh, so what are some good Moroccan dishes?
Layla: I think it's Al Feza. It's like bread with lenti and meat and sauce.
Todd: So France is an expensive country. If you go to a restaurant, is it expensive. Like how much would you have to pay? How many euros to get a decent meal?
Layla: You can find good meals for ten euro. You can find for ten or twelve euro a good restaurant and good meal?
Todd: When you go to a restaurant do you usually have appetizer, starter, main course, dessert or is it just one package?
Layla: You can have both, like you can have a package with the dessert and the soda and everything or you can order what you want on the menu.
melt in your mouth
The bread in France melts in your mouth.
When food melts in the mouth, it is so light and tender that you do not need to chew it. It does not refer to food that actually does melt in the mouth like ice-cream. Notice the following:
- These cookies are so fine. They melt in your mouth.
- This bread just melts in your mouth.
chain restaurant
Do you have chain restaurants?
A chain is a large corporate brand of restaurants, stores, or venues that are the same regardless of where they are. Notice the following:
- You find a lot of chain restaurants off the highway.
- Denny's is a popular chain restaurant worldwide.
independent restaurants
Most of the time we eat at independent restaurants.
An independent restaurant, or an independent store, is a small business that has only one or two venues and is very original and personable. Notice the following:
- I prefer to eat at independent restaurants.
- You can find rare albums at independent record stores.
decent meal
How many euros does a decent meal cost?
When something is decent, that means most people would find it acceptable, so a decent meal would be a good meal that would satisfy most people: Notice the following:
- We had a decent meal at that restaurant.
- That cafe serves a decent cup of coffee.
appetizers
Do you usually have an appetizer, starter and main course?
An appetizer is a small dish that is eaten at the start of a meal. An appetizer is often like a snack before the meal. Sometimes appetizers are called starters. Notice the following:
- We did not order appetizers because we did not want to spoil our appetite for the main course.
- All the appetizers on the menu were under 3 dollars in price.
Vocabulary Quiz
decent • appetizers