Food & eating: IELTS Speaking Part 1 questions

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2. Reason→
3. Feeling

Mostly spicy food, and I've got a real soft spot for fish curry. I grew up in Chittagong, which is a port city, so fresh fish was on the table almost every day. Even now, the smell of mustard oil and green chillies makes me instantly homesick.

a real soft spot for

a special fondness for

on the table almost every day

served at meals nearly daily

makes me instantly homesick

immediately makes me miss home

47 words · about 20 seconds spoken

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3. Example

I've never been able to get on with bitter gourd, even though my mother swears it's good for me. The taste is so sharp that it lingers for ages, however it's cooked. She used to hide it in the lentils when I was little, but I'd always pick out every last piece.

never been able to get on with

never managed to like something

swears it's good for me

insists strongly that it's healthy

lingers for ages

stays for a long time

52 words · about 23 seconds spoken

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At home, most of the time. Restaurant food tends to be quite oily, and you never really know what's gone into it. Eating out is more of a treat for me, something for birthdays or when friends are in town.

what's gone into it

which ingredients were used to make it

more of a treat

something special rather than a normal habit

when friends are in town

when friends are visiting my city

40 words · about 17 seconds spoken

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3. Example

Yes, quite noticeably. As a kid I lived on fried snacks and fizzy drinks, but I've become far more adventurous since moving away for university. I'd never tried Japanese food until a flatmate dragged me out for sushi, and now it's one of my favourite things to eat.

lived on fried snacks

ate fried snacks almost all the time

far more adventurous

much more willing to try new things

dragged me out for sushi

persuaded me, though I was unwilling, to go

48 words · about 21 seconds spoken

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Where I'm from, the dish everyone's proudest of is mezbani beef. It's a rich, slow-cooked curry that's traditionally served at huge community feasts. At a big family celebration, hundreds of guests can be fed from enormous pots that have been simmering since dawn.

Where I'm from

in the place I grew up

huge community feasts

very large meals shared by a whole neighbourhood

simmering since dawn

cooking gently since early morning

43 words · about 19 seconds spoken

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3. Example

I do, especially at the weekend when I'm not in a hurry. Chopping and stirring is oddly calming, and there's real satisfaction in serving something you've made from scratch. Last Sunday I spent the whole afternoon on a lamb stew, and it was easily the best part of my week.

oddly calming

surprisingly relaxing

made from scratch

prepared from basic ingredients, not ready made

easily the best part of

clearly the most enjoyable part of

50 words · about 22 seconds spoken

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3. Feeling

It's split fairly evenly between my partner and me. She handles weekday meals because she gets home earlier, and I take over on Fridays and at the weekend. It works nicely, since neither of us ends up feeling like the household's unpaid chef.

split fairly evenly

shared almost equally

I take over

I become responsible after someone else

neither of us ends up

in the end, it doesn't happen to either of us

43 words · about 19 seconds spoken

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3. Example

I'd call myself a decent home cook rather than a great one. I'm confident with the basics, but baking is a completely different story. My last attempt at bread came out as flat as a pancake, so I'm hoping to take a proper class at some point.

a decent home cook

someone who cooks quite well for family meals

a completely different story

an entirely different situation, usually a worse one

as flat as a pancake

completely flat

47 words · about 20 seconds spoken

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3. Feeling

Improvising, for the most part, though I'll stick to a recipe the first time I make something new. Once I understand how a dish works, I like adapting it to whatever happens to be in the fridge. It feels more creative that way, and it means far less food ends up in the bin.

for the most part

mostly, in most cases

stick to a recipe

follow a recipe exactly

ends up in the bin

is eventually thrown away

54 words · about 23 seconds spoken

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3. Example

Mainly from my dad, who was the real cook in our family. He worked from home, so I spent much of my childhood perched on a kitchen stool watching him. His habit of frying onions really slowly until they turn golden is something I still do without thinking.

the real cook in our family

the person at home who truly knew how to cook

perched on a kitchen stool

sitting on the edge of a high seat

still do without thinking

do automatically, out of habit

48 words · about 21 seconds spoken

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Roughly once a week, usually on a Friday evening. It's become a sort of end-of-week reward after a long run of early starts. On top of that, I grab lunch at a café near my office a couple of times a week.

a long run of early starts

many days in a row of getting up early

On top of that

in addition to that

grab lunch

have a quick, informal lunch

42 words · about 18 seconds spoken

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3. Example

I'm drawn to small, family-run places rather than big chains. The cooking tends to be more personal, and you often get to chat with the people who own the place. There's a tiny Lebanese restaurant near my flat where the owner always remembers my order.

I'm drawn to

I'm naturally attracted to

family-run places

businesses owned and managed by one family

rather than big chains

instead of companies with many identical branches

45 words · about 20 seconds spoken

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3. Feeling

It depends on the occasion, but a meal at home wins most of the time. Eating out every night would cost a fortune, and I'd miss pottering about in my own kitchen. Still, there's nothing quite like letting someone else do the washing up after a long week.

cost a fortune

be extremely expensive

pottering about in my own kitchen

doing small, relaxed jobs in my kitchen

there's nothing quite like

nothing else is as good as

48 words · about 21 seconds spoken

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3. Example

Usually with two or three close friends from university. We take turns choosing where to go, which stops us getting stuck in a rut. Last time my friend picked an Ethiopian place, and sharing food from one huge platter with our hands was brilliant fun.

take turns choosing

each person chooses, one after another

getting stuck in a rut

doing the same boring thing again and again

brilliant fun

extremely enjoyable

45 words · about 20 seconds spoken

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For me, it's the service as much as the food itself. Even a superb dish can be spoilt by a waiter who seems irritated that you're there. I also value consistency, so knowing a meal will taste exactly the same each visit means a lot.

as much as the food itself

just as importantly as the food

can be spoilt by

can be ruined by

means a lot

is very important to me

45 words · about 20 seconds spoken