Welcome to a new class, I am Niharika and it's not a French lesson that I'm gonna teach
you today. Well definitely an English lesson. However, we are gonna talk about French loan
words that are now a part of the English language. Well yes there are several French words, okay
originated from the French language but now they are a part of the English language. Now
specifically, we are gonna look at some food vocabulary. So not like all the words but
specifically words related to food only. So let's get started.
The first word that I have for you here is a la carte. So I'm sure you have come across
this word, especially if you do go to a fancy restaurant to dine. So when you go to a nice
fine dining restaurant, you have two options. The waiter would come and ask you, sir you
would you prefer buffet or would you like to order a la carte. So a la carte meal is
actually when you order individual dishes. Okay, it's not a part of a set meal. Okay
it's not a part of buffet but you order for food individually, okay. So like if you go
for buffet, then it's gonna be soup, salads, appetizers and the main course and the dessert.
So it's like a set meal. However, an a la carte meal is when you order separately, like
if you want to eat some salad. You will order for some Caesar salad and then if you wanna
eat some appetizer, you will order appetizers looking at the menu card. Now in French, the
word carte means menu card and that's where this whole word comes from, that is a la carte.
It means to order food separately, okay.
The other term that we have which is, French word but now a part of English dictionary
is aperitif. Now aperitif is an alcoholic beverage. It’s an alcoholic drink. So it's
an alcoholic drink to stimulate appetite. Now if you are a foodie and you love eating,
then do order for some aperitifs because aperitif is an alcoholic drink and it stimulates your
appetite. So you can eat more and more. Wow, that's nice, right? So you can use this drink
or you can have this beverage in order to stimulate your appetite. But yes it's a French
origin word but now a part of the English language, okay.
Let’s have a look at another word or another term which is bon a petit. Okay, now you take
a flight and the beautiful air hostess gets you, your meal and there will be a small card
on it which says, bon a petit. So what exactly it means? Well it's a salutation before eating
your meal. Like you have a salutation before drinking, okay we have a glass of wine or
a glass of beer and there you go cheers. So cheers is a salutation before drinking. However
bon a petit is a salutation before eating. Okay so use it like if you are in a restaurant
with a big family and before you start your meal, you say bon a petit. So it means enjoy
your food. It’s a salutation before eating.
Alright, let's have a look at another one which is cuisine. Now cuisine is a French
word but the actual meaning of this word is kitchen. However in English, the way we use
this word, is to describe the manner or the style of food
like we say, I prefer Indian cuisine or I love Italian cuisine. So, it means that I
am describing the style of food. Like I prefer Indian food or I prefer Italian food. So like
Indian food would be Indian cuisine. Italian cuisine, okay. So it is to describe the style
of food. But the original word cuisine, the French word, the meaning is ordinary, kitchen,
okay. But yes this word is definitely a part of English language now. So use it.
Let’s have a look at another term which is sauté. Now when you look at videos or
you read recipes, I am sure you'll have come across this word. Sauté your veggies, okay,
so what does sauté really mean? Well sauté the original term, the French term, the meaning
is to jump over, okay but we use the word sauté, especially while cooking. So it's
like you are tossing over your veggies, your frying it in very little oil, in a pan. Okay
so like sauté your veggies by tossing it over and over again, okay. Alright so if you
think that the word, sauté actually belongs to the English language. Well yes it does
but the origin is, French, okay.
So tossing and frying vegetables, it means that you are sautéing your vegetables. Alright,
let's have a look at another term which is sommelier. So sommelier, who is a sommelier?
Well a wine waiter or a wine steward. Wow, there are specific waiters to serve specific
kind of food or drink? Well yes, we do have sommeliers who are specifically people who
serve your wine for you on the table. So they are wine waiters or wine stewards. So especially
when you go to Europe. It is a culture to drink wine before your meals. So they have
specific waiters out there who serve the wine for you. Yes, it has a different style to
serve your wine and that's what they are for and the term that is used for wine waiters
is sommelier. So it is a French origin word. However now a part of the English language,
alright.
Now let's have a look at another one, omelette. Well, yes is my daily breakfast, that's where
I get my strength from. So omelette is a dish, traditionally prepared from beaten eggs. Okay
so you beat your eggs and then you fry it in a pan. Alright. So it's, so
like you can add chopped vegetables or some chopped meat or some cheese to your omelette.
Okay and then you fry it and then fold it over and then serve it for breakfast. So that's
an omelette for you. Well yes it is a French origin word but now definitely an English
word. Well there is another spelling to it, especially the American spelling which is,
omelet but the French or the British spelling is omelette, alright.
Let’s have a look at another term which is gourmet. Who is gourmet? Well a judge of
fine food but then we also have gourmet meals or you
might have also heard about this term, gourmet kitchen. So when you end up using just the
word, gourmet. Well that person is a judge of fine food. Okay however, when you talk
about, gourmet meals. It means you are talking about these exotic fancy meals. Okay and when
you talk about gourmet kitchen then it means that you know a kitchen which is very, very
well equipped to prepare these exotic dishes. Okay so those are gourmet kitchens and gourmet
meal is when you talk about fancy, exotic meal, okay I am starving, I am hungry.
Well anyway let's move on to the other term which is margarine. Now margarine is a substitute
of butter. So if you are very health conscious, okay, then you can opt for margarine. So margarine
is a substitute of butter. Okay like we all say that butter is extremely unhealthy. Well
then go for margarine is a substitute of butter. Well it looks like butter but it's actually
made of vegetable oils, okay. So go ahead, go to the grocery store and buy some margarine,
right.
Okay, and then the last term which is a French origin, that is picnic. So the actual meaning
of the word, picnic is an outdoor meal. Okay so rather than just sitting at home and having
the daily boring meal, you go out for a picnic, which is an outdoor meal. Okay so yes now
most of us use this word but probably, we didn't know where did the word come from.
So yes it is a French origin word and use it whenever required and the actual meaning
of it is an outdoor meal.
Okay so these are the ten words. Well probably you have been using them, but had no clue
that they are or they belong to the French but yes they are simple and they are nice.
So use it in your daily conversation and I'll be back with a new lesson soon, till then
you take care.