Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC
Learning English. I'm Neil.
And I'm Rob.
In this programme, we're talking about biscuits!
Biscuits - a subject close to my heart -
something important to me
and that interests me.
I know, Rob.
You are a biscuit connoisseur after all.
And in the UK, many of us
love to nibble these sweet treats.
And we have lots of names for them too.
Yes, we have the chocolate digestive,
the garibaldi, the custard cream and
the jammie dodger.
It's making my mouth water.
I can see.
But we're not going to be tucking into
any biscuits today.
Instead, we'll be looking at the
origins and the language of this humble snack.
And before we do that, Rob,
let's test your knowledge of biscuits
with a question.
The British aren't the only fans of biscuits.
So in which country are barazeks
traditionally eaten?
Is it in... a) Syria, b) Morocco, or
c) Spain?
Hmmm, well, I've not eaten one,
but I'll have a guess at Syria.
OK, I'll reveal the right answer later on.
But now, let's talk more about biscuits,
also sometimes known as cookies.
They come in all shapes, sizes
and varieties.
They can be sweet or savory -
but I prefer the sweet ones
that are crisp, crunchy and are good for
dunking in my tea.
'Dunking' means dipping into a liquid
for a short period of time.
But enough about your eating habits, Rob.
Let's find out how the biscuit got its name.
It's something the BBC Radio
4 programme Word of Mouth has
been exploring.
Dr Laura Wright, a historical linguist from
the University of Cambridge, explains its origins...
From Latin 'biscoctum' - twice cooked.
And it comes to us via Anglo-Norman French but it's
bread that's been cooked twice
to extract all the moisture so that it goes hard,
and it'll stay fit for consumption for a
long time, which is why you can take it to
sea and have a sea biscuit...
and from the 1500s at least
we spelt it like it sounds 'bisket'
but at some point, in the 1800s,
we started to prefer the French
spelling for reasons of poncy-ness!
So, the English word for biscuits has
its origins in Latin.
It describes cooking bread twice to make it hard.
This baking process meant a biscuit could
be kept for a long time, and as Dr Wright said,
it would stay fit for consumption -
another way of saying edible
or able to be eaten.
That's why they were taken on
long sea voyages - but they weren't like
the biscuits we eat now - they were plain,
simple and very hard baked.
Interestingly, the word biscuit used to be
spelt B-I-S-K-E-T but the French spelling
B-I-S-C-U-I-T was later adopted.
Biscuits are a handy go-to snack for
when I'm hungry or bored.
But how did biscuits become
such a popular foodstuff and how
did we come to depend on them so much?
It's something Anastasia Edwards author of
Biscuits and Cookies, A Global History,
talked about in the Word of Mouth programme.
Listen to the word she uses to mean
'food' in her explanation.
One key fact in the rise of the popularity of
the biscuit is meal times.
Before the Industrial Revolution, people
have a later breakfast and an
earlier supper.
By the end of the Industrial Revolution,
breakfast is much earlier,
the evening meal is much later, so you've
got this big gap of time
where people need sustenance, and so
lunch comes to greater prominence
and tea time comes to greater prominence,
and snacking - so there's this
great opportunity for real really biscuits -
something small, something ready,
something easily consumable, not
expensive, you know, a bit of a sugar rush.
Right, so it was the Industrial Revolution that
led to the rise - that's the increase -
in the popularity of biscuits.
Because the time between breakfast and dinner
in the evening increased, people got
hungry and they needed food
to give them energy - what Anastasia
called 'sustenance'.
So, this is when smaller meals,
such as lunch or tea,
became important or more well-known -
it had greater prominence.
And this included snacking on biscuits.
These were cheap and easily
consumable - easy and quick to eat.
And because of their ingredients,
they gave you a sugar rush -
a quick blast of energy.
Of course, now, we eat biscuits at
any time, and because of their sugar content,
we know to only eat them in
moderation, Rob!
I think a packet a day is fine -
but a whole box, well, that would really
take the biscuit!
Take the biscuit!
Good idiom there, Rob,
to mean 'be the most foolish,
annoying or surprising thing to do'.
But now let's find out the answer to
my quiz question.
Earlier, I asked which country are
barazeks traditionally eaten in?
And I thought Syria. Was I right?
Yes, you were. Well done.
You are a smart cookie!
Barazeks are biscuits filled with
roasted sesame seeds and
pistachio chips.
They sound delicious.
I would love to try some.
OK, well we've been discussing
the language of biscuits and
mentioned some of these words.
'Dunking' describes dipping something,
like a biscuit, into liquid
for a short period of time.
Describing something as being fit for
consumption means it's edible -
which is another one of our words
and it means 'it can be eaten'.
'Sustenance' is another word for food.
And something that has 'prominence'
is important or more well-known.
And when you get a 'sugar rush',
you get a quick blast of energy from,
unsurprisingly, eating something containing
lots of sugar.
OK, well, we only get six minutes for this
programme - that's the way the cookie crumbles -
so we're out of time.
Bye for now.
Goodbye
Hello. This is 6 Minute English
from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.
And I'm Sam.
Do you like trying new food?
I do indeed -
I love eating foods from around the world
and I especially like trying out
restaurants that serve new kinds of food.
Me too, and I like food that is
a mix of different styles -
sometimes called fusion food.
But could I tempt you to some insect
tapas or a tarantula doughnut?
Maybe not -
the idea of eating food made from
bugs and creepy crawlies doesn't appeal.
Well, maybe I can convince you in this
programme because that's what we're discussing -
and teaching you some vocabulary along the way.
But first, I must serve you a question
to answer. It's about food -
but not made from bugs.
Do you know what type of food
is sometimes known as 'priest chokers'?
Is it: a) cheese?, b) pasta? or
c) potato?
I think I know this one, Neil.
It's pasta, isn't it?
Well, I'll give you the answer
at the end of the programme.
But, let's get back to food
made from bugs -
which is a growing trend in the Western world.
Insects are an alternative source of
food and experts say they're filled with
lots of good nutrients, including amino acids
and protein.
And eating them could help
to fight world hunger and
reduce pollution.
I'm not convinced yet,
but I do know that the word
for eating insects is 'entomophagy'
and it's something BBC World
Service programme, The Food Chain, discussed.
The programme spoke to experts who think
cooking with bugs is a great idea.
One of them was Andy Holcroft,
founding director of Grub Kitchen
and Bug Farm Foods.
He explained the challenge of getting some
people to eat bugs.
In the Western culture, we've got
a bit of an uphill - I'd say - struggle
because pre-conceptions around eating insects
are already sort of ingrained in society, so
we already think before we even tried
them, they're going to taste disgusting or gross.
So, to actually get someone to
put it in your mouth - the easiest
way we find straight away is
to try maybe, a cricket cookie
or a chocolate chip cricket cookie
where you have...
we're using cricket powder so you don't
actually see any insects whatsoever -
you're getting the idea that you're eating them
so people can deal with that
a bit more than actually seeing
the whole insects.
Interestingly, it seems to be Western
cultures that don't like eating insects -
perhaps because it's thought to be wrong or
just disgusting, even if it's not!
As Andy says, people have pre-conceived
ideas about it.
To change these ideas is an uphill
struggle or needs a lot of effort to achieve.
Yes, the negative attitude to eating
bugs is ingrained into society,
meaning this is a long-lasting attitude
that is difficult to change.
But Andy and other chefs are
trying to change that attitude
by subtly introducing insects into food,
such as his chocolate chip cricket cookies.
This is just for starters!
Other interesting and exotic dishes,
where you do see the bugs you're eating,
are now being served.
I'm still not convinced but maybe
chef Joseph Yoon can change my mind?
He is a chef and an 'edible insect ambassador'.
He's also trying to persuade
the squeamish - people easily upset
by something unpleasant -
to overcome their fears of crickets,
worms and spiders, and instead see
them as a tasty, alternative source of protein.
Here he is,speaking on the BBC's
Food Chain programme talking about
changing people's attitudes.
We approach our work with openness,
with understanding and inclusivity.
When people approach me and
they go like 'urghh' or they
react very viscerally,
I don't get confrontational, I go
like, I understand that you
can feel that way and what we need to do
is start changing these perceptions
from insects as being a pest, that
bites you or that carries disease,
to edible insects, something that's
sustainably farmed and harvested specifically,
for human consumption.
So, Joseph is passionate about edible
insects but is understanding of people who
don't like the idea and maybe
show this viscerally -
having an emotional reaction rather than
one based on fact or reason.
But Joseph wants to change these
negative emotions by explaining the
insects are farmed purely for humans
to eat, and they are farmed
sustainably - in a way that can last for
a long time and is good
for the environment.
I suppose we kill animals such
as cows and sheep to eat
so why not insects or spiders?
The debate about this continues
but there's no debate about the answer
to today's questions, Sam.
Earlier, I asked you if you
knew what type of food is
sometimes known as 'priest choker'?
And I was sure it was pasta.
It is pasta.
Strozzapreti, which means 'priest chokers'
in italian, is an elongated form
of cavatelli pasta.
Its name is thought to come from the
greedy priests who were so enthralled
by the pasta that they ate too
quickly and choked themselves.
No bugs were involved, though.
That's good to know because
we have been talking about entomophagy,
a word for the practice of eating insects.
Other vocabulary we mentioned included
fusion, which means a mix of different styles.
And the expression an uphill struggle
means needs a lot of effort to achieve.
Something that is ingrained is a
long-lasting attitude that is difficult to change.
Viscerally describes having an emotional
reaction rather than one based
on fact or reason.
And, doing something sustainably
is doing it in a way that can last for
a long time and is good for the environment.
Well, that's all for this 6 Minute English.
If you've enjoyed it, join us again soon
for more real-life stories
and topical vocabulary here at 6
Minute English.
Goodbye for now!
Bye!
Hello. This is 6 Minute
English from BBC Learning English.
I'm Rob.
And I'm Sam, and I 'm having
a boiled egg for lunch today.
I'll just uh sprinkle some
salt on top - there!
Oh, you've spilled some salt on the floor,
Sam!
Quick, throw some over your left shoulder.
Throw salt over my shoulder?!?
What are you talking about, Rob?
It's bad luck to spill salt!
Oh dear! It looks like Rob believes in superstitions -
old beliefs which are based on magic
and mystery rather than science.
Many superstitions are connected to
food as we'll discover
in this programme.
Right - like throwing salt over your shoulder
to stop bad luck.
Oh come on, Rob!
You don't really believe that, do you?
Well, lots of people do believe food
superstitions, including otherwise rational,
scientific people.
For example, have you ever blown out
the candles on a birthday cake and
made a wish?
Or thrown rice over the bride and
groom at a wedding?
Yes to both of those.
Maybe I'm more superstitious than I thought!
Well, before we find out, it's time
for a quiz question about another famous
food festival - Halloween.
That's when people carve scary faces
into pumpkins to frighten away evil
spirits.
Yes. Right.
The tradition of carving pumpkins
or Jack o'Lanterns as they're called
in the United States,
started out as a Celtic festival in Ireland -
but it was the Americans who
started using pumpkins.
So what vegetable did the
Irish originally use to scare away ghosts?
Was it: a) turnips?,
b) potatoes?, or c) squash?
I'll say b) potatoes.
OK, Sam, we'll find out the
right answer later on
What's for sure is that cultures
from around the world have been
connecting food and magic
for thousands of years,
and over time it's created some
strange beliefs.
Here's food historian Tasha Marks
describing one unusual superstition
to BBC World Service programme,
The Food Chain:
When you have superstitions and they
sort of mix with science and health
and medicine... and and one of the
examples of that would be something
like garlic which we all know garlic
wards off vampires
but it's also been thought to
ward off the 'evil eye',
and if you come across the term the
'evil eye' it's a sort of blanket
term that that sort of applies to
any bad luck.
Tasha says that garlic
is believed to ward off vampires,
meaning to repel or stop someone from
harming you.
According to this superstition,
garlic also keeps away the evil eye -
bad luck or magical spells
with the power to cause
bad things to happen.
Tasha describes the 'evil eye'
as a blanket term for any bad luck.
Just as a real blanket covers the different
parts of your body, a blanket term
is a phrase that's used to describe
many examples of related things.
But food superstitions aren't only
about bad luck - they also give our
lives meaning.
Jonty Rajagopalan owns a tourist agency
in Hyderabad, India, where she
introduces visitors to some of
the city's food traditions.
Here she's talking with BBC
World Service's The Food Chain,
about a tradition connected with the
Hindu New Year.
Can you spot the different
tastes she mentions?
Some of the traditions give you
a little bit of a lesson,
like on every new year,
and not 1st January, not
the Gregorian calendar New Year, but
the the Hindu calendar New Year,
we would always be given - a
it's a kind of a chutney
which is made of all the five tastes:
so you have sour, you have sweet,
you have something bitter in it
and your mum would always give it
to you saying that this is what
the rest of the year is going to be -
you'll have happiness, you'll have challenges,
you'll have a little sadness, you'll have
bitterness in your life,
which I think is a very nice tradition -
it prepares you for everything in life.
At Hindu New Year mothers give
their children a special chutney -
a mixture of fruit, spices, sugar and vinegar.
Did you spot the chutney's flavours, Sam?
There was sour, sweet and bitter.
Mothers tell their children
that the coming year, like the chutney,
will have its own flavours,
both good and bad.
That's why Jonty says that traditions
can teach (you) a lesson -
they show you what you should
or shouldn't do in the future,
as a result of experience.
What a lovely way to end our look at food
superstitions!
Yes, maybe we should make chutney
at Halloween, instead of carving pumpkins -
or whatever vegetable the Irish originally used.
Ah, yes - in my quiz question
I asked you what vegetable
was originally used instead of pumpkins
to scare away ghosts.
I guessed it was b) potatoes.
Which was... the wrong answer!
In fact, turnips were originally used,
so maybe Irish ghosts are smaller
than American ones!
OK, let's recap the vocabulary
we've learned about superstitions -
old beliefs which are connected with magic.
Garlic is supposed to ward off,
or keep away, dangers like the evil eye -
bad luck or harmful magic.
The evil eye is an example
of a blanket term -
a phrase used to describe
many examples of related things.
One Indian superstition involves chutney -
a food mixing many flavours.
These traditions can teach you
a lesson - show you how to
act in the future
based on your past experience.
Right. Well, that's all for this programme.
Good luck with your language learning!
And if you've enjoyed this topical
discussion and want to learn how to
use the vocabulary found in headlines,
why not try out our News Review podcast?
Bye for now!
Bye bye!
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from
BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.
And I’m Rob.
I see you've been tucking into the
biscuits again, Rob.
Well, I have, Neil.
You can't beat a bite on a biscuit
for a quick and easy sweet treat.
They make me feel good -
as long as I don't eat too many!
So, these are your 'edible comforters' -
a comforter is something that makes you feel
relaxed and feel good.
Put another way, it is your comfort
food, which is what we're talking about
in this programme.
Yes, like biscuits - comfort food is
snacks and meals we like to stuff our
faces with, even if it's not always good for us.
We'll be discussing what actually makes
us eat the stuff.
But how about a question to feast on, Rob?
Patrick Bertoletti from the USA
holds the Guinness World Record for
eating the most cream-filled biscuits
in one minute, but do you know
how many biscuits he ate?
Was it... a) 2, b) 7, or c) 15?
Well, based on my biscuit-eating skills,
I'd say 15 - it depends if he had to swallow
them as well.
I'm not sure about that - but
I'll reveal the answer later on.
Now, biscuits, ice cream, crisps, and pizzas
are all good examples of comfort food.
They're easy to snack on and they
don't require many culinary skills -
culinary means related to cooking.
Umm, well that makes sense,
but there must be something else
that is urging us to seek out this 'easy' food?
According to psychologist Shira Gabriel,
it's about memories and emotional experiences.
She spoke on The Food Chain podcast
on BBC World Service and said
her comfort food was macaroni and cheese -
something that brings back memories...
At some point in my life
those were foods that were made
for me or shared with me by people who
cared about me and loved me and
took care of me, so because
those are the foods that I had
in my youth, i've associated them with,
sort of, those feelings of being taken care of.
And those associations are strong, the
associations we have with food are very
strong, and so by eating those foods, I'm
able to activate those associations
and give myself a rush of positive
feelings and a sense of acceptance.
... so like so many of us, Shira
associates eating certain types of food
with past experiences from her youth.
Associates means makes a connection
in your mind with something.
And these connections between food
and memories are very strong.
I know eating biscuits reminds me of
eating them after school, as a treat.
Well, Shira explains how we get a rush -
a sudden and strong emotion - of
positive feelings when these memories are
activated by eating comfort food.
And it's not just memories
that are activated, but also the
emotions we feel as well.
If we felt happy the first time we ate
the food, then hopefully we'll feel
happy when we eat it again.
It's not always that simple, Rob.
Tucking into food that's high in
carbohydrates, sugar or salt can make
us feel guilty, but we don't realize
our minds are trying to trigger -
or start - a positive emotion
and it's making us eat that food
to do so.
The Food Chain podcast explores
this in more detail –
but what is interesting is that comfort
food isn't universal.
Some languages don't have
a comparable phrase.
It's a good point and something
food writer Jenny Linford
talked about.
Here's her theory on why that is...
Talking to Italian friends,
I've realized that, no, they don't
have a phrase for 'comfort food' -
I think it's sort of irrelevant...
My Italian friends I asked about
comfort food, they were just,
they said to me, look you know,
food is always comfort and always
pleasure and it's a joyful thing,
so it's just really interesting that
you know this idea of comfort food
is not universal, it's actually quite nuanced.
So, according to Jenny's Italian friends,
all food brings comfort and pleasure.
Talking about specific comforting
food is irrelevant - it's not important
or has no connection with the discussion.
Yes, she thinks the concept
of comfort food is quite nuanced,
depending on where you are from -
so there are small but important differences.
Well, maybe we should take comfort
from - or feel less bad about -
the fact that eating any kind of food
can bring us joy, warmth,
happiness and comfort.
So if you don't mind,
I think I'll munch on another biscuit.
Are you trying to beat the record
of Patrick Bertoletti from the USA?
Earlier I mentioned he holds the
Guinness World Record for eating
the most cream-filled biscuits in one
minute, but how many biscuits did he eat?
Was it... a) 2, b) 7, c) 15?
I thought he ate 15.
Was I right?
No, Rob. He scoffed only 7
in one minute.
So maybe you can beat him?
But before you do, let's recap
on some of the vocabulary
we've been discussing.
Of course. We've been talking about
comfort food - food that makes us feel good -
and we described it as a 'comforter' -
something that makes us feel relaxed
and feel good.
We also mentioned culinary -
connected to cooking.
And associated - which means
made a connection in our mind with something.
Something that is irrelevant is
not important or has no connection
with the discussion taking place.
And something that is nuanced
has small but important differences.
Finally, when you take comfort in
something, you don't feel so bad
because of something else.
Well, Neil, we're out of time
but let's take comfort in knowing that
there are lots more 6 Minute English
programmes to enjoy on our website
at bbclearningenglish.com.
We also have an app that you can
download for free from the app stores.
And of course, we are all over
social media.
Thanks for listening and goodbye.
Goodbye
Hello and welcome to 6
Minute English, I'm Neil.
And I'm Rob.
And in this programme we're discussing
food.
Food glorious food!
There's only one thing better
than talking about food
and that's eating it.
Well I know you are a bit of a
gastronome - someone who enjoys
and knows a lot about high-quality food
but today we're talking about
photographing food, not eating it.
That's a shame because I
am on a see-food diet -
if I see food, I have to eat it. Get it?!
Yes Rob, very very funny.
But in the social media-addicted
world, just seeing food - not eating it -
is big business as I will explain shortly.
But shall we feast on a
question first, Rob?
Yes, if it tastes good!
It does.
So, do you know the name for
the person who's usually second in
charge in a restaurant kitchen
after the head chef and
has lots of responsibility for running it?
Is it the... a) Pastry chef, b) Commis chef,
or c) Sous chef?
Hmm, I'm not a chef expert
but I'll say c) Sous chef -
it sounds important!
Well I'll give you the answer
later in the programme.
Now let me explain more
about food and photos.
These days, how well a dish -
that's a noun for food
prepared for eating - is
photographed can matter more
than how it actually tastes.
And I suppose social media
platforms are the best way for
sharing food photos on, aren't they?
And I have been guilty of taking
a picture of my food on my
smartphone - but only when eating some
amazing food at a posh restaurant.
Which isn't very often I suppose!
But by sharing images across
social media, people see them and
think the food looks delicious,
I must go to that restaurant and
eat it!
You could argue it's all about
style over substance, meaning
the look of something is better
than the actual content or product.
Maybe, Rob - although I'm sure
sometimes the food tastes
just as good as it looks.
Anyway, the BBC Radio
4 programme, You and Yours, has
been looking into this.
They spoke to several
influential instagramers and bloggers -
influential means having the power to
make people change what they think.
Here's one of them - Rebecca Milford,
who edits a website called Bar Chick.
What does she think
about this new trend?
I mean it sounds very cliche
that a picture speaks a thousand
words but it really does
and I've got friends now that
instead of doing what you used to
do and going on to the website
of a restaurant to see what they were
serving, then you'd go onto their
Instagram account and check out
the images, and choose what
you want to eat literally based
on what you're seeing.
So it has to be presentable,
I suppose.
Rebecca used a well-known and
well-used phrase there - one
that is used so much it has
become boring - what we call a cliche.
The phrase is a picture speaks a
thousand words.
Yes - and even if it is a cliche -
it's so true.
You describe a fantastic
meal in a long blog
but you can quickly see how
it looks from a picture
and then create an idea in your
mind of how it tastes.
So when you're promoting food,
a photo is everything.
And that's why some restaurants
pay PR companies lots of money
to take stylish photos that can be
shared on social media.
It's like a fashion photo shoot
for food.
Yes and Rebecca said
the food has to be presentable -
that's looking good enough
for people to see - because
people are making choices
on what they see.
I've also heard that some
chefs and restaurateurs
have adjusted their menus
to produce meals that look good on
a smartphone camera.
A restaurateur, by the way,
is the name of a person
who owns and manages
a restaurant.
Now, while there is a risk
that good-looking food on
social media accounts
such as Instagram, might not
match how it tastes,
there is a theory your brain
might trick you into thinking
it does taste good.
The You and Yours programme
also heard from Professor
Charles Spence, an Experimental
Psychologist from Oxford University,
about how this happens…
We see the food first,
or the drink in the glass,
and our brain's already imagining
what it's going to taste like.
And the more beautifully
it's presented, the more artistically,
that sets better expectations
and they kind of carry over and
anchor the tasting experience.
Right, so a great photo of
food can possibly make us
think it tastes better too.
We create an idea in our head of
how it will taste which influences our
expectations when we actually
eat the food.
And expectation means the feeling
that something good is going to
happen.
Right Rob, I'm sure you're
expecting the answer to
the question I set you earlier.
I asked if you knew the name
for the person who's usually
second in charge in a restaurant
kitchen after the Head chef
and has lots of responsibility
for running it?
Is it the... a) Pastry chef,
b) Commis chef, or c) Sous chef.
What did you say, Rob?
I said c) a Sous chef.
Am I right?
You are Rob!
Give that man a job,
here maybe in the BBC canteen!
Come on, Neil. I think I
can do better than that!
But before I do let's remind
ourselves of some of the vocabulary
we've discussed today.
Starting with gastronome -
that's someone who enjoys and
knows a lot about high-quality food -
someone like me!
Maybe Rob. We also discussed
the word influential, meaning having
the power to make people change
what they think.
We also mentioned cliche -
a well-known phrase that is so
overused it's become boring.
Like for example 'a picture speaks a
thousand words.'
You never use cliches
do you, Neil?
Absolutely never.
Let's move on to presentable -
that describes something that
looks good, is smart and is
good enough for people to see.
A bit like me in my smart new
jumper. Do you like it?
Very nice! Well a presenter has
to be presentable, Neil!
Our next word was expectation,
a word that describes the feeling
that something good is going to
happen.
I have an expectation that people
will love this programme!
Well, let's hope so!
Yes, and that brings us to the
end of this programme.
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our social media platforms.
See you soon, bye bye.
Goodbye!