Eating International
1 This paragraph has some words I do not recognize: yaourtlou kebap. What could it be? I think it is the name of a food. As I read on, I learn that I was correct.
Perhaps I can fi nd out how to pronounce these words in a dictionary or online.
by Dee Murphy, R.D., L.D.
49 Eating International
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2 I notice that after this sentence there is a change in the article.
Nick and Hiroshi are no longer talking. How come? I think this part is actually the article that Nick wrote for the school newspaper.
3 I made a connection when this person talked about making kaas-doop at Christmas. My own family makes special foods during the holidays, too.
Genre Study Fictional Article:
The people who are quoted in the article are not real. These people are used as examples to provide information. However, the information in the quotations is real.
America is a melting pot of cultures.2 When people from these various cultures came to this country, they brought their recipes with them. But many people here have never tasted what the melting pot has to off er. Tasty, nutritious foods that are common in other countries haven’t become popular here. But I will tell you about some of the mouth-watering dishes that you might be missing. Move over cheeseburgers and fries, and make way for some exciting ethnic foods!
Jan Van Beek says that his family makes kaasdoop every year at Christmas time.3 Kaasdoop is a Gouda cheese fondue that is served with potatoes and rye bread. Jan’s great-great-grand-parents came from Holland and brought the recipe with them.
“Gouda cheese comes with a red wax wrapped around it. It’s got a real mild, nutty fl avor. I like to dip the bread in the melted cheese fondue,” says Jan.
Emma Watertown’s great-grandparents came to America from Germany. Rouladen is one of the German foods that Emma likes to make and enjoy.
“I get to help make rouladen when I visit my grandmother,”
says Emma. “First, we pound steaks until they are fl at. Th en we lay bacon, onion, cucumber slices, and spices on top of the fl attened steak. Grandmother says you can put other meats or cheeses in it, but I like it this way. Finally, we roll it up and stick toothpicks in it to make sure it stays rolled. Aft er it is cooked, we eat it with noodles, potato dumplings, and a salad.”
Nadia Wolkoff says when she gets tired of drinking soda, she gets thirsty for kompot. Kompot is popular in the former Soviet Union, where many diff erent kinds of fruit are grown.
“My mother keeps kompot on hand in the summer because it makes a good aft ernoon snack,” says Nadia. “It’s easy to make, and it’s healthier than soda. You take any kind of fruit you want and boil it with sugar. When it’s almost done cooking, you add cinnamon and nutmeg and stir. You can either drink it hot or cold. I like it hot in the winter and cold in the summer.”
People who live in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway enjoy red cabbage. One recipe combines shredded red cabbage cooked in butter and sugar with a vinegar sauce for a sweet-and-sour delight. You can even add chopped apples for extra fl avor. Yum!
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After Reading
Take Notes: Have students list some of the foods they learned about in the article. Ask them to include a short description of each one and identify its country of origin. What other questions might they answer on the list?
Use Copying Master number 1 to prompt students to share other questions that came up as they read the story.
Cultural Perspective
Discuss how language in diff erent neighborhoods or regions can vary depending upon the culture. (Examples might include sandwiches, subs, heroes, and grinders.)
“I wonder . . .”
Think and Respond
1. Why do you think Nick chose foods people eat as a topic for an article for his school newspaper? Possible response: He thinks students would be interested to learn about foods from other countries and cultures. Critical
2. How can you tell this is fi ction? Possible responses: It has made-up characters.
There is dialogue. It tells a story about two boys at lunch talking about what they like to eat. Genre
3. Why do you think the author uses a fi ctional story to present factual
information about foods from around the world? Possible responses: Maybe she includes students in the story so readers can identify with them and their situation at lunchtime. Maybe she wanted to share information in a fun way.
Author’s Purpose
51 Eating International
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