Familiar foods in foreign places

Taste of home: The enduring popularity of expat food shops - BBC News

Click on the embedded link above to read the article and see the photos on the BBC News website.

This article is about shops that sell imported food products. Word count: 1082

Before reading:

General Knowledge:

• Can you find Cologne, Germany, on a map?
• What is an 'expat'?

Speculate:

• The article says that although imported food products are in high demand, shops like this one have a lot of competition. Who do you think competes with these shops?
• Why might local people be interested in going to a shop selling imported foods?
• Customers at these shops come for more than imported products. What else might attract people to shop there?

After reading:

Review and discuss:

• Write a 3-4 sentence summary of this article. Begin your summary with "This article is about…".
• In the article Victoria Weatherall says, ""It's extraordinary the emotions that food can evoke." Do you agree with her? If so, give examples from your own experience.
• What would you miss most if you moved to a new country? In addition to food, what are some other things that people might miss when they are away from their home country?
• In your opinion, what was the most interesting thing mentioned in this article? Why?

Reflect and evaluate:

• What kind of impact might shops like these have on local communities?
• Some local customers might visit an import shop to find a product they tried while on holiday in another country. Is there a product from another country that you really enjoy?
• What imported foods have you seen in your area? Which countries or regions seems to be popular or common?
• Is there anything else you'd like to know about this topic? Do you have any questions that weren't answered in the article?
• What vocabulary words were new to you in this article? Make a record of what you have learned.

Beyond the page

• Have you ever been to an expat food store? Find a store in your area that sells imported food- maybe you'd like to try something new! Or look online for recipes for cuisine from your favorite country. (**Readers in Tokyo: see a list of suggested expat shops below.)
• Explore The English Shop's website.

   
Join the conversation: add your thoughts about this article in the comments section below!

**Readers in Tokyo- visit one of these expat food shops:
Kankoku Hiroba (Korean): http://www.ehiroba.jp/
Eataly (Italian): http://www.eataly.co.jp/
Maya Bazaar (Indian): http://www.mayabazaar.net/
Darvish (Iranian): http://darvishshop.com/
Mundo Latino (Latin American): http://www.nambei.com/
Asia Superstore (Thai): http://www.asia-superstore.com/
National Azabu (International): http://www.national-azabu.com/
Kaldi Coffee Farm (International): http://www.kaldi.co.jp/