Page 57 - Grasp English B2 (Workbook)

6 Eating Habits

Stereotypes are hard to break: whether it’s a particular custom or personality trait of a culture, often our
ideas about them are fairly fixed until we experience the lifestyle for ourselves. Food photographer, Mieke
Bauer, decided to investigate some culinary stereotypes. From the cuisine of a country to a particular diet,
she hopes you’ll have a different opinion after reading about these four stereotypes.

It’s true that Mexicans like fiery food, and many people say that even the soft drinks taste spicy. But if
you’re not a fan of hot dishes, or worry you’ll regret them the morning after, you can easily find plenty
of flavoursome food without the heat. And, for those of you who do want to try something a little hotter,
remember you can always cover it in cottage cheese or refreshing sour cream to help combat the effects
of the spice.

Whilst the stereotypical view of Brits is that they eat a greasy breakfast every day of the week with various
fried products piled high on their plates, such as eggs, tomatoes or mushrooms, only a small percentage
of the population have it on a regular basis. Most Brits much prefer to have a couple of slices of wholemeal
toast, with a thin layer of butter and a large spoonful of bittersweet orange marmalade. And a cup of tea,
obviously!

You can’t deny that vegans are tucking into more crunchy vegetables than the rest of us, but their diets
are far from limited. From quinoa salad with a zesty lime and ginger dressing to vegan-friendly chocolate
brownies, you wouldn’t get bored if you decided to go vegan. In fact, part of the joy of vegan cooking
comes from trying to find tasty substitutes for your former favourites.

We’ve all seen an American film in which the teens are hanging out in the diner, with their smooth milkshakes
and crispy French fries, but there’s so much more to American cuisine than junk food. Restaurants are
going healthy in a big way so you can easily find delicious, organic meals at great prices.

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