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Views #1378 | Intermediate B1

Freaky Foods

Abidemi and Rory discuss various foods that they are scared to eat.

Rory: So Abidemi, do you remember we were talking about food combinations which people find strange.

Abidemi: Hmm.

Rory: Well, I was wondering, are there any foods which just freak you out, which you’d never eat?

Abidemi: Well, I think the older I have gotten, the more I’ve become, kind of, hesitant to try new food, which is strange.

Rory: Yeah.

Abidemi: Before, the thought…

Rory: I thought you were going to say more adventurous. It’s the opposite.

Abidemi: It is the opposite, unfortunately. Before, the thought of eating insects or cats and dogs didn’t do anything for me. It didn’t do anything bad. It was just like, “Oh sure, I’ll try it.” Before, my philosophy was if it’s food, and if I see somebody else eating it, I’ll try it.

Rory: Right.

Abidemi: But now, just the thought of it, of trying to eat a dog or a cat, I don’t want to.

Rory: So did you try some strange foods when you were younger?

Abidemi: Yes. I traveled to Northern Canada, and I lived in an Inuit community for a little while. And there, they eat a lot of different sea animals.

Rory: Right.

Abidemi: For example, whales, what else? They eat caribou as well. Just different animals and I tried a lot of that. And I really liked it. It was good.

Rory: Okay.

Abidemi: It didn’t do anything bad to me or…

Rory: Right.

Abidemi: Yeah, I didn’t get sick or anything from it.

Rory: And you didn’t have a problem with the connection between this animal, the whale, which people have now raised to be like this is so important for our planet?

Abidemi: Personally, no. I didn’t. I think – I don’t want to say I’m being selfish but to me, if you’re doing it for – not to sell, not for commercialization, and for these people, for those people, the Inuits, it’s their way of living. It’s their way of surviving.

Rory: Right.

Abidemi: So I didn’t have any problems with that.
So I think maybe in general, too. That’s where that philosophy before was if somebody else is eating it, and it’s okay, I’ll try it. Why not?

Rory: Okay.

Abidemi: So I don’t know.

Rory: I’ve never tried anything like that but if I see…
When I traveled in Southeast Asia, I did try some insects.

Abidemi: Okay.

Rory: And they looked terrible, and it’s really hard to get your mind around the fact you’re going to eat it. When you eat it, it doesn’t – I mean, it tastes okay.

Abidemi: Okay.

Rory: They normally cook that maybe candied, served a little bit salt or a little bit salty.

Abidemi: Oh. All right.

Rory: So they taste okay. But your eyes continue to tell your brain that there’s something wrong.

Abidemi: Okay. Okay. Do you think you would try it again?

Rory: I think I would. I think the future is insects.

Abidemi: Okay. The future is insects. That’s funny.

Rory: Yeah.

Abidemi: It’s funny, in Nigeria, we used to, when I was a kid, we would – I don’t know what you call them. They were like – I don’t want to say termites – I’m not sure. But they were flying. A certain type of flying insects that will come at a certain time of the year and they were only there maybe for two or three weeks. And we will just catch them and fry them. Just salted and fried. It was really good.

Rory: Yeah.

Abidemi: And back then to me, it wasn’t anything strange. It was just like nice.

Rory: Right.

Abidemi: I would think that I would like to try it again because it was just so good, just from my memories. But I don’t know I might hesitate now to eat it.

Rory: Yeah. I think people can quickly become use to strange foods.

Abidemi: Okay.

Rory: So like nobody ate raw fish in England, say, 25 years ago. But with Japanese food becoming more popular, now it’s perfectly acceptable. Lots of people like to eat like raw, raw fish.

Abidemi: Okay. Okay. I think, if you say, if you say something it’s healthy, it can quickly gain in popularity.

Rory: Yeah. Yeah.

Answer these questions about the interview.
Audio Lessons about Phrases and Vocabulary

freak you out

image

Are there any foods which just freak you out?

When something freaks you out, you are afraid of it, or do not like it. Notice the following:

  1. His smile freaks me out.
  2. Insects really freaks me out.

don't do anything for me

image

The thought of eating insects or cats and dogs didn’t do anything for me.

When something 'doesn't do anything for you', then that means it does not interest you, usually after you tried it. Notice the following:

  1. I tried yoga, but it didn't do anything for me.
  2. Jazz doesn't do anything for me.

philosophy

image

My philosophy was if it’s food, I’ll try it.

Your philosophy is how you think about and value different things in life. Notice the following:

  1. My philosophy is you only live once.
  2. His philosophy on life is really strange.

Inuit

image

I lived in an Inuit community

Inuit are native peoples that live in Northern Canada and Alaska. Notice the following:

  1. The Inuits are used to cold weather.
  2. I want to learn more about the Inuit people.

caribou

image

They eat caribou as well.

Caribou is a type of deer that can grow to be very large. Notice the following:

  1. Most caribou have horns.
  2. Caribou are tall, fast, and strong.

commercialization

image

They do it for commercialization.

Commercialization refers to making money from something, often things that were once free. Notice the following:

  1. Most people dislike the commercialization of education.
  2. The commercialization of the Internet was unavoidable.

get your mind around

image

It’s really hard to get your mind around the fact you’re going to eat it.

When you get your mind around something, you try to understand something that seemed confusing before. Notice the following:

  1. I can't get my mind around this payment system.
  2. I am trying to get my mind around how this works.

gain in popularity

image

It can quickly gain in popularity.

When something gains in popularity it becomes more popular. Notice the following:

  1. Yoga has quickly gained in popularity.
  2. These new cell phones are gaining in popularity.

Vocabulary Quiz

do anything • philosophy • Inuit
caribou • commercialization • mind around
  1. He has a very strange about life.
  2. The can hunt polar bears.
  3. Most are taller than a horse.
  4. Businesses need to survive.
  5. I cannot get my this.
  6. That book didn't for me.

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