Some people in the United States really like a special kind of food that is a mix of food from India and China. This food is called Indo-Chinese cuisine. It has special tastes because it uses spices and sauces from both countries. Dishes like cauliflower with a spicy sauce and special noodles are now very popular. Many restaurants that serve Indian or Nepali food now also have these dishes. Even some restaurants that are not Indian are starting to serve them because many people want to eat them.

People from India who live in the United States like this food a lot. But it’s not just them; other people who like to try new foods enjoy it too. This includes Americans and people from China. Some of the favorite dishes are spicy cauliflower and noodles. These dishes are so liked that they are often found on the menu next to other famous Indian foods. Indian restaurants have started to serve these dishes because families and kids like to eat different kinds of food, including noodles.

But, you won’t find this special food in most Chinese restaurants in the United States. Some young people who are Chinese-American might know about one dish called momos, but they might not know about other dishes from Indo-Chinese cuisine. Still, for Indian restaurants, these dishes are very important. They know that families and kids like the different tastes. Because so many people want to eat Indo-Chinese food, you can now find it in many Indian restaurants all over the country. Restaurant owners know that people like this food and it can help them make money.

Original news source: Indo-Chinese cuisine makes a splash in US dining (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Write down different dishes from Indo-Chinese cuisine on separate pieces of paper and put them in a bowl. One student from each team will take turns picking a piece of paper and acting out the dish without speaking. Their team members will have to guess the dish within a certain time limit. The team that guesses the most dishes correctly wins.

– News Summary
Instructions: Have the students read the article individually or in pairs. Afterwards, ask them to write a summary of the article in their own words, focusing on the main points. Then, have them share their summaries with a partner and compare their answers. Finally, have a class discussion to review the main points of the article.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a list of questions related to the article, such as “Do you like spicy food?” or “Have you ever tried Indo-Chinese cuisine?”. Have the students discuss their opinions and answer the questions in their groups. Then, have each group share their answers with the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article on separate pieces of paper and put them in a bowl. Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team will take turns picking a word from the bowl and drawing it on the board without speaking. Their team members will have to guess the word within a certain time limit. The team that guesses the most words correctly wins.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Have the students discuss in pairs or small groups what they think the future of Indo-Chinese cuisine in the United States will be. They can consider questions such as “Will it become even more popular?”, “Will it be available in more types of restaurants?”, or “Will new dishes be created?”. After the discussion, have some groups share their predictions with the class.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the special kind of food that people in the United States like?
2. Why does Indo-Chinese cuisine have special tastes?
3. What are some popular dishes in Indo-Chinese cuisine?
4. Who likes this food a lot in the United States?
5. Why do Indian restaurants serve Indo-Chinese dishes?
6. Where can you find Indo-Chinese food in the United States?
7. Why do restaurant owners serve Indo-Chinese food?
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Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Some people in the United States really like a special kind of food that is a mix of food from India and China. This food is called Indo-Chinese cuisine. It has special tastes because it uses spices and sauces from both countries. Dishes like cauliflower with a spicy sauce and special (1)______ are now very (2)______. Many restaurants that serve Indian or (3)______ food now also have these dishes. Even some restaurants that are not Indian are starting to serve them because many (4)______ want to eat them.

People from India who live in the United States like this food a lot. But it’s not just them; (5)______ people who like to try new foods enjoy it too. This includes Americans and people from (6)______. Some of the favorite dishes are spicy cauliflower and noodles. These dishes are so liked that they are often found on the menu next to other famous Indian (7)______s. Indian (8)______ have started to serve these dishes because families and kids like to eat different kinds of food, including noodles.

But, you won’t find this special food in most Chinese restaurants in the United (9)______. Some young people who are Chinese-American might know about one dish called momos, but they might not know about other dishes from Indo-Chinese cuisine. Still, for Indian restaurants, these dishes are very important. They know that families and kids like the different tastes. Because so many people (10)______ to eat Indo-Chinese food, you can now find it in many Indian restaurants all over the (11)______. (12)______ owners know that people like this food and it can help them make money.
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Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is Indo-Chinese cuisine?
2. Have you ever tried Indo-Chinese food? How did it taste?
3. Do you like trying new foods? Why or why not?
4. How would you feel if your favorite restaurant started serving Indo-Chinese dishes?
5. What is your favorite kind of cuisine? Why do you like it?
6. Do you think it’s important for restaurants to offer a variety of foods? Why or why not?
7. Why do you think Indo-Chinese food is popular in the United States?
8. What other types of cuisine do you think would be popular in the United States?
9. Do you think it’s important for restaurants to adapt their menu to cater to different tastes? Why or why not?
10. How do you think Indo-Chinese food can help restaurants make money?
11. If you could create your own dish combining two different cuisines, what would it be? Why?
12. Would you like to try Indo-Chinese food? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. cuisine
2. spices
3. cauliflower
4. noodles
5. Indian
6. Chinese
7. restaurants
8. popular

Meanings:
(a) Long, thin strips of dough that are cooked and eaten
(b) Liked by many people and enjoyed by many
(c) A vegetable that looks like a white tree
(d) Ingredients that add flavor to food
(e) From or related to India
(f) A type of food that mixes Indian and Chinese flavors
(g) Places where people go to eat food made by others
(h) From or related to China
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Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is Indo-Chinese cuisine?
(a) A type of pizza
(b) A mix of food from India and China
(c) A popular American fast food
(d) A type of sushi

2. What makes Indo-Chinese cuisine special?
(a) It is made with special noodles
(b) It is only served in Indian restaurants
(c) It is a type of fast food
(d) It uses spices and sauces from both India and China

3. Who likes Indo-Chinese cuisine?
(a) People from India, China, and America
(b) Only people from India
(c) Only people from China
(d) Only people from America

4. Which dishes are popular in Indo-Chinese cuisine?
(a) Spicy chicken and rice
(b) Spicy cauliflower and noodles
(c) Sweet and sour pork
(d) Fried rice and dumplings

5. Where can you find Indo-Chinese cuisine in the United States?
(a) Many Chinese restaurants
(b) Only in big cities
(c) Only in small towns
(d) Many Indian restaurants

6. Why do Indian restaurants serve Indo-Chinese cuisine?
(a) Because it is a traditional Indian food
(b) Because it is cheaper to make than other dishes
(c) Because families and kids like the different tastes
(d) Because it is easy to cook

7. Do most Chinese restaurants in the United States serve Indo-Chinese cuisine?
(a) Yes, it is very popular in Chinese restaurants
(b) Only some Chinese restaurants serve Indo-Chinese cuisine
(c) No, they usually don’t serve Indo-Chinese cuisine
(d) Only Chinese-American restaurants serve Indo-Chinese cuisine

8. Why do restaurant owners serve Indo-Chinese cuisine?
(a) Because many people want to eat it and it can help them make money
(b) Because it is a healthy option for customers
(c) Because it is a traditional American food
(d) Because it is easy to cook and doesn’t require many ingredients

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. People from India and China who live in the United States enjoy Indo-Chinese cuisine.
2. Indo-Chinese cuisine is an unpopular type of food in the United States.
3. Many Italian and Nepali restaurants now serve Indo-Chinese dishes.
4. Even non-Indian restaurants are starting to serve Indo-Chinese food because many people want to eat it.
5. While you can find Indo-Chinese food in many Indian restaurants, it is not commonly found in Chinese restaurants in the United States.
6. It combines flavors and ingredients from France and China.
7. Dishes like plain cauliflower and noodles are favorites among people who enjoy trying new foods.
8. Indo-Chinese dishes are often found on the menu next to other famous Indian foods.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What is Indo-Chinese cuisine?
2. Why do many restaurants that serve Indian or Nepali food also have Indo-Chinese dishes?
3. Who likes Indo-Chinese cuisine in the United States?
4. Why do Indian restaurants serve Indo-Chinese dishes?
5. Can you find Indo-Chinese food in most Chinese restaurants in the United States? Why or why not?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is the special kind of food that people in the United States like?
People in the United States like a special kind of food called Indo-Chinese cuisine.

2. Why does Indo-Chinese cuisine have special tastes?
Indo-Chinese cuisine has special tastes because it uses spices and sauces from both India and China.

3. What are some popular dishes in Indo-Chinese cuisine?
Some popular dishes in Indo-Chinese cuisine are spicy cauliflower and noodles.

4. Who likes this food a lot in the United States?
People from India who live in the United States like this food a lot. Other people who like to try new foods also enjoy it.

5. Why do Indian restaurants serve Indo-Chinese dishes?
Indian restaurants serve Indo-Chinese dishes because families and kids like to eat different kinds of food, including noodles.

6. Where can you find Indo-Chinese food in the United States?
You can find Indo-Chinese food in many Indian restaurants all over the country.

7. Why do restaurant owners serve Indo-Chinese food?
Restaurant owners serve Indo-Chinese food because many people want to eat it, and it can help them make money.
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Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) noodles
(2) popular
(3) Nepali
(4) people
(5) other
(6) China
(7) food
(8) restaurants
(9) States
(10) want
(11) country
(12) Restaurant
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Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. cuisine
Answer: (f) A type of food that mixes Indian and Chinese flavors

2. spices
Answer: (d) Ingredients that add flavor to food

3. cauliflower
Answer: (c) A vegetable that looks like a white tree

4. noodles
Answer: (a) Long, thin strips of dough that are cooked and eaten

5. Indian
Answer: (e) From or related to India

6. Chinese
Answer: (h) From or related to China

7. restaurants
Answer: (g) Places where people go to eat food made by others

8. popular
Answer: (b) Liked by many people and enjoyed by many
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is Indo-Chinese cuisine?
Answer: (b) A mix of food from India and China

2. What makes Indo-Chinese cuisine special?
Answer: (d) It uses spices and sauces from both India and China

3. Who likes Indo-Chinese cuisine?
Answer: (a) People from India, China, and America

4. Which dishes are popular in Indo-Chinese cuisine?
Answer: (b) Spicy cauliflower and noodles

5. Where can you find Indo-Chinese cuisine in the United States?
Answer: (d) Many Indian restaurants

6. Why do Indian restaurants serve Indo-Chinese cuisine?
Answer: (c) Because families and kids like the different tastes

7. Do most Chinese restaurants in the United States serve Indo-Chinese cuisine?
Answer: (c) No, they usually don’t serve Indo-Chinese cuisine

8. Why do restaurant owners serve Indo-Chinese cuisine?
Answer: (a) Because many people want to eat it and it can help them make money
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. People from India and China who live in the United States enjoy Indo-Chinese cuisine. (Answer: True)
2. Indo-Chinese cuisine is an unpopular type of food in the United States. (Answer: False)
3. Many Italian and Nepali restaurants now serve Indo-Chinese dishes. (Answer: False)
4. Even non-Indian restaurants are starting to serve Indo-Chinese food because many people want to eat it. (Answer: True)
5. While you can find Indo-Chinese food in many Indian restaurants, it is not commonly found in Chinese restaurants in the United States. (Answer: True)
6. It combines flavors and ingredients from France and China. (Answer: False)
7. Dishes like plain cauliflower and noodles are favorites among people who enjoy trying new foods. (Answer: False)
8. Indo-Chinese dishes are often found on the menu next to other famous Indian foods. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧