SPREADS ARE AN ADQUIRED TASTE

 

Shared by Julia P. López:

Click here if you want to download the classroom activities below. 

OBJECTIVES:

-Getting to know popular spreads through a variety of activities

-To understand that taste in food is a major cultural value

SKILLS:

-listening, speaking, reading and writing 

INGREDIENTS for the spread and evaluation taste

-Crackers (Graham crakers if possible, if not, any will do)

-Marmite

-Branston Pickle

-Robertson’s Golden Shred jam (or Seville Orange Marmalade, or Mermelada de naranja amarga, que será más fácil de encontrar).

-Cheddar cheese (optional)

and if you want to extend the activity:

-Nutella

-Lemon Custard

UTENSILS:

-trays or plates

-spreading knives

-paper napkins

What does Spread mean to people of Great Britain?

Great Britain: A nation which has provided us with many great inventions. The toothbrush, the telephone and the light bulb are all examples of British inventions. But one of the most appreciated British inventions is the humble spread.

Spread. This is something you would add to a sandwich, cold meat or cheese and crackers to give it a bit off panache!

Branston Pickle was first made in 1922 and has been a family favourite ever since. It is often affectionately referred to as ‘Branston’ or ‘Branny pickle.’ Branston Pickle is made from a variety of diced vegetables, including swede, carrots, onions, cauliflower and gherkin pickled in a sauce made from vinegar, tomato, apple and dates with spices such as mustard, coriander, garlic, cinnamon, pepper, cloves, nutmeg and cayenne pepper with sugar. This does not sound appetising. But it is.

Branston Pickle is sweet and spicy with a chutney-like consistency, containing small chunks of vegetables in a thick brown sticky sauce. It is commonly served as part of a ploughman’s lunch, a common menu item in British pubs.  It is also frequently combined with cheddar cheese  in sandwiches, and many sandwich shops in the UK offer "cheese and pickle" as an option.

As pickle is savoury you would usually eat it in a sandwich at lunchtime or in the late afternoon. 

In 2008 scientists at the University of Bristol stated that the formula for the best sandwich was as follows:

As we can see, pickle is a key ingredient.

Answer the following questions:

1.    When was Branston Pickle invented?

2.    What nicknames does Branston Pickle have?

3.    What ingredients are used to make Branston Pickle?

4.    Where could you eat a Ploughman’s lunch?

5.    What would you combine with Branston Pickle in a sandwich?

6.    During which part of the day would you eat Branston Pickle?

MARMALADE/JAM

Use the following words to form questions about marmalade:

Consistency                 colour               ingredients               taste              origin             flavour  

Find the Spanish expressions for the words in bold.

Marmalade is a glorious spread which British people eat with butter or margarine on toast for breakfast and only breakfast. (Please note that post World War II butter was a luxury item as it had been so severely rationed during the war, consequently, many members of the older generation still feel that if you eat margarine instead of butter, you are poor.)

The nation’s favourite brand of marmalade is Robertson’s Golden Shredless marmalade. From 1910- 2002 the brand’s mascot was a golliwog.  Consumers of the marmalade could collect coupons from the marmalade wrappers, and then send them off to receive a free Golliwog doll. Robertson’s retired the use of the golliwog mascot in 2002 as they are no longer seen as politically correct. 

 Who is Golliwog?

Golliwog originated in the 1899 children’s story Little Black Sambo. It is about a young South Indian boy who encounters four hungry tigers, and surrenders his clothes, shoes, and umbrella so they will not eat him. The tigers chase each other around a tree until they are reduced to a pool of melted butter. Sambo then recovers his clothes and his mother makes pancakes of the butter. The story was a children's favourite for half a century until the word sambo was deemed a racial slur in some countries. The golliwog represents Sambo The image of the doll has become the subject of heated debate. While some see the golliwog as a cherished cultural artefact and childhood tradition, others argue that the golliwog is a destructive instance of racism against people of African or Indian descent.  In particular, the association of the golliwog with the pejorative term "wog" has resulted in use of alternative names such as "golly" and "golly doll".

 

Jam is also popular on toast. Flavours include strawberry, raspberry, blackcurrant and gooseberry. Not only is jam used during breakfast time, it is also a component of afternoon tea. Afternoon tea is something that you would only have on a special occasion. It consists of small sandwiches, jam tarts or fruit cake and then scones with jam and cream. In America, they call jam ‘jelly’.

Marmite.

Marmite is famous for being either loved or hated as that is how it was marketed. ‘Marmite: you either love it or hate it.’ People now use the word ‘marmite’ to represent something which you either love or hate. Marmite is a sticky, dark brown food paste with a distinctive, powerful flavour, which is extremely salty.

Marmite is eaten in sandwiches or on toast at either lunchtime or breakfast time.

1.    Why was the man having difficulty accessing his Marmite?

2.    What type of sandwich did Paddington originally enjoy?

3.    What does the pigeon think of Marmite?

4.    What does Paddington eat with Marmite in his sandwich?

5.    What is the slogan for Marmite?

Marmite reading comprehension

Marmite

Spreading Marmite is an art form. It has to be done thinly. This isn't raspberry jam or peanut butter. This is a spread that can make grown men weep. This is Marmite. Perhaps one of the most versatile foodstuffs, Marmite can be enjoyed on toast, on sandwiches, in stews and casseroles, or drunk by the gallon. And now the national treasure is 100 years old.

Burton-on-Trent, was also the birthplace of the Marmite Food Company, which was founded in 1902.

Marketing this yeast extract was never going to be easy, and the British public was not immediately enamoured with Marmite. In 1912, however, Marmite was found to be a magnificent source of B vitamins, and henceforth became popular in schools and hospitals.

Pretty much the Holy Grail of foodstuffs, Marmite boasts a wide range of vitamins, including B12, essential for blood function and maintaining the nervous system and bone marrow, thiamine (B1), for a healthy nervous system and digestion. Apparently, a mere four slices of toast and Marmite would provide a pregnant lady with all the folic acid she needs.

During both world wars, Marmite was shipped to British soldiers around the globe. Meanwhile, back at home, British housewives were urged to "use it sparingly just now".

Marmite is not to be confused with Bovril. The crucial difference between Marmite and Bovril is that Bovril is made from cows. Heaven only knows which bits - eyelashes and hooves, probably. Marmite, on the other hand, is 100% vegetarian, and, as such, wholeheartedly approved by the Vegetarian Society.

Finding the genuine article can be a problem when abroad. Many travellers and expats rely on specialist mail-order companies to deliver their British Marmite, along with their Heinz Baked Beans and HP Sauce.

It is an oft-quoted fact that the world is divided into those who like Marmite, and those who are imbeciles. Indeed, Marmite has shamelessly milked the love-it-or-hate-it factor with its recent "love-it-or-hate-it" marketing campaign. In one television advert, some young foxtrel drags an unsuspecting gentleman back to her pad. While the young fellow awaits her, the femme fatale guzzles a round of Marmite on toast. Needless to say, he is not overly impressed by her Marmite breath. "Snogging someone after they've eaten Marmite," says my gentleman friend (and frankly, he should know), "is like licking paint." Imbecile.

1.    The text says that Marmite can ‘make grown men weep’, what does this mean?

2.    What is a ‘national treasure’?

3.    For how many years has Marmite existed?

4.    Where was Marmite founded?

5.    What does it mean by ‘Holy Grail’?

6.    What are the health benefits of Marmite?

7.    Why were British housewives urged to ‘use it sparingly’ during the world wars?

8.    What is Bovril made from?

9.    What does the writer think of people that don’t like Marmite?

10. What does ‘snogging’ mean?

Now spread the spreads on crackers. (You can accompany it with pieces of Cheddar cheese).

"SPREADS ARE AN ADQUIRED TASTE"

• "an adquired taste": something that you dislike at first, but that you start to like after you have tried it a few times:

           Ex: Salty liquorice is are an acquired taste 

Now, sample the spreads and use the following words to complete the evaluation table. 

Then write a review similiar to the Nutella below. Which spread did you like the best? and the worst?

EXAMPLE: Review of Nutella.

I recently sampled Nutella and I liked it because it was nutty, rich and creamy in taste and smooth, thick and moist in texture. I ate it on toast and found it was satisfying and not too filling or overpowering. I like Nutella better than marmalade because it is not zesty. I also prefer Nutella to Branston Pickle because pickle is too chunky and tangy. Nutella on toast is a delicious afternoon snack!    

Evaluation Table

     

EXTENSION OR ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES:

-Students can look up for information about other distinct spreads such as Picallily, lemon curd, Vegamite, etc. They can use adverstisement videos, texts in different formats and create a group vocabulary or comprehension activities for their colleagues.