Part 1 — Food & Cooking
Sensory adjectives · cultural framing · "I'm a big fan of …"
1. Topic & Why It Matters
Food & Cooking is a common Part 1 topic because it is familiar, personal, and easy for the examiner to extend with follow-up questions. Strong candidates do not just list dishes; they describe taste, texture, habit, memory, and culture in a natural way.
Where marks are commonly dropped:
- Fluency & Coherence — answering with a dish name only, then stopping.
- Lexical Resource — repeating delicious, good, and nice instead of using sensory adjectives.
- Grammar — using the wrong verb pattern after enjoy, prefer, or be used to.
- Pronunciation — unclear consonant clusters in words like crispy, spicy, steamed, and ingredients.
2. Knowledge Points
Four angles for food answers
| Angle | What to say | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Taste | sweet, salty, spicy, sour, rich | It has a rich, slightly spicy flavour. |
| Texture | crispy, tender, chewy, creamy, light | The outside is crispy, but the filling is really tender. |
| Habit | how often, when, who with | I usually have it on weekends with my parents. |
| Culture | family tradition, local specialty, festival food | It is a local specialty where I grew up. |
Use food as a doorway into personal detail
In Part 1, a food answer should usually be 3–5 sentences. Start with your preference, add a sensory detail, then connect it to a routine or memory: "I'm a big fan of hotpot, mainly because it's spicy and social. I usually have it with friends after a long week, so it feels more like an event than just a meal."
Safe cultural framing
- Local specialty: Use this for food linked to a city or region.
- Comfort food: Use this for food that feels familiar, warm, or emotionally reassuring.
- Home-cooked meal: Use this when the food is connected to family or childhood.
- Street food: Use this for affordable, casual food bought from small stalls or markets.
3. Vocabulary & Phrase Bank
| # | Expression | Meaning / use |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | I'm a big fan of … | natural way to say you like something |
| 02 | comfort food | food that feels emotionally warm or familiar |
| 03 | a local specialty | a dish associated with a place |
| 04 | home-cooked food | food made at home, often healthier or warmer |
| 05 | street food | casual food sold at stalls or markets |
| 06 | a balanced diet | a diet with a healthy mix of food groups |
| 07 | fresh ingredients | recently prepared or natural food items |
| 08 | rich in flavour | having a deep, strong taste |
| 09 | mild / spicy | not strong / hot with chili or spices |
| 10 | crispy on the outside | pleasantly firm or crunchy surface |
| 11 | tender on the inside | soft and easy to bite or chew |
| 12 | a bit oily | contains more oil than expected |
| 13 | light but filling | not heavy, but still satisfying |
| 14 | have a sweet tooth | enjoy sweet food |
| 15 | grab a quick bite | eat something quickly |
| 16 | eat out | eat at a restaurant |
| 17 | cook from scratch | make food from basic ingredients |
| 18 | be picky about food | be selective and hard to satisfy |
| 19 | go-to meal | a meal you often choose |
| 20 | hit the spot | be exactly what you wanted |
| 21 | packed with flavour | full of taste |
| 22 | bring back memories | make you remember past experiences |
4. Grammar Patterns
5. Pronunciation Focus
Consonant clusters in food adjectives
Food answers often contain adjective clusters that become unclear when spoken quickly. Keep the middle consonants audible, especially in crispy, fresh, and steamed.
| Word / phrase | Common error | Target sound |
|---|---|---|
| crispy | /ˈkɪspi/ | /ˈkrɪspi/ — include the /r/ after /k/ |
| fresh ingredients | /freʃ ɪnˈgriːdiəns/ | /freʃ ɪnˈgriːdiənts/ — clear final /ts/ |
| steamed fish | /stiːm fɪʃ/ | /stiːmd fɪʃ/ — keep the /d/ before fish |
| spicy street food | /ˈspaɪsi striː fuːd/ | /ˈspaɪsi striːt fuːd/ — release the /t/ lightly |
Intonation for preference answers
Let your voice rise slightly on the example, then fall on the reason: "I'm a big fan of spicy food, especially hotpot, because it's social and really comforting."
6. Common Pitfalls
7. Practice Question
"What kind of food do you like eating?"
Follow-up: "Do you prefer eating at home or eating out?"
Target length: 4–6 sentences · Target time: 30–45 seconds
8. Model Answer (Band 7.5+)
"Well, I'd say I'm a big fan of food that's spicy but still quite comforting, so hotpot is probably my go-to meal. It's a shared dish, which means everyone cooks different ingredients at the table, and I like that it feels more social than just sitting quietly with your own plate. To be honest, it also brings back memories of my first year at university, when my roommates and I used to go for hotpot after exams. I don't eat it every week because it can be a bit oily, but when the weather is cold, it really hits the spot."
9. Annotated Commentary
"which means everyone cooks different ingredients at the table" — a relative clause that explains the dish naturally without a separate, textbook-style sentence.
"go-to meal", "brings back memories", and "hits the spot" are common spoken phrases. They fit the story instead of sounding forced.
"my first year at university, when my roommates and I used to go for hotpot after exams" — specific past detail makes the answer feel authentic.
"Well", "I'd say", "probably", and "to be honest" soften the answer and create a natural spoken rhythm.
Key words to enunciate clearly: 'spicy' /ˈspaɪsi/, 'ingredients' /ɪnˈgriːdiənts/, 'university' /ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsəti/. Keep the final /ts/ in 'ingredients'.
10. Self-Drill
Shadow-reading line — say this 5 times aloud
"I'm a big fan of spicy street food because it's packed with flavour and brings back memories."
Focus on: linking fan_of, clear /str/ in street, and a falling tone on memories.
Improv prompt — record yourself, no notes
"What food did you dislike as a child but enjoy now?"
Target: 4+ sentences · Use one sensory adjective, one contrast structure, and one memory detail.