BIZARRE FOOD

(Designed by Luis Fernando Cuartas)

LESSON TITLE: Bizarre Food around the World

TIME CLASS: 120 min

LEVEL OF PROFICIENCY: Intermediate to advance

MAIN OBJECTIVE: Students will identify some bizarre foods around the world.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:

 Students will recognize some vocabulary and dishes regarding bizarre food from the
worksheet
 Students will discover some bizarre food in our country through a search on internet.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

Warm-up: Do you remember what you ate yesterday? Describe a typical meal for you. Do you have
any favorite recipe? List any other food you like / dislike. (5 min)

Task 1: Ask students for names of foreign food (as many as they can) and arrange them by
countries of origin. Use the blackboard. (5 min)

Task 2: Introduce unusual food; ask students about what unusual foods they know. (10 min)

Task 3: (Class can be arranged into groups or individually). Ask students to read the different
recipes on the “Most Bizarre Foods” worksheet. Each student/group chooses one unusual food to
describe: what it’s made with, how, would they try it, taste etc... (50 min)

Task 4: Check on internet for unusual and bizarre food in our country, then discuss about the
findings. (40 min)

CLASSROOM RESOURCES AND MATERIALS:

 “Most Bizarre Foods” Worksheet

 Blackboard
 Dictionary
 PC (internet connection required)

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 BIZARRE FOOD
(Designed by Luis Fernando Cuartas)

LESSON TITLE: Bizarre Foods – The Show

TIME CLASS: 120 min

LEVEL OF PROFICIENCY: Intermediate to advance

MAIN OBJECTIVE: Students will increase their familiarity with bizarre foods by watching the Bizarre
Foods show.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:

 Students will recognize the Bizarre Foods show.

 Students will identify new dishes, ingredients and adjectives regarding bizarre food.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

Warm-up: Do you imagine yourselves traveling across the world just to taste these bizarre foods?
What kind of food would you find? Would you try it? Have you ever seen a show called Bizarre
Foods? Introduce the show. (10 min)

Task 1: Ask students to read “About the show: Bizarre Foods” worksheet. Ask students to provide
details and summarize what the worksheet says. (Extra questions are up to the teacher) (20 min)

Task 2: Ask students to watch some videos of the show “bizarre food”. Ask them to take note of the
dishes presented on the episodes. Additionally ask them to take note of the ingredients and the
adjectives used to talk about the food (Show the videos twice or depend on students’ level). Then
discuss about what they have just seen. (60 min)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwBao-Tb_BA&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg7K36i8B4c&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmKxM-8XZQs&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXku6UQ-U4c&feature=relmfu

Task 3: Ask students for reasons why people resort to bizarre food? (Possible answers: virility,
health, power, cure diseases, because of the flavor). (20 min)

CLASSROOM RESOURCES AND MATERIALS:

 “About the Show: Bizarre Foods” Worksheet

 Blackboard
 Dictionary
 PC (internet connection required)

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 BIZARRE FOOD
(Designed by Luis Fernando Cuartas)

LESSON TITLE: Cooking Bizarre Food

TIME CLASS: 120 min

LEVEL OF PROFICIENCY: Intermediate to advance

MAIN OBJECTIVE: Students will learn how to give instructions to prepare a bizarre recipe.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:

 Students will be able to give instructions accurately.

 Students will comprehend and produce necessary vocabulary for this topic.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

Warm-up: Have you ever cooked? What did you cook? (Copy them at the blackboard) Are you good
at it? Have you cooked for somebody? For whom? Have you ever tried to cook something unusual?
Introduce cooking. (5 min)

Task 1: Ask students to read “How to Consider the Factors when Planning Meals” worksheet. Ask
them to read each advice and say what they have to take into account to prepare a meal. (5 min)

Task 2: Ask students to prepare their own bizarre recipe. Students can pick the ingredients they
want (everything is allowed). Students have to explain the recipe and the process to cook it step by
step and then share the recipe with their classmates. Students have to write their recipes in the “My
Favorite Bizarre Recipe” worksheet and deliver it to the teacher. Ask students to take a look of the
“Cooking Vocabulary” worksheet to gain some useful vocabulary. (100 min)

ASSESSMENT:

Students will achieve the objectives by presenting the recipe to the class and delivering the recipe
written in the provided format (page 9). Use the rubrics for the written format (page 10) and rubric
for the oral presentation (page 11) as criteria to assess.

CLASSROOM RESOURCES AND MATERIALS:

 “Cooking Vocabulary” Worksheet

 “My Favorite Bizarre Recipe” Worksheet
 Blackboard
 Dictionary
 PC (internet connection required)

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 Most Bizarre Foods: 8 Dishes you have to see to Believe

Snake Wine, Vietnam

Fancy some wine with a difference? A bouquet of snake

with some snake blood notes perhaps? Snake wine is a
bottle of rice wine with a venomous snake inside and has
‘medicinal purposes’, but is probably more useful for
display purposes than to drink. The snake is left to steep in
the rice wine for many months to let the poison dissolve in
the wine. The ethanol makes the venom inactive so it is not
dangerous, and snake wine supposedly has many health
benefits. It has a slightly pink color like a nice rose because
of the snake blood in there.

Kimchi, Korea

This spicy garnish is a traditional Korean favorite. You

may be familiar with the popular side dish. You may even
be wondering why this dish made the top ten most
bizarre Asian foods. What you don't know about kimchi
is that the spicy cabbage you're eating carries with it a
unique zesty quality due in part to long periods of
fermentation. That's right, kimchi is rotten cabbage. And
any rotting dish that has managed to become as popular
as kimchi makes our list.

Kopi Luwak, Indonesia

Kopi Luwak is the rarest, most expensive gourmet

coffee in the world. Sounds divine right? It’s actually
made from the excrements of an Indonesian cat-like
creature called the Luwak. The Luwak eats only the
ripest coffee cherries but its stomach can’t digest beans
inside them, so they come out whole. The coffee that
results from this process is said to be like no other, and
the stomach acids and enzymes that perform the
fermentation of the beans give the coffee a special
aroma. Price? US$120 to $300 per pound.

Live Octopus, Korea

In Korea Sannakji is a raw dish consisting of live octopus.

The octopus is cut into pieces whilst still alive, lightly
seasoned with sesame oil and served immediately whilst
the tentacles can still be seen squirming on the plate.
Eating live octopus is a challenge not only mentally trying
to get your head round eating something that’s still alive,
but physically, as the tentacles stick to any surface they
touch (the suction cups stick to your mouth or throat)

(Designed by Luis Fernando Cuartas)

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 Casu Marzu, Sardinia (Italy)

This Sardinian cheese is a cheese with a difference; it’s

riddled with insect larvae. “Casu Marzu” means ‘rotten
cheese’ and is most commonly referred to as “maggot
cheese”. The sheep’s milk cheese is basically Pecorino,
which has had the larvae of the cheese fly on it.
Fermentation occurs as the larvae digest the cheese
fats, and the texture becomes very soft with some liquid
seeping out. The cheese has to be eaten when the
maggots are still alive because when they are dead it is
considered to be toxic.

Balut, Philippines

A bit like with a Kinder Surprise, you certainly will be

surprised to open these eggs, though not in the same
pleasant way as finding a toy inside. You get to eat your
chicken and your egg at the same time with Balut. In
other words, chicken’s fetus!. These eggs are cooked
when the fetus is anywhere from 17 days to 21 days
depending on your preference, although when the egg is
older the fetus begins to have a beak, claws, bones and
feathers.

Fried Tarantulas, Cambodia

if you suffer from arachnophobia you probably don’t want

to try eating these eight legged monsters. They’re not
tiny little house spiders, they’re great big tarantulas and
you can buy them in the streets of Skuon, Cambodia.
They’re fried whole – legs, fangs and all. They cost only
a few cents and supposedly taste delicious, as they are
best plucked straight from the burrow and pan fried with
a bit of garlic and salt. They’re supposed to taste a bit
like crickets or scrawny chickens and are crispy on the
outside with a gooey body on the inside.

Birds Nest Soup, China

You wouldn’t necessarily think a birds nest would be

edible, but the Chinese use Swifts’ nests to make this
soup, known as the ‘Caviar of the East’. Right now you’re
probably imagining a nest made out of twigs and leaves,
but Swiftlets make their nests predominantly out of
saliva. It’s something in the saliva of the bird that makes
it have this unique gelatinous, rubbery texture and it’s
one of the most expensive animal products consumed by
humans. A bowl of soup can cost around US$30 to $100
per bowl, whilst a kilo of nest can cost between US$2,000
and $10,000.

(Designed by Luis Fernando Cuartas)

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About the Show
Bizarre Foods
Chef, writer and culinary explorer Andrew Zimmern is
back for another season of exotic food adventures.
Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern gives us a taste
of the world's different cultures by serving up what
the locals eat. Viewers this season get an even
greater treat as Andrew experiences unusual food
practices even he never knew existed.

In season 4, Andrew steps out of his comfort zone and truly tests his own limits. He really
gets involved, sourcing and preparing his food while encountering extreme climates, rough
terrain and off-the-beaten-path locations. Andrew finds meaningful connections to people
and their cuisine, from the most remote corners of the earth to locations right in his own
backyard. Even though he's exposed to strange and sometimes outrageous experiences,
Andrew always appreciates the warmth and hospitality he receives from the people he
meets.

This season, Andrew visits San Francisco where he joins foragers for a locally sourced
meal. He goes dumpster-diving with the "freegans," an alternative group that rescues
unspoiled food, cooks it and serves it to the homeless. Far across the globe, Andrew
travels to Syria, a country few Americans have seen, where he seeks out unusual foods
and herbal remedies going back to biblical times. Whether it's brain tacos in Baja or bull
penis soup in Bangkok, every place on the planet has its own unique cuisines to share.

It's the balance between entertainment, reality and information that make Bizarre Foods
with Andrew Zimmern a show for everyone. Andrew's unique perspective and enthusiasm
to try any type of food make it easy for the viewer to explore new worlds through his eyes.
Whether he's drinking fermented mare's milk in Mongolia or eating pig innards in Tokyo,
Andrew dives right in and encourages everyone else to do the same by sharing his favorite
advice: "If it looks good, eat it!"

(Taken from http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Bizarre_Foods/About_The_Show/Bizarre_Foods)

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Cooking Vocabulary
Kitchen equipment Ways of cooking food Other things you do to
food
cooking chopsticks poach mix
dishwasher grill squeeze
measuring cup bake slice
cooker/ stove roast separate
potato peeler fry chop
bottle opener boil grind
spatula, rolling pin steam whisk
egg timer toast dice
can opener stew peel
bread knife grate
sieve, mixing bowl Food Adjectives spread
freezer, kitchen roll mash
fish slice wash
baked
spoon pickle
boiled
cling film stir fry
blended
kitchen knife crush
caked
measuring spoon press
crunchy
oven, microwave smoke
creamy
fridge wrap
covered
aluminum foil roll
exquisite
corkscrew stir
exotic
wooden spoon
fried
chopping board
greasy
whisk
mouth-watering
colander
rancid
food processor
salty
frying pan
kitchen scales
cheese grater
saucepan, apron
serving spoon
oven glove, tongs
pepper grinder
coffee grinder

(Adapted from http://www.usingenglish.com/files/pdf/food-vocabulary-brainstorming-game.pdf and

http://www.monroecc.edu/depts/library/foodadjectives.htm)

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How to Consider the Factors when Planning Meals
Planning food ensures a balanced diet and saves time
and money. If you have no inkling of planning food,
read up the article which will expound the factors of
food planning.

Take into consideration Nutritional needs - children,

teenagers and elderly people have different dietary
needs and thus require special diets. Nutritional needs
vary with age, gender, size, lifestyle habits, occupation
and health.

Consider the Appeal - when planning a meal, it is good to include a variety of colors, shapes,
flavors and textures. Using a range of ingredients and cooking methods will make the food more
appealing.

Examine your Time constraints - When planning what dishes to cook, we should consider how
much time we can afford to spend in preparing and cooking the dishes.

Watch the Budget - We don't need to spend a fortune to have a tasty and nutritious meal.
Take your cooking skills into account - Not all of us are master chefs, so we should cook dishes we
can easily manage on our own. If we try to cook a dish that is too difficult, we may become livid
when we are unable to follow the recipe. As such, the dish may not turn out right.

Note if the meal is for an Occasion - choosing dishes to suit an occasion is important. There are
also practical reasons for considering the occasion. Preparing food that cannot stay fresh is not ideal
for a picnic. Choosing the wrong food can even be dangerous to health if it is not packed properly.
It may turn bad and cause stomach upsets.

Know the number of Guests - Factors such as age or occupation influence the types of food that a
person needs. It is also important to take note of any special diet that our guests have.

Consider the availability of ingredients - Some ingredients are difficult to obtain in certain
countries. When planning meals, choose dishes with ingredients that are easily obtainable. In
addition, ensure that the ingredients are in seasons. Not only will they be easier to find, they will
also be cheaper and tastier. If a particular recipe uses ingredients that are rare or unavailable, we
can substitute them with commonly available ones.

(Taken from http://www.wikihow.com/Consider-the-Factors-when-Planning-Meals)

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My Favorite Bizarre Recipe
Hi Students! Today is a very good time to try out a new tasty treat. Here you are supposed
to explain the required steps to prepare your better recipe. The ingredients are up to you,
so be creative, but REMEMBER! This is a bizarre recipe; therefore, you will need to push
your culinary skills in order to come up with a mouthwatering recipe. Good Luck!

Name of the Chef:

Name of the recipe:

Ingredients:

Steps:

Options to accompany:

(Designed by Luis Fernando Cuartas)

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Rubric for the written format (10%)

Grade Vocabulary Coherence/Cohesion Proficiency lang. Bizarreness TOTAL

5 Excellent use of Excellent coherence and Excellent use of the Excellent
the appropriate cohesion with the steps language. No creativity with
vocabulary and the indications mistakes the recipe
4 Very good use of Very good coherence Very good use of the Very good
the appropriate and cohesion with the language. Few creativity with
vocabulary steps and the mistakes. Reading the recipe
indications not affected
3 Good use of the Good coherence and Good use of the Good
appropriate cohesion with the steps language. Some creativity with
vocabulary and the indications mistakes. Reading the recipe
not affected
2 Fair use of the Fair coherence and Fair use of the Fair creativity
appropriate cohesion with the steps language. Some with the
vocabulary and the indications mistakes. Reading recipe
affected
1 Poor use of the Poor coherence and Poor use of the Poor
appropriate cohesion with the steps language. Many creativity with
vocabulary and the indications mistakes. Reading the recipe
affected
0 Any use of Any coherence nor Any use of the Any creativity
vocabulary cohesion with the steps language with the
and the indications recipe

/4

Comments:

(Designed by Luis Fernando Cuartas)

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Rubric for the oral presentation (10%)

Grade Vocabulary Coherence Proficiency lang. Bizarreness TOTAL

5 Excellent use of Excellent coherence Excellent use of the Excellent
the appropriate with the steps and language creativity with
vocabulary the indications the recipe
4 Very good use of Very good coherence Very good use of Very good
the appropriate with the steps and the language creativity with
vocabulary the indications the recipe
3 Good use of the Good coherence with Good use of the Good creativity
appropriate the steps and the language with the recipe
vocabulary indications
2 Fair use of the Fair coherence with Fair use of the Fair creativity
appropriate the steps and the language with the recipe
vocabulary indications
1 Poor use of the Poor coherence with Poor use of the Poor creativity
appropriate the steps and the language with the recipe
vocabulary indications
0 Any use of the Any coherence with Any use of the Any creativity
appropriate the steps and the language with the recipe
vocabulary indications

/4

Comments:

(Designed by Luis Fernando Cuartas)

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