FOOD & COOKING VOCABULARY 2 (ESL)

level: Beginner/Intermediate (A2/B1)

This second food and cooking vocabulary exercise introduces more words for kitchen equipment, cooking techniques, and food descriptions. Start with exercise 1 first. This is exercise 2 of 3.

READY TO PRACTICE? LET’S GO!

Choose the best response to complete each of the following sentences.

1. That was really good! Can I have (second/seconds)?✓

2. When you're making this sauce, don't forget to (stir/spin) it every 5 minutes.✓

3. An (appetizer/artichoke) is something you eat before the main course of a meal.✓

4. P1: Would you like some more potatoes? P2: No, thanks. I'm (complete/full).✓

5. A very informal way of saying that you've eaten a lot is "I'm (stuffed/complete)".✓

6. People who are lactose-intolerant cannot eat (meat/dairy) products.✓

7. You shouldn't eat a lot of (fat/fatty) food.✓

8. If something is "sugar- (gone/free)", it does not contain sugar.✓

9. We have two kinds of mineral water: sparking and (unsparkling/still).✓

10. Slices of ham, pastrami, sausage, etc. are often referred to as "cold " (cuts/meat).✓

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Food & Cooking Conversation Questions 1. Do you have a signature dish — something you cook particularly well? What is it?
2. What kitchen appliance or tool could you not live without?
3. Have you ever had a cooking disaster? What happened?
4. Do you follow recipes exactly, or do you improvise? Why?
5. How do you think people's eating habits have changed in the past 20 years?
6. What cuisine from another country would you like to learn to cook?

More English vocabulary exercises Food & cooking 1
Food & cooking 2
Food & cooking 3
Restaurant vocabulary 1
Restaurant vocabulary 2

Did you know? Many cooking terms in English come from French, reflecting the historical influence of French cuisine on English-speaking cultures. Words like sauté, blanch, julienne, flambé, and en croûte are all French in origin and are used in professional kitchens worldwide.

The Maillard reaction — the chemical process that causes browning and creates complex flavours when food is cooked at high heat — was named after French chemist Louis-Camille Maillard, who described it in 1912. It is responsible for the flavour of roasted coffee, grilled meat, and toasted bread.