A Unit on Food and Dining Out

Handout includes:

Group Instructions

Essential Vocabulary

Practice Dialogues

Menu Project Instructions

Role-play Instructions

Rubric

The majority of the unit will be discussed in groups. We have already reviewed vocabulary for chapters 3A and 3B. This has given you a basic introduction to foods and drinks in Spanish. At the end of the unit, you will be tested on restaurant conversation as well as vocabulary presented in this packet and in the book.

In your groups, you will:

Read the packet together

Review vocabulary

Read instructions for menu project

Read instructions for role-play

Review instructions for visual dictionary project

Write out your dialogues

Review your parts each day

Discuss who will bring in props for the role-play

Designate a day to bring in props

Make sure that your group is taking advantage of all the time given in class to work on the project. Let me know who is not working so that they can be penalized. I will give each group a grade every day based on how well you are working and staying on task.


Adapted From:Spanish For Dummies

Food is an important element of any culture. Each country and region in Latin America has different-tasting food, making restaurant hopping and trying new dishes there among the most diverse experiences possible. The same is true in sunny Spain, where deep-fried fish, mountain-cured ham, and a variety of other tasty treats await you.

¡Buen provecho! Enjoy your meal!

As with any cultural group, some peoples of Latin America are more interested in food than others. Mexicans are as devoted to their food as the French or the Chinese, even in very small places. They have very fine palates and can distinguish among many different fiery flavors. They also have an immense variety of ways to prepare the same foods, such as tortillas and beans, which are basic elements in their meals.

In Mexico you can eat tortillas(tohr-tee-yahs) — round, flat, soft, wafer-like bread made of corn — that are small and thick, and others that are immense and paper-thin, as well as all the sizes and thicknesses in between. Added to these variations are tortillas made of black or yellow corn. Mexicans, and Meso-Americans in general, employ their tortillas as eating utensils. They fold them ingeniously to use them as spoons, they pick up their food with them as we do with our forks, and after all is done, they proceed to eat their spoons! You try that with your spoon!

/ In Spain, at the tapas(tah-pahs) bars, where enticing treats are served with your drinks, everyone eats from the same dishes, though you can get your own platos(plah-tohs) (plate) if you ask for one.

Here are some other tastes that are popular in various Spanish-speaking countries:

  • Argentineans and Chileans eat milder flavored and more European foods than do Mexicans.
  • Peruvians and Bolivians like spice in their dishes.
  • From the Rio Grande to Central America, the main fare is corn, which can be prepared a thousand ways, just as wheat is in the United States.
  • From Colombia on south, potatoes, wheat, and barley join corn as the basis of foods.
  • In Peru, you find a native grain called quínoa(kee-noh-ah), which is a bit like barley, and a flour called chuño(choo-nyo), made from freeze-dried potatoes.
  • The best beef you can eat is in Argentina. Argentineans are enthusiastic beef eaters and really know how to prepare it so that it tastes superb.
  • Spaniards commonly eat a mini-meal of appetizers called tapas(tah-pahs).

Table terms

You may find these phrases useful when you plan a meal:

  • ¡A poner la mesa!(ah poh-nehr lah meh-sah) (Set the table!)
  • Aquí están los platos y los vasos.(ah-kee ehs-tahn lohs plah-tohs ee lohs bvah-sohs) (Here are the dishes and glasses.)
  • ¿Qué cubiertos?(keh koo-bvee-ehr-tohs) (What cutlery?)
  • Cuchara, cuchillo, tenedor, y cucharita.(koo-chah-rah koo-chee-yo teh-neh-dohr ee koo-chah-ree-tah) (Spoon, knife, fork, and coffee or demitasse spoon.)
  • Aquí están las servilletas.(ah-kee ehs-tahn lahs sehr-bvee-yeh-tahs) (Here are the napkins.)
  • Más sal en el salero.(mahs sahl ehn ehl sah-leh-roh) (More salt in the salt shaker.)

Phrases for food and drink

Here are some common terms connected with meals:

  • almuerzo (ahl-mooehr-soh) (lunch)
  • cena(seh-nah) (supper)
  • comida(koh-mee-dah) (dinner)
  • desayuno(deh-sah-yoo-noh) (breakfast)
  • tengo sed(tehn-goh sehd) (I'm thirsty)
  • tiene hambre(tee eh-neh ahm-bvreh) (he/she's hungry)

You may hear these phrases, or speak them yourself, when giving or receiving foods and beverages:

  • ¡Buen provecho!(bvooehn proh-bveh-choh) (Enjoy your meal! — the equivalent of the French Bon appetit!)
  • ¿Con qué está servido? (kohn keh ehs-tah sehr-bvee-doh) (What does it come with?)
  • Está caliente.(ehs-tah kah-lee ehn-teh) (It's hot [temperature].)
  • Está frío.(ehs-tah freeoh) (It's cold.)
  • Está picante.(ehs-tah pee-kahn-teh) (It's hot (flavor/spicy.)
  • Es sabroso.(ehs sah-bvroh-soh) (It's tasty.)
  • Lamento, no tenemos . . . (lah-mehn-toh noh teh-neh-mohs) (Sorry, we don't have any . . .)
  • ¿Qué ingredientes tiene?(keh een-greh-dee ehn-tehs tee eh-neh) (What are the ingredients?)
  • ¿Qué más trae el plato?(keh mahs trah-eh ehl plah-toh) (What else is in the dish?)

These words can help you when you're ordering something to drink:

  • Escoger un vino.(ehs-koh-Hehr oon bvee-noh) (Choose a wine)
  • ¡Salud!(sah-lood) (Cheers!)
  • Tomar un refresco. (toh-mahr oon reh-frehs-koh) (Drink a soda pop)
  • Un vaso de agua. (oon bvah-soh deh ah-gooah) (A glass of water)
  • Un vaso de leche. (oon bvah-soh deh leh-cheh) (A glass of milk)

Three verbs used at the table

Insofar as talking about drinking goes, in Spanish, you do it with two verbs. One is tomar(toh-mahr); the other is beber(bveh-bvehr).

To take and to drink: The verb tomar

Tomar (toh-mahr) means literally "to take" and often means exactly that. But when you say tomar un refresco(toh-mahr oon reh-frehs-koh), you're talking about drinking a soda, not literally taking one, and you know that's what you mean because tomar is followed by something you drink. So tomar is a verb with a certain imprecision.

Tomar is a regular verb of the -ar(ahr) group. The root of the verb is tom-(tohm), as you can see from the table that follows:

Conjugation / Pronunciation
yo tomo / yoh toh-moh
tú tomas / too toh-mahs
él, ella, ello, uno, usted toma / ehl, eh-yah, eh-yoh, oo-noh, oos-tehdtoh-mah
nosotros tomamos / noh-soh-trohs toh-mah-mohs
vosotros tomáis / bvoh-soh-trohs toh-mah-ees
ellos, ellas, ustedes toman / eh-yohs, eh-yahs, oos-teh-dehs toh-mahn

For drinking only: The verb beber

In the case of the verb beber, you can have no doubts: This verb applies to drinking only.

Beber(bveh-bvehr) is also a regular verb; it's from the -er(ehr) group. The root of the verb is: beb-(bvehbv), as you can see in the following table:

Conjugation / Pronunciation
yo bebo / yoh bveh-bvoh
tú bebes / too bveh-bvehs
él, ella, ello, uno, usted bebe / ehl, eh-yah, eh-yoh, oo-noh oos-tehdbveh-bveh
nosotros bebemos / noh-soh-trohs bveh-bveh-mohs
vosotros bebéis / bvoh-soh-trohs bveh-bvehees
ellos, ellas, ustedes beben / eh-yohs, eh-yahs, oos-teh-dehs bveh-bvehn

For eating: The verb comer

Comer(kohm-ehr) means "to eat." A regular verb from the -er(ehr) group, the root of this verb is com-(kohm), as the following table shows:

Conjugation / Pronunciation
yo como / yoh koh-moh
tú comes / too koh-mehs
él, ella, ello, uno, usted come / ehl, eh-yah, eh-yoh, oo-noh, oos-tehdkoh-meh
nosotros comemos / noh-soh-trohs koh-meh-mohs
vosotros coméis / bvoh-soh-trohs koh-mehees
ellos, ellas, ustedes comen / eh-yohs, eh-yahs, oos-teh-dehs koh-mehn

el agua — water
el almuerzo — lunch
el aperitivo — appetizer
el arroz — rice
asado — roasted
el azúcar — sugar
la bebida — drink
¡Buen provecho! — Bon appétit! Enjoy your meal!
el bistec — beefsteak, other type of steak
el bocadillo, el sándwich — sandwich
el café — coffee
caliente — hot (temperature) or warm
el camarero, la camarera — server
la carne — meat
el carnero — mutton
la carne de vaca — beef
la carne de ternera— veal
la cena — supper, evening meal
comer — to eat
la comida — meal
la cuchara — spoon
el cuchillo — knife
la cuenta — the bill
el desayuno — breakfast
a la dieta, sin calorias — diet (adjective)
la ensalada — salad
los entremeses — hors d'oeuvres
los frijoles — beans
frío — cool or cold
frito — fried
la fruta — fruit
la gaseosa — soda pop
el hielo — ice
al horno — baked
el huevo — egg
la leche — milk
los mariscos — seafood
el mozo, la moza — server
el menú — menu
el pan — bread
a la parrilla — grilled
el palillo — toothpick
los palillos chinos — chopsticks
la papa, la patata — potato
el pescado — fish
el pollo — chicken
la propina — tip
el postre — dessert
picante— spicy hot
el queso— cheese
el refresco — cool drink
el restaurante — restaurant
el rosbif — roast beef
la sal — salt
la salsa — sauce, gravy
la sopa — soup
el té — tea
el tenedor— fork
el vegetal, la verdura — vegetable, plant
el vegetariano, la vegetariana — vegetarian

el aceiten. oil
agrioadj. sour
el ajon. garlic
el albaricoquen. apricot
el aliñon. dressing
almorzarv. to (have) lunch
amargoadj. bitter
el apion. celery
aromáticoadj. aromatic
el arrozn. rice
asarv. to roast
el azúcarn. sugar
beberv. to drink
la bebidan. drink, beverage
la berenjenan. aubergine
la cacerolan. (sauce)pan
el cafén. coffee
el caldon. stock; (thin) soup
calienteadj. warm, hot
la carnen. meat
la cartan. menu
la cebollan. onion
la cenan. dinner, supper, evening meal
cenarv. to have dinner/supper, to dine
el cerdon. pork
la cerezan. cherry
la cervezan. beer
el champiñónn. mushroom
el chocolaten. chocolate
la ciruelan. plum
cocinarv. to cook
la coln. cabbage
la coliflorn. cauliflower
comerv. to eat; to have lunch
la comidan. food; meal; lunch
el condimenton. seasoning, flavouring, condiment
congeladoadj. frozen
el corderon. lamb
crudoadj. raw
los cubiertosn. cutlery
la cucharan. spoon
el cuchillon. knife
la cuentan. bill (in restaurant)
desayunarv. to (have) breakfast
el desayunon. breakfast
dulceadj. sweet
duroadj. tough, hard
la ensaladan. salad
la especian. spice
las espinacasn. spinach
flojoadj. weak
la frambuesan. raspberry
fregar los platos to wash up, to do the washing-up/dishes
freírv. to fry
la fresan. strawberry
frescoadj. fresh; cool, chilled
la frutan. (piece of) fruit
fuerteadj. strong
la galletan. biscuit; cracker
la gaseosan. lemonade
la grosella negra blackcurrant
el guisanten. pea
la harinan. flour
hervirv. to boil
la hierban. herb
el huevon. egg
el jamónn. ham
la judían. bean
la latan. tin, can / la lechen. milk
la lechugan. lettuce
el limónn. lemon
el maízn. maize, sweet corn
la mantequillan. butter
la manzanan. apple
el melocotónn. peach
el melónn. melon
la mermeladan. jam; marmalade
la mieln. honey
la mostazan. mustard
muy hecho overdone; well done
la naranjan. orange
la natan. cream
la nuezn. nut; walnut
olerv. to smell
el pann. bread; loaf (of bread)
pasadoadj. old; stale, bad; overripe
la patatan. potato
el pepinon. cucumber
la peran. pear
el pescadon. fish
picanteadj. hot, spicy
la pimientan. pepper (spice)
el pimienton. pepper (vegetable)
la piñan. pineapple
el plátanon. banana
el platillon. saucer
el platon. plate, dish; course
el plato principaln. main course
poco hecho underdone; rare
podridoadj. rotten
el pollon. chicken
el pomelon. grapefruit
poner la mesa to set/lay the table
el postren. dessert
probarv. to try, to taste, to sample
el puerron. leek
el queson. cheese
recoger la mesa to clear the table
la remolachan. beetroot
sabrosoadj. nice, tasty
la saln. salt
saladoadj. salty, salted
la salchichan. sausage
la salsan. sauce; gravy
la sarténn. frying pan
la sidran. cider
la sopan. soup
el tarron. jar, pot
la tartan. cake; tart
la tazan. cup, mug
el tén. tea
el tenedorn. fork
tener hambre to be hungry
tener sed to be thirsty
tiernoadj. tender, soft
tomar un bocado to have a bite to eat, to have a snack
el tomaten. tomato
tostarv. to toast, to brown
el trigon. wheat
la uvan. grape
la uva pasa raisin
el vason. glass, tumbler
las verdurasn. greens, (cooked) vegetables
el vinagren. vinegar
el vinon. wine
la zanahorian. carrot
el zumon. juice

Restaurant Terminology

Useful Phrases

¿Qué está incluido?
What is included?
¿Viene con ensalada?
Does it come with salad?
¿Cuál es la sopa del día?
What is the soup of the day?
¿Qué me recomienda?
What do you recommend?
¿Puede darme ... ?
Can you bring me ... ?
La cuenta, por favor.
The bill, please.
Estuvo delicioso.
That was delicious.
¿Dónde hay un buen restaurante?
Where is there a good restaurant?
Quisiera reservar una mesa para dos.
I'd like to reserve a table for two.
¿Qué clase de ... tiene?
What type of ... do you have?

Vocabulary

el camarero / waiter
la cuenta / bill, check
el menú / menu
la cuchara / spoon
el cuchillo / knife
el mantel / tablecloth
el platillo / saucer
el plato / plate
la servilleta / napkin
la taza / cup
el tazón / bowl
el tenedor / fork
el vaso / glass
debajo de / below, underneath
encima de / on top of
detrás de / behind
delante de / in front of
Me falta / I need; I am lacking
¿Me pasas? / Will you pass me ___?
traer / to bring
¿Me trae ___? / Will you bring me ___?
(Le) traigo / I'm bringing (you)
beber / to drink
comer / to eat
pedir / to order, to ask for
lo mismo / the same thing
en seguida / right away


personajes: el camarero, el Sr. Gómez

Camarero: ¿Qué desear’a usted comer?

Sr. Gomez: No sé. Estoy mirando el menú todav’a.

Camarero: Perm’tame recomendarle un poco de arroz con pollo. El pollo está muy tierno.

Sr. Gomez: Gracias pero antes tomaré un poco de sopa.

Camarero: Bueno. El pescado está muy delicioso. ¿Qué desear’a usted para la cena?

Sr. Gomez: Unas chuletas y un poco de ensalada, pan y mantequilla.

Camarero: ¿Y después?

Sr. Gomez: Después tomaré los postres.

Camarero: ¿Qué prefiere usted de postre?

Sr. Gomez: Deseo queso, frutas y un pastel.

Camarero: ¿Bebe usted vino en la comida?

Sr. Gomez: Bebo un vaso de vino y un vaso de agua.

Camarero: ¿Tomara usted café o té después?

Sr. Gomez: Prefiero café con un poco de leche.

Camarero: Muy bien, Señor.

Camarero (waiter): Hola, buenas noches. ¿Qué tomarán?
Maite: Pués, a ver... ¿cómo es la "ensalada griega"?
Hello, good evening. What will you have? / Well, let's see... What is the "Greek salad like?"
Camarero: Es ensalada de tomate, con queso y aceitunas negras. Les gustará, está riquísima.
Maite: Sí, pero no me gustan las aceitunas negras.
It's a tomato salad, with cheese and black olives. You'll like it, it's delicious. / Yes, but I don't like black olives
Camarero: Pués tenemos buñuelos de bacalao, espinacas a la catalana, fideuá, parrillada de pescados....
Sheila: Perdone, ¿puede hablar un poco más despacio, soy extranjera?
Well, we've got buñuelos de bacalao, espinacas a la catalana, fideuá, parrillada de pescados... / Excuse me, but could you speak a bit more slowly, I'm a foreigner
Camarero: Ay, perdone... ¿De dónde es?
Sheila: Soy australiana.
I'm sorry... Where are you from? / I'm Australian.
Maite: Bueno, vamos a ver. ¿Qué son espinacas a la catalana?
Camarero: Son espinacas con pasas y piñones... Es un plato típico de Cataluña.
Well, let's see. What is espinacas a la catalana? / It's spinach with raisins and pine kernels... It's a typical Catalan dish.
Maite: Pués no sé... ¿Qué nos recomienda?
Camarero: ¿Qué tal una paella...? La mixta está muy buena.
Well, I don't know... What do you recommend us? / How about a paella? The mixed one is very good.
Maite: ¿Entiendes? "Mixta" es con carne y marisco.
Do you understand? "Mixed" is with meat and fish.
Maite: Vale, pues una mixta... Y de primero, una ensalada verde
Camarero: Una... ensalada... verde... ¡y sin aceitunas!
Ok, a mixed one then... And for starters, a green salad.
Camarero: Muy bien. Y ¿para beber?
Maite: Un tinto de la casa... y agua.
Fine. And to drink? / A house red... and water.
Camarero: ¿Con gas?
Maite No, sin gas.
Sparkling? / No, plain.
Sheila: And... [well, she is Australian, after all!]
Maite: ¡Ni hablar…! Pero algo para picar sí… unos boquerones en vinagre.
And... / No way...! But something to whet our appetites... boquerones en vinagre.

En el restaurante:Dramatization Grading Rubric

Criteria

/ 1 Point /

3 Points

/ 5 Points

Use of Spanish

/ Little use of restaurant vocabulary (fewer than 10 items); uses only beginner phrases like <si, hola, and adiós> / Uses restaurant vocabulary with some errors; omits one or more of the required components of an authentic restaurant scene / Uses restaurant vocabulary correctly, including calling the waiter, discussing the menu, ordering food, calling for the check, and leaving a tip
Resolving a problem / No problem is presented / There is a problem, but it is not clearly stated or resolved / Problem is clearly stated and resolved
Creativity / Role-play uses no props, has no theme or story line / Role-play meets minimal requirements, but is not interesting. Minimal use of props / Role-play is interesting, fun, and has a plot or theme; props are used well
Comprehensibility / Poor pronunciation or mumbling so as not to be understood; breaks in language patterns; it does not sound natural. / Some pronunciation errors; voice quality is not expressive but audible / Good pronunciation; voice expresses pleasure and displeasure; lines are easy for the audience to understand; the language flows naturally
Preparedness / Not prepared; relies heavily on prompts and/or uses script for entire dialogue / Only needs prompts occasionally; majority of dialogues is memorized / Dialogue is completely memorized; no cues are needed