Back to Situations
Explaining a Cultural Holiday

Describing Festive Food & Drinks

The conversation shifts to the culinary aspects of the holiday, with the native speaker explaining traditional dishes, special ingredients, and the significance of certain foods, perhaps even inviting the listener to try some.

Dialogue

Listen and follow along with the conversation

1
Emily (Female)
So, you were telling me about Lunar New Year earlier. What kind of special food do you typically eat during the celebrations?
2
David (Male)
Oh, the food is a huge part of it! We have so many traditional dishes, each with symbolic meaning. For example, fish is a must-have because the Chinese word for fish, 'yu,' sounds like the word for 'surplus' or 'abundance.'
3
Emily (Female)
That's fascinating! So, it's not just about taste, but also what the food represents. Are there any other dishes with interesting meanings?
4
David (Male)
Absolutely! We also eat a lot of dumplings. They're shaped like ancient Chinese gold ingots, so eating them is believed to bring wealth and good fortune in the coming year. Families usually gather to make them together, which is a lovely tradition.
5
Emily (Female)
That sounds like a lot of fun, and delicious! What about sweets? Is there anything special for dessert?
6
David (Male)
For sweets, glutinous rice cake, or 'nian gao,' is really popular. 'Nian gao' sounds like 'higher year,' symbolizing progress and prosperity. And of course, we drink a lot of tea, and sometimes special alcoholic beverages for toasting.
7
Emily (Female)
It's amazing how much thought goes into each dish. I'd love to try some of these. Do you ever make these dishes yourself?
8
David (Male)
I do! My family has some great recipes. In fact, if you're free sometime closer to Lunar New Year next year, you should definitely come over and try some of my mom's homemade dumplings. They're incredible!
9
Emily (Female)
That sounds wonderful, I'd love to! I'm already looking forward to it. Thanks for explaining all this, it makes the holiday even more vivid.

Vocabulary

Essential words and phrases from the dialogue

symbolic

Meaning something represents a deeper idea or wish, like good luck. In cultural talks, use it to explain why food has special meanings, e.g., 'This dish is symbolic of prosperity.'

abundance

A large amount or plenty of something. In holidays, it often means wishing for wealth. Say, 'We hope for abundance in the new year.'

dumplings

Small pockets of dough filled with meat or vegetables, boiled or fried. Common in Chinese culture for festivals. You can say, 'We make dumplings for Lunar New Year.'

ingots

Ancient gold or silver bars shaped like boats, symbolizing wealth in Chinese tradition. Use in context: 'Dumplings look like ingots to bring good fortune.'

glutinous

Sticky or glue-like, describing rice that holds together well. In food: 'Glutinous rice is used in nian gao for Lunar New Year.'

prosperity

Success, wealth, and good fortune. Often used in holiday wishes: 'May the new year bring prosperity to your family.'

toasting

Raising glasses with drinks to celebrate or wish well. Common at parties: 'We do toasting with special wine during festivals.'

homemade

Made at home, not bought. Shows personal touch: 'My mom's homemade dumplings are the best.'

Key Sentences

Important phrases to remember and practice

The food is a huge part of it!

This expresses that something is very important in an event. Useful for emphasizing key aspects in conversations about traditions. 'Huge part' is informal for 'big role'; use it to engage listeners about holidays.

Fish is a must-have because the Chinese word for fish, 'yu,' sounds like the word for 'surplus' or 'abundance.'

Explains a reason with 'because' clause. 'Must-have' means essential. Great for describing cultural symbols; teaches homophones (words that sound alike). Use when sharing why something is traditional.

That's fascinating!

A response showing interest and surprise. Simple exclamation; useful in dialogues to keep conversation flowing. Say it when learning new cultural facts to show engagement.

We also eat a lot of dumplings.

Describes habitual actions with 'eat a lot of' for quantity. 'Also' adds information. Practical for talking about food customs; use in present simple tense for general truths about celebrations.

Eating them is believed to bring wealth and good fortune in the coming year.

Uses passive voice ('is believed') for general beliefs. 'Bring' means cause. Useful for explaining superstitions; helps with passive structures in cultural explanations.

For sweets, glutinous rice cake, or 'nian gao,' is really popular.

Introduces a topic with 'For [category],' and uses appositive ('or') for explanation. 'Really popular' shows high preference. Ideal for listing foods; use when describing options in a meal.

I'd love to try some of these.

'I'd love to' politely expresses strong interest or desire. Conditional for hypothetical wishes. Common in invitations; use to show enthusiasm about trying new things.

You should definitely come over and try some of my mom's homemade dumplings.

Gives strong advice with 'should definitely.' 'Come over' means visit casually. Useful for inviting friends; imperative form for suggestions in friendly talks.