Describe your favourite food or dish

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card 486 with Model Answer:

Describe your favourite food or dish.

You should say:

• what dish or food item it is
• how it is made/prepared/cooked
• how common this food item or dish is in your country

and explain why it is your favourite food item/ dish.

[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]

---

Model Answer 1:

I love foods, and who doesn’t! But, of course, not everybody likes the same types of foods. For example, somebody may like fish, while many others can’t even take the smell of it! Some may prefer fast food while many others just avoid them like plagues on some health grounds!

Talking about fast foods, I just love eating pizza. In fact, if my memory serves me well, pizza has been one of my favourite foods since my early university days, and there wasn’t a week for me in those university years that had passed by without eating at least 2 or 3 pizzas.  Of course, I don’t eat them as much as the time when I was younger, but still, I like to enjoy them as often as I can without putting too much strain on my stomach and heart health.  

By the way, in the country, where I live, pizzas, like many other fast food items, have become rather common and popular in recent years, especially, in and around the big cities, where mostly young folks flock into the fast-food restaurants in dozens every day so that they can get a bite of those freshly-made pizzas that are made of yeast dough and topped with tomato sauce, cheese, and a variety of other ingredients.

To make this pizza, one first needs to prepare Pizza-crust (essentially a flat and round bread) of about 10 inches (25 cm in diameter).  Then, cheese, tomato sauce and a number of ingredients (like meat, olive, onions, bell peppers and mushrooms, depending on one’s taste and preferences) are spread evenly on the crust before heating it in an oven for about 20 to 30 minutes. 

Anyway, pizza is one of my favourite foods, mainly because of the heavenly taste it provides to my appetite. I like this food also because I can eat it hot or cold, whether I am busy working or driving on the street. After all, pizza is the food for all seasons and all occasions!

Model Answer 2:

Introduction:
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about my favourite food. It is a dish that I can eat anytime and anywhere, and it always makes me feel happy and satisfied.

What dish or food item it is:
My favourite dish is sushi, a Japanese cuisine consisting of small rolls of vinegar-flavoured cold-cooked rice combined with raw fish, vegetables, and other ingredients such as avocado, cucumber, and crab meat.

How it is made/prepared/cooked:
Sushi is made by combining cooked sushi rice with vinegar, sugar, and salt, which gives it a unique flavour and texture. The rice is then formed into small bite-size pieces and topped with raw fish or vegetables, which are carefully selected and sliced by skilled sushi chefs.

How common this food item or dish is in your country:
Sushi has become increasingly popular in many countries, and it is not difficult to find a sushi restaurant in most major cities around the world. In my country, sushi is widely available in big cities and is often served at high-end Japanese restaurants and sushi bars.

And explain why it is your favourite food item/ dish:
I love sushi for many reasons. First of all, it is a healthy food choice that is high in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and other essential nutrients. Second, it is a very versatile dish that can be customized to suit different tastes and preferences. Lastly, I enjoy the social aspect of eating sushi, as it is often served in small portions, making it easy to share with others and try a variety of different flavours.