Describe an unusual meal that you had: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

When did you eat it
Where did you eat it?
With whom you had the meal?
Why do you think it was unusual?

14 unique answers with expert feedback

What makes your mother's cooking special compared to others?

My mother's cooking is special because she puts a lot of love and care into every dish. Her unique techniques and the way she combines spices create flavors that are hard to replicate. It's not just about the food; it's about the memories and emotions tied to her cooking.

How do you feel when you eat a meal prepared by your mother?

Eating a meal prepared by my mother brings back fond memories of my childhood. It makes me feel loved and connected to my family. The taste of her biryani, in particular, evokes a sense of nostalgia and comfort that I cherish deeply.

Have you tried to cook biryani like your mother? How did it turn out?

I have tried to replicate my mother's biryani, but it never quite matches hers. I follow her recipe, but I think it's her special touch and experience that makes the difference. My attempts are good, but they lack that unique flavor and love that she adds.

Band 6-7

00:00

Well, I recently got engaged and you know my fiancé wanted to take me to a fancy restaurant and that's when we visited a Japanese restaurant. So we had an opportunity to try, you know, most of the starters and meats. So yes, it was not just me and him. We combined, you know, it with his and my family. It was good in the beginning. But one thing which I found most unusual was the sushi and this time it's some people's most favourite thing to eat. For me, I really felt it weird because it's all raw. Uncooked meat and some ingredients in it. Not just that, there was a soup with dumplings in it. So even that had kind of raw meat and I don't know, some items in it which was added. It tasted okay but I usually don't like such kind of dishes. I'm some kind of person who usually likes spicy, tangy food. So that was pretty hard to, you know, begin with.

Follow up questions

What other unusual meals have you tried in the past?

I've tried a few unusual meals, like escargot in France and haggis in Scotland. Each was a unique experience, but I found them quite different from my usual preferences. I appreciate trying new things, but I often prefer familiar flavors.

How do you usually feel about trying new cuisines?

I enjoy trying new cuisines, but I tend to stick to those that have bold flavors. I love spicy and tangy dishes, so I often seek out foods that match my taste. However, I'm open to experimenting, even if some dishes don't appeal to me at first.

What is your favorite type of cuisine and why?

My favorite type of cuisine is Indian food because of its rich flavors and variety of spices. I love dishes like curry and biryani, which are both spicy and aromatic. The complexity of the flavors really excites my palate, making every meal a delightful experience.

IELTS Cue Cards asked last week

Reported by Leap students who gave IELTS

Describe your favourite food at a traditional festival or a special event in your country

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

Pitampura Test Centre, New Delhi

Answer

I like to taste different types of cuisine. Here I would like to talk about my favorite dish at my traditional festival of Onam which is Sadya. Sadya is popular in my city. We are experimenting these cuisines on Onam festival day. Onam is a famous festival in my city. All family members get together in my home and we make a delicious Sadya. There are many ingredients includes that Sadya. Moreover, we make a big feast that day as well as we create a lot of memories together and we wear that day the traditional dress called Sari and men wear the Dhotis. That festival is really important to us because the whole day we are conducting different kinds of games at our homes and all the family members came together. It's a memorable day in my life. This is the festival. We are making the Sambar and Aviyal. These all the kinds of foods are making with the vegetables.

Talk about a toy you liked in your childhood

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 8

Sector 34 Test Centre, Chandigarh

Answer

The toy which I liked in my childhood was a panda doll, which makes me pleasant and makes me more blush. The pandas are the most beautiful creatures of the world, which looks gigantic and has pooshy cheeks and they are like stars in the clouds and they dream in me. Furthermore, these have been given by my father. My father is a very very beautiful artistic person, who makes me think of that. Every day you will face every difficulties and make you suffer and move forward. Pandas are always seen in Japanese countries. It is my lifelong dream to visit a Japanese country and click a photo with the original pandas, which makes sounds better.

Describe a time you were in a place where you didn't know the local language

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 6.5

Whitefield Test Center, Bengaluru

Answer

As India is a very large country full of diversity, so there are many places which have their own language and speak their native language. The place which I visited and I didn't know about their language was Leladakh, which is about 300 km away from my hometown and it is a very good place as it consists of different kind of trees, animals and have many scenic views and I visited over there last year in summers as it was the best time to visit because it has many, it was cold over there and we had summers in our area so it was the best time to visit over there and I went over there with my whole family.

Describe a time when your friend damaged something you owned

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7

Begumpet Test Centre, Hyderabad

Answer

When I was a kid, I had a little pencil box which had these four buttons which gave the pencil box an operative use. When you press the button, the box would open up. When you press the second button, a little part of it would slide out. Basically it was just a little electronical and a fun thing to have and I owned it when I was in 6th. One day after break, I was standing and talking there with one of my friends and another friend of mine was running through the hallway and accidentally she pushed my shoulder and my pencil box hit the ground and it broke into multiple pieces to the point that it was not functional anymore.

Describe a book you recently read

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

CBD Belapur Test Centre, Navi Mumbai

Answer

It Ends With Us is a book I read recently. It's by the author Colleen Hoare. It's mainly a story about two teenagers, Atlas and Lily, and how they just handle their life going through high school, adolescence, and just domestic violence at home. Both of them come from very, very different families. However, they have one common determining factor between them, which is domestic violence. The abuse that they've seen their moms go through is just insane, and they connect through that on a different level. They're actually in the same high school, but they never speak to each other until Atlas actually crashes into an empty house next to Lily's villa. When Atlas is homeless and he doesn't have anywhere to go, he just comes and breaks into the house next to Lily's, and Lily helps him with all the daily necessities like clothes and food, medicines and stuff. Furthermore, their friendship blossoms into love, but it doesn't really fructify as Atlas has to leave. This book really gave me a lot of knowledge about domestic abuse and how to deal with it.

Band 6-7

00:00

So, dating back to last summer, I had a version of Indian Pasta at my maternal uncle's house. It is named as Shingle and it is made from three flours. It is made of Ragi flour, Jowar flour and Wheat flour. It is super healthy and it is rolled into circles, put into a yellow gravy which is made of basically turmeric and basic Indian spices. I found it unusual because I never thought India would also have its version of Pasta. But it absolutely tasted very beautiful but it was healthy at the same time which made me realize that this is something I can have for my life. I had it with my cousins for very first time and we all were sitting and enjoying it. But the taste it brought to us was very homely and it was something very unique because I usually have different types of Pasta and which was very resonating to us because this generation loves eating Pasta and it was yellow colored Pasta which is totally different from Italian Pastas we usually eat. It was little bit spicy and little bit sour. It had pinch of Ghee added to it which is made from dairy products which is basically butter in India and then plated, topped up with some coriander leaves so that's an unusual meal that I had recently.

Follow up questions

What other unusual meals have you tried?

I have tried a few unusual meals, like sushi made with unconventional ingredients and a dessert made from avocado. Each of these meals surprised me with their unique flavors and textures, making me appreciate the creativity in cooking.

How do you think food reflects culture?

Food is a significant part of culture as it represents traditions, local ingredients, and cooking methods. Each dish tells a story about the people and their history, showcasing their values and lifestyle. For instance, the use of spices in Indian cuisine reflects the region's agricultural practices and trade.

Do you enjoy cooking unusual meals yourself?

Yes, I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen. I often try to recreate unusual dishes I've tasted or combine different cuisines. It’s a fun way to explore flavors and share unique meals with friends and family, making cooking an exciting adventure.

Band 5-6

00:00

Lastly, in the last Sunday, I ate an unusual meal at Haldiram with my friends. It was really very unusual because I am a gym freak, I like to go to the gym, I like to take care of myself, my physical body, my athletism and all. But I ate Chole Bhature at Haldiram last week, last week, the day was Sunday, with my friends. All we do is like, we all are people who are very enthusiastic related to their workout and their protein intake, but we didn't cheat meal, which is very unusual for us, for all of us, I heard, I don't believe I heard, it was unusual because we all are gym freaks, we like to take care of our fitness, we have maintained our physique from like, we have maintained our physique from last so many years, so eating Chole Bhature at Haldiram was very unusual. Eating Chole Bhature at Haldiram last Sunday was very unusual for all of us, although we enjoyed eating Chole Bhature after so long. Last Sunday at Haldiram, Last Sunday at Haldiram, with my friends, I had an unusual meal and that was Chole Bhature. We, it was unusual because me and my friends are freaks, we are freaks for our fitness, we go to gym, we work out, we work out a lot on our body and maintaining our muscles from like last so many years, we have been working out together and we don't ever try to eat anything out, anything bad that is not good for our health, but lastly, on the last Sunday, we ate Chole Bhature, although we enjoyed our meal, we really liked our meal because we were eating that after so long, everyday we used to eat proteins and vegetables like broccolis, cucumber, which is good for our body, which could give us protein and fibers, but last Sunday, we changed our plan, we decided to go to Haldiram and eat Chole Bhature because sometimes it is good, to eat sometime out is good, you can give happiness to your soul and after that Chole Bhature, we again went to burn all the calories that we had gained after eating that because it is a very oily meal, so this was my experience, it was a good experience, although it was an unusual meal, but I really loved that unusual meal, thank you.

Follow up questions

What other unusual meals have you tried in the past?

In the past, I've tried sushi with unusual ingredients like mango and cream cheese, which was quite different from traditional sushi. I also had a dessert made of black sesame and sweet potato, which was a unique combination of flavors that I enjoyed.

How do you think your eating habits affect your fitness?

I believe that my eating habits play a crucial role in my fitness. Consuming a balanced diet helps me maintain my energy levels for workouts. However, indulging occasionally, like with Chole Bhature, can also be beneficial for mental well-being and social enjoyment.

Do you think it's important to have cheat meals?

Yes, I think cheat meals are important. They provide a break from strict diets and can help maintain motivation. Enjoying a meal with friends, like Chole Bhature, can enhance social bonds and make the fitness journey more enjoyable without feeling deprived.

Band 5-6

00:00

carrot like that, people will like sambar more. Most of the time I avoid sambar to eat, sambar rice to eat, but my family will cook mostly twice a week sambar meal for me. I like lady finger sambar and drumstick sambar, but in summer time I don't like sambar rice that much. In winter time it feels good to eat sambar rice. After the sambar rice, I prefer to have some curd rice also because it gives cooling to our body. Most of the time in my home, dinner will be curd rice, like old rice with curd. It gives plenty of taste and enough food for a night time dinner. I used to cook only rice. My father was old, he didn't allow to go kitchen at all. He used to cook only tea, coffee or keeping rice on stove. Keeping on rice on stove is also starts from, I used to keep rice on stove.

Follow up questions

What other unusual meals have you tried besides sambar?

I have tried a few unusual meals, like sushi and some exotic fruits. Sushi was quite different for me, especially the raw fish. I also enjoyed trying dishes from different cultures, like Ethiopian injera, which is a sourdough flatbread served with various stews.

How do you think your family's cooking influences your food preferences?

My family's cooking has a significant influence on my food preferences. Growing up with traditional meals like sambar and curd rice has made me appreciate these flavors. I tend to gravitate towards comfort foods that remind me of home, especially during family gatherings.

Do you enjoy cooking, and what dishes do you like to prepare?

I do enjoy cooking, especially simple dishes. I like to prepare rice and various curries, as they remind me of my childhood. I also experiment with different spices and ingredients to create new flavors, but I still prefer traditional meals that my family used to make.

Show all 14 answers

Cue 1:When did you eat it?

Mention the specific time or occasion when you had the meal, such as a festival or a special event.
Explain any significance of that time, like it being a memorable day or a celebration.

Example

I had this unusual meal during Diwali last year. It was a festive occasion, and my family always tries to make it special with unique dishes.

Cue 2:Where did you eat it?

Describe the location where you had the meal, whether it was at home, a restaurant, or a friend's place.
Include details about the ambiance or setting that made it memorable.

Example

We had the meal at my aunt's house, which was beautifully decorated with lights and flowers. The atmosphere was vibrant, filled with laughter and joy.

Cue 3:With whom you had the meal?

Mention the people you shared the meal with, such as family, friends, or colleagues.
Highlight any special relationships or dynamics that made the meal enjoyable.

Example

I shared this meal with my cousins and my grandparents. It was heartwarming to see everyone together, sharing stories and enjoying each other's company.

Cue 4:Why do you think it was unusual?

Explain what made the meal different from your usual dining experiences, such as unique ingredients or cooking methods.
Share your feelings about trying something new and how it added to the experience.

Example

The meal was unusual because my aunt prepared a fusion dish combining traditional Indian flavors with Italian pasta. It was a delightful surprise, and I loved how the spices blended with the pasta, creating a unique taste.

Conclusion

Example

Overall, this unusual meal not only satisfied my taste buds but also created lasting memories with my family. It reminded me of the joy of experimenting with food and the importance of sharing special moments with loved ones.

Following this structure will ensure you cover all the essential points while providing a clear and engaging response to the cue card topic.

Tips to answer this Cue Card

1: Rushing Through Your Answer

Candidates often rush their responses, leading to incomplete answers. This can make it hard for the examiner to follow your story and understand the details.

Tip

Take a moment to organize your thoughts before speaking. Aim to cover each cue clearly and provide enough detail for a full picture.

2: Neglecting Personal Experience

Some candidates fail to connect the meal to their personal experience, making their answer less engaging. Sharing personal stories makes your response more relatable.

Tip

Include personal feelings or anecdotes about the meal. Explain how it made you feel or why it stood out to you.

Ignoring Cultural Context

Candidates often overlook the cultural significance of the meal, which can be crucial in explaining why it was unusual. This can lead to a lack of depth in your answer.

Tip

Discuss any cultural aspects related to the meal, such as traditions or ingredients that are unique. This adds richness to your response.