Vocabulary:
- originate /uh-RIJ-uh-neyt/
- resemble /ri-ZEM-buhl/
- staple /STEY-puhl/
- pastry /PEY-stree/
- delectable /dih-LEK-tuh-buhl /
[verb] – to come from a particular place, time, situation, etc.
The fruit tart originated in France.
[verb] – to look like or be like someone or something:
That cake resembles a tower.
[noun] – basic or main; standard or regular
Flour is a pantry staple in Italy.
[noun] – a food made from a mixture of flour, fat, and water, rolled flat and either wrapped around or put over or under other foods, and then baked
My aunt bakes pastries every morning.
[adjective] – looking or tasting extremely good, and giving great pleasure
I would like to try that store’s delectable cheesecake.
Article reading:
1. Baumkuchen
©CNN via Juchheim Group
Baumkuchen is a round German cake with golden circular lines resembling a tree’s growth ring. The cake became popular decades after it was created in 1919 by German Karl Jukheim. Baumkuchen has become a staple on Japan’s pastry menus.
2. Castella
©CNN via Bunmeido Tokyo
In 1543, during a missionary exchange by Portuguese merchants in Nagasaki, a simple bread made of flour, sugar, and eggs was introduced to the locals as the “bread from Castile.” Legend has it that the locals, who loved the cake, mistook that description as the name and went with it. It soon became known as “castella” and grew to become a beloved dessert all over Japan. Bunmeido is a popular brand selling this cake in different flavors like chocolate and matcha.
3. Mont Blanc
©CNN via IMM Food Services Inc
Mont Blanc is a chestnut cake named after Le Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps. In Japan, there are specialty shops for different styles of this cake. Namashibori Montblanc is a specialty chain that serves Mont Blanc with freshly squeezed chestnut toppings.
Have you included these sweets in your must-try list? Whether paired with tea or eaten on their own, these delectable pastries would surely bring joy to your day.
Discussion Questions:
- When was the last time you ate something sweet?
- Have you been to a dessert shop? If yes, please describe it. If not, which dessert shop would you like to visit?
- If you were to create a dessert, what would it be like? Tell us the name of the dessert and its ingredients.
- Which among the 3 Western-style desserts would you recommend to your friends?
- In your opinion, which Japanese dessert should be introduced to people from Western countries? Why?
Summarization
Describe:
- adopt
- circular
- specialty
- serve
- joy