雅思IELTS詞彙：食物與烹飪
食物相關的問題到處都會出現：Part 1關於日常三餐的暖身問題，Part 2關於節日或慶祝活動的題卡（cue card），Part 3關於飲食習慣改變的討論，以及涉及速食或健康政策的Writing（寫作）Task 2作文。由於這個主題感覺很隨性，考生常常只會用同樣的幾個形容詞，而這正是限制Lexical Resource（詞彙資源）分數的原因。
在這個主題上，Band 7的詞彙重點不在說出特別的異國菜名，而在自然的詞語搭配：「rich in flavour」和「comfort food」聽起來像流利的說話者，而在五個回答裡重複「very nice」和「very good」就不會。最常見的錯誤有三個：每個正面看法都只用「delicious」；把「eat outside」這類片語直接翻譯，而不用正確的詞語搭配「eat out」；以及表達不喜歡時太直接，而不用「an acquired taste」這類較委婉自然的片語。
如果你想找的是烹飪用字，而不是食物用字，這些動詞就在下方的分組裡：chop、boil、fry、simmer、marinate、season和garnish，還有「rustle up」和「batch-cook」這類片語，能把一頓飯的敘述變成一個小故事。這些詞最能派上用場的，是關於你煮過的一道菜或家傳食譜的Part 2題卡。
這個主題會出現在哪裡
- Part 1關於你自己生活的暖身題目，例如「What kind of food do you like?」，下方還有另外4題。
- Part 2針對題卡進行1～2分鐘的個人陳述，例如Describe a celebration or festival you enjoyed, Describe something you do to stay healthy。
- Part 3較抽象的追問，也是精準用語最重要的地方，例如「How have eating habits changed in your country in recent years?」。
- Writing Task 2關於「食物與烹飪」的作文題目，同樣會獎勵這些片語：你能說出口的詞語搭配，就能寫進作文。
與其說…不如說…
想法相同，用詞更精準。左欄是大多數考生最先想到的說法；右欄是考官聽起來更精準的說法。
| 常見說法 | 更好的說法 |
|---|---|
| the food was very good | the dish was absolutely delicious精準的形容詞勝過籠統的強調詞 |
| I like to cook food | I enjoy cooking from scratch說出具體的烹調方式，聽起來更自然 |
| it tastes very nice | it's rich in flavour這個詞語搭配比「very nice」更自然 |
| I eat outside a lot | I eat out a lot正確自然的詞語搭配，而不是直譯 |
| this food is bad for me | it's not the healthiest option比直接下斷言更委婉、更自然的語體 |
| I don't really like this food | it's a bit of an acquired taste這個慣用語更自然地表達了看法 |
| we ate too much at the party | we overindulged at the party一個精準的動詞取代冗長的片語 |
| this is our traditional food | this is part of our culinary tradition正式的名詞片語，適合Part 3的討論 |
| I cooked the meal fast | I rustled up a quick meal一個片語動詞取代兩個普通的詞 |
| I put salt and pepper | I seasoned it to taste這個烹飪動詞聽起來自然又精準 |
依分數分類的片語
每個片語都附上意思，以及一個你實際說得出口的句子。請學整個句子，而不是只學單獨的單字。
Band 6：基本片語
清楚、正確、常見。用這些就能撐起整個回答，而且聽起來不像背好的。
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food
單字人們為了攝取營養而吃的任何東西
I think food is one of the best parts of travelling.
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cook
單字加熱烹調食物
I usually cook dinner for my family on weekends.
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delicious
單字味道非常好
My grandmother's soup is always delicious in winter.
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recipe
單字一道菜的製作步驟說明
I found this recipe online and tried it last night.
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fresh ingredients
詞語搭配剛生產、未經加工的食材
This restaurant is known for using fresh ingredients every day.
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homemade food
詞語搭配在家做、而不是買來的食物
I much prefer homemade food to anything from a restaurant.
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eat out
片語動詞在餐廳用餐
My friends and I eat out together most Fridays.
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traditional dish
詞語搭配世代以同樣方式製作的菜餚
This traditional dish is served at almost every wedding in my country.
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fast food
詞語搭配製作和供應都非常快速的食物
I try not to eat fast food more than once a week.
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healthy meal
詞語搭配對身體有益的食物
I always try to prepare a healthy meal before a busy day.
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chop
單字用刀把食物切成小塊
I chop the vegetables while the water comes to the boil.
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boil
單字在冒泡沸騰的水中煮東西
I usually boil the rice first and then fry it with vegetables.
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fry
單字在鍋中用熱油煎炸食物
My father likes to fry fish on Fridays.
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follow a recipe
詞語搭配照著寫好的步驟做菜
I always follow a recipe the first time I cook a new dish.
Band 7：詞語搭配
天生就會放在一起的詞。從這裡開始，詞彙就會拉開Band 6和Band 7的差距。
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whip up
片語動詞不費力地快速做出食物
My mother can whip up a full dinner in twenty minutes.
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from scratch
慣用語用基本食材做，而不是用現成品
I prefer baking bread from scratch instead of buying it.
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mouth-watering
單字看起來或聞起來極其誘人
The smell coming from that kitchen was absolutely mouth-watering.
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staple food
詞語搭配經常食用、占飲食很大部分的食物
Rice is a staple food in most households where I grew up.
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acquired taste
慣用語要經過多次接觸才會喜歡的東西
Blue cheese is definitely an acquired taste for a lot of people.
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pair well with
詞語搭配很搭配，尤其指食物或飲料
I think red wine and cheese pair well with each other.
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comfort food
詞語搭配帶來情感滿足的食物，常與童年有關
Whenever I feel stressed, I go straight for comfort food.
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dig in
片語動詞興致勃勃地開始吃
As soon as the plates arrived, everyone started to dig in.
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try out a new recipe
片語動詞試做一道你沒煮過的食譜
Every weekend I try out a new recipe I found online.
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rich in flavour
詞語搭配味道濃郁而令人滿足
This sauce is surprisingly rich in flavour for something so simple.
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cut down on fast food
片語動詞減少吃速食的頻率
I've been trying to cut down on fast food since the new year.
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overindulge
單字吃或喝得超過合理的量
It's easy to overindulge during festivals when there's so much food.
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simmer
單字在剛好低於沸點的湯汁中慢慢煮
Let the sauce simmer for twenty minutes so the flavours develop.
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marinate
單字烹調前先把肉、魚或蔬菜泡在醬汁裡，讓它吸收味道
We marinate the chicken overnight before the barbecue.
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season to taste
詞語搭配依自己喜歡的量加入鹽、胡椒或香料
The recipe just says to season to taste, so everyone's version is a little different.
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a pinch of salt
詞語搭配非常少量的鹽，也就是用兩根手指能捏起的量
A pinch of salt brings out the sweetness of the dish.
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batch-cook
單字一次煮大量食物，並把分量留到之後吃
On Sundays I batch-cook lunches for the whole week.
Band 8：精準用語
精準，而且常常是慣用語。只在真正合適的地方用，不要當成裝飾。
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culinary tradition
詞語搭配一種文化中既有的烹飪習俗和方法
This dish is a central part of our culinary tradition.
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bland and uninspired
詞語搭配缺乏味道或創意
The meal at that hotel was bland and uninspired, unfortunately.
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a far cry from
慣用語與某事物差很多，通常是更差
The food at the airport was a far cry from what I'd hoped for.
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wholesome home-cooked meal
詞語搭配在家用心做出的營養餐點
Nothing beats a wholesome home-cooked meal after a long week.
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refined palate
詞語搭配能欣賞細微風味的精緻味覺
My uncle has a refined palate and always notices small details in food.
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indulge in
片語動詞讓自己享受某件事，常當作犒賞
On special occasions, I like to indulge in a rich dessert.
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gastronomic experience
詞語搭配以享用高品質美食為重心的一餐或一趟旅程
Visiting that region turned into a real gastronomic experience for us.
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fusion cuisine
詞語搭配融合不同烹飪傳統風格的料理
The new restaurant downtown specialises in fusion cuisine.
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rustle up
片語動詞用手邊現有的材料快速做出一餐
My mother can rustle up a meal from almost nothing.
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garnish
單字在完成的菜餚上放少量食物（如香草）作裝飾
She garnishes every plate with fresh coriander.
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a generous helping
詞語搭配分量很大的一份食物
My grandmother always gives me a generous helping of rice.
自我測驗
從上方例句中挑出8個句子，並把片語拿掉。選出適合填入空格的片語：按1～4或直接點選。
第1題，共8題
大聲說出來練習
只讀過的片語還不是你的。大聲回答這些題目，數一數上方的片語中有多少是你實際用得上的。
Part 1題目
- What kind of food do you like?
- Do you often cook for yourself?
- Did anyone in your family teach you to cook?
- Do you prefer eating at home or eating out?
- What is a typical meal like in your country?
Part 3題目
- How have eating habits changed in your country in recent years?
- Why do you think fast food has become so popular worldwide?
- Should schools teach children how to cook?
- Is traditional cooking disappearing in modern society?
- What role does food play in bringing families together?
常見問題
在Speaking中說出自己國家的特定菜名可以嗎？
可以，說出真實的菜名，能展現你真正了解這個主題，但一定要用英文加上簡短的描述，讓考官能理解你的意思。
「delicious」和「tasty」這類字，對高分來說太基本嗎？
偶爾用沒問題，但每個回答都靠它們，會限制你的詞彙廣度。穿插「rich in flavour」或「mouth-watering」這類片語，能展現更好的掌控力。
食物主題最常見的詞彙錯誤是什麼？
從另一種語言直接翻譯，例如說「eat outside」而不是「eat out」。學會固定的詞語搭配，就能避免這類不自然的說法。
準備IELTS Speaking，哪些烹飪動詞值得學？
一小組動詞就能涵蓋大部分回答：chop、boil、fry、simmer、marinate、season和garnish。在題目是你煮過的一餐或家傳食譜的Part 2題卡上，它們能讓你一步一步說明一道菜，比把所有事都說成「made」更精準。請把每個動詞放在句子裡學習，如上方的表格所示。
「cooker」是煮東西的人嗎？
不是。在英式英語中，「cooker」是你用來烹煮的器具（爐具），煮東西的人是「cook」，若以此為職業則是「chef」。把這些字混用是食物主題常見的失誤，而且在簡單句子裡用錯字，比用平淡的字更容易被注意到。