The power of pepper
2/26/20267 min
How often do you use pepper? It's one of the most common spices to add to food, so common in fact that many of us don't just use it when cooking, but also place it on our dinner tables to add extra flavour! But how much do we really know about pepper? There are hundreds of different varieties worldwide and they all have the power to add that special something to our food. Neil and Becca discuss this seasoning and teach you some new vocabulary.
Find a transcript and worksheet at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish...
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 0· Soundbite0:00
Hello, I'm Georgie, an English teacher and presenter at BBC Learning English. I want to tell you about a new series I've made all about speaking. Beating Speaking Anxiety helps you fight your fears of speaking English. Each video tackles a different fear, like the fear of making mistakes, the fear of not understanding people, and the fear of public speaking. Find practical tips and see speaking activities in action with real learners. Find Beating Speaking Anxiety on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.
Speaker 10:31
[upbeat music] Six Minute English.
Speaker 20:34
From bbclearningenglish.com.
Neil· Host0:37
Hello, this is Six Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.
Becca· Host0:43
And I'm Becca.
Neil· Host0:44
In this episode, we're discussing a food seasoning that's so popular we eat around three quarters of a million tons of it a year. We're talking about pepper. Do you add pepper to your food, Becca?
Becca· Host0:56
I do, Neil, yes. I think it's an easy way to add some spice.
Neil· Host1:01
Yeah, I love a bit of pepper. I grind pepper onto everything.
Becca· Host1:05
Mm.
Neil· Host1:05
Well, not everything. [laughs] But I do like it. Given its popularity, it's surprising that most people know very little about pepper. Did you know, for example, that peppers are the fruit of vines, often growing over 10 meters high?
Becca· Host1:20
Our ancestors would be surprised how little we know. From ancient Greece onwards, pepper was prized as the black gold of ingredients, and explorers crossed