Entry 1: My favorite food.

My favorite food is ramen, a very hot soup. Ramen originates from Japan, a country in Asia. You might be familiar with the "instant" version that can be cooked in a microwave. However, authentic ramen is much more savory and made very differently. There are 4 types of ramen: shio (she-oh), shoyu (show-you), miso (me-so), and tonkotsu (tong-coat-sue). A ramen's type is determined by how its broth is prepared. Shio is the Japanese word for salt and shio ramen has a clear broth. Shoyu ramen utilizes soy sauce to create a dark broth. Miso ramen uses miso paste to create an opaque broth. Tonkotsu broth is made by boiling ground up pork bones. Within these four types, there are many varieties. My favorite type is tonkotsu. Tonkotsu ramen contains noodles, sliced pork, mixed vegetables, and an egg that is cooked by the broth itself.

New York City has many Japanese restaurants that serve ramen. My favorite establishment is Ajisen Ramen. They serve vegetarian ramen as well. In the summer they serve "summer ramen," which contains no broth, making it a cool dish to eat. However, I love hot ramen so much that I will eat it even when it is scorching outside!

Vocabulary
originates (verb, present tense): comes from
authentic (adjective): real, not a copy
savory (adjective): tasty, full of flavor
prepared (verb, past tense): to be made
utilizes (verb, present tense): uses
opaque (adjective): cannot be seen through
varieties (noun, plural ): different types
establishment (noun): place
vegetarian (adjective): does not contain meat
scorching (adjective): very hot

Vocabulary Exercise
Instructions. Fill in the blanks with the correct vocabulary words. Each word will be used once.
1. The window was so dusty that it became ___________.
2. It was a ________ day at the beach.
3. I do not eat meat so I asked for a ___________ meal.
4. The meal my grandmother _______ for Thanksgiving was very __________.
5. Tamales are a dish that ___________ from Mexico.
6. The museum had an _________ tapestry from the Middle Ages.
7. A steam engine is a train that ________ steam to run.
8. There are many ________ of insects.
9. A temple is an example of a religious ____________.

Grammar Point & Activity

Adjectives are words that are used to describe nouns. What adjective are used to describe food in the above text? What is your favorite food and what are some adjectives you would use to describe it? What are some adjectives you would use to describe yourself?