Учебное пособие Санкт-Петербург 2010

Read the following dialogue and answer the questions:

It is known that religious faith influences on the choice of food-stuffs and dishes which are consumed in their countries. Here is a dialogue ‘Religious forbids’ between a reporter and the chef de cuisine of a new hotel restaurant in Amsterdam.

R. I understand that apart from serving a wide variety of international
dishes and specialties, you also cater for various religions and also
people suffering from diabetes and ulcers.
Ch. That’s quite correct. We aim to satisfy all our customers whatever
religion or state of health. Although there are quite a number of
vegetarian restaurants springing up, there seems to be a lack of
place offering special menus or even diet plates.
R. What are the problems involved in preparing meals for Moslems and
Hindus, for example?
Ch. Well, of course, first of all, Moslems, that is all Moslems, are
forbid-den to eat pork, bacon, ham or any foods containing pork in any form. Nor may they eat crabs, lobsters, shrimps or eels.
R. But surely that was just a custom evolved to avoid food poisoning in
hot desert countries, wasn’t it?
Ch. Not only that. It’s part of their faith and culture. After all, how many
Christians would be happy to eat horse, cat or even mice?
R. Are the Hindus the same?
Ch. Hindus do not eat beef or veal which unfortunately cuts out some of
our superb dishes. But we have a large selection of special Indian
fare.
R. Isn’t it a bit off-putting to have people asking you to explain the ori-
gins of stews, pies and sausages?
Ch. It is no more disconcerting than the Greek habit of coming straight
into the kitchen to see what is on the menu. After all we have
nothing to hide.
R. And how about ‘kosher’ food?
Ch. I must admit Jewish catering is much more complicated, following
as it does the strict dietary laws and traditions laid down according to the Jewish religion.
R. What sort of problems come up there?
Ch. First of all, blood must not be eaten and that means that animals
have to be slaughtered in such a way that the blood is completely drained out of the animal. There again Jews are not allowed to eat the meat of animals which have no cloven hooves or do not chew the cud.
R. So that cuts out pork, too. How about oxtail soup?
Ch. The hindquarters of animals are also forbidden. Another prohibition
is the use of milk and meat together. Staff are not allowed to mix meat and milk equipment either in the kitchen or the food service area and after a meat meal Jews are not permitted milk foods for 4 hours.
R. How about eggs dishes?
Ch. They are allowed. To start the meal you can have a vegetable soup
and fish for the main course avoiding skate and turbot of course, because fish must have fins and scales. The dessert need cause you no problems as you don’t have to avoid cream as you have not served meat.
R. What about the fats used in the preparation of the food. Lard and
dripping are presumably out, aren’t?
Ch. Yes. We have to use butter or vegetable oil.
Vocabulary

cloven hooves раздвоенные копыта

cud жвачка
disconcerting смущающее
evolve (v) эволюционировать
fare пища
gastric ulcers язва желудка
hindquarters задняя часть
lard свиное сало
skate скат ( рыба )
turbot палтус
1. What are Moslems forbidden to eat?
2. Why are they not allowed to eat these foods?
3. What are Hindus not allowed to eat?
4. What do you know about the significance of animal blood in Jewish
catering?
5. How about the combination of meat and milk in ‘kosher’ catering?

2.