ESL
CONNECT

The History of Sushi: B2/C1 Lesson

B2/C1 ESL Connect Video lesson based on the tapescript: food history, cultural adaptation, Westernisation, globalisation and culinary craftsmanship.

Open video on YouTube

Lesson Aim

Students watch a video about the journey of sushi from a fish-preservation method to a global food trend and discuss how food changes when it moves across cultures.

Video structure: Part 1 explains sushi’s origins, fermentation and modernisation in Japan. Part 2 explores sushi’s global spread, Western adaptations, safety rules and modern sushi culture.

Before watching

What foods from your country have changed after becoming popular abroad?
Does adapting a traditional food make it more creative or less authentic?
Why do some foods become global trends while others remain local?

Food and Culture

Watch in two parts and complete the tasks.

Prep Part 1

Drag the correct meaning into each gap.

1. preserve

2. fermented

3. tangy

4. delicacy

Answer options

a rare or special foodpleasantly sharp or sour in flavourstop food from going adchnged by natural chemical processes involving bacteria or yeast

Watch Part 1

Watch from 0:00 to about 1:21. Focus on the origins of sushi, fermentation, Japan and the birth of modern sushi.

Open Part 1 on YouTube

Comprehension 1

Click each question to reveal the answer.

Where does the story of sushi go back to?

Prehistoric Southeast Asia

What was the original purpose of the rice?

To help preserve the fish

What usually happened to the rice in early sushi?

It was disarded.

Why did people start leaving sushi for less time?

Fish was more plentiful in coastal areas.

What happened in the 1820s in what is now Tokyo?

Rw fresh fish was added to rice and modern sushi was born.

Vocabulary from Part 1

Fish was preserved by packing it with salt and cooked .

The result was vinegary, fermented .

Early rice was often described as .

Modern sushi was called haya-sushi, meaning .

Options

fishgloopyradioricefast

Prep Part 2

Drag the correct meaning into each gap.

1. aghast

2. Westernised

3. parasite

4. novelty

Answer options

shoked or horrifiedn organism that lives on or inside another organism and can be harmfulsomething new, unusual or entertainingadapted to Western tastes or haits

Watch Part 2

Watch from about 1:22 to the end. Focus on sushi’s arrival in the West, adaptations, safety rules and modern sushi culture.

Open Part 2 on YouTube

Comprehension 2

Click each question to reveal the answer.

Where did sushi first emerge outside Japan?

Clifornia

Why was the Californian Roll created?

To enourage people who were nervous about raw fish

Why must fish often be frozen before use in Western countries?

To kill parasites

What is described as the ultimate Westernisation?

The sushi burrito

What is surprising about sushi’s modern status?

Some sushi restaurants have three Mihelin stars.

Vocabulary from Part 2

Californians were initially at the idea of eating raw fish.

The Californian Roll originally contained cooked .

Fish must be frozen to kill .

Conveyor belts add a level of .

Options

parasitesaghastsignalsnoveltycrab

Vocabulary Review

Expression	Meaning	Example
go back to	originate in a past time	The story of sushi goes back to prehistoric Southeast Asia.
die out	gradually disappear	The technique died out elsewhere.
come up with	invent or create	Chefs came up with the Californian Roll.
deeply ingrained	strongly established over time	There was a deeply ingrained fear of raw fish.
devotee	a very enthusiastic fan	Sushi devotees can be fanatical.

Phrasal Verbs and Expressions from the Video

Drag the correct expression into each sentence.

The story of sushi prehistoric Southeast Asia.

The preservation technique in many places.

Japanese chefs the Californian Roll.

Western fear of raw fish meant more cooked versions .

The conveyor belt concept a sense of novelty.

Options

came up withcame into usedied outpick upgoes back toadds

Use the Same Phrasal Verbs to Form Questions

Use the same phrasal verbs and expressions from the previous exercise to complete the questions.

1. How far does the story of sushi ?

2. Why do some traditional food techniques in one place but survive in another?

3. Why did chefs the Californian Roll?

4. What kinds of Westernised sushi have in your country?

5. What does the conveyor belt system to the sushi restaurant experience?

Options

come into useaddcome up withshow updie outgo back to

Collocations from the Video

Drag the correct word to complete each collocation.

fish

delicacy

street food

ingrained fear

stars

Options

rarerandomfermentedrawdeeplycheapMichelin

B2/C1 Grammar: Passive Voice, Time Expressions and Contrast

This video explains historical change, so the grammar focus is on passive structures, sequencing and contrast between traditional and modern forms.

Click each grammar question to reveal the answer.

Complete: “Fish ___ preserved by packing it with salt and rice.”

was

Which sentence is correct?

Modern sushi ws born in what is now Tokyo.

Which phrase is best for showing a later development?

Two hundred years later

Complete: “By the 15th Century, people ___ it for less time.”

were leving

Which sentence is most natural?

Although sushi egan as a preservation method, it became a luxury food.

Complete: “While some sushi is a luxury treat, it can also be ___.”

heap street food

Thought-Provoking Questions

Discuss these questions in pairs or small groups. Give reasons, examples and possible consequences.

1. When a traditional food is adapted for another culture, does it lose authenticity or gain a new identity?

2. Should foods like sushi be judged by tradition, taste, safety or creativity?

3. Why do some people become fanatical devotees of certain foods?

4. Is Westernised sushi still sushi?

5. How do health, convenience and exoticism help market a food globally?

6. Should restaurants clearly distinguish between traditional food and fusion food?

7. What local food from your country could become popular worldwide if it were adapted?

Challenge: Choose one question and prepare a one-minute answer using cautious language such as: It could be argued that..., One possible concern is..., This becomes more complicated because...

Role Play

Explaining tradition	Defending adaptation	Discussing food trends
Originally, sushi was... Traditionally, it involved... The historical purpose was...	Adapting food can help... Fusion cuisine allows... It still respects the original if...	This became popular because... Consumers were attracted by... The challenge is balancing...

Context

Situation: A restaurant is planning a new sushi menu for international customers. Student A wants to keep the menu traditional. Student B wants to include Westernised and fusion options.

Student A

Defend traditional sushi. Explain why authenticity, skill and food culture matter.

Student B

Defend adaptation. Explain why local tastes, safety rules and creativity matter.

Role play task: Discuss the menu for five minutes. By the end, agree on three items: one traditional, one adapted and one fusion dish.

Finish