Street Food Stories

Handout Classy Tutoring

Street Food Stories

Name: ______________________ Date: ____________

Reading

Have you ever eaten food from a street stall? Lots of people have tried street food, but not everyone has enjoyed the experience!

I have eaten street food in three different countries, but I have never tasted anything like the tacos in Mexico City. A small stall near the market sells them every day. The cook has made tacos for over twenty years. "I have never changed my recipe," he says. "Why fix something that works?"

My friend Tom has never eaten street food. "I have always been afraid of getting sick," he says. "But I have heard that the night market near the harbour is amazing and clean."

My cousin Lila has cooked in a small food truck for two years. She has learned three recipes so far, and she has never served anything she would not eat herself. "I have watched people try my food for the first time," she says. "Their faces have already told me everything." The truck has stood on the same corner since 2023. She has worked every Saturday since then, and she has never missed a market day.

Street food is more than just food. It's culture, history, and community — all on a plate. Have you ever tried it?

Comprehension

Answer in sentences.

  1. How many countries has the writer eaten street food in?
  2. Has the writer ever tasted anything like those tacos?
  3. How long has the cook been making tacos?
  4. Why hasn't Tom ever eaten street food?
  5. What has Tom heard about the night market?

Words to know

WordWhat it means
street stalla small stand selling food in the street
marketa place where people buy and sell
recipeinstructions for making a dish
communitythe people who live in the same place
tacoa folded tortilla with filling

Grammar: Present Perfect + ever / never

The rule: Present Perfect is for life experiences — when the exact time does not matter. Use Past Simple when a specific time is given (yesterday, last summer).
PositiveNegativeQuestion
I/You/We/Theyhave eatenhaven't eatenHave you eaten?
He/She/Ithas eatenhasn't eatenHas she eaten?
MeaningExample
ever"at any time in your life"Have you ever tried street food?
never"at no time in your life"I have never eaten insects.

Worked example: Have you ever tried Korean food?

Why: Ever asks whether you have had this experience at any time in your life — the exact time is not important, so we use Present Perfect: Have + ever + tried (past participle of try). If we said last week, we would use Past Simple: Did you try Korean food last week?

Exercise 1

Use the Present Perfect or Past Simple.

  1. ________ you ________ (ever / try) Vietnamese food?
  2. I ________ (never / eat) insects, but I want to try!
  3. She ________ (try) Thai food last weekend.
  4. ________ he ________ (ever / make) pizza from scratch?
  5. I'm a vegetarian — I ________ (never / eat) meat.
  6. We ________ (have) street food in Bangkok last summer.

Exercise 2

Make questions and write your answers.

QuestionYour answer
eat / street food?______________________________
try / a food you didn't like?______________________________
cook / a meal from a recipe?______________________________
be / to a food market?______________________________
eat / something very spicy?______________________________

Write complete answers: "Yes, I have." or "No, I've never…"

Writing

Write 5 questions using Have you ever…? about food and experiences. Then answer them.

Example: Have you ever eaten breakfast for dinner? — Yes, I have. I had pancakes at 8 PM!

  1. ________________________________________________
  2. ________________________________________________
  3. ________________________________________________
  4. ________________________________________________
  5. ________________________________________________

Homework

Ask 3 people (family or friends): What is the most unusual food you have ever eaten?

Write down their answers in full sentences:

Bring it to the next lesson.