Reading material: 01 Comfort food

https://www.wisdomsq.com/contents/belite/20230119.html

Why do we need ‘comfort foods’? 

なぜ「コンフォートフード」が必要なのか？

From celebrity posts on Instagram and Facebook to cuisine shows on TV, a popular theme is ‘comfort foods’, which are exactly what the name implies: food that provides emotional comfort, our go-to food choices in times of need. As you read these lines, your mind is probably already wandering to your comfort foods, be it a bowl of instant ramen, kimchi stew, tomato and egg, mashed potatoes, or macaroni with cheese.

Although the phrase ‘comfort food’ is used frequently today, mainly due to social media, its history goes back more than half a century. One of its first mentions was by American actress Liza Minnelli in a 1970 interview with a newspaper columnist. Her comfort food was a tasty hamburger.

Generally, people turn to their favorite comfort food when they are celebrating something, or when they want cheering up, or even when they want to establish an emotional connection with their cultural background. Sometimes, a comfort food gives a feeling of belongingness, especially for tourists. For example, a Japanese traveler in America might crave for soba noodles, while an American in Japan might look around for chicken and waffles. But as the BBC reports, it is difficult to pinpoint one single food as a comfort food right across the world.

The big questions are: Are comfort foods good for us? Are they healthy?

Since comfort foods are more about feelings than anything else, French cardiologist Nicolas Girerd came to the conclusion that emotional eaters eat them "to satisfy their brains rather than their stomachs." Sandra Wagner, a nutritionist, says that stress could be one of the reasons why people eat in response to feelings instead of hunger.

From these statements, it seems like we don't care about our health when we eat comfort foods (although many comfort foods are, indeed, healthy too). It makes sense that restaurants that serve popular comfort foods do well everywhere.

Discussion:

What does "comfort-food" mean in this article?

When do people eat "comfort-food" according to the article? 

How about you? In what situations do you crave for "comfort-food"?

What would be some typical comfort-foods for Japanese?

Why do comfort-food vary from person to person?

1, The phrase (            ) food that provide emotional comfort.

2, Its history (             ) back more than half a century.

3, People want to (                 ) an emotional connection.

4, Tourists may (             ) for some food which let them feel at home.

5, Emotional eaters eat in (                  ) to feelings (              ) of hunger.

6, We don't (             ) about our health when we eat comfort foods.

7, It (             ) (              ) that restaurants serving popular comfort foods do well.