Describe a meal you enjoyed cooking
The full IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card, a band-8 model answer you can learn from, the Part 3 questions that follow, and examiner strategy. Free, no sign-up.
Describe a meal you enjoyed cooking.
You should say:
- what the meal was
- who you cooked it for
- how you prepared it
- and explain why you enjoyed cooking it
You will have one minute to prepare and should then speak for one to two minutes.
Band-8 model answer
The meal I most enjoyed cooking was a proper Sunday roast that I put together for a group of friends last winter. Roast dinners aren't really part of my own culture, so I'd never made one before, and I decided to attempt it partly because two of the friends coming over were from the UK and I thought they'd appreciate it. I went full traditional — roast chicken instead of the usual local dishes, roast potatoes, glazed carrots, buttered greens, gravy from scratch, and Yorkshire puddings, which turned out to be the trickiest bit by far. I spent most of the morning prepping: brining the chicken the night before, peeling and parboiling the potatoes so they'd crisp up properly in the oven, and getting the timing right so everything landed on the table at roughly the same temperature, which is honestly the hardest part of that kind of meal. When I finally sat down with everyone, the whole spread looked way more impressive than I'd expected, and my two British friends were genuinely surprised anyone outside the UK could make Yorkshire puddings that puffed up like that. What I enjoyed most, though, wasn't the food itself but the process — losing myself for a few hours in something that had nothing to do with work, and then feeding people I care about. I've since made it two or three more times.
Why this answer scores band 8
- ✓Cross-cultural angle ('roast dinners aren't really part of my own culture') that gives depth to a simple prompt
- ✓Precise cooking verbs (brining, parboiling, glazed, crisp up) that show lexical range
- ✓Reflective conclusion that shifts from food to feeling, answering 'why' at a higher level
Part 3 follow-up questions
After the cue card, the examiner discusses the topic in more depth. Practise these aloud too — Part 3 is where the highest bands are won or lost.
Examiner strategy for this cue card
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Describe a meal you enjoyed cooking — FAQ
How do you answer the 'Describe a meal you enjoyed cooking' IELTS cue card?
Spend your one minute of preparation noting a few keywords for each prompt (what the meal was; who you cooked it for; how you prepared it; and explain why you enjoyed cooking it), then speak for the full two minutes. Cover each point briefly but give most of your time to the final 'explain why' prompt, where the marks are. A full band-8 model answer is shown on this page.
How long should the IELTS Speaking Part 2 answer be?
You should talk for up to two minutes without stopping. It is better to keep going and cover the topic in depth than to finish early — the examiner will stop you when the time is up.
What Part 3 questions follow 'Describe a meal you enjoyed cooking'?
Part 3 broadens the topic into a discussion. For this cue card, expect questions such as: Do you think people cook at home less than they used to? What are the benefits of learning to cook from a young age? How has cooking been influenced by international cuisines?