Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0+: Food, Travel and Holidays (Part 2)

Food, travel, and holidays are frequent themes across the speaking, writing, reading, and listening modules of the IELTS exam. Examiners often look for precise, natural, and topic-specific vocabulary that goes beyond simple words like ‘good’, ‘nice’, or ‘delicious’. So, if you are aiming for Band 7 and above, learning advanced vocabulary for food, trave,l and holiday is a must.

In this blog, we will explore advanced vocabulary word lists for IELTS related to food, travel, and holidays. Each vocabulary table comes with meanings and example sentences to help you use them confidently in your exam.

Advanced Food, Travel, and Holiday Vocabulary

Since IELTS Listening and Reading often use academic, descriptive, and semi-formal vocabulary, learning these high-frequency terms, especially in sections about tourism, globalisation, and food culture, is essential. Recognising them quickly helps with comprehension and selecting the correct answers.

Advanced Cooking and Eating Vocabulary for IELTS

Cooking verbs and food adjectives are essential in IELTS Speaking Part 1 (food preferences) and Part 2 (Describe a Meal/Dish or Food Item you Know How to Cook). These words will help you sound precise and descriptive. 

The table below presents definitions and example sentences related to food, specifically for cooking and eating.

Advanced Travel Vocabulary for IELTS

Travel vocabulary is crucial for IELTS Writing Task 2 essays on tourism and culture and Speaking Part 2 (describe a holiday). 

The table below presents definitions and example sentences related to travel. These words make your descriptions vivid and exam-ready.

Advanced Holiday and Leisure Vocabulary for IELTS

Holiday-related words are often tested in Speaking Part 1 (holidays, leisure time) and IELTS Speaking Part 2 (describe a celebration/travel experience). These will help you speak naturally and fluently.

Exercises Based on Advanced Food, Travel and Holidays Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0 +

You will not be able to improve your IELTS band score merely by learning words' meanings and some sentences. The best way to learn how to use it effectively is to take vocabulary exercises that will help your brain retain words by moving them from short to long-term memory.

So, given below are some exercises based on food, travel, and holidays vocabulary for IELTS that will help you improve your word choice and boost your vocabulary.

(A) Choose the correct verb from the box to fill each gap. You should use each verb once only, and you may need to change the form.

1. After bringing the saucepan to the boil, allow to ___________ for a further five minutes.
2. ___________ a little salad dressing over the top just before you begin to serve.
3. ___________ the egg whites and sugar together in a separate bowl.
4. The mere sight and smell of the dish had us all ___________ in anticipation of the gastronomic treat we were in for.
5. Such was the appetite I had worked up that I had ___________ every last morsel that had been put on my plate in a matter of minutes.
6. She ___________ the steak in a brandy-and-stock mix for two hours.
7. ___________ the turkey at regular intervals during the cooking process.
8. ___________ the dish with a sprig of mint.
9. Don’t ___________ yourself for the rest of the evening; you don’t have to have all the chocolates tonight; you can always finish the box tomorrow.
10. ___________ the fish in the lemon-and-spice mix for about four hours before frying.
11. ___________ the fish on a high heat for approximately five minutes, turning halfway through.
12. ___________ the beef yourself is an option, but a laborious one when you can buy it from the butchers.
13. I’m just going to pop into the shop a second; I need something to ___________ on to keep me going until dinner.

(B) Use the words from the box below to fill the gaps. Use each word once only. You will not need to change the form of the word.

I had a 1.________ meal at the Riverdale Park Hotel last night; the best I’ve had dining out for as long as I can remember. And, surprisingly, the portions were 2. ________ , not the miserly servings I’ve grown accustomed to getting in these “high-class” eateries. Dessert was the most 3. ________ part of the meal; a 4. ________ lemon cheesecake with a base to die for – it really hit the spot! And the house wine was the perfect accompaniment; inexpensive but full-bodied and flavoursome; I drank until I was well and truly 5. ________. Contrast that with my experience at the weekend in Grey’s Bowl; I’ve never had such 6. ________ -smelling gunk served to me on a plate before. My starter was like something out of a horror movie; thinly-sliced 7. ________ steak served on some mouldy cheese – apparently it’s all the rage at the moment. Well, not likely; I would sooner eat my hat. For mains, I was served a 8. ________ goop the waiter tried to pass off for mashed potatoes, with 9.           vegetables and more exceptionally 10. ________ beef the blood was still oozing out of it for goodness’ sake. Then, for dessert, I had the joy of tasting a custard that had 11. ________ to such an extent that it might just as well have been scrambled egg – absolutely disgusting!

(C) Match the food term on the left with its definition on the right.

(D) Select the correct word from the box to fill each gap.

1. Why is it that soft drinks are so much more expensive than alcoholic _______ s in pubs?
2. This is the chefs special; a(n) _______ of vegetables, each cooked in a different way.
3. This sparkling wine is the perfect _______ to spicy food.
4. This is a lamb _______ , cooked to perfection on a low heat for five hours.
5. He considers himself a(n) _______ of all things food-related. I consider him an arrogant know-it-all.
6. Just plating up this dish is a(n) _______ feat in itself; it must have taken the chef forever to achieve this level of detail in his presentation.
7. The local _______ which I frequent the most is Gardner’s on 43rd Street.
8. You will struggle to find finer _______ in any restaurant in the city; this is truly a delight for the senses.
9. He runs a _______ restaurant downtown which is beloved of the hip and trendy, but, to me, his food sounds like an ill-conceived mishmash of Chinese and European flavours that were never meant to be combined.
10. You don’t have a very discerning _______ , do you? I mean, I would have sent that plate of food back to the kitchen personally, but then who am I to say what you should or shouldn’t do…
11. I’m not sure this_______ cooking malarkey is all it’s cracked up to be; for me, I think the word is just an excuse to serve miserly portions of food on a plate and charge astronomical prices for doing so.
12. It’s not really of the right _______ for a good rue sauce – far too runny, if you ask me.
13. The food in that restaurant was simply _______, and while I felt a bit guilty about doing it, I was left with no choice but to return my plate to the kitchen, and get up and leave.
14. I bought some crisps, nuts and other_______ to have when the neighbours come around.

Answer Key for Exercises Based on Advanced Food, Travel and Holidays Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0 +

(A)      

1 simmer 2. Drizzle 3. Whisk 4. salivating

5. devoured 6. braised 7. Baste 8. Garnish

9. gorge 10. Marinate 11. Grill 12. Mincing 13. munch

(B)      

1 scrumptious/delectable 2. Bountiful 3. delectable/scrumptious

4. tangy 5. satiated 6. putrid 7. raw

8.  starchy 9. soggy 10. rare 11. curdled

(C)      

1. h        2. a        3. b      4. d     5. g        6. e        7. c      8. f

(D)      

1 beverage 2. assortment 3. accompaniment 4. casserole

5 connoisseur 6. culinary 7. eatery 8. fare 9. fusion

10.  palate 11. gourmet 12. consistency 13. inedible 14. nibble

Additional Resources for Improving Your Food, Travel and Holidays Vocabulary for IELTS

Here are some additional links to help you learn more food, travel and holidays vocabulary for IELTS:

• Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0+: FOOD, TRAVEL AND HOLIDAYS (Part 1)
• Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0+: Food, Travel And Holidays (Part 3)

To conclude, food, travel, and holidays are universal experiences, which is why IELTS examiners frequently include them in tasks. By mastering this advanced IELTS vocabulary, you will be able to express yourself naturally, whether describing a holiday memory, discussing healthy eating habits, or writing about the impact of tourism. Therefore, building a strong topic-specific vocabulary bank through this blog is key to achieving IELTS Band 7.0+ and beyond.

Useful Links:

• IELTS Holiday Vocabulary: Useful Phrases & Expressions In IELTS Speaking
• Travelling, Tourism, and Holidays IELTS Speaking Test with Answers
• Useful Resources & Websites for IELTS Vocabulary
• Vocabulary for Top 9 Most Common Topics in IELTS Exam
• Top 11 IELTS Vocabulary Books