Peace Bridge in Calgary, Alberta.
Written by Rebecca Schmor
Urdu, the national language of Pakistan, is an Indo-Aryan language closely related to Hindi, with vocabulary from Persian and Arabic. While Hindi is written in the Devanagari script, Urdu uses a modified version of the Perso-Arabic script. Urdu is spoken and understood by approximately 230 million people around world, including more than 50,000 first and second language speakers in Alberta, according to the 2021 census. The presence of Urdu language and culture is especially noticeable in the growing number of Pakistani restaurants located in Calgary and Edmonton. Read on to get the flavour of Urdu through the tasty dishes offered at some of Alberta’s most popular Pakistani restaurants.
Cloud Naan in Calgary
Known for its delicious stuffed naan (Pakistani bread with savoury or sweet fillings) and karak chai (strong black tea made with evaporated milk and spiced with cardamom), Cloud Naan is a beloved late night Halal spot with a rating of 4.8 stars on Google with over 700 reviews.
Lahore in Town in Edmonton
This well-established restaurant attracts diners for its delicious kebabs (meat, fish, or vegetables cooked on a skewer over a fire) and biryanis (an aromatic, layered rice dish often served with raita, a yogurt-based condiment). Lahore in Town has a 4.7-star rating based on over 800 Google reviews.
Khan Kebabs & Karahi in Edmonton
At this 4.6-star–rated restaurant (based on over 1,350 Google reviews), some of the most popular menu items include lamb mandi (tender lamb cooked in a special sauce and served with aromatic rice) and peshawari chicken karahi (a spicy and flavorful chicken dish cooked in a rich gravy). Khan Kebabs & Karahi also serves Afghani food.
Kolachi BBQ & Grill in Calgary
Popular for its grilled delights, this restaurant serves chicken, fish, and paneer tikka (a cooking technique marinating pieces of meat or cheese in a blend of spices and yogurt then grilling them on skewers in a tandoor oven) as well as falooda (a dessert drink typically made with milk, rose syrup, vermicelli noodles, and sweet basil seeds). Kolachi BBQ & Grill has a rating of 4.5 stars on Google with over 2,150 reviews.
As Pakistani cuisine continues to gain popularity in cities across Alberta and Canada, you can experience the rich culinary culture associated with the Urdu language.
Pakistani Cuisine: Planning a Birthday Dinner for a Classmate
Activity Description
In this activity, learners prepare to take a classmate out for dinner at a Pakistani restaurant. This activity is designed for low or high intermediate language learners at the middle or high school level but can be adapted to other proficiency levels or contexts. Other possible adaptations include changing the countries in the description (Canada/Pakistan) depending on the desired target languages or cultures or modifying the format of the final task. For example, instead of a video role play, learners could create a written guide of restaurant recommendations for their friend.
Activity Steps
Scenario description: One of your classmates who recently moved to Canada from Pakistan is feeling homesick and especially misses Pakistani food. You want to surprise your friend by taking them to a Pakistani restaurant for their birthday. You need to research restaurants, food options, and cultural customs in order to prepare.
- Look up Pakistani restaurant options and choose one for you and your friend. Explore the menu items to decide what you would like to order.
- Research Pakistani dining etiquette to prepare for dinner. Learn some phrases in Urdu that you can use during dinner (e.g., enjoy your meal).
- With your group, prepare a role play in the target language in which you and your friend have dinner at the restaurant. Make sure to have the menu of your chosen restaurant handy so that you can order real dishes. Film your role play and submit it to your teacher for feedback.
Activity Commentary
This activity engages plurilingual and pluricultural competencies, requiring students to mediate different linguistic and cultural codes in the context of restaurant dining. In an action-oriented scenario, learners must interpret authentic texts (e.g., restaurant websites), make collaborative choices (e.g., decide on a restaurant), and strategically draw upon linguistic and cultural resources (e.g., use phrases in Urdu at appropriate times in the role play video).
In the role play, learners are not asked to play someone else but rather to act as themselves in a purposeful situation with a real-life application. Action-oriented activities go beyond task-based approaches by offering agency and embracing complexity in task completion. In an action-oriented approach, language is not studied, and tasks are not explicitly assigned. Instead, language is used and developed as necessary and learners decide how to best complete tasks within the constraints of the scenario, mimicking real-life circumstances.
