collocation · neutral
staple food
/ˈsteɪpəl fuːd/STA·ple FOOD
Band 7+speakingtask2
the main food that people in a region eat regularly
Examples
“Rice is the staple food for millions in Southeast Asia.”
“Cassava used to be a staple food in that area.”
“Prices of staple food affect inflation and poverty.”
Band 8 sentence
“In much of Southeast Asia, rice continues to be the staple food, sustaining millions every day.”
Collocations
- staple diet
- staple crop
Word family
staple adj / nfood n
Common mistakes
Rice is the main food in Asia.→Rice is the staple food in many Asian countries.
They eat staple food like rice and fish.→They eat staple foods like rice and fish.
Say it for a higher band
5main food→6basic food→7+staple food
Synonyms
basic food
Easily confused
comfort food
“When she feels homesick, she eats comfort food like chicken soup.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Food & Cooking
Learn it with its set