Food Trivia Questions and Answers

50 food trivia questions with answers: dishes, spices, fruit and cooking from around the world.

50 questions · tap “Show answer” under each one · Answer key

1. Potatoes were first farmed in which country?

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   Peru

   People in the Andes grew them thousands of years ago. Source

2. What is polenta made from?

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   Cornmeal

   It's a classic dish of northern Italy. Source

3. Which Italian dessert's name means 'pick me up'?

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   Tiramisu

   It's layered with coffee-soaked ladyfingers and mascarpone. Source

4. Which herb is the main ingredient of tabbouleh salad?

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   Parsley

   It's mixed with bulgur wheat, tomato and lemon. Source

5. Which cheese is used in a classic Greek salad?

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   Feta

   Feta is usually made from sheep's milk. Source

6. Kimchi is a fermented dish from which country?

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   Korea

   It's usually made from napa cabbage, radish and chili. Source

7. What is ghee?

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   Clarified butter

   It's widely used in South Asian cooking. Source

8. What kind of food is paneer?

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   A fresh cheese

   It doesn't melt when heated, so it can be fried or grilled. Source

9. West African fufu is usually made by pounding what?

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   Starchy roots like cassava

   It's eaten with soups and stews, often by hand. Source

10. Egusi soup is thickened with the ground seeds of which plant?

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    Melon

    It's a favorite across Nigeria and West Africa. Source

11. Ethiopian injera bread is made from which grain?

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    Teff

    Injera is spongy and slightly sour. Source

12. What is ugali, eaten across East Africa, usually made from?

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    Maize flour

    It's cooked into a stiff dough and eaten with stews and greens. Source

13. What is Jamaica's national dish?

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    Ackee and saltfish

    Cooked ackee looks a little like scrambled eggs. Source

14. What is the main ingredient of baba ghanoush?

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    Eggplant

    The eggplant is roasted until smoky, then mashed. Source

15. In which country was the Caesar salad invented?

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    Mexico

    Caesar Cardini created it in Tijuana in the 1920s. Source

16. Which nut is used in Nutella?

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    Hazelnut

    Nutella was first sold in Italy in 1964. Source

17. Which fruit is called the 'queen of fruits' in Southeast Asia?

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    Mangosteen

    The durian is called the 'king of fruits'. Source

18. Which vegetable gives borscht soup its deep red color?

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    Beetroot

    Borscht is a favorite soup across Eastern Europe. Source

19. Which country grows the most bananas?

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    India

    Ecuador exports the most. Source

20. What is tempura?

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    Food fried in light batter

    Shrimp and vegetables are classic tempura. Source

21. What are Japanese onigiri?

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    Rice balls

    They're often wrapped in a strip of nori seaweed. Source

22. Which city is the hamburger named after?

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    Hamburg

    The frankfurter sausage is named after Frankfurt. Source

23. Which country makes most of the world's maple syrup?

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    Canada

    Quebec alone makes about 70% of it. Source

24. Which fruit is dried to make prunes?

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    Plums

    Prunes are famous for helping digestion. Source

25. In South Asian cooking, what is dal?

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    A dish of lentils

    Dal is cooked from split pulses such as lentils. Source

26. What are the main ingredients of a Spanish tortilla?

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    Potatoes and eggs

    A Mexican tortilla is a flatbread; a Spanish one is a thick omelet. Source

27. What gives the Filipino dessert ube halaya its purple color?

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    Purple yam

    Ube is often confused with taro, a different plant. Source

28. Chocolate is made from the seeds of which tree?

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    Cacao

    The seeds are fermented, dried and roasted. Source

29. Which part of a chili pepper is the hottest?

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    The white pith inside

    The seeds taste hot because they touch the pith. Source

30. What do you call cooking food quickly in a hot wok with a little oil?

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    Stir-frying

    High heat keeps vegetables crisp. Source

31. What is an 'amuse-bouche' at a restaurant?

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    A bite-sized starter

    The name is French for 'mouth amuser'. Source

32. What is South African biltong?

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    Dried, cured meat

    It's usually made from beef or game. Source

33. Greek dolmades are rolled in which kind of leaves?

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    Grape leaves

    They're usually stuffed with rice and herbs. Source

34. Mexican tamales are usually steamed in what?

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    Corn husks

    In some regions, banana leaves are used instead. Source

35. Which Korean dish is a bowl of rice topped with vegetables and an egg?

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    Bibimbap

    'Bibimbap' means 'mixed rice'. Source

36. Which Japanese paste is made from fermented soybeans?

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    Miso

    Miso soup is eaten daily in many Japanese homes. Source

37. What does 'al dente' mean for pasta?

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    Firm to the bite

    It's Italian for 'to the tooth'. Source

38. Which drink, sipped from a gourd through a metal straw, is popular in Argentina?

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    Yerba mate

    The metal straw is called a bombilla. Source

39. How is Spanish gazpacho soup usually served?

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    Cold

    It's made from raw blended tomatoes, peppers and cucumber. Source

40. What are coriander leaves called in the US?

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    Cilantro

    Some people think it tastes like soap, partly because of their genes. Source

41. Which country is gouda cheese from?

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    The Netherlands

    It's named after the Dutch city of Gouda. Source

42. What is sushi rice seasoned with?

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    Rice vinegar

    A little sugar and salt are added too. Source

43. Alphonso and Kesar are famous varieties of which fruit?

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    Mango

    India grows more mangoes than any other country. Source

44. Which South American country is famous for asado barbecues?

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    Argentina

    Asado is slow-cooked over wood or charcoal. Source

45. Which seeds are ground to make tahini?

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    Sesame

    Tahini is a key part of many dips and sauces. Source

46. What is Japanese mochi made from?

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    Sticky rice

    The rice is pounded into a soft, chewy dough. Source

47. Which fruit is shredded to make the Thai salad som tam?

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    Green papaya

    It's pounded with chili, lime and fish sauce. Source

48. Which Moroccan dish is named after the clay pot it's cooked in?

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    Tagine

    The pot's cone-shaped lid keeps the food moist. Source

49. What are Spanish tapas?

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    Small dishes or snacks

    Friends often share several tapas at once. Source

50. Which pasta's name means 'little tongues' in Italian?

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    Linguine

    'Spaghetti' means 'little strings'. Source