Trivia by topic

Food and drink: 50 questions from around the world

Famous dishes, drinks and table manners from every corner of the world. Each question says which country it is about.

Finland
Sima, a sweet homemade lemon drink, is traditionally made for which festival?
1. A. Vappu, on 1 May
2. B. Christmas
3. C. Independence Day
4. D. Easter
Show the answer
Vappu, on 1 May. Sima is made for Vappu, on 1 May, the May Day festival, and is served with doughnuts or funnel cakes.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
In Bosnia, the pastry spiral called 'burek' has which filling?
1. A. Minced meat
2. B. Cheese
3. C. Spinach
4. D. Potatoes
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Minced meat. Minced meat. In Bosnia only the meat pie is called burek; with cheese it is sirnica, with spinach zeljanica and with potatoes krompiruša.
Nepal
Sel roti is a savoury bread made from wheat flour.
True or false?
Show the answer
False. False. Sel roti is a sweet, ring-shaped bread made from rice-flour batter and fried in oil, above all for Dashain and Tihar.
United Arab Emirates
Harees, a favourite in Ramadan, is made mainly from which two ingredients?
1. A. Wheat and meat
2. B. Rice and fish
3. C. Lentils and yoghurt
4. D. Dates and milk
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Wheat and meat. Wheat and meat, usually chicken or lamb, cooked for hours and beaten into a smooth porridge, then topped with ghee.
Saudi Arabia
What does the name 'mutabbaq' mean in Arabic?
1. A. Folded
2. B. Pressed
3. C. Boiled
4. D. Roasted
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Folded. Mutabbaq means folded: thin dough is folded around a filling of meat, egg and leeks and fried. Kabsa comes from a word meaning pressed, and saleeg from a word meaning boiled.
Estonia
Blood sausage (verivorst) is traditionally eaten at which time of year?
1. A. Christmas
2. B. Midsummer
3. C. Easter
4. D. The start of the school year
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Christmas. Verivorst is a traditional Christmas food, usually baked in the oven and eaten with lingonberry jam.
Japan
What is inside a takoyaki ball?
1. A. Chicken
2. B. Red bean paste
3. C. Octopus
4. D. Cheese
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Octopus. Tako means octopus. Takoyaki are balls of batter with a piece of octopus inside.
Costa Rica
What does 'gallo pinto', the name of Costa Rica's national dish, mean?
1. A. Spotted rooster
2. B. Married man
3. C. Black soup
4. D. Little pot
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Spotted rooster. Gallo pinto means spotted rooster, from the speckled look of rice and beans fried together. 'Married man' is casado, the lunch plate.
India
Chilli is used all over India today, but it is not native. Who brought it to India in the 1500s?
1. A. The British
2. B. The Portuguese
3. C. The Mughals
4. D. The Dutch
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The Portuguese. The Portuguese brought chilli from the Americas in the 16th century, and it spread across the whole country.
Algeria
Bourek is a sweet pastry filled with dates and honey.
True or false?
Show the answer
False. False. Bourek is savoury: thin pastry rolled around minced meat, potato, cheese, egg or tuna and fried. Makroud is the date pastry.
South Korea
At a Korean meal it is polite to lift your rice bowl up to your mouth.
True or false?
Show the answer
False. False. In Korea the rice bowl stays on the table and rice is eaten with a spoon.
Ecuador
Cuy, eaten in the Andes of Ecuador, is roast guinea pig.
True or false?
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True. True. Guinea pigs were first kept for food in the Andes thousands of years ago, and cuy is a dish for special occasions.
Uzbekistan
Sumalak, a sweet paste of sprouted wheat stirred all night, is made for which festival?
1. A. Navruz, the spring new year
2. B. Ramadan
3. C. Independence Day
4. D. New Year's Eve in December
Show the answer
Navruz, the spring new year. Sumalak is made for Navruz, the spring new year in March. Neighbours take turns stirring the cauldron through the night.
New Zealand
The Afghan biscuit is thought to have been brought to New Zealand from Afghanistan.
True or false?
Show the answer
False. False. Despite its name, the chocolate and cornflake biscuit is thought to come from New Zealand, where recipes were printed in the 1930s.
Iceland
What is hákarl?
1. A. Fermented and dried shark
2. B. Smoked lamb
3. C. Sheep's head
4. D. Fried dough twists
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Fermented and dried shark. Hákarl is fermented and dried shark meat, with a strong smell of ammonia. Smoked lamb is hangikjöt, sheep's head is svið and fried dough twists are kleinur.
Namibia
Oshifima is traditionally eaten with the left hand.
True or false?
Show the answer
False. False. Oshifima is eaten with the right hand: a piece is pinched off, shaped with the fingers and used to scoop up the relish.
Cuba
Which herb goes into a mojito, along with rum, lime and sugar?
1. A. Mint
2. B. Basil
3. C. Coriander
4. D. Oregano
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Mint. A mojito is made with mint. In Cuba it is usually a local kind called yerba buena, with a light, citrus-like scent.
Vietnam
Gỏi cuốn are spring rolls that are deep-fried until crisp.
True or false?
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False. False. Gỏi cuốn are fresh rolls of soft rice paper and are not fried. The fried rolls are chả giò, called nem rán in the north.
Germany
Which spirit is used to soak the sponge of a Black Forest cake?
1. A. Kirsch (cherry brandy)
2. B. Rum
3. C. Gin
4. D. Whisky
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Kirsch (cherry brandy). Kirsch (cherry brandy) soaks the chocolate sponge, which is layered with cream and sour cherries.
Ethiopia
What is it called when an Ethiopian host lifts a rolled mouthful of food to a guest's lips as a sign of friendship?
1. A. Gursha
2. B. Genfo
3. C. Beyaynetu
4. D. Jebena
Show the answer
Gursha. Gursha is feeding someone a mouthful by hand, a sign of friendship and respect. Genfo is a porridge, beyaynetu a mixed platter and a jebena a clay coffee pot.
Azerbaijan
In 2017 UNESCO added the tradition of making and sharing dolma in Azerbaijan to its list of intangible cultural heritage.
True or false?
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True. True. In 2017 UNESCO inscribed 'Dolma making and sharing tradition, a marker of cultural identity' for Azerbaijan.
Ghana
What gives waakye, Ghana's rice and beans, its reddish-brown colour?
1. A. Dried sorghum leaves
2. B. Palm oil
3. C. Tomato paste
4. D. Hibiscus flowers
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Dried sorghum leaves. Dried sorghum leaves are cooked with the rice and beans and taken out before serving. Hibiscus flowers colour the drink sobolo.
Austria
By Austrian rules, a dish sold simply as 'Wiener Schnitzel' must be made from which meat?
1. A. Veal
2. B. Pork
3. C. Chicken
4. D. Turkey
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Veal. It must be veal. A pork version has to be called 'Wiener Schnitzel vom Schwein' or 'Schnitzel Wiener Art'.
Georgia
What do Georgians usually do with the thick knot of dough on top of a khinkali dumpling?
1. A. Leave it on the plate
2. B. Dip it in wine
3. C. Eat it first
4. D. Crumble it into soup
Show the answer
Leave it on the plate. Leave it on the plate: the knot, called the kudi or 'tail', is used as a handle and not eaten, so everyone can count how many they have eaten.
Sweden
Gravlax is salmon that has been hot-smoked until cooked.
True or false?
Show the answer
False. False. Gravlax is raw salmon cured with salt, sugar and dill for a few days. Because it is raw, pregnant women, older people and anyone with a weak immune system should avoid it.
Türkiye
The çiğ köfte sold in shops in Türkiye today is usually made without meat.
True or false?
Show the answer
True. True. The name means 'raw meatball', but since 2008 the raw-meat version may not be sold, so today it is made from bulgur, pepper paste and spices.
Ireland
Which dish of sausages, rashers, potatoes and onions is especially associated with Dublin?
1. A. Coddle
2. B. Boxty
3. C. Blaa
4. D. Barmbrack
Show the answer
Coddle. Coddle is Dublin's dish. Boxty is a potato pancake from the north midlands, the blaa is a Waterford bread roll and barmbrack is a fruit bread.
Slovakia
What shape is parenica cheese?
1. A. A snail-shaped spiral of strips
2. B. A large round wheel
3. C. A small white cube
4. D. A long thin sausage
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A snail-shaped spiral of strips. A snail-shaped spiral of strips: the steamed cheese is made in strips and rolled up, usually lightly smoked.
Portugal
The grapes for port wine are grown on the terraced slopes of which river valley?
1. A. The Tagus
2. B. The Douro
3. C. The Guadiana
4. D. The Mondego
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The Douro. Port is made from grapes of the Douro Valley in northern Portugal, and is aged in Vila Nova de Gaia, across the river from Porto.
Pakistan
Which sweet vermicelli pudding with milk and dates is served on the morning of Eid?
1. A. Sheer khurma
2. B. Sohan halwa
3. C. Lassi
4. D. Haleem
Show the answer
Sheer khurma. Sheer khurma, Persian for milk and dates, is served for breakfast after the Eid prayer and offered to every guest that day.
South Africa
Bobotie, baked curried mince under an egg topping, is closely linked with which community's cooking?
1. A. Cape Malay
2. B. Zulu
3. C. Portuguese
4. D. German
Show the answer
Cape Malay. Bobotie is a classic of Cape Malay cooking in Cape Town and the Western Cape, served with yellow rice and chutney.
Lithuania
What gives šaltibarščiai, the cold summer soup, its bright pink colour?
1. A. Beetroot
2. B. Tomatoes
3. C. Cherries
4. D. Red peppers
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Beetroot. Cooked beetroot mixed with cold kefir turns the soup pink. It is served with hot boiled potatoes.
Egypt
Fatta, a feast dish of crisp bread, rice and meat, is traditionally made for which holiday?
1. A. Eid al-Adha
2. B. New Year's Eve
3. C. Valentine's Day
4. D. Bonfire Night
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Eid al-Adha. Fatta is a feast dish for Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr, and Coptic Christians make it at Christmas.
Jamaica
In Jamaica, what is 'festival', often served with fried fish?
1. A. A slightly sweet fried dough of flour and cornmeal
2. B. A spicy fish soup
3. C. A coconut drink
4. D. A rice pudding
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A slightly sweet fried dough of flour and cornmeal. Festival is a slightly sweet fried dough of flour and cornmeal, crisp outside and soft inside, served with fried fish, escovitch fish or jerk.
Peru
What do Peruvians call the leftover ceviche marinade, often served in a small glass?
1. A. Leche de tigre
2. B. Chicha morada
3. C. Mazamorra
4. D. Inca Kola
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Leche de tigre. It is called leche de tigre, tiger's milk. Chicha morada is a purple corn drink, mazamorra a pudding and Inca Kola a soft drink.
Netherlands
The rijsttafel, or 'rice table', brings together many small dishes from which country's cuisine?
1. A. Indonesia
2. B. India
3. C. Japan
4. D. Morocco
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Indonesia. The dishes of a rijsttafel are Indonesian. Serving dozens at once was a Dutch colonial custom.
Australia
At Australian elections, what is a 'democracy sausage'?
1. A. A sausage in bread sold at a polling place
2. B. A sausage served at Parliament House dinners
3. C. A spicy sausage made only in Canberra
4. D. A prize given to the winning candidate
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A sausage in bread sold at a polling place. A sausage in bread sold at a polling place, usually at a sausage sizzle raising money for a school or club.
Botswana
In what kind of pot is seswaa traditionally cooked for weddings and celebrations?
1. A. A three-legged iron pot
2. B. A clay tagine
3. C. A bamboo steamer
4. D. A wok
Show the answer
A three-legged iron pot. Seswaa is simmered in a three-legged iron pot over a wood fire, usually by the men.
Poland
The traditional Polish Christmas Eve supper is built around roast pork.
True or false?
Show the answer
False. False. The Christmas Eve supper, Wigilia, is meat-free. Fried carp is the traditional main dish, and it often starts with barszcz with uszka.
Greece
Tzatziki is a dip made of yogurt, garlic and which grated vegetable?
1. A. Cucumber
2. B. Carrot
3. C. Beetroot
4. D. Courgette
Show the answer
Cucumber. Tzatziki is strained yogurt with grated cucumber, garlic and olive oil, often with dill or mint.
Switzerland
Who created milk chocolate in Vevey in 1875?
1. A. Daniel Peter
2. B. Rodolphe Lindt
3. C. Theodor Tobler
4. D. Maximilian Bircher-Benner
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Daniel Peter. Daniel Peter, with help from his neighbour Henri Nestlé. Rodolphe Lindt invented conching in 1879, and Theodor Tobler co-created Toblerone in 1908.
Serbia
Proja is a cornbread made from maize flour.
True or false?
Show the answer
True. True. Proja is a simple cornbread, often eaten for breakfast with kajmak or ajvar.
Argentina
Dulce de leche is made by slowly cooking milk and sugar.
True or false?
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True. True. Milk and sugar are simmered slowly until they turn into a thick caramel-brown spread.
Albania
Ballokume cookies are traditionally baked for Christmas.
True or false?
Show the answer
False. False. Ballokume are made for Summer Day, Dita e Verës, on 14 March, above all in Elbasan.
Mongolia
Khorkhog is cooked with hot stones in a closed metal container.
True or false?
Show the answer
True. True. Mutton, water, vegetables and stones heated in the fire are sealed in a milk can or pot, and the hot stones are passed round before the meal.
Mexico
Mole poblano takes its name from which city?
1. A. Puebla
2. B. Oaxaca
3. C. Guadalajara
4. D. Mérida
Show the answer
Puebla. Poblano means 'from Puebla'. Mole poblano, a dark sauce of chillies, spices, nuts and a little chocolate, is the city's most famous dish.
Tanzania
Ugali is made from maize flour cooked in water.
True or false?
Show the answer
True. True. Ugali is a firm dough of maize flour and boiling water, eaten with beans, greens, fish or stew.
Czechia
The nickname 'vepřo knedlo zelo' lists the three parts of a classic Czech plate. What are they?
1. A. Pork, dumpling and cabbage
2. B. Beef, potatoes and beans
3. C. Duck, rice and apples
4. D. Fish, bread and salad
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Pork, dumpling and cabbage. Pork, dumpling and cabbage: roast pork with slices of dumpling and sweet-and-sour sauerkraut.
Colombia
Ajiaco, the chicken and potato soup with guascas herb, is the classic dish of which city?
1. A. Bogotá
2. B. Cartagena
3. C. Leticia
4. D. Barranquilla
Show the answer
Bogotá. Bogotá. There it is called ajiaco santafereño, after the city's old name, Santa Fe.
Nigeria
Zobo, a deep red drink, is made from which dried flowers?
1. A. Hibiscus
2. B. Rose
3. C. Lavender
4. D. Chamomile
Show the answer
Hibiscus. Zobo is made from dried hibiscus flowers boiled with ginger, then sweetened and served cold.