Published on The Times website on 14th December 2010:
Think you’re a foodie? Try our festive food quiz and test your seasonal knowledge
1. Which of the following isn’t traditionally served at Christmas?
a) Stollen
b) Panettone
c) Pumpkin pie
2. From which part of the cinnamon plant is the spice extracted?
a) The bark
b) The seeds
c) The roots
3. What do the Danish call Danish pastries?
a) Viennese bread
b) Danish pastries
c) French pastries
4. In the 17th century, who made the eating of mince pies illegal in Britain?
a) King Charles I
b) King Charles II
c) Oliver Cromwell
5. What are capers?
a) A variety of shellfish
b) Seeds from a fruit
c) Flower buds from the caper tree
6. These lyrics are from which Christmas song?
“Everybody knows a turkey and mistletoe, help to make the season bright”.
7. Which of the following fruits has the highest sugar content?
a) Honeydew melons
b) Strawberries
c) Blueberries
8. Which of these is not an edible wildflower?
a) Dandelion
b) Cornflower
c) Buttercup
9. Which is the driest type of sherry?
a) Manzanilla
b) Fino
c) Oloroso
10. What is Kopi Luwak?
a) A pre-dining ritual in Japan
b) Civet coffee
c) A Malaysian fish dish
11. What is traditionally made on Stir-up Sunday?
a) Sticky toffee pudding
b) Rice pudding
c) Christmas pudding
12. What is the oldest restaurant in London?
13. Which of the following sauces contains tamarind?
a) Ketchup
b) Worcestershire sauce
c) Brown sauce
14. Which part of a cow is brisket from?
a) Front
b) Middle
c) Back
15. Bishop, glögg and glühwein are all variety of what Christmas drink?
16. In which county does “cheese rolling” take place?
a) Ayrshire
b) Gloucestershire
c) Berkshire
17. Which of the following is not a type of pasta?
a) Bucatini
b) Carnaroli
c) Ditalini
18. What was the cookbook in the foodie movie, “Julie & Julia”?
19. Which of these celebrity chefs famously cooked up a ten-bird roast?
a) Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
b) Jean-Christophe Novelli
c) Heston Blumenthal
20. What was the candy on the minds of the children in the poem “A visit from Saint Nicholas (Twas the Night before Christmas)”?
a) Sugar plums
b) Humbugs
c) Bon bons
21. Mayonnaise, mustard and mint sauce are also known as condiments. What are jams, chutneys and curds also known as?
22. Which of the following is not a cheese?
a) Bonchester
b) Wigmore
c) Coupe
23. What is the seaweed used to wrap sushi?
a) Nori
b) Dulse
c) Wakame
24. Which famous cookery writer wrote a book on household management?
25. Bratwurst, chorizo and boerewors are all…?
Qin Xie writes about food on her blog: In Pursuit of Food
Answers
1. c) Pumpkin pie. 2. a) The bark. 3. a) Viennese bread. 4. c) Oliver Cromwell. 5. c) Flower buds from the caper tree. 6. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts roasting over an open fire). 7. c) Blueberries. 8. c) Buttercup. 9. b) Fino. 10. b) Civet coffee. 11. c) Christmas pudding. 12. Rules. 13. c) Brown sauce. 14. a) Front. 15. Mulled wine. 16. b) Gloucestershire. 17. b) Carnaroli. 18. Mastering the Art of French Cooking. 19. a) Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. 20. a) Sugar plums. 21. Preserves. 22. c) Coupe. 23. a) Nori. 24. Mrs Beeton. 25. Sausages.