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40 Food and Drink Trivia Questions for Kids

The easiest food and drink questions in the game, picked for younger players. Every one comes with the answer and a short explanation of why it is right.

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Easy Food and Drink Questions and Answers

  1. What does ABV mean on a drink label?

    Alcohol by volume

    ABV expresses the percentage of a beverage's volume that is pure alcohol, making it a standard way to compare drink strength.

    Easy · Also offered: Alcohol by weight, Average beer volume, Aged bourbon value · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, alcohol by volume

  2. What does al dente literally mean in Italian cooking?

    To the tooth

    Al dente describes pasta that is cooked through but still offers a slight resistance when bitten. The phrase literally refers to the tooth because the texture is judged by eating it.

    Easy · Also offered: To the tongue, To the eye, To the hand · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, al dente

  3. Red Bull GmbH, the company behind the energy drink, was founded in which country?

    Austria

    Dietrich Mateschitz set the company up in Austria in 1984 with Chaleo Yoovidhya, after tasting the Thai tonic Krating Daeng on a business trip, and put the reworked, carbonated version on sale in 1987.

    Easy · Also offered: United States, Germany, Switzerland · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Red Bull company history

  4. In a BLT sandwich, what do the three letters stand for?

    Bacon, lettuce and tomato

    The BLT became a diner standard in the United States once year-round lettuce and tomatoes were widely available.

    Easy · Also offered: Bacon, lard and toast; Beef, lettuce and tomato; Bacon, leek and tomato · Source: Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink

  5. What cooking process gives a traditional bagel its chewy crust?

    Boiled before baking

    Traditional bagels are boiled before baking, giving them their characteristic chewy crust.

    Easy · Also offered: Steamed before baking, Poached before baking, Fried before baking · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, bagel

  6. Creaming butter and sugar lightens a cake. What actually does the lifting?

    Air beaten into the fat

    Sugar crystals act like tiny blades, cutting thousands of small air pockets into the butter as the two are beaten together. Those pockets later expand in the oven as gases and steam form, giving the crumb its open, light structure instead of a dense one.

    Easy · Also offered: Carbon dioxide from baking soda, Steam from the liquid, Gluten stretching as it bakes · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, baking

  7. What common kitchen ingredient is sodium bicarbonate?

    Baking soda

    Baking soda is the common kitchen name for sodium bicarbonate, a leavening ingredient.

    Easy · Also offered: Table salt, Cornstarch, Powdered sugar · Source: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, Sodium Bicarbonate Technical Report

  8. What type of food is biryani?

    Rice dish

    Biryani is a South Asian dish of long-grain rice layered with spiced meat or vegetables and steamed slowly in a sealed pot, usually with saffron and whole spices such as cardamom, cloves and bay.

    Easy · Also offered: Wheat dish, Noodle dish, Lentil dish · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, biryani

  9. Which plant part is dried to make black peppercorns?

    Unripe berries

    Black pepper comes from unripe berries of the Piper nigrum vine, dried with their skins intact. The same fruit can produce white pepper when the outer layer is removed.

    Easy · Also offered: Flower buds, Leaves, Roots · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, black pepper

  10. What major processing difference distinguishes black tea from green tea?

    Full oxidation

    Black tea leaves are allowed to oxidize extensively before drying, producing their darker color and fuller flavor. Green tea is heated sooner to limit oxidation.

    Easy · Also offered: Partial oxidation, No oxidation, Roasting only · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, tea

  11. What starch traditionally gives bubble tea pearls their chewy texture?

    Tapioca starch

    Tapioca starch comes from cassava and forms the chewy balls often called boba. The pearls are usually boiled and soaked in sugar syrup before being added to the drink.

    Easy · Also offered: Rice starch, Corn starch, Potato starch · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, bubble tea

  12. Which country is poutine traditionally associated with?

    Canada

    Poutine originated in Quebec and is traditionally associated with Canada.

    Easy · Also offered: France, Belgium, United States · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica

  13. What three ingredients traditionally make up a cappuccino?

    Espresso, steamed milk, and foam

    A traditional cappuccino combines espresso, steamed milk, and a layer of milk foam. Its name comes from the Capuchin friars, whose brown robes resemble the drink’s color.

    Easy · Also offered: Espresso, hot water, and foam; Espresso, steamed milk, and chocolate; Espresso, whipped cream, and sugar · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, cappuccino

  14. Tomatoes, mozzarella and basil in the colours of the flag - this salad is named after which Italian island?

    Capri

    A caprese salad pairs tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and olive oil in the colors of the Italian flag. Its name means it comes from Capri, an island in the Bay of Naples.

    Easy · Also offered: Sicily, Sardinia, Ischia · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, caprese salad

  15. Which part of the cardamom plant is commonly used as a spice?

    Seed pods

    Cardamom pods contain many small aromatic seeds. The pods may be used whole, but the seeds provide most of the characteristic flavor.

    Easy · Also offered: Flower petals, Tree bark, Fruit skin · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, cardamom

  16. The finest cinnamon has thin pale quills and a delicate sweetness, unlike the darker cassia sold as cinnamon. Which country is it traditionally from?

    Sri Lanka

    Known as Ceylon until 1972, Sri Lanka grows Cinnamomum verum, the species botanists call 'true cinnamon', with the bark peeled from young shoots and dried by hand into tight quills.

    Easy · Also offered: Indonesia, China, Vietnam · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, cinnamon

  17. Which compound is chiefly responsible for the heat of chili peppers?

    Capsaicin

    Capsaicin is the compound chiefly responsible for the heat of chili peppers. It triggers TRPV1 receptors that normally detect high temperatures, making the brain perceive a burning sensation.

    Easy · Also offered: Piperine, Gingerol, Zingerone · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, capsaicin

  18. A duck air-dried, glazed and roasted until the skin crackles, then carved at the table. Which country's dish is that?

    China

    Peking is the old English spelling of Beijing, where the dish was developed for the imperial court. Cooks pump air between the skin and the meat before roasting so it blisters into a thin, crisp shell. It is then carved tableside into pancakes with scallion, cucumber and hoisin sauce.

    Easy · Also offered: Japan, Thailand, South Korea · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica

  19. How is a churro traditionally cooked?

    Deep-fried

    Churro dough is piped through a star-shaped nozzle straight into hot oil, which gives the finished stick its ridges, its crisp shell and its soft centre. It is usually rolled in sugar and cinnamon and dunked in thick hot chocolate.

    Easy · Also offered: Baked in an oven, Steamed, Griddled on a hot plate · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, churro

  20. Which part of a cinnamon tree is dried to make cinnamon sticks?

    Bark

    Cinnamon comes from the inner bark of several trees in the Cinnamomum genus. As the bark dries, it naturally curls into the familiar quills.

    Easy · Also offered: Roots, Seeds, Leaves · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, cinnamon

  21. Which spirit is used in a classic margarita?

    Tequila

    A classic margarita combines tequila with lime juice and orange liqueur. It is commonly served over ice or blended, often with a salted rim.

    Easy · Also offered: Rum, Gin, Brandy · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, margarita

  22. Which spirit is used in a classic mojito?

    Rum

    A classic mojito combines rum with lime, mint, sugar, and soda water. White rum is the usual choice because it lets the fresh mint and citrus stand out.

    Easy · Also offered: Gin, Vodka, Tequila · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, mojito

  23. What plant ingredient is fermented and processed to produce chocolate?

    Cacao beans

    Chocolate is made from the seeds of the cacao tree, which are fermented in their pulp for several days, then dried, roasted and ground into a paste. Carob, often sold as a chocolate substitute, comes from a completely different tree and is never fermented.

    Easy · Also offered: Coffee beans, Vanilla beans, Carob beans · Source: International Cocoa Organization, Cocoa Processing

  24. What grain product is traditionally used to make couscous?

    Semolina

    Traditional couscous consists of small steamed granules made from semolina, usually durum-wheat semolina.

    Easy · Also offered: Cornmeal, Rye flour, Buckwheat · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, couscous

  25. Which city in Burgundy is historically associated with a mustard style named after it?

    Dijon

    Dijon is the Burgundy city historically associated with Dijon mustard. Traditional Dijon mustard was made with verjuice, the juice of unripe grapes, instead of vinegar.

    Easy · Also offered: Beaune, Chalon-sur-Saône, Mâcon · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Dijon mustard

  26. How is dulce de leche made?

    By slowly cooking sweetened milk until it browns and thickens

    Dulce de leche is sweetened milk cooked low and slow for hours until its sugars and proteins brown into a thick, spreadable caramel. A tin of condensed milk simmered unopened in water is the classic shortcut. It is a fixture across Latin America and Spain, spooned into alfajores, pancakes and cakes.

    Easy · Also offered: By melting sugar and stirring in butter and cream, By baking egg yolks with sugar until they set, By boiling sugarcane juice down to a dark syrup · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, dulce de leche

  27. Which citrus fruit supplies the signature flavor of Earl Grey tea?

    Bergamot

    Earl Grey is black tea scented with oil from bergamot, a fragrant citrus fruit that resembles a small, rough-skinned orange.

    Easy · Also offered: Lemon, Orange, Grapefruit · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Earl Grey

  28. Mayonnaise belongs to what mixture class?

    Emulsion

    Mayonnaise is an emulsion, with tiny oil droplets dispersed throughout a water-based mixture. Egg yolk helps stabilize the blend so it stays smooth instead of separating.

    Easy · Also offered: Suspension, Solution, Foam · Source: Institute of Food Technologists, Emulsions

  29. What kind of food is falafel?

    Chickpea fritter

    Falafel is a fritter traditionally made from ground chickpeas or fava beans and herbs.

    Easy · Also offered: Fruit preserve, Rice porridge, Cheese soup · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, falafel

  30. What two substances does yeast typically produce from sugar?

    Alcohol and carbon dioxide

    Yeast typically converts sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide through fermentation. The carbon dioxide is what makes bread dough rise.

    Easy · Also offered: Lactic acid and water, Acetic acid and hydrogen, Methane and hydrogen sulfide · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, fermentation

  31. Feta cheese is traditionally associated with which country?

    Greece

    Traditional Greek feta is a brined cheese commonly made from sheep's milk, sometimes blended with goat's milk.

    Easy · Also offered: Italy, Turkey, France · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, feta

  32. Gastronomy and gastroenterology come from the same Greek root for the stomach. What does gastronomy study?

    Food and the culture around eating

    Gastronomy is the study of food and culture: how dishes are made, why a region eats what it eats, and how meals are enjoyed. It joins the Greek gaster, stomach, with nomos, rules. Gastroenterology, from that same root, is the branch of medicine covering the digestive tract.

    Easy · Also offered: Diseases of the digestive tract, How the body absorbs nutrients, The safe storage and handling of food · Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary, gastronomy

  33. Which country is ratatouille traditionally associated with?

    France

    Ratatouille is a traditional vegetable dish from Provence in France.

    Easy · Also offered: Italy, Spain, United States · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica

  34. Which botanical must provide gin's predominant characteristic flavor?

    Juniper

    Gin may contain many botanicals, but juniper is the defining one. Its berries give gin its piney, resinous aroma.

    Easy · Also offered: Vanilla, Cinnamon, Cardamom · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, gin

  35. What type of dish is Italian gnocchi?

    Potato dumplings

    A familiar Italian form of gnocchi is made as small potato dumplings, often served with sauce.

    Easy · Also offered: Rice crackers, Stuffed grape leaves, Flatbread · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, gnocchi

  36. Breakfast cereal takes its name from Ceres. What was she the Roman goddess of?

    Grain and the harvest

    Ceres was the Roman goddess of grain, agriculture and the harvest. The Latin adjective cerealis, 'of Ceres', described grain crops, and English took cereal from it.

    Easy · Also offered: The hearth and the home, Flowers and springtime, Fruit trees and orchards · Source: Oxford English Dictionary, 'cereal'

  37. Which legume is the main ingredient in classic hummus?

    Chickpeas

    Classic hummus combines cooked chickpeas with tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. The Arabic word hummus means chickpeas.

    Easy · Also offered: Lentils, Fava beans, White beans · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, hummus

  38. Which country is goulash traditionally associated with?

    Hungary

    Goulash is Hungary's national dish. The name comes from gulyas, the word for a cattle herdsman, who simmered the beef in a kettle over an open fire; the paprika that gives it colour and heat reached Hungary during Ottoman rule.

    Easy · Also offered: Romania, Serbia, Slovakia · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica

  39. What does IPA stand for in the name of a beer style?

    India Pale Ale

    IPA means India Pale Ale. Modern IPAs are often recognized for prominent hop bitterness and aroma, although the style has many variations.

    Easy · Also offered: International Pilsner Ale, Imperial Porter Ale, Irish Pale Ale · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, India pale ale

  40. Arthur Guinness signed the lease on the St James's Gate brewery in 1759 for how many years?

    9,000

    The rent was fixed at 45 pounds a year for the entire term. Guinness was only 34 when he signed the deal on New Year's Eve 1759, taking on roughly four acres of buildings, malthouses and stables at the gate in Dublin.

    Easy · Also offered: 99, 999, 1,000 · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Guinness brewery history

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