A Mediterranean Dinner Party Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bulgur wheat

Bulgur is a parboiled whole grain with an appearance like cracked wheat. To make tabbouleh, it is not cooked, but soaked in water prior to assembling the salad. Of course there are different variations of the recipe, but tabbouleh is a salad typically made of bulgur, chopped parsley, diced tomato, mint, and onion. The salad is tossed with a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Some recipes add cucumber, which can give it more moisture, but also changes the consistency.

With origins in Lebanon and Syria, tabbouleh is sometimes part of a mezze, or multi-coursed meal. There is a Lebanese National Tabbouleh Day celebrated on the first Saturday of July.

Jaknginger thinks tabbouleh is not tabbouleh without mint.

Answer: Fried eggplant and other vegetables in a sweet and sour sauce

The cuisines of the Mediterranean are heaven for vegetarians and vegans, making outstanding use of the region's bounty of fruits and vegetables. Though probably native to India, eggplant has been cultivated in the Mediterranean region since the early Middle Ages, when it was brought there by the Arabs. In Italy, eggplant is a staple of the cuisines of the South, in particular Sicily, where the Arab and Middle Eastern influence on food culture is unmistakable.

Described as the Sicilian answer to the southern French ratatouille, caponata was originally prepared as a side dish for the fish known as "capone" (mahi-mahi in the US). Always based on eggplant, it has many variants that involve the addition of a wide range of ingredients - including seafood. In the more traditional versions, the eggplant is deep-fried rather than sautéed or steamed - which makes for a more flavorful (though heavier) dish. In the caponata from Palermo, the diced fried eggplant is mixed with a sauce of tomatoes, chopped celery and onion, crushed green olives, Sicilian capers, sugar, and red or white wine vinegar; toasted almonds are often added as a garnish. The version from Agrigento adds bell peppers, chili pepper, and raisins, while the one from Catania adds fresh basil and pine nuts. Caponata is generally served cold or at room temperature, as an appetizer or side dish - though it also makes a great main dish for vegetarians and vegans (provided no seafood is added).

Eggplant lover LadyNym of Phoenix Rising's Red Crew wrote this question.

Answer: Chickpeas

Also known as garbanzos, Egyptian peas, and Bengal gram, chickpeas have been cultivated in the Mediterranean region for thousands of years. India, where they were introduced around 3000 BC, is now by far the biggest producer of these legumes, known to most people in the US and other Western countries as the main ingredient of hummus (which means simply "chickpeas" in Arabic). However, chickpeas are employed in a much wider range of dishes - some of which are based on their flour rather than on whole legumes. Known in India as gram flour or besan, chickpea flour is high in fiber, and naturally gluten-free.

The preparation of pancakes made with chickpea flour mixed with water is a widespread tradition along the coast of the Ligurian Sea, from the French Riviera to northern Tuscany, as well as parts of Sardinia. In Genoa, this dish's birthplace, it is called "fainà" in the Ligurian dialect ("farinata" in standard Italian), while in Pisa and Livorno it is called "cecina" ("ceci" being the Italian word for chickpeas). Prepared and sold in street carts or dedicated shops, farinata is believed to be of ancient origin. The batter is poured in a shallow, oiled pan, and baked in a hot oven until a thin, golden crust forms; it is then cut into wedges, and eaten hot. Other ingredients, such as green onions, rosemary, artichokes, or even sausage or fish, are occasionally added to the batter before baking. A similar dish, called "calentita" or "karantita", is very popular in Gibraltar and parts of North Africa.

LadyNym of Phoenix Rising's Red Crew, who wrote this question, would not mind a piece of farinata just now.

Answer: Olives

Though olive oil is one of the cornerstones of Mediterranean food culture, there are hardly any recipes that feature olives as the main ingredient. The Provençal spread known as "tapenade" is a remarkable exception. This tasty concoction - whose name comes from the Provençal "tapeno", meaning "caper" - consists of olives (usually black) and capers, blended or crushed to a paste in a mortar with olive oil as a binder. Other seasonings that can be added to tapenade are anchovies, garlic, herbs, and lemon juice. Created in the 1880s in a Marseilles restaurant, tapenade (whose original recipe included anchovies, tuna, and cognac) was initially meant to be used as a stuffing for hard-boiled eggs. Nowadays it is served as an appetizer with crusty bread or raw vegetables, or also used in cooking as an ingredient for dressings and sauces, especially those meant for vegetables or seafood.

Though a relatively recent creation, tapenade is believed to have been based on a similar recipe dating from Roman times, and called "sampsa". While olives are now seen mainly as a snack or accompaniment to drinks, in Ancient Rome and Greece they were often eaten with bread and cheese for breakfast or lunch. Similar preparations to tapenade are found in Spain (where it is called "olivada") and Italy, though without capers.

This question was written by LadyNym of Phoenix Rising's Red Crew, who thinks tapenade is delicious even if a bit too salty.

Answer: Fava beans

In people with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD), consumption of fava beans can lead to intravascular hemolysis; their red blood cells break down, leading to jaundice and anemia. Fava beans are broad beans that grow on a legume plant that is also used as a cover crop. It has been a part of Mediterranean cuisines for thousands of years. The beans are most favored when harvested young. Once mature, the seed cover of the bean must be removed prior to using the beans in most recipes.

"Fava e pecorino", fava beans with pecorino cheese, usually with a splash of olive oil, is a traditional May Day picnic dish in Rome and other parts of Italy. Despite Hannibal Lecter's wine pairing, this salad is usually served with a light white wine, not Chianti. The beans can be steamed, boiled or fried.

Player pusdoc of Phoenix Rising's Red Crew does not have G6PD and enjoys fava beans immensely!

Answer: Grape

Dolma comes from Turkish meaning stuffed or filled. Dolmades, sarma and yalanji are all types of stuffed grapevine leaves. There are many varied versions, and no recipe is definitive, but they are generally similar in composition using rice, flavoured with herbs, lemon, onion, garlic and sometimes minced meat, especially lamb. The leaves can be picked fresh and blanched before using or are freely available in tinned form. Other ingredients can be added depending on location, such as Aleppo pepper and tomatoes. In Greece, they call them dolmades or dolmadakia. In Iran, they are known as dolmeh, yalanji are Syrian, yaprak sarma hail from Turkey.

Rosemary and olive leaves are not large enough to be stuffed. Tomato leaves would not be used as they are frequently, but erroneously, thought to be toxic.

Red Crew's smpdit finds that she now has cravings.

Answer: Northern Africa

Couscous is an important part of Maghrebi cuisine; the Maghreb is the portion of Northern Africa historically inhabited by the Berbers - basically all of Mediterranean Africa except Egypt. Couscous is small (2mm) granules of semolina from ground durum wheat. It is usually steamed, and then served with a savory stew most commonly; there are recipes with couscous used for dessert dishes as well. The process for making couscous prior to mechanization was very laborious, and usually was done as a communal activity. A specific cooking pot, a kiskas in Arabic or couscoussier in French, was used to steam the couscous - the stew was prepared in a lower chamber and would thus add flavor to the couscous steaming in the perforated upper chamber. The couscous purchased in American grocery stores is pre-steamed. The "pearl couscous" or Israeli couscous is not actually couscous - it was invented in the 1950s in Israel as a substitute for rice during a period of austerity.

This question was cooked up by player pusdoc, whose favorite couscous recipe includes chicken, carrots, pine nuts and cumin.

Answer: Where balsamic vinegar is made

Originating in Modena, Italy, balsamic vinegar is a very dark and concentrated vinegar made wholly for a particular grape must. Aceto balsamico, as a term is unregulated. There are three protected balsamic vinegars: Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP (Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena), Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia DOP (Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia), and Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP (Balsamic Vinegar of Modena).

The first two traditional balsamic vinegars are produced only and exclusively in either Modena or Reggio Emilia provinces. These two kinds of vinegar are protected by the European Union's Protected Designation of Origin. The third, Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (Aceto Balsamico di Modena), is made from grape and must be blended with wine vinegar, and produced only in either Modena or Reggio Emilia, with a Protected Geographical Indication status. None of them contain balsam or balsa. The Italian word 'balsamico' means "balsam-like" meaning "restorative" or "curative"

Balsamic vinegar is made by reducing pressed Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes. The resulting thick syrup, is aged for a minimum of 12-25 years in a battery of several barrels of subsequently smaller sizes and wood types such as chestnut, cherry, oak, mulberry, ash and juniper. The end product is a rich, glossy syrup, deep brown in colour and flavoured by the different storage woods used in the manufacturing process.

Traditional balsamic vinegar is used as a condiment, served as dropped over cheese or sausage. Used with restraint, it is used as a flavourer of eggs, frilled fish, and meat. Recipes exist where the vinegar is added to strawberries or pears, and enhances custard.

This question was written by Phoenix Rising Team member 1nn1, who uses balsamic vinegar as a salad dressing.

Answer: Lamb

Janjetina s raznja is a traditionally Dalmatian dish of a whole lamb roasted over an open fire. Prior to cooking, the lamb is flavoured with sea salt, or it can be marinated in oil and herbs. It is served with onions, potato, and bread.

Cordero asado is a very popular Christmas dish from the Spanish region of Castile. This dish is also a whole roasted lamb, marinated first with lemon, garlic, and herbs, such as rosemary and thyme. Mirroring the Janjetina s raznja, it is served with roasted onions and potatoes.

Phoenix Rising's leith90, who is now feeling quite hungry, happily bit into this question.

Answer: Sheep's milk cheese

Feta, Manchego, pecorino, and Roquefort are cheeses made from sheep's milk. In comparing sheep's milk to cow's milk, sheep's milk has smaller fat globules and is more easily digestible. It also has more fat, protein, and calcium than cow and goat milk. Sometimes people that are lactose intolerant can switch from cow to sheep milk due to varying amounts of lactose and easier digestion.

Feta is a very popular brined, white cheese originating in Greece. It is a soft, salty cheese with a nice tang. It may have zero to small holes and has no rind. It is used in salads, pastries, and also in cooked dishes. For it to be designated as a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin from the European Union), it must be from Mainland Greece and Lesbos Prefecture, made from sheep's milk or from a mixture of sheep and goat's milk with >70% coming from sheep, and aged a minimum of three months.

Manchego cheese comes from the Manchego breed of sheep in Spain, specifically the La Mancha area. It is a hard nutty-flavored cheese but mild and buttery smooth. To be designated as a PDO, it must be produced in the La Mancha region and only with whole milk of Manchega breed sheep raised on registered farms within that area, aged for a minimum of 60 days and a maximum of two years, and produced by pressing in a cylindrical mould with specific height/width requirements.

Pecorino is a hard crumbly cheese made from sheep's milk in Italy. "Pecorino" means "of sheep" or "ovine" in Italian. The cheese is a fabulous cooking cheese and is often grated and crumbled into Italian dishes. Buyer beware: in the US, often romano cheese is from cow's milk, not sheep's milk and is not the traditional Pecorino Romano from Italy.

Roquefort cheese is a blue cheese made of sheep's milk from southern France, specifically from the Aveyron region. If it is labeled as Roquefort, that means it was aged in the Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. It is a tasty blue cheese with a bite that has been aged for five months in the caves. It is made from Lacaune sheep's milk. The flavor from the "blue" mold is Penicillium roqueforti, but is not the antibiotic penicillin that we know today.

Jaknginger often has a bottle of wine and a charcuterie board full of cheeses to share with friends every weekend.