Even More Worldwide Food and Drink Quiz

Answer: Gammel Dansk.

On the label it says: 'Gør godt om morgenen, efter dagens dont, under jagten, på fisketuren, eller som aperitif' which means 'Gammel Dansk does you good in the morning, after the day's work, when you go hunting, on a fishing trip, or as an aperitif'. Gammel Dansk (translation = 'Old Danish')is an alcoholic drink (38% ABV) made with lots of herbs and spices. It is actually not used as a mixer but is certainly used as a tonic. A tonic is defined by Webster's as a drug that increases body tone or something that invigorates, restores, refreshes or stimulates. I have tried it and found it to be toe-curlingly bitter, but surprisingly effective.

Much to the chagrin of most Danes, the company that makes Gammel Dansk is now Swedish-owned. Luckily, they did not rename the drink 'Old Swedish'.

Aquavit is a spirit brewed mainly in Norway. Black Dane is a cocktail of Kahlua, Jubilæum Aquavit and ice. Danish Mary is another cocktail being a mix of Aalborg Taffel Aquavit, tomato juice, Tabasco, fresh dill and celery stalk - more like a liquid salad!

Answer: Mexico.

Tabasco is a State in Mexico bordered by the states of Veracruz to the west, Chiapas to the south, and Campeche to the north-east. It also has a coastline along the Gulf of Mexico.

As for the sauce, Edmund McIlhenny, a New Orleans banker, was given a gift by a soldier returning to New Orleans from Mexico of some dried peppers that were acquired in Mexico during the United States-Mexican War (1846-1848). The soldier told him to try them in his food. He used one or two and like it, so he saved the seeds from the remaining peppers and planted them. He grew them in his wife's garden at Avery Island. McIlhenny did not raise them commercially for another twenty years.

After a great deal of experiment, McIlhenny devised a hot pepper sauce which he wanted to call Petite Anse Sauce (after the island where he lived), but when family members rejected the commercial use of the family's island name, he opted for his second choice "Tabasco." Some historians say it's a Central American Indian word that means "land where the soil is hot and humid." other historians have put forth that it actually means "place of coral or oyster shell."

In 1870, McIlhenny obtained a patent for his sauce, and it's still in production to this day. In my view, a rather tenuous link to the State of Tabasaco in Mexico, but - I didn't write the history books.

Bangladesh, Equatorial Guinea and French Guiana have no connection to Tabasco State or Sauce. Although I did discover that the capital of French Guiana is Cayenne!

Answer: 1901 - 1925

The renowned Italian food writer Pellegrino Artusi makes no mention of Cannelloni in his 'La Scienza In Cucina e L'Arte di Mangiar Bene' which was updated until 1911. However, Ada Boni does offer several recipes using Cannelloni in her book 'Il Talismano della Felicitá' published in 1929. It doesn't need a Sherlock Holmes to deduce that Cannelloni must have been invented between these two years (1911 and 1927). Some sources claim that the chef Salvatore Coletta working in La Favorita in Sorrento invented Cannelloni in 1907 , but for the purposes of this quiz, all I asked was an approximate date.

The purist will argue that true Cannelloni is a square sheet of pasta which is layered with a filling and then rolled before cooking. But in modern day cooking, it is more likely that we would used pre-formed tubes which are then stuffed prior to cooking. Having tried both methods, I have to admit to staying with the 'lazy man's' method of ready made tubes. I'm told that in America there is still a distinction between sheet Cannelloni and pre-formed tubes which are known as Manicotti.

Answer: Arbroath Smokies.

The 'Arbroath Smokie' was invented in the village of Auchmithie, about three miles north of Arbroath in the County of Angus, Scotland. The village itself was first documented in the Chartulary records of the ancient Abbey of Arbroath in 1434 and its origins are thought to be Norse, from the period when Scandanavian invaders settled on the coast of Scotland about 1,000 years ago. This Scandanavian connection is relevant to the tradition of hot smoking fish, as it is known that hot smoking was a method used to preserve fish in Scandanavia at that time, carried with the invaders to the village.

How the Smokie came to Arbroath from Auchmithie is well documented. In 1705, the villagers of Auchmithie began to move south into Arbroath, accelerated by the efforts of Arbroath council to attract fishermen, to save the town's ailing fishing trade. Fishermen had previously lived under serfdom but by 1830, this practice was extinct and Auchmithie fishermen were free to move as they wished. Arbroath town council encouraged the fishermen and their families to the town by allocating proper sites to build the community. By the year 1920 the majority of the fisherpeople of Auchmithie were now in Arbroath occupying most of the harbour area.

Today, the Smokie is widely available in the area around Arbroath, and also in the greater part of Scotland. But, we who live a little further south in England rarely see this truly delectable offering. Available through mail-order, I have this dish as a breakfast maybe once every two months or so. Gently warmed in an oven set to 140C for about eight to ten minutes, absolutely delightful. It can also be used as a substitute in any recipe calling for 'smoked haddock'.

The other three answers are figments of my imagination.

Answer: Draniki.

Draniki is simply fried shredded potato. Very similar to Swiss Rosti or American Hash Browns. Some localised variations include the addition of minced (ground) meat, or soured milk.

Pelmeni are pastry parcels of minced (ground) beef and pork. Imagine a king-size Ravioli, that's what they look like. They are cooked in a good quantity of salted boiling water. Sometimes served alone, or added to soups. Most Russians will insist that home made Pelmeni are far superior to shop-bought offerings.

Blini are Russian pancakes. Usually served with a savoury filling, red caviar is very popular in (or on) a Blini.

Koulebyaka is a shortcrust pie usually filled with fish, mushrooms and boiled eggs. Interestingly, on my visits to Russia, I have yet to see it on a restaurant menu!

Answer: Clarified butter.

Ghee is made by heating unsalted butter in a large pot until all water has boiled off and protein has settled to the bottom.The clarified butter is then removed avoiding the milk solids at the bottom (I have no idea what happens to the milk solids, I just discard them). Unlike butter, ghee can be stored for extended periods without refrigeration, provided it is kept in an airtight container to prevent oxidation and remains moisture-free.

The mixed spices (Garam Masala), rice and chili powder are also widely used in 'Indian' cookery.

Answer: Spider crab.

Txangurro Relleno is a dish of stuffed spider crab originating in the Basque region of Spain. Quite easy to prepare and usually served in the upper part of the crab's shell. Preparation is reasonably easy, the most difficult part being the extraction of the crab meat! Compared to brown crab, the spider has a lot less meat for the size. Rarely available in the UK, and those which are landed usually head straight for Europe.

The Brown Crab is the heaviest occurring in British waters, and there are a host of recipes for this crab. My own favourite is a simple crab sandwich.

The Velvet Crab is the largest swimming crab in UK waters. Rarely available as an ingredient, as they're normally returned to the water. Within the fishing industry there is a suggestion that the commercial catching of these crabs could be an alternative source of revenue as there exists a ready made market in mainland Europe.

Hermit Crabs have no shell and inhabit other structures, usually empty sea (mollusc) shells. I have yet to see a recipe for hermit crab, and frankly, I don't know if they're edible.

Answer: Worcestershire sauce.

Worcestershire Sauce was first offered to the public in 1838, having been made in the Lee & Perrin's Midland Road plant in Worcester UK. It is now used widely throughout the world in a multitude of dishes including Chili Con Carne, Bolognese, Caesar Salad, Welsh Rarebit, and is a key ingredient in Peruvian Ceviche. The origins of Worcester sauce seem to cause so much argument, that I'm not even going to offer a suggestion

Hendersons Relish is a local product being similar to Worcester Sauce and made in Sheffield UK. Nam Pla is Thai 'fish sauce', produced using a rather (to me) complex salting technique. I use Nam Pla as a substitute for salt in a lot of dishes which is quite successful. Tomato Ketchup has been with us for more than two hundred years, and is a firm favourite in most cultures.

Answer: Cod.

Cod was first farmed successfully by Johnson Sustainable Seafoods of Vidlin in the Shetlands. The first harvest was in mid 2003, and interest in the fishing industry has been immense. Try looking at the fish counter in Tesco, Waitrose, or Morrisons, you may be surprised.

As far as I know there is no commercial farming of plaice, haddock or pollack. Having said that, the similarities between cod and haddock make it a likely future target.

Answer: Dorado or Mahi-Mahi.

Lampuki is the Maltese name for the dorado or mahi-mahi, a kind of fish that migrates past the islands of Malta in the Autumn months. The fishing season for lampuki is end of August through November. Frankly, through the lampuki season, it's almost impossible to eat a meal or snack on Malta without being offered lampuki. I don't know if it's common-place, but I ate a lampuki roll as a lunchtime snack in a small fishing village on the southern coast of Malta and found the lubricant to be tomato paste rather than butter. However, thanks to a helpful player, I have now discovered that this practice is not common in Malta, and butter or mayonaise would be a more normal addition.

Barracuda, Swordfish and Bluefin Tuna all occur in the Mediterranean, although there is great concern that through overfishing the tuna population is at a dangerously low level.

Thanks for persevering to the bitter end, I hope you enjoyed this quiz, a rating would be appreciated and comments are always welcome.

Best Regards,

Rodge (aka Twelvebore)