Hard Fire Ants, Beetles and Grasshoppers, OH MY! Quiz / Test | Hobbies

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. "What do you call an ant who doesn't go to school?" "A truant." Fire ants are no laughing matter. They have a nasty sting, that releases a venom which causes a burning sensation, hence their name. They are usually regarded as non-edible, but in Venezuela, the Pemon Indians eat them during the rainy season. One method of eating the ants is to remove the heads and squeeze the fluids into a bowl, mixed with yucca root, to make a hot spicy sauce. What is the Pemon name for this hot sauce?

Answer: Kumache

Home to the Pemon Indians is the Gran Sabana in Venezuela. They not only eat fire ants, but they eat leaf-cutter ants as well. The Pemon word for 'ant' is 'bachaco'.

Fire ants, originally native to South America, are a pest causing grave concern in several countries, including America and Australia. They were inadvertently introduced to America by sea in the late 1920s. Red imported fire ants cause the most destruction. They devastate crops and cause many problems with cattle and poultry. The phorid fly and armadillos are known predators of the fire ant.

2. "How many are ants are needed to fill a house?" "Tenants" Continuing with the ant theme, the famous London stores, Harrods and Fortnum and Mason, have both sold chocolate covered ants. These ants hail from Colombia and are known as 'hormiga culona'. What is a polite translation of 'hormiga culona'?

Answer: Big-bottomed ants

'Hormiga culona' are Queen leaf-cutter ants. In Colombia the ants are usually toasted in salt, but those that are sold in Harrods are Fortnum and Mason are coated in Belgian chocolate. They are primarily exported from Santander and in France they are therefore known as 'the caviar of Santander'.

3. "What do you call a dancing beetle?" "A jitter-bug" These beetles are known as scarab beetles in Egypt, where in ancient times they were considered sacred. In Thailand, they are considered to be a delicacy. They can be eaten in a variety of ways, including roasted. Which beetles are they?

Answer: Dung beetles

There are numerous water buffalo farms in Thailand, and the buffalo dung beetle is generally considered to be a delicacy. Water and jewel beetles are amongst the varieties that are also eaten. The larvae of these bugs are also considered to be a delicacy. The dung beetle is from the Scarabaeidae family, hence them being known as the scarab beetle in Egypt.

In Thailand they also have water buffalo racing events and 'beauty pageants' for the animals.

4. "What's green and jumps a mile a minute" "A grasshopper on a pogo stick" You will no doubt be relieved to hear that 'Grasshopper Pie' isn't made from grasshoppers, although they are a delicacy in numerous cultures. What alcoholic beverage is included in the ingredients of the pie?

Answer: Cr�me de Menthe

The basic ingredients of a 'Grasshopper Pie' include crumbled Oreo biscuits and chocolate.

In Mexico, grasshoppers are known as 'chapulines', which are usually toasted. Other delicacies eaten in Mexico include locusts and mosquito eggs.

5. 'OH MY' are words to the effect of what I would utter if I was served 'Baby Mice Wine' in Korea. The baby mice, which are no more than three days old, are drowned in a rice-based alcohol. This is considered to be a 'health tonic' in Korea and which other listed country?

Answer: China

The baby mice actually remain in the bottles of wine. The wine is sold in a clear bottle, so the mice are visible, their eyes have to be closed when the drink is bottled, otherwise, according to folklore, the wine will be poisonous.

Other unusual alcoholic beverages of the world include, 'Asian Three Lizard Liquor', which is made in Vietnam and China, and 'Seagull Wine', which is made by the Inuit people. Apparently 'Seagull Wine', is simple to make. Place a seagull in a bottle, fill the bottle with water and let it ferment in the sun.

6. Astrology: Scorpio is the eighth sign of the zodiac and, believe it or not, is represented by the scorpion. Ah scorpions! An internet company called 'Edible' sells very unusual delicacies via their website. These delicacies include a clear lollipop, which contains a 'detoxified edible scorpion'. What is this 'lollipop with a difference' called?

Answer: Vodkalix

As per the 'Edible' website, all of the scorpion products sold by them contain detoxified scorpions which they import from scorpion farms in China. They also sell 'Toffee Scorpion Candy' and 'Scorpion Vodka', which both contain a whole scorpion. 'Green Crocodile Curry' and 'Oven Roasted Tarantula' can also be purchased online.

'Edible' was formed by Todd Dalton, who is known as the 'Leopard Man of Peckham', as he actually keeps two leopards caged in his back garden, In 2006, Todd Dalton was initially refused a permit to keep the two-clouded leopards at his home in Camberwell. He appealed later in the year and his permit was granted. Mr Dalton states that he is a conservationist.

7. A snippet of trivia: In Lewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland', the Mad Hatter was never referred to by this name. It was rather apt that Heston Blumenthal, the English celebrity chef known for his quirky culinary delights, dressed up as the Mad Hatter during his television programme 'Heston's Victorian Feast', the theme of which he based upon 'Alice in Wonderland'. The Mock Turtle is a character in the book and Heston made some mock turtle soup as a starter for his guests. As the name implies, the soup doesn't actually contain turtle. Heston used an ingredient that is generally used as the main ingredient of this soup. What?

Answer: A calf's head

The Mock Turtle illustration in 'Alice in Wonderland' is shown as having a calf's head and hooves. Turtle soup was a delicacy for the rich in Victorian times, but it was expensive to buy, so mock turtle soup was introduced as a dish for the middle classes. The main ingredient was often a calf's head.

The aperitif in the 'Victorian Feast' was a pink coloured drink, served in a specially created test tube type glass with an externally attached straw. Heston called this the 'drink me potion'. It comprised of several different flavours including turkey, cherry pie and hot buttered toast.

8. A further snippet of trivia: Albert Einstein, known for his theory of relativity, once said that if honey bees became extinct then humans would follow four years later. Would you believe that there is a 'vanilla honey bee' ice cream on the market? Does this ice cream actually contain bees?

Answer: No

I was relieved to hear that the ice cream was a blend of vanilla and honey, with not a bee in sight. It is produced by Haagen-Dazs, who have a campaign to 'save the honey bee', as their numbers have rapidly declined over recent years.

In Taiwan, for example, fried bee is considered to be a delicacy as are the larvae. Apparently frying the bees on a high heat destroys the venom.

9. "What is the favourite song of Marvo the mouse?" "Please 'cheese' me." (Apologies to Beatles fans (the group not the insects) for the cheesy pun) Casu marzu is a type of cheese made from sheep's milk. Unusual milk to use, but what is more unusual is that it is purposely ridden with the larvae of the 'cheese fly'. When eating this cheese, the larvae jump up towards the face. Casu marzu has been banned in Sardinia. What is the translation of 'casu marzu'?

Answer: Rotten Cheese

Casu marzu, the translation of which is 'rotten cheese', is considered to be a delicacy in Sardinia. The cheese actually 'weeps' a liquid known as 'lagrimu', which is Italian for 'tears'.

Casu marzu should only be eaten whilst the larvae are alive, it is considered to be toxic when they have died. The government banned the production of this cheese due to health issues, which included the larvae being eaten live and then making their home in the intestines of eaters.

Although banned, the cheese is still produced, but weighty fines can be imposed for the selling or serving of it.

10. Anecdote: I recall that about twenty some years ago (I wish), when I was a child visiting my great auntie Nellie for Sunday tea, we were having salad and looking up at me from between a lettuce leaf and a tomato was a hairy caterpillar. This is the closest I have been to eating one... In South Africa, the caterpillar of the Emperor moth is widely eaten. The innards are squeezed out of the caterpillars, which can then be eaten sun dried of fried. By what name is this caterpillar known?

Answer: Mopane worm

Mopane worms are considered to be high in protein and although they are known as worms, they are actually caterpillars. Their name is derived from the fact that the caterpillar lives on the leaves of the mopane tree. The species name for the Emperor moth is Imbrasia Belina. It is also known as the Gonimbrasia belina.

Caterpillars are eaten in many countries, including Thailand, Mexico and many African countries.

A newspaper article in the Manchester Evening News, dated 24th January 2007, stated that the Moonraker pub in Leigh was offering caterpillars as a snack. The landlady, Portia, is originally from Africa. She decided to try out this traditional African delicacy on the customers in her pub.

Source: Author demurechicky

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Leau before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Fire Ants, Beetles and Grasshoppers, OH MY! Quiz

This Author Challenge by exceller fell perfectly into my 'cooking' up yet more 'incredible edibles'. Warning: Do not play on a full stomach. Good luck!

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