More Worldwide Food and Drink Trivia Quiz

Answer: Fermented apple juice.

Scrumpy, sometimes called 'rough cider' is traditionally brewed in the 'West Country' of the UK. Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Avon are the biggest producers, however Herefordshire does produce a significant quantity. It is made from the juice of pressed apples which is left to ferment.

The alcohol content is not as high as wine being typically 4 to 6%. But, some smaller producers do not have sophisticated refining processes and the after-effects of drinking scrumpy can be quite distressing. Visitors to the UK should be discouraged from imbibing too freely of 'local' produce and stay with proprietory brands.

Answer: South America.

Ceviche is a dish of fish marinated in citrus fruit, usually lemon or lime or a combination of both, but other citrus fruits may be used. The derivation of the word is unclear with some sources claiming that it's a Quechua word 'siwichi', but other sources suggest it is likely to be a variation of another Spanish word, "escabeche" (marinade). Traditional Ceviche would be fish marinated for about three hours in which time the citric acid has the effect of cooking or 'pickling' the fish.

The results taste more akin to cooked fish than Japanese Sashimi which is served raw.

The choice of fish is very much dependent on the area where the dish is prepared, but shrimps, sea bass, octopus, crab, shark, sole, halibut, tuna, mackerel etc. can all be used in its preparation.

A dish which I have made myself using mackerel, sliced onion and salt in a half and half mixture of lemon and lime juice. Great as a starter for small dinner parties, easy and quick to prepare, can be prepared in advance (actually it HAS to be prepared in advance), excellent served with a small salad of rocket, cos or little gem lettuce, and cucumber, and if you feel artistic, add a slice of cherry tomato to give colour.

Answer: The Savoy, London.

The story goes that Arnold Bennett stayed at the Savoy hotel in London writing his novel 'Imperial Palace'. Through the course of his stay, the Chefs at the hotel developed a smoked haddock, cream and cheese omelette specifically for Mr. Bennett and which was named after him.

This dish is still on the menu of the Savoy to this day. I recommend that you try it should you get the chance, delicious as a breakfast, lunch or supper dish, assuming that you like smoked fish and omelettes.

Answer: Norwegian Lobster and Dublin Bay Prawn.

The Langoustine is also known as Norwegian Lobster and Dublin Bay Prawn. The animal will grow to a length of approx 24cm and looks like a miniature 'lobster' although slimmer and more delicate with much more slender claws. Pink in colour when alive and pink after cooking. Normally purchased live and cooked for just a few minutes after plunging into in salted boiling water. For those of us with a more humane attitude, place the Langoustine in a freezer for fifteen minutes prior to cooking which sends them into a type of hibernation, or simply place them into cold salted water and bring it to the boil, simmer for a few minutes and they're ready. Another version of Langoustine is known in the UK as 'Scampi', the tails being de-shelled, dipped into breadcrumb and then deep fried. Times were when every steak-house in the UK offered Scampi as an alternative to steak.

To my amazement, I discovered that a 'Spiny Lobster' does exist in both California and the Caribbean waters, even though I thought I had dreamed up the animal (Thankfully not a close relation to Langoustine)! I'm sure most of my US colleagues will have heard of Maine Lobster (Homarus Americanus), claimed to be as good as our own UK Lobster (Homarus Vulgaris), I prefer our own UK species as I rarely get the chance to sample Maine Lobster. Sad but true! Many, many types of crayfish exist in both fresh and salt water, some of which have claws, some of which don't, but again, not close relatives of the Langoustine. Brown crab and Velvet crab are both found in UK waters, both edible, actually delicious, and again no relation to Langoustine.

Answer: Dried fish.

Bombay Duck is the dried fillet of the lizardfish (Harpadon nehereus). It is found in the waters between Mumbai (formerly Bombay) and Kutch in the Arabian Sea, and a small number are also found in the Bay of Bengal. Filleted, salted and dried, the flesh has a pungent odour and is usually transported in airtight containers. Very popular in European ethnic Indian restaurants until it was banned by the EU in 1997.

The EU ban was not supported by any sanitary or health concerns, but simply because the EU only allows product from 'approved' freezing and canning factories.

As Bombay Duck is a dried product it did not fall into an accepted category. The ban was lifted in December 2003 but few Indian restaurants in the UK have re-introduced this very tasty delicacy. Hopefully this will change.

Answer: Lamb.

Kleftiko translated (approximately) into English is 'thieves meal'. The legend is that thieves would dig a hole, line it with stones and set a fire burning. Then they would steal and kill a lamb, possibly remove the skin and fleece, and throw it into the fire pit.

It would be covered with more stones to retain the heat and finally disguised to look like the surrounding land. After a time, the thieves would return, dig up the lamb and partake of a meal. Whether this happened regularly, or if it's simply a 'story' is beyond my knowledge.

However, the reality is that the dish Kleftiko is now served at restaurants in both Greece and Cyprus. A whole lamb is normally slow cooked in a large oven and the results are truly spectacular. The meat is so tender it just falls away from the bones.

The only down-side is that restaurants usually need at least 24 hours notice and insist on a minimum number of diners. Having said that, maybe there are now restaurants which cook Kleftiko as a regular dish on an ad-hoc basis.

Answer: Fish.

Ukha is a hot watery fish soup. "Ukha" as a name for fish broth was established only in the late 17th to early 18th centuries. In earlier times this name was first given to thick meat broths, and then later chicken. Beginning from the 18th century, fish was more and more often used to prepare ukha, thus creating a dish that had a distinctive taste among soups.

This soup was highly praised by Ivan the Terrible--who wasn't easy to please--and by Antoine Careme--who was even harder to please, at least gastronomically. As the oldest recorded Russian soup, ukha began life as any digestible food in a liquid, but by the 16th and 17th century lavish Russian courts, it was transformed into elaborate and diverse creations, served between pie courses. It was in the 18th century that it became associated exclusively with fish--and in the 19th century, under the influence of French cuisine, that it became the delicate creation that it is today. A light, clean first course.

A wide variety of freshwater fish can be used. There is an opinion that you cannot make a good ukha from seafish, but this is untrue. Fresh fish is best with preference given to smaller, younger fish, with the tail part of bigger fish discarded.

I'm told, by those who know much more than myself, that the technique in producing the finest ukha is the preparation of the fish stock. Small, whole fish are held in a permeable bag (muslin cloth seems to be favoured) and slow cooked to produce an intense flavoured stock. The vegetables, if used, would then be added and the fish portions added just a few minutes prior to serving allowing enough time for the fish to cook. The concept of using freshwater fish is unusual to us in the UK, but common in most other cultures.

The pronunciation of 'Ukha' is difficult for non Russian speakers. The best way I can describe is: U as is in 'fool', kh as in a Scottish 'loch' and a clipped 'a'.

It's unknown to me if there exists a game or tomato soup famous in Russian quisine, I certainly can't find either, however the beetroot soup is known as Borsch. But, never refer to Borsch as beetroot soup in front of a Russian, you're liable to get a thirty minute lecture on the preparation and finer points of Borsch.

Answer: Weisswurst.

The correct answer is Weisswurst, which translates as 'White Sausage'. According to tradition, Weisswurst may only be served until midday due to the fact that the meat is not smoked and hence the sausage is made fresh every day, and so is not suitable for storage. Prior to the days of refrigeration, in summertime the sausages would go bad before nightfall. Still today, most bavarians eat their Weisswurst before noon.

Wienerwurst, translation 'Vienna Sausage', is a smooth-textured sausage of minced beef or pork usually smoked; often served on a bread roll. Some sources claim that the Wienerwurst is the origin of the American hot-dog sausage, the frankfurter.

Bratwurst. The name is derived from the old 'High German' brat which means fine chopped meat, and obviously wurst meaning sausage. A pale, smoked sausage made of finely minced pork, beef and sometimes veal, ginger, nutmeg and other spices; usually comes raw and must be cooked, but precooked bratwurst is also available. Within the US, bratwurst, while not strictly a regional cuisine, is strongly identified with areas of the US where German and other Northern European immigrants settled in large numbers.

Bierwurst is a German cooked salami-style sausage with a very high garlic content, and having a dark red colouration. The pork, fat and beef are chopped roughly to result in a nice chunky texture. It is seasoned with garlic, pepper and onion, (sometimes flavored with juniper berries and cardamom), packed into wide diameter casings, and smoked at high temperature. Interestingly, bierwurst does not contain beer, although served sliced it is an excellent accompaniment to a bright German lager.

Answer: It needs a sea voyage to mature.

You'll find aquavit throughout Scandinavia, but the Norwegians make a special kind they call "linie aquavit." Linie is the Norwegian word for "line," referring, in this case, to the equator. Linie aquavit is shipped from Norway, across the equator, down to Australia, and back again in oak sherry casks. Afficionados say the liquor gains a richer flavor as it sloshes around in the barrels for several weeks. Cynics claim that it's simply a marketing ploy.

Although some people dispute the story, the majority of sources offer the following explanation. The concept of linie aquavit happened by accident in the 1800s. Jorgen Lysholm owned a distillery in Trondheim, Norway. His mother and uncle sent a batch of aquavit to Asia on a large sailing ship, hoping to market it there. It didn't sell, however, and five barrels were shipped back to Trondheim. When the aquavit arrived back in Norway, Lysholm noticed it had a richer flavor. At that time, Norway was shipping dried cod around the world. Lysholm began loading barrels of aquavit onto freighters that carried the cod, and retrieving them at the end of a long round trip.

To this day, every bottle of Linie carries details of its four and a half months at sea, including the date it departed Norway, the date it returned and the name of the ship it sailed on. It's also comparatively expensive, is made in Norway, and has a similar alcohol content to any other Aquavit.

Answer: Dansak (Dhansak).

The Dansak which I was served was a dish using cooked pulse as a base with a small amount of meat, cooked in a rich spiced sauce giving a hot, sweet and sour taste. From interest, I was - by then - used to eating without cutlery as it simply wasn't used once you moved away from the larger cities. With a little practice you can use a piece of nan bread to encompass a small amount of your meal and pop it into your mouth. But, remember, use your right hand only!

Dopiaza is curry based on onion, also delicious. Tandoori is a method of cooking marinated meat in a 'Tandoor' oven. A Bhuna is a mild curry using coconut.

My thanks for persevering with this quiz, I sincerely hope that you enjoyed it and learned something new.

For my own recipes please send a postcard with your email address to 'twelvebore' c/o Fun-Trivia - Just joking !