Fractured Kitchen Kerfuffle Trivia Quiz

Answer: bicarbonate of soda

Also called baking soda or sodium bicarbonate or "bicarb" for short, bicarbonate of soda is a compound of sodium, hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen. When dissolved in water and imbibed, it can relieve indigestion and heartburn by reacting with stomach acids to produce salt and carbon dioxide gas, which is to say, it neutralizes excess gastric acid.

It is usually manufactured, rarely found in nature. It can also be used as a cleaning agent, a tooth cleaner, and a deodorant. Since 1972, Arm & Hammer has advertised opening a small box of baking soda and leaving it in the refrigerator to absorb odors (though the scientific evidence is lacking).

This amazing powder can even soothe the pain of insect bites and stings, and according to WebMD, the alkalinity of bicarb can boost the effectiveness of some chemotherapy drugs.

Answer: table sugar

Table sugar is another name for sucrose, less commonly called saccharose, which you get when you combine a molecule of glucose with a molecule of fructose (fruit sugar). (The chemical formula is C12H22O11). For use in our kitchens, table sugar is prepared as a fine, white powder and is usually extracted either from sugarcane or from sugarbeets, and less commonly from sugar maple.

The WHO many other health organizations recommend limiting intake of added sugars (such as from table sugar). Not only does it cause obesity and tooth decay, but sugar in the bloodstream can bind to proteins and form molecules that make collagen more brittle, in a process called glycation that ultimately leads to wrinkles in the skin.

Answer: bitter chocolate

Bitter chocolate, also called baking chocolate or unsweetened chocolate, is chocolate prepared for cooking with no sugar added and contains 99-100% chocolate liquor or cocoa solids (cacao mass). More commonly used is bittersweet chocolate, which might have anywhere from 60%-85% cocoa solids, depending on what country you live in. Semisweet chocolate typically has less cacao mass or chocolate liquor (≤40-55%) and more sugar; again, however, it varies depending on whether you live someplace that regulates the terminology (like Europe) or does not (like the USA).

Answer: white vinegar

Distilled white vinegar is a go-to for eco-friendly cleaning. Because it has no coloring agents, it doesn't tend to stain the way other vinegars may (such as coconut, apple cider, wine, etc.). Having said that, don't use vinegar to clean stone countertops (the acetic acid will etch), electronic screens, or knives. "Consumer Reports" magazine has also recommended against using it for cleaning the insides of washing machines, dishwashers, and small appliances such as blenders, for over time the vinegar can dissolve rubber parts. White vinegar is excellent, however, for polishing bronze, brass, copper, or silver, not to mention cleaning stainless steel and glass

You can also use white vinegar as a condiment to French fries (or chips) or cabbage, and as a base in salad dressing. Vinegar is 5% acetic acid, so it is quite sour to the taste.

Because white vinegar is so acidic (pH 2.4), you must NEVER mix it with chlorine bleach, as the combination will release toxic chlorine vapors, which will burn your lungs, eyes, and skin. And don't mix vinegar with hydrogen peroxide, either. That forms corrosive, toxic peracetic acid.

Answer: scouring powder

Typically, scouring powder consists something abrasive, like silica (dioxide of silicon or SiO2), pumice, calcium carbonate (chalk), or the kaolinite. The insoluble abrasive is mixed with a soluble base, such as washing soda (sodium carbonate) or caustic soda (lye or sodium hydroxide), that breaks down fatty substances. Scouring powder may or may not have dry bleach, too. With a little water, you just rub it over the surfaces to be cleaned (countertops, pots and pans, sinks, tubs, etc.). One of the earliest scouring powders was Vim, created in 1904, whose abrasive was sandstone mined from quarries in Wales. Bon Ami, made with feldspar, is popular in the USA ("Hasn't scratched yet!").

Answer: baking powder

Combine baking soda (bicarbonate of soda), starch, and cream of tartar (or some other acidic compound), and you've got a leavening agent known as baking powder. When mixed with liquid, it releases carbon dioxide, causing dough to rise in lieu of yeast. This is useful for quick breads and muffins. Dr. August Oetker invented ready-to-use baking powder in 1909. Calumet Baking Powder was the fortune behind Calumet Farm, the Thoroughbred racing stable and horse breeding farm in Lexington, Kentucky that produced several Kentucky Derby winners, including Tim Tam (1958) and the Triple Crown winners Whirlaway (1941) and Citation (1948).

By the way, a "bey" was a provincial governor in the Ottoman Empire. A "gink" is a guy, especially one who is foolish, odd, or contemptible. The word "terr" is a slang word for "terrorist", used in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 1976 to refer to insurgents against the white-minority government

Answer: cooking oil

Cooking oil can be animal, plant-based, or synthetic. It can be used for frying and baking but also for salad dressings. Once your oil starts to smoke, throw it out of the pan and start over. Oil also will degrade or oxidize over time, so it is best to buy it in small containers to avoid waste; if it smells bad, throw it out. Advice about which kind of oil is best to use for cooking and consumption has changed a lot between the 1970s and the 2020s.

In 2015, the WHO stated that unsaturated fats and oils (found in fish, avocado, nuts, olives, etc.) are better than saturated fats (found in butter, lard, palm oil, coconut oil), while trans fats (found in processed foods, fast foods, snack foods, etc.) should be avoided entirely.

Answer: disinfectant

A disinfectant destroys or inhibits the growth of germs (bacteria, viruses, or fungi), especially on hard surfaces. Sodium hypochlorite (bleach), phenol, and ethanol (grain alcohol) are all common disinfectants. Pioneering surgeon Joseph Lister used phenol (carbolic acid) in his groundbreaking antiseptic treatment of a wound on an eleven-year-old boy whose leg had been run over by a cart wheel. Listerine remains a popular brand of antiseptic mouthwash.

Answer: feather duster

The feather duster is the classic cleaning implement for removing loose dust from delicate surfaces. You might read advice about "washing" one, but the best and safest way to clean a feather duster is to take it outside and shake it. If you don't own your own home and live with a lease that forbids shaking things outside, or if you are allergic to dust mites, then you should NOT use a feather duster.

Instead use rags, cloths, or paper towels to dust surfaces, and then either launder them immediately or throw them away.

It may seem like it has been around forever, but the feather duster was invented by Susan Hibbard in 1876, who actually won an important legal battle that opened the door for women to patent their own inventions in their own names.

Answer: salt and pepper

When in doubt, season with salt and pepper to taste. Pink Himalayan salt became popular among foodies in the 2010s, but it does not supply iodine, a micronutrient which has been added to plain old table salt in many countries since the mid-20th century, and in the USA since 1924. Iodine is needed for the thyroid to function, and iodine deficiency remains one of the most preventable causes of goiter and birth defects, including dwarfism and intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is native to Kerala, a state on the Malabar Coast (southwestern coast) of India. Peppercorns can come in various colors: black, green, white, pink, etc., but they are all from Piper nigrum, and the color depends on the degree of ripeness and processing. This is not to be confused with bell, sweet, or jalapeņo pepper, which all come from Capsicum annuum. You may think salt is in more demand, but pepper is the most sought after spice in the United States.

One final note: "peh" is the seventeenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.