A Bouquet of Flours Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ethiopia

Eragrostis tef is the Latin name for the lovegrass that originates around the Horn of Africa. Its seeds are used to make teff flour, a staple in traditional Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine. Teff is an ancient grain that has been in use for thousands of years. Teff is gluten free but high in fiber.

The government of Ethiopia regulates the export of raw teff in order to limit the amount of exploitation that may occur, as was seen with quinoa and the South American countries.

Answer: almond

Almond flour isn't really a milled flour, but rather finely ground almonds. When you mix it with honey you get marzipan, a malleable, moldable, and sweet almond paste. When making traditional French macarons, almond flour is the flour of choice, though I've seen other nut flours used in some special instances. Almond flour is gluten-free and also contains dietary fibers and other compounds that are often used as food additives.

Answer: Semolina

Semolina is a flour made from durum wheat, as opposed to the white flour made from common wheat. Durum wheat is the second most grown wheat in the world and semolina is a wonderful alternative to white flour. It is the main ingredient in couscous and is often the flour used for pastas and upma, a south Indian breakfast porridge-type-dish.

In North America, it is popular as Cream of Wheat. In the Middle East and north Africa, it's popular as basbousa (or harisa).

Answer: Coconut flour

Coconut is a very versatile fruit, and one use of coconut is to grind it into flour. It is both gluten-free and rich in fibers, but, despite being called a nut, it is safe for consumption for people who have nut allergies. It is a very dry flour and tends to soak up moisture from things you are baking, so be sure to add extra water when using it.

It has a subtle coco-nutty flavour, but is generally mild and can be used as an additive or a flour substitute. Nutritionists tend to favour coconut flour when crafting paleo-diets. Also, "Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies" in 2006 published that "the fiber content present in coconut flour is effective at lowering cholesterol levels and reducing the risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease".

Answer: Cassava

Cassava flour, related to yucca flour and tapioca flour, but made with the entire root and not just the starchy parts, is a great alternative to regular white flour. Gluten-free and rich in fiber, cassava flour may be unhealthy if eaten raw, however, when was the last time anybody ate raw flour? Cassava flour is very high in carbs as well as vitamin C. Given its neutral flavour, cassava flour is often used as a 1:1 replacement for regular flour for people who are celiac or gluten-intolerant.

Answer: Buckwheat

Buckwheat is a very aromatic grain, and when ground, it serves as a great flour. It is gluten-free, as buckwheat is not related to any of the wheat family, and also mineral-rich in metals like magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. While the plant originated in China, it was cultivated in southern Asia and made its way into Europe.

In the Navaratri festival in India, only products made from buckwheat may be consumed. In the Russian Orthodox Church, buckwheat is associated with the St. Philip fast. Buckwheat flour pancakes are popular around Europe. In Nepal, dhindo is traditionally made out of buckwheat flour as well.

Answer: Chapati

Chapati is an Indian dish usually made from atta flour. Wo tou - a Chinese dish that looks like a bird's nest, polenta - an Italian and South American dish, and tamales - a traditional Mexican bread, the three of them are made from the ground up corn that makes cornmeal, a flour make from corn.

Cornmeal is prevalent in cooking all over the world. The versatility of corn is felt when the grains are dried and ground into a fine meal that can be used in cooking and baking. It is a pretty decent source of minerals and vitamins, and is gluten-free.

Answer: Spelt

Spelt's origins are from the Near East (modern-day politically it's the Middle East), and is from a naturally occurring hybrid of emmer wheat and a wild goat-grass. A second strain is thought to be a hybrid of bread wheat and emmer wheat, or perhaps a new strain of the original spelt wheat. Regardless, it has been, throughout history, a very important grain. Though it lost popularity during the 20th century, it has been making a comeback due to it being a good source of protein, fiber, and other minerals.

It does contain gluten, however, but its gluten is said to be easier to digest than common wheat's.

Answer: rice

Rice flour is a very prominent flour in south east and south Asian cuisines. Used from Japan to India, and everywhere in between, it can be used to thicken sauces, make noodles, rice cakes, dosa, mochi, kheer, and many other dishes and desserts. It is gluten free, if processed where wheat is not, and is a very healthy option, especially the brown rice variety.

It is rich in both protein and fiber, as well as several minerals and vitamins.

Answer: Aztec

Aztec and Incan cultures used amaranth flour for many years and called it huauhtli. It was associated with the Aztec god Huitzilopochtli. When the Spanish conquistadors came to the New World they outlawed the use of amaranth in day-to-day life and incorporated it onto Christian Christmas celebrations.

In modern times, amaranth has been found to be a very efficient crop. It needs very few seeds per area sown, and yields plenty of harvested seeds, which don't even need to be hulled. The resultant grain is a source of protein, minerals, and no gluten.