A Menu of International Dishes! Quiz

Answer: Gravy and cheese curds

To many, especially Canadian Maritimers, poutine is described as a "heart attack in a bowl"! Poutine is made with a very dark gravy and poured over fresh cheddar cheese curds to make a mushy mess on top of the fries. The dish originated in the Province of Quebec and is considered one of The Great White North's national dishes.

Other Canadian contenders include: butter tarts, Nanaimo bars and a pastry known as a "beaver tail".

Answer: Israel

Variations of the falafel are found throughout many countries of The Middle East. Often hailed as "Israel's National Snack" the falafel is prepared as a croquette of mashed chickpeas with any variety of toppings (throughout The Middle East) like olives, cabbage, tomatoes and cucumber.

Answer: Warsaw, Poland

Poland can lay claim to savory dishes like barszcz and pierogis but "bigos" is heralded as the national chow. With roots in the Polish aristocracy it was originally made with boar, pheasant or venison (deer) but in modern times pork, poultry or beef are the primary meats in the stew.

Answer: Paella

There are many types of paella in Spain including "Paella Negra" which is cooked in squid ink, "Paella Valenciana" and "Paella Fideus" among others. Paella is also the name of the pan in which the traditional dish is cooked. Tortilla de Patatas, tapas, and cocido are also widely considered to be the national foods of Spain.

Answer: Hungary

Hungry in Hungary? Try goulash - a potato and meat stew with onions, garlic, pepper flavouring and the omnipresent spice paprika (a chief export). Goulash is one of the most recognized foods from Hungary but other contenders for the national dish include paprikash and tokaji. Still others claim that the culinary crown goes to bográcsgulyás, a soup of beef, onions, dumplings, and plenty of paprika!

Answer: False

Not likely! By and large Indians do not eat beef or related bovine products other than milk. Though curry is a staple in much of Indian cuisine, it would not be paired with beef in the vegetarian nation. Several dishes are cited as the national dish of India, including but not limited to Dal Makhani, Tandoori Chicken and Masala Dosa.

Answer: Haggis

Contrary to the urban legend, haggis was never an actual four-legged creature that roamed the hills of Scotland. The minced offal is cooked to perfection for over three hours for maximum taste. On Burns Night, January 25th, true Scots eat the dish and read aloud the eighteenth century poem "Address to the Haggis".

In modern days, haggis is dined on year round and is a favourite during Hogmanay (New Year's Eve).

Answer: Reindeer

Oh my - Santa would be very unhappy! Poronkäristys is essentially thin slices of sauteed reindeer. It is served over mashed potatoes and cowberry preserves with a slice of Kossu lingonberry or pickled cucumber.

Answer: Soup

Pho is so ubiquitous in Vietnam that it is dubbed the "soul of the nation". The highly nutritious soup has even been proclaimed as a remedy for the common cold or a hangover. It was invented in the northern part of the nation and in southern Vietnam the dish is often accompanied with bean sprouts and sawleaf herbs.

Answer: Greece

This three layer dish is topped off with béchamel sauce, below that ground lamb (or beef) with herbs and spices and on the bottom sliced eggplant traditionally sautéed in olive oil. Other choices for Greece's national dish are fasolada (a white bean soup), and/or Greek salad.