Are You Ready To Veg-Out? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Broccoli

Broccoli was a main staple food during the 16th century in Italy. That is until the marriage of Catherine de Medici to Henry II of France brought the colorful veggie to France.

In the United States children and adults alike love Broccoli with hot melted cheese drizzled over the crowns and stems...yummmy! However, the most common way to eat this truly delectable veggie is with hot melted butter or with Hollandaise sauce.

Answer: Habanero pepper

Contrary to popular belief, the jalapeņo is not the hottest pepper. The Savannah red habanero has a heat scale of 100,000 to 300,000. The pepper itself has a zesty citrus flavor, making it a truly remarkable pepper for anyone that loves spicy and hot!

Answer: eggplant

The eggplant is one of the most underappreciated veggie. The eggplant is closely related to the tomato, potato and pepper, as all are considered to be part of the deadly nightshade family.

The eggplant nicknamed "Mad Apple" until a few centuries ago, when it was discovered the unique taste that came from it. The eggplant or aubergine as it is known in the United Kingdom is considered an acquired taste.

An interesting fact about the eggplant is that it was introduced in the United States by Thomas Jefferson in 1806. A friend of his from France loved the veggie and Jefferson figured if his friend liked it, well he may as well give it a try! Jefferson liked it so much that he started growing the veggie in his garden at his Monticello estate in Virgina. In fact, the eggplant is still grown there! Even though Jefferson was the first in the States to bring the unique veggie to life, it was widely considered a decoration veggie until about 50 years ago!

Answer: Lima

Lima beans are sometimes referred to as butter beans because of their buttery texture and have been grown and harvested in Peru for about seven thousand years.

Lima beans are high in dietary fiber, iron, protein, vitamins B1 and B5, magnesium, potassium, folate, and contain approximately two hundred sixteen calories when cooked! Wow! What a bean!

Answer: Tomato

During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the tomato was given a bum rap due to it being part of the nightshade and tobacco family.

During the early part of the eighteenth century the tomato was starting to be used in foods in Europe and in the latter half it was grown and harvested in Southern Italy and France.

The first tomato recipes appeared in print in 1773 in a book entitled "Il cuoco galante", written by Vincenzo Corrado, a cook for the Neapolitan court.

In 1809, Thomas Jefferson was considered to be a pioneer for growing the tomato. 1809 saw the first harvest at Monticello of Spanish tomatoes. Jefferson's son-in-law, Thomas Mann Randolph told the Albemarle Agricultural Society in 1824 that it is believed that tomatoes kept one's blood pure during the hot summer months.

"On the matter of whether a tomato is a fruit or vegetable, the discrepancy between botany's designation (it's a fruit) and popular opinion (it's a vegetable) has caused some amusing results. In 1887, U.S. tariff laws which imposed a duty on vegetables but not on fruits caused the tomato's status to become a matter of legal importance. The U.S. Supreme Court settled this controversy in 1893, declaring that the tomato is a vegetable, along with cucumbers, squashes, beans, and peas, using the popular definition which classifies vegetables in how they are used: they are generally served with dinner and not dessert".

Direct quote can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato

Answer: Cauliflower

Cauliflower's ancestry can be traced from Asia Minor to the Mediterranean region. It is a descendant of the wild cabbage and is in the same family as cabbage, broccoli and kale. The true head of the "flower" is called a curd and is white to off-white. The lovely green leaves shield the "head" until they are ready to be harvested and blanched.The cauliflower has been given the "World's Healthiest Food Rating".

All information about the cauliflower can be found
at:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=13

Answer: Asparagus

Asparagus has a large amount of diuretic properties and one of the oldest surviving recipes can be found in Apicius's 3rd century "CE De re coquinaria, Book III". Asparagus has a high content of mercaptans and thioesters which leave a person's urine with a very unpleasant and extremely strong odor.

Answer: Potato

The yellow laced potato plant originated in the Andes and cultivated by the Inca civilization, eventually making its way to the Native Americans, where it became a food favorite. In the sixteenth century, the potato was introduced to the rest of the world by the Spaniards. In 1586, Sir Francis Drake brought the potato to England, along with pioneers and other provisions.

Potatoes can come in a variety of colors, such as red, purple (also known as blue), yellow and pink, with the fleshy part being white or the color of flesh.

All information about the potato can be found at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato

Answer: Corn

Corn, also called maize and originated from the Mesoamerica region. Corn is grown all over the world and is one of the most recognised vegetables. In the United States the primary states that grow and harvest it are Iowa, Indiana, most of Illinois, and parts of Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Answer: Turnip

In 1846, Ireland was struck with a famine known as the Great Potato Famine and referred to as The Great Hunger, in which hundreds of thousands of Irish immigrants migrated to the United States. In their native Ireland they used to light their course of way by carving the inside of turnips and placing a small lit candle in the middle, however, when they arrived stateside they were dismayed to learn that turnips were not grown here and found that the land was a mass with pumpkins. In fact, it turned out that the pumpkins worked far better to hold the lit candle..and that his how we came to have pumpkins as jackolaterns...imagine using a turnip? Hmmm..me thinks not.. :)

All information contained in this quiz can be found at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_vegetables

http://njnj.essortment.com/jackolantern_reuu.html

Thanks for playing..now go and eat your veggies! :-)