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Cooking Terms Trivia Quiz

Even when speaking English, chefs use a language peculiar to the kitchen. How many of these cooking terms do you know well?

A multiple-choice quiz by FatherSteve. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
FatherSteve

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
249,905

Updated
Aug 13 24

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
26908

Awards
Top 5% quiz!

Last 3 plays: Guest 2 (6/10), oliviat (10/10), MargW (10/10).

Question 1 of 10

1. When a chef juliennes a fruit or vegetable, the results look like which of the following? Hint

Coins

Matchsticks

Cubes

Crowns

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. When apples or potatoes are peeled and sliced, the bits will turn brown if not used immediately. To prevent this, they may be soaked in water mixed with lemon juice or white vinegar. What is this preventative measure called? Hint

Reconstituting

Steeping

Acidulation

Blanching

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Slightly underripe fruits can be improved for service by maceration. What does macerate mean? Hint

To warm briefly in a microwave oven

To chew

To soften by soaking or steeping in a liquid such as alcohol or with sugar

To leave on a sunny windowsill for several days

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. Most kitchens are equipped with at least one paring knife. What does "pare" mean? Hint

To remove the peeling or outer skin of a fruit or vegetables with a knife

To slice into thin strips

To divide in half by cutting into two pieces

To remove the bones from meat or fish

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Question 5 of 10

5. Especially in a hectic kitchen, cooks must not display their temper. On the other hand, tempering an egg is a desirable process. What does tempering mean, in the latter sense? Hint

To slowly add a bit of a hot liquid to beaten eggs

To bake a whole egg in a moderate oven

To crack the eggs angrily

To whip vigorously to incorporate air into eggs

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Question 6 of 10

6. When a recipe directs a cook to pulse food, what should the cook do? Hint

When cooking live food such as lobster, see if its heart is still beating

Turn the blender or food processor on and off rapidly

Whip the food, pausing between each circular stroke

Mix the food by lifting and turning it until well combined

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. The chef hands you a bunch of basil and asks you to prepare a chiffonade. What should you do with it? Hint

Puree them and then beat them with a whisk into a light foam.

Deep-fry them until they are like thin crisp pieces of paper.

Finely chop them. Mix them with water and sugar to produce a refreshing drink.

Stack and then roll the leaves. Cut them into the thinnest possible strips.

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Question 8 of 10

8. When meat is browned in a pan, bits of caramelized juices (called fond) remain in the pan. These may be dissolved in a liquid (such as wine, water, stock or vinegar) to form the basis for a sauce. What is this process called? Hint

Infusion

Deglazing

Steeping

Sweating

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Question 9 of 10

9. Blanche, as a woman's name, means white or pure. What does blanch mean as a culinary term? Hint

To partially cook food in steam or boiling water and then plunge it in ice water

To quickly fry food in a bit of fat in an open pan over high heat

To restore a dehydrated food by soaking it in water or other liquid

To coat food with white breadcrumbs before frying or baking

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Question 10 of 10

10. When vinegar or citrus juice is whisked into oil to form a thickened liquid, what is the resulting combination of ingredients called? Hint

An emulsion

A puree

A cream

A glaze

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Most Recent Scores

Today : Guest 2: 6/10
Today : oliviat: 10/10
Today : MargW: 10/10
Dec 29 2024 : Mrs_Anderson2U: 8/10
Dec 29 2024 : Guest 86: 10/10
Dec 28 2024 : Guest 98: 10/10
Dec 28 2024 : Guest 72: 8/10
Dec 28 2024 : Guest 35: 1/10
Dec 28 2024 : Guest 174: 9/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. When a chef juliennes a fruit or vegetable, the results look like which of the following?

Answer: Matchsticks

To julienne is to cut into small stick-like pieces, usually with a knife but also with a mandoline. The French culinary term probably derives from a woman's name but nobody knows who the eponymous Julienne was.

Answer: Acidulation

The acid in the lemon juice or vinegar prevents the freshly-cut food from oxidizing through exposure to the air.

3. Slightly underripe fruits can be improved for service by maceration. What does macerate mean?

Answer: To soften by soaking or steeping in a liquid such as alcohol or with sugar

The term macerate derives from the Latin "maceratus" (the past participle of "macerare") meaning "to soften."

4. Most kitchens are equipped with at least one paring knife. What does "pare" mean?

Answer: To remove the peeling or outer skin of a fruit or vegetables with a knife

This term entered English from the Old French where it meant something like "to prepare by trimming." At least as much paring is done in the modern kitchen with a specialized gadget called a peeler or scraper as is done with a paring knife.

5. Especially in a hectic kitchen, cooks must not display their temper. On the other hand, tempering an egg is a desirable process. What does tempering mean, in the latter sense?

Answer: To slowly add a bit of a hot liquid to beaten eggs

The temperature of beaten eggs is slowly raised by adding small amounts of a hot liquid to them before introducing the eggs to remainder of the hot liquid. This protects the eggs from shock (produced by a sudden change in temperature) which has the effect of scrambling them.

6. When a recipe directs a cook to pulse food, what should the cook do?

Answer: Turn the blender or food processor on and off rapidly

This verb entered the culinary lexicon with the advent of blenders and food processors.

7. The chef hands you a bunch of basil and asks you to prepare a chiffonade. What should you do with it?

Answer: Stack and then roll the leaves. Cut them into the thinnest possible strips.

Chiffonade is a word which works both as a verb (for the slicing process) and a noun (for the resulting shreds). Chiffonades are commonly used as garnishes.

Answer: Deglazing

This culinary term is sometime spelled "deglace" to reflect its origin in the French verb d�glacer which means, literally, "to melt the ice from." The result is intensely flavourful.

9. Blanche, as a woman's name, means white or pure. What does blanch mean as a culinary term?

Answer: To partially cook food in steam or boiling water and then plunge it in ice water

Stopping the cooking process with ice water is useful in preserving the bright colour of the food.

10. When vinegar or citrus juice is whisked into oil to form a thickened liquid, what is the resulting combination of ingredients called?

Answer: An emulsion

Liquids which do not mix are said to be immiscible. An emulsion occurs when two such liquids are temporarily combined, as in milk and cream, salad dressing and cake batters.

Source: Author FatherSteve

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Bruyere before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Related Quizzes

This quiz is part of series Cooking Terms:

The language of the kitchen can be specialized and opaque; these quizzes test one's knowledge of that culinary dialect.

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  2. Cooking Terms, Part II Average
  3. Cooking Terms, Part III Average
  4. Cooking Terms, Part IV Average
  5. Cooking Terms, Part V Average
  6. Cooking Terms, Part VI Average
  7. Cooking Terms, Part VII Average
  8. Cooking Terms, Part VIII Average
  9. Cooking Terms, Part IX Average
  10. Cooking Terms, Part X Average
  11. Cooking Terms, Part XI Average
  12. Cooking Terms, Part XII Average

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