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First, you take the pilaf Trivia Quiz

A pilaf is basically rice, another grain, or a combination of grains cooked in a stock or broth to which vegetables, meat, fruit and nuts may be added. Pilaf appears in many cuisines under many different names. How much do you know about pilaf?

A multiple-choice quiz by FatherSteve. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
FatherSteve

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
365,757

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
605

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Kabuli Palaw is considered, by people who live there, to be the national dish of which country? Hint

Afghanistan

Tajikistan

Uzbekistan

Azerbaijan

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Question 2 of 10

2. The East Indian equivalent of pilaf is biryani. It started in India but spread to Persia via the trade routes and is now popular in numerous forms throughout South Asia. What makes biryani different from most other forms of pullao (pilaf)? Hint

Rice is cooked separately from curried meat and vegetables, then layered

Meat is always used in biryani but may never be used in pullao

Meat is never used in biryani but may be used, e.g. by Muslims, in pullao

Daal (dried lentils, peas and beans) is added to the rice in biryani

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Question 3 of 10

3. The Spanish equivalent to pilaf is a dish called paella. It is made with short-grain rice to which rabbit, chicken and duck are added, or to which shrimp, mussels, lobster and squid are added, or mixed style wherein both are added. What is the one expensive seasoning (herb or spice) that is necessary to authentic Spanish paella? Hint

chili powder

saffron

allspice

herbes de Provence

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Question 4 of 10

4. In North America, pilafs are made elegant by the addition of wild rice to the white rice used. Is it true or false that wild rice is a different species within the same genus as Asian (white) rice?

True

False

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Question 5 of 10

5. In Moroccan cuisine, couscous prepared in the traditional way is the most common starchy side dish. Pilaf is, however, also served as a side dish to stand up to the strong seasonings of meat cooked in a tagine. As an alternative to rice, Moroccan pilaf might be made with which of the following main ingredients?

Hint

Couscous

Any of these

Chickpeas

Barley

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Question 6 of 10

6. Another dish that derives from the same sources as pilaf is jambalaya. Jambalaya is made with long-grain white rice, tomatoes, garlic and hot spices, to which seafood, shellfish, chicken and sausage are added variously. Where did jambalaya originate?

Hint

Louisiana

Spain

France

West Africa

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Question 7 of 10

7. The Greek word for pilaf is "pilafi." Greek pilafi is typically made with lamb, beef or chicken stock. For special occasions, Gamop�lafo ("wedding pilaf"), a Cretan dish, is prepared by adding what to the dish?

Hint

lemon juice

chermoula

harissa

cinnamon

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Question 8 of 10

8. Although plov or palov is an essentially Uzbekistani dish, it spread throughout the former Soviet Union and is now firmly a part of Russian cuisine. It normally contains rice, meat, onions and carrots. Which of the following is untrue? Hint

Chickpeas are commonly added to the rice

On special occasions, a master chef (oshpaz) prepares a recipe which will feed hundreds

Fruit (especially raisins) are added to the dish

All of these things are true

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Question 9 of 10

9. The Mexican equivalent of pilaf is sopa seca de arroz. This dish is made with long-grain white rice, gets its colour from tomatoes and its flavour from onion, garlic and chile peppers. What is the literal meaning of "sopa seca de arroz"? Hint

soapy rice

chicken and rice

rice and tomatoes

dry rice soup

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Question 10 of 10

10. A classic French technique for the preparation of pilaf is to sweat the aromatics (onions or shallots) in butter (or other fat) and then add the raw rice to the pan. The rice is cooked in the fat until the grains become translucent. What is the purpose of this technique? Hint

to make sure the dish is not confused with Rice-a-Roni (TM)

to burn away the starch on the outside of the rice grains

to keep the grains distinct in the finished dish

to help the rice turn into a pudding-like mass

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Kabuli Palaw is considered, by people who live there, to be the national dish of which country?

Answer: Afghanistan

In this dish, basmati or long-grain white rice is cooked in a meat stock which turns it a darker colour. It includes meat of some sort (lamb, beef or chicken), raisins and carrots. A typical presentation is a molded mound.

Answer: Rice is cooked separately from curried meat and vegetables, then layered

There are so many kinds of biryani prepared in South Asia that almost every nation and region has its own. The seasonings in East Indian biryanis are essentially "curry" seasonings: pepper, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, mint, garlic, onion, ginger, mustard and bay.

Answer: saffron

Saffron turns the broth (and therefore the rice) yellow. As the spice is so expensive, sometimes yellow food colouring is added, as well, to gain the desired effect without prohibitive cost. The method of cooking paella in a wide flat pan directly over a fire tends to produce a crust of toasted rice on the bottom called socarrat; it is considered a delicacy.

Answer: False

Wild rice is the seed of an aquatic grass in the genus Zizania while Asian rice is in the genus Oryza. Wild rice is not botanically rice at all. But it is delicious.

Answer: Any of these

Steamed couscous (little balls or granules of wheat) began as a Berber dish which spread throughout North Africa and, more recently, into Europe and the Americas. In addition to its normal preparation, it may be made into a pilaf. Pearled barley cooks up quickly into a nice pilaf as do chickpeas (garbanzo beans).

Answer: Louisiana

There are actually two kinds of jambalaya: the Creole, which uses tomatoes, and the Cajun, which does not. More adventuresome additions include alligator, turtle, wild boar, crawfish and nutria (river rat).

Answer: lemon juice

Because Gamop�lafo is a wetter preparation (more like Italian risotto), some might argue that it is not a pilaf at all, despite its name.

Answer: All of these things are true

Chickpeas are plentiful, inexpensive and tasty. Other fruits such as barberries add interesting tastes; barberries are also commonly added to pilaf in Iran. Plov is cooked outdoors over an open flame on special occasions such as weddings.

Answer: dry rice soup

If pieces of chicken are added to sopa seca de arroz, the result is a dish called arroz con pollo, of which there are numerous Latin American varieties. Arroz con pollo is sometimes said to be the national dish of Puerto Rico.

Answer: to keep the grains distinct in the finished dish

There is a sense in which French pilaf is the textural opposite of Italian risotto: the grains of rice in the former should be individual and distinct. Although rice contains no gluten, it is thought that the grains absorb of a bit of the fat which prevents the starch in rice from causing the grains to stick together.

Source: Author FatherSteve

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

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