Foods Beginning with F Trivia Quiz

Answer: fava bean

Fava beans have been under cultivation for many centuries. They are mentioned in both the Talmud and the Mishna; they were a staple in ancient Israel. The bean is a legume which may be eaten fresh or dried. Either way, the beans have an outer covering which must be removed. (Note: Fava beans trigger a serious reaction in people with G6PD, a hereditary enzymatic deficiency found in Sephardic Jews and others of Mediterranean and African descent.)

Answer: fennel

Fennel is a flowering plant which grows like a weed. In fact, it has been classified as a weed in parts of the US and Australia. In Italian markets, it is often sold as finocchio. It is a hardy perennial with yellow flowers and leaves like feathers which can be used effectively to garnish.

The taste is mildly of anise; it is an ingredient in absinthe. The Ancient Greeks and Romans believed that fennel tea gave courage to those about to enter battle. Prometheus reputedly used a huge stalk of fennel to bring fire from Mount Olympus down to Earth.

The poet Longfellow believed it improved failing eyesight. An expensive form of the plant is fennel pollen made from its dried flowers. The dried and ground fruits are an important ingredient in the East Indian spice mixture panch phoron and in Chinese five-spice powder.

Answer: fenugreek

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is an herb which looks rather like clover and tastes rather like maple syrup. For many centuries, it has been used to flavour foods, drinks and tobacco. The seeds and leaves are dried and ground for culinary use. The Modern English word "fenugreek" entered the language from the Middle French "fenugrec" which derived from the Latin "faenugraecum" meaning "Greek hay".

In Indian cuisine, fenugreek flavours potatoes to produce loo methi, which is delicious.

Answer: feta

Feta cheese is made of sheep's milk (sometimes with a small percentage of goat's milk added) by soaking the curd in brine. Feta has been made in Greece since at least the 2nd century BC and perhaps much earlier, depending upon which proud Greek person you ask.

The preservation of the cheese with brine allowed it to be stored and shipped. Many modern white crumbly cheeses are called feta but the original is assured by law since 2002 as a protected designation of origin. It is a necessary ingredient in tyropita (cheese pie of layered phyllo).

The Greek word "feta" derives from the Italian word "fetta" meaning a slice, which derives from the Latin word "offa" meaning a morsel, a bit, a piece of something.

Answer: fig

Figs are one of the earliest crops cultivated by humans. There is evidence of fig farming near Jericho in 9400-9200 BC; Aristotle ate them. Jesus had a run-in with a fig tree (Mark 11:12-14). The Franciscan missionary Padre Junipero Serra brought figs to California in 1769. Figs are eaten fresh, dried and preserved (e.g. in jam).

A few very special figs are lucky enough to become the filling for a Fig Newton cookie.

Answer: filé powder

Filé powder is also called gumbo filé by Louisiana cooks who use it to season and thicken their gumbo soups. It is made by drying and grinding the leaves of the sassafras tree (Sassafras albidum). In the American South, Choctaw Indians used filé powder as a seasoning.

The word "gumbo" may derive from the Choctaw word "kombo" meaning filé. Or it may derive from the Central Bantu word "ki ngombo" by which African slaves referred to okra. There are as many varieties of gumbo as there are cooks in Louisiana; most of them use filé powder as a flavourant, a thickener or both.

Answer: fines herbes

There are three classic French herb mixes: fines herbes, bouquet garni, and herbes de Provence. Fines herbes is a delicate blend of fresh parsley, chives, chervil, and tarragon. Others may be added. This mixture commonly flavours eggs, fowl, and salads. Bouquet garni is a blend of dried bay leaves, thyme, and parsley used in soups, stews and braises.

Herbes de Provence is a robust blend of dried rosemary, marjoram, thyme, and savory (and occasionally lavender) used as a dry rub on meats and to season other dishes. Quatre épices is a spice blend containing white or black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger.

Answer: flageolet bean

Flageolet (fla-zyo-LAY) beans are a common shell bean grown in France. They are eaten fresh in the summer or, more likely, dried the rest of the year. The variety originated in France but is now grown extensively elsewhere, especially in the US in California.

The beans are very small, light green, tender and kidney shaped. Navy beans may be substituted if flageolet are unavailable but that would be to miss what some call "the caviar of beans".

Answer: flounder

Flounders are saltwater bottom fish born with an eye on each side of their heads, one of which migrates so that they have two eyes on top and none facing the bottom. Their many varieties are distributed worldwide. Because of heavy overfishing, there is a watch placed on Atlantic flounders and sole out of concern for the sustainability of their numbers.

Answer: fontina

The first fontina cheeses were made in Italy's Aosta Valley where they are still made today. In addition, fontina cheeses are made in Denmark, Sweden, France, Quebec, Argentina and the US. Fontinas made outside of Italy tend to have milder flavours. Mature fontina is a hard cheese suitable for grating; young fontina is more suited to dishes in which it is melted.