Foods Beginning with J Trivia Quiz

Answer: jackfruit

The jackfruit tree is the tallest of fruit bearing trees. A native of India, it grows in tropical climates around the world. The spiky outer skin conceals a sweet interior. The ripe fruits grow to as much 80 pounds! It is good raw, in desserts and cooked in curries.

Answer: Jägermeister

Jägermeister was invented in 1934 by father and son Wilhelm and Curt Mast. Like other Kräuterlikör (herbal liqueur), it is flavoured with numerous herbs, roots and spices. The label claims 56 such ingredients. The label depicts a stag with a glowing Christian cross between its antlers.

This is in reference to Saints Hubertus and Eustace, the patron saints of German hunters. Jägermeister is best served cold; the manufacturer recommends 0 °F. When a shot glass filled with Jägermeister is dropped into a larger glass filled with Red Bull, the result is called a Jägerbomb.

Answer: jalapeño

Jalapeño is a cultivar of Capiscum annum. The 2-4 inch pods are normally harvested and sold green, although they may be left to ripen to red or orange. They are not particularly hot measuring between 3500 and 8000 Scoville. This pepper was domesticated and used by the Aztecs.

When smoked and dried, they are called chipotles. In 1985, the State of Texas declared the jalapeño to be the state pepper.

Answer: Jarlsberg cheese

In the 1830s, Swiss cheesemakers introduced their methods to cheesemakers in Norway. In the 1850s, Anders Larsen Bakke, a farmer in Jarlsberg County produced a cheese which would go on to bear the name of its place of origin. It was reintroduced and further developed 1956 by a Ole Martin Ystgaard, a scientist at the Dairy Institute at the Agricultural University of Norway.

The mild cows-milk cheese was first market in the US in 1964 and became very popular. While Jarlsberg comes from Norway, the firm which owns the right to make it has licensed cheesemakers in Ireland and the US. Like other Swiss-type cheeses, it has holes or "eyes" produced by the Propionibacterium freudenreichii which "exhales" carbon dioxide during its maturation.

Answer: jasmine

There are over 200 species of jasmine shrubs which grow in tropical and temperate zones, especially in Eurasia and Oceana. They are widely cultivated for their flowers' fragrance. The name "jasmine" comes from the Persian word "yasameen" which means gift from God. Jasmine tea is made by adding jasmine flowers to green or white tea leaves and allowing the fragrance to permeate the tea.

This process may be repeated several times until the desired strength is achieved.

Answer: jerk

Jerk seasoning is a mixture of herbs and spices used in Jamaican cookery to rub-on or marinate meats. The meat is then cooked over a wood or charcoal fire, especially one of pimento wood. There is also a tradition of cooking jerked pork and jerked chicken over fires built in steel drums cut in half long ways to form a sort of barbecue.

The style of cooking goes back to the enslaved Africans who were released from bondage in 1655. Although there are many recipes for jerk seasoning, most of them contain allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers. Jerked food is very popular around the world because jerked food is very good.

Answer: Jerusalem artichoke

The Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) is neither from Jerusalem nor is it a species of artichoke. It is a relative of the sunflower, native to North America. The tuber looks a bit like ginger root. Italian immigrants called it "girasole" which was corrupted to "Jerusalem." The French explorer Samuel de Champlain wrote that the plant tasted like artichoke and the name stuck.

It remains particularly popular in French cookery. While on the Voyage of Discovery, Lewis and Clark ate Jerusalem artichoke in what is now North Dakota.

Answer: jícama

The jícama (Pachyrhizus erosus) takes its name directly from the ancient Mexican Nahuatl language: "xīcamatl." It is sometimes called the Mexican turnip which describes its shape, 'tho neither its flavour nor its texture, well. The radish-like interior of the root is deceptive in that it defies physics by containing more moisture than its size would seem to allow. Removing the tough peel can be an athletic event.

It is frequently eaten raw, especially in salads. It may also be cooked in soup and stir-fried foods. Oddly, the parts of the plant other than the root bulb are poisonous as they contain rotenone.

Answer: John Dory

John Dory is a small saltwater fish which is ugly to look at but good to eat. Its head makes up nearly half its body. Once decapitated, the head can be used to make an excellent fish stock. There are many legends about how the John Dory got its name. Jules Verne says (albeit with the caveat that it is a "legendary etymology") in his novel "An Antarctic Mystery" that it was named after Saint Peter who is the door-keeper ("Janitore") of Heaven.

The flesh is white, mild, meaty and sweet. It may be baked, steamed, grilled, pan-fried, poached or roasted but must not be overcooked as it dries out quickly under fire.

Answer: Juniper berry

Probably the best-known use of juniper berries (Juniperus communis) is to flavour gin. These berries have been used all over Eurasia for medical and magical purposes for many centuries. The dried berries are crushed and used to season game birds and wild meats. In Germanic cookery, they are found in sauerkraut and pickles. Duck and pork terrines are enhanced by their flavour.