Foods of Antiquity Trivia Quiz

Answer: walnut

Traces of walnuts, along with chestnuts and pine nuts, were found in the Shanidar Caves in an archaeological dig in 2014. Considering walnuts aren't the easiest of nuts to crack, the inhabitants of the cave were certainly believed to be able to use tools and even fire to get at the morsels inside their shells.

Answer: grapes

"A carnelian tree was in fruit,
hung with bunches of grapes, lovely to look on.
A lapis lazuli tree bore foliage,
in full fruit and gorgeous to gaze on."

The "Epic of Gilgamesh" is regarded as the earliest surviving example of literature in the world. In the poem, Gilgamesh sees the grapes in a garden after emerging from a long, dark tunnel. The grapes are welcome and beautiful sight after his earlier struggles.

Answer: fish

Garum was popular in use as a condiment in Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Phoenicia, and Carthage. It was used to improve the flavor of various foods by mixing it with other ingredients, namely wine, vinegar, or oil. Garum adds an umami, or savory, taste to the dishes it enhances.

Answer: hardtack

Hardtack is a dense type of biscuit which has difficulty spoiling. Its primary purpose is to be a hearty foodstuff that can be carried into distant places without going to waste. As such, it does not have a particularly pleasant flavor. Hardtack was a common foodstuff for militaries to distribute to their forces when they went on foreign campaigns or ventured into the seas.

Answer: mustard

The popular condiment mustard is made from the seeds of any of the three edible mustard plants, Brassica nigra, B. juncea, and Sinapis alba. "Must" is the juice of wine grapes that has not been fermented yet, and it is from the combination of the ground seeds of the mustard plant and this liquid that we get the etymology of the word "mustard." The word means "burning must" due to the spiciness of the mustard seed.

Answer: rice

Congee is wildly popular in East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, with its earliest mention dating back to the Chinese Zhao dynasty. The food was also mentioned in Pliny the Elder's accounts of India around 77 AD. It is still commonly eaten in these Asian regions, whether served as a side dish or spiced up with meat and vegetables and served as its own meal.

Answer: olives

Charred wild olive pits were found in a dig site in the El Mnasra and El Harhoura caves in Morocco. The scientists who discovered them posit that the olives were eaten and their pits used for fuel to keep cave fires ignited. The broken olive pits are perfect for making cooking fires as they make smokeless flames.

Answer: mare's milk

The industrial production of kumis is now typically done with cow's milk since mare's milk is a rare commodity, even in Central Asia. In the past, kumis consumption took place in the empires of Scythia, Mongolia, and others in the Central Asia steppes. It is said that the aftertaste of kumis is similar to that of almond milk.

Answer: bread

A flatbread cooked on one's hearth, "panis focacius" was the Ancient Roman version of what we now call focaccia. In these ancient times, the ingredients most likely included rough flour, water, yeast, salt, and olive oil. Today's versions of this bread are often spruced up with rosemary, sage, and other herbs.

Answer: cucumbers

The cucumber originally hails from India, quickly travelling throughout Asia and into Africa and Europe. The Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians all cultivated it, and Charlemagne was said to have grown it in his own garden. It spread to England under Henry VIII.

In Ancient Egypt, some cucumbers were used to make a fermented beverage in which a hole was cut into its top, the insides stirred until liquefied, and the final product stuck underground until the fermentation process was complete.