Let's Fry Some Dough! Trivia Quiz

Answer: England

Fried bread is typically quartered white bread, often fried in bacon dripping. It is a tasty part of a common, full English breakfast. The term "fried bread" in England can also refer to French toast. Even in that case it would qualify for our fried dough quiz!

Answer: Beignet

"Beignet" is simply French for "fried dough." In the U.S., particularly in New Orleans, a beignet is closer to a typical deep-fried doughnut, and in fact is the official state doughnut of Louisiana. In France, however, "beignet" is a much more general term used for a broad range of pastries, though all share the use of fried dough.

Answer: Poland

Paczki have been made in Poland since at least the Middle Ages. Today they are most commonly eaten in Poland and areas of other countries (e.g., the U.S.) with large Polish communities. In Poland, paczki are especially eaten during "Carnival." They are made of rich, flattened, circular dough, deep-fried, filled with jam (or cremes), and often covered with powdered sugar or icing.

Answer: Hushpuppies

Hushpuppies are generally small pieces of cornmeal, deep fried in the shape of a sphere or oblong. They typically do not have a filling. There are numerous legends about the origin of the name "hushpuppy" (or "hush puppy"), always involving the use of the fried cornmeal dough to quiet, or hush, dogs.

Answer: Lithuania

Spurgos range in appearance from Polish paczki-like to open circles much like typical American doughnuts, but the slightly flattened sphere (the paczki-like) are the most common, which makes sense given Lithuania and Poland's intertwined history. Spurgos do not need to have a filling, but of course can have one. A traditional filling is a marmalade made from fried rose buds. Varskes spurgos are made with cottage cheese.

Answer: Malasada Day

In the late 19th century, when Portuguese laborers from the Azores came to work the plantations in Hawaii, their traditional foods of course came with them. The malasada is a pastry that is deep-fried in oil and then covered with granulated sugar. In general they do not have fillings. The story is that because those early Portuguese workers had to use up their sugar and butter before Lent, they would make many malasadas and share them with the Hawaiians. Malasadas are very common in Hawaii today, and "Fat Tuesday" is called "Malasada Day" in that state.

Answer: BeaverTails

BeaverTails are brand-specific, sold by BeaverTails Canada Inc. That company claims to be the first to hand-stretch fried pieces of dough to the shape of beavers' tails. The company is located in Ottawa and other Canadian cities. BeaverTails are similar to other fried dough desserts but have achieved a certain fame, to the point where President Obama once stopped at the Byward Market in Ottawa to have one. BeaverTails are topped with various substances, such as sugar, cinnamon, lemon, etc. There are even small round pieces called BeaverBites!

Answer: Zeppola

A zeppola (pl. zeppole) is a deep-fried pastry, typically from the regions around Rome, Naples, and in general southern Italy and Sicily. In Rome it may be called a Bigne di S. Giuseppe. Zeppole are medium-sized (about 2") deep-fried balls of dough, often with powdered sugar as a topping. They may have a variety of fillings. Zeppole are a tradition on St. Joseph's Day (March 19).

Answer: Fried Coke

Seriously, fried Coke? Yes. It's true. Coca-Cola-flavored batter is deep-fried. The result is topped with cinnamon sugar, whipped cream, a cherry, and of course Coca-Cola syrup. Abel Gonzales, Jr. created it, and as mentioned in the question, it won honors at the 2006 Texas fair. Gonzales also has won prizes for Fried Peanut Butter, Fried Jelly Banana Sandwich and unveiled Fried Butter at the 2009 fair.

Answer: Picarones

Picarones resemble doughnuts in that they are ring shaped, but tend to be highly irregular, bumpy, and angular rather than simple circles. After frying, they are usually covered with a molasses syrup, made from chancaca. In Peru, the tradition is to serve picarones with anticuchos, a grilled skewered meat dish. Picarones have a spicy sweet flavor, and are often served warm.