The White Stuff Trivia Quiz

Answer: Marshmallows

S'mores are traditional camping fare, roasted over an open fire on chilly nights. They are made simply by sandwiching gooey marshmallows and chocolate bars between graham crackers. Since 1927, the recipe has appeared in books by the Girl Scouts of the USA under the name "Some Mores," from which the contracted name "s'mores" was derived. Would you believe that the deliciously sweet, white, and chewy cylindrical marshmallows we know today descended from a medicinal substance? The roots of the marshmallow plant, Althaea officinalis, produced a substance used in treating sore throats. But, the marshmallow started to become the sweet treat it now is in ancient Egypt and 19th-century France.

Modern marshmallows are no longer made with the sap of the marshmallow plant, and instead contain gelatin.

Answer: No

Although white bread and whole wheat bread are, in my opinion, different as night and day, both are made with wheat flour! However, the wheat flour used to make white bread has been milled, and the bran and wheat germ, along with some nutritional value, have been removed. Whole wheat flour is made from the entire grain.

The nutrition value goes up, but one downside of whole wheat flour is that oils left in it that give it a shorter shelf life than refined white flour. Whole wheat bread gets its brownish color from this whole wheat flour. If you're interested in the nutrition but don't want brown bread, you might look for bread made with white whole wheat flour, milled from white wheat instead of the typical red.

Answer: Jambalaya

Jambalaya (pronounced "JUM-buh-LIE-uh") is a Louisiana tradition, reflecting that U.S. state's French and Spanish influences. Creole, or red, jambalaya, a favorite in New Orleans, contains a variety of meats like chicken, sausage (such as Andouille sausage), and seafood, cooked in stages with tomatoes, vegetables, and rice (usually long grain white rice).

Another key set of ingredients is known as the "holy trinity" in Creole or Cajun cooking: onions, celery, and bell peppers. Cajun, or brown, jambalaya is made similarly but omits the tomatoes; it instead gets its coloring from the meat, which is browned in a cast-iron pot. Gonzales, Louisiana, where an annual jambalaya festival is held, has been declared "Jambalaya Capital of the World."

Answer: Smooth milk

The difference between whole milk, skim milk, 1%, and 2% milk, all common varieties in the United States, is the milk's fat content. These many types are set apart by differently colored caps on the jugs. Whole milk, known as homogenized milk in Canada, is very rich, since it contains 3.25% milkfat (or butterfat). Milk with a 2% milkfat content is considered "reduced fat"; "low fat" milk is 1%. And then comes skim milk: considered fat-free with a milkfat content of less than 0.5%, it has a rather strange blue tint in certain lights. But, butter is more up my alley: traditional butter is a whopping 80% milkfat! Alas, while it actually sounds rather good, "smooth milk" was an entirely fictional answer option.

Answer: Pizza made without tomato sauce

White pizza (or, if you prefer the Italian, "pizza bianca") does not contain the red tomato sauce traditional to pizza, and instead uses a substitute like pesto or alfredo sauce, or a white sauce made with cream. Hopefully that's more appetizing to you than it is to me! If so, read on: a white pizza might come topped with cheeses such as ricotta, parmesan, or mozzarella, a drizzling of olive oil, and garlic or basil. "Pizza e fichi" is a Roman style of pizza bianca that comes with a topping of figs.

There are lots of recipes for white pizza to be found on the Internet if you're into that sort of thing, but honestly, I'd rather heat and serve the pizza covered in white frost!

Answer: Sugar

Although a host of substitutes have been invented, common table sugar, or sucrose, remains a tried and true way to satisfy one's sweet tooth! Granulated white sugar, a staple for use in cooking and baking, is derived primarily from sugar cane and sugar beet.

These refined sugar crystals can be ground into a very fine powder to make confectioner's, or powdered, sugar, which is typically sold mixed with corn starch to keep it from caking. Confectioner's sugar comes in handy to dust sweet treats, and is also used to make icing. Brown sugar is either sugar that is not completely refined, or it is created by adding molasses to refined white sugar. Sugar cubes are conveniently formed for sweetening drinks, like coffee or tea.

Answer: Anchovy

Although "freshwater whitefish" is a family of fish in the salmon family, the term "white fish" (or "whitefish") is also a classification used by fisheries to describe several species of fish. Anchovies are an oily fish and not a white fish. White fish only have oil in their livers, and they are primarily found feeding near the seafloor.

As the name indicates, they provide a delicate white meat. White fish are considered to be a part of a healthy diet and include cod, flounder, haddock, whiting, tilapia, and many more. If you've ever enjoyed a classic British plate of fish and chips, then more than likely you've had white fish.

Answer: Yes

The spice known as pepper comes from the Black pepper (Piper nigrum) vine, which produces berries called peppercorns. Black pepper (the spice) is made from peppercorns that are harvested before they reach ripeness, and are then dried. White peppercorns are allowed to ripen, and are retted by soaking in water to remove the skin.

This leaves just the pepper plant's seed, which is ground into white pepper. White pepper is considered by some to provide a more aesthetic appeal to pale dishes and sauces, omitting the dark flecks of its counterpart.

The trade-off is usually a lighter and less "peppery" flavor, though not necessarily a milder heat level, than traditional black pepper. Much of the taste, however, depends on whether or not the pepper is freshly ground.

Answer: Cream

Now, I've never had one myself, but I hear tell that a White Russian is a cocktail that gets its name from two key ingredients: the Russian connection is vodka, and cream (or a dairy substitute like milk or half and half) gives it its pale color. Also included is a coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua. Leaving out the cream makes the drink a Black Russian, to which cola can be added to create a Dirty Black Russian. Both White Russians and Black Russians are traditionally served "on the rocks" (over ice) and in a short tumbler called an Old Fashioned glass, which is named for the Old Fashioned cocktail.

Answer: Angel food cake

The name "angel food cake" belongs to a white, light, and fluffy sponge cake that is made with sugar, beaten egg whites, and cream of tartar. It is traditionally baked in a special tube pan that gives it a ring shape. This "heavenly" cake has been showing up in American cookbooks since the late 19th century, providing cooks with a recipe that uses up their leftover egg whites! Often topped with a sugary glaze, angel food cake is the supposedly "nicer" counterpart of dark, rich, and "naughty" devil's food cake, which is made with chocolate. Red velvet cake, unsurprisingly, has a vibrant red tint and may be flavored with vanilla or, more often, chocolate. Black Forest cake (or Black Forest gateau) is a layered chocolate cake from Germany.