Christmas Thinks

Well, the season is upon us, and I've been posting entries to this food based blog for most of this year. We've laughed, we've cried, we've eaten, drank, eaten too much, drank too much and regretted it the next morning. Along the way, we've (perhaps) learned a thing or two. In that spirit, then, I wanted to post a little foody-type quiz. Being a bit of a lazy bugger, however, I stole this quiz from the pages of the Telegraph via the TV show QI. My sincere apologies to all involved.  Have fun puzzling these out, and I shall post the answers closer to Christmas.

UPDATE: Well, it's now Boxing Day, and that means you have had a good couple of weeks in which to puzzle these out. I shall therefore highlight the answers in a festive red.


FOOD


1 Why are aardvark cucumbers so named?
(a) They're eaten by aardvarks
(b) They look like aardvarks
(c) Their namers wanted them to appear at the beginning of alphabetical lists

2 Which is true of the Jerusalem Artichoke?
(a) It is an artichoke, but is not from Jerusalem
(b) It is not an artichoke, but is from Jerusalem
(c) It is neither an artichoke, nor is it from Jerusalem

3What do the Danish call Danish pastries?
(a) Danish pastries
(b) Viennese bread
(c) Alsatian cakes

4 Lord Derby, Woodpecker and Fascination are classifications of which fruit?
(a) Gooseberries
(b) Cranberries
(c) Grapes

5 The German word kummerspeck, meaning weight gained through comfort eating, literally means what?
(a) Cream guzzling
(b) Grief bacon
(c) Disappointment candy

6 What is a swede?
(a) A cross between a cabbage and a turnip
(b) A cross between a parsnip and a beetroot
(c) A cross between fennel and carrots

7 What is the main ingredient of Papuan Kungu cakes?
(a) Clay
(b) Mayflies
(c) Bird excreta

8 Which of the following isn't a member of the nettle family?
(a) Hops
(b) Avocados
(c) Figs

9 What is the miracle that gives miracle fruit their name?
(a) They appear to grow with no water
(b) Their juice makes sour things taste sweet
(c) They played a part in winning the Sino-Japanese War

10 The residents of the Island of Guam are the world's largest consumers of what?
(a) Spam
(b) Baked beans
(c) HP Sauce

DRINK

11 Which of these was once the national drink of Scotland?
(a) Claret
(b) Amaretto
(c) Vodka

12 Which of the following flavours of fizzy drink are available in the US?
(a) Yule Log
(b) Turkey & Stuffing
(c) Brussels Sprout

13 The word absinthe comes from the Greek apsinthion, meaning what?
(a) Green Monster
(b) Vomiting
(c) Undrinkable

14 How many pints of Guinness does the Guinness Brewery in Dublin produce every day?
(a) 4,000
(b) 400,000
(c) 4,000,000

15 What did Churchill sometimes use instead of mouthwash?
(a) Pernod
(b) Brandy
(c) Champagne

16 Which game was first played with Champagne corks instead of balls?
(a) Table tennis
(b) Squash
(c) Billiards

17 Which country has the highest per-capita coffee consumption in the world?
(a) Finland
(b) Yemen
(c) USA

18 Ballantine's whisky warehouses on the Clyde are protected by what?
(a) Local Girl Guides
(b) A flock of ferocious geese
(c) The fact that they are underwater

19 According to a study at Cornell University, what happens to plants that are fed vodka?
(a) They grow tall but have no flowers
(b) They still have flowers, but stunted growth
(c) They attract 50 per cent more insects

20 In the 17th century, the Champagne region of France was best known for what?
(a) Wool
(b) Ale
(c) Sausages

QI SELECTION BOX

21 Which of the following was a predecessor of the Milky Way bar?
(a) Fat Emma
(b) Lardy Larry
(c) Penny Plump

22 In the 1960s, "nougat" was a codename for what?
(a) Nuclear tests in Nevada
(b) American attempts to build a spaceship
(c) Australia's kangaroo cull

23 Which of these can be found in the US state of Maine?
(a) A candy statue of comic actor John Candy
(b) A chocolate moose
(c) A caramel carousel

24 Which of the following was sold in Germany with the slogan "Eat this and feel great"?
(a) Chocolate laced with radium
(b) Hashish-centred chocolates
(c) Chocolate-covered dog testicles

25 Which of these was an early use for caramel?
(a) Sticking saddles to horses
(b) Bait to catch sturgeon in the Caspian Sea
(c) Hair removal in Arabian harems

26 Which of the following has never been a message on Love Hearts sweets?
(a) Gay boy
(b) Poke me
(c) Hey Daddy-O

27 Which of these is a popular confectionery in Finland?
(a) Assa Mix
(b) Botte Mix
(c) Rumpi Mix

28 How many pieces - approximately - of dried chewing gum litter Oxford Street in London?
(a) 3,000
(b) 300,000
(c) 30,000,000

29 What was the original name of Jelly Babies?
(a) Jelly Queens (celebrating the coronation of Elizabeth II)
(b) Footy Babies (celebrating England's 1966 World Cup win)
(c) Peace Babies (celebrating the end of the First World War)

30 According to a 2007 study, which of the following may help to reduce blood pressure?
(a) White chocolate
(b) Dark chocolate
(c) Milk chocolate

Happy Puzzling!