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Quiz about Eating New England
Quiz about Eating New England

Eating New England Trivia Quiz


The Pilgrims were able to survive their first harsh winters in New England because Native Americans taught them about indigenous vegetables and fruits. Let's eat our way through some of the more notable native New England foods.

A multiple-choice quiz by CmdrK. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
CmdrK
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
358,639
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
890
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Springtime in New England brings out the Matteuccia struthiopteris. If you don't recognize it's taxonomic nomenclature, would it help to know that it is sometimes known by the name ostrich and tastes like asparagus and you should eat it before it uncurls? What vegetable are we thinking of eating? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. A member of the Helianthus genus native to New England produces yellow flowers and an edible tuber that grows below ground. What is its common name? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Walking along sand dunes on the New England seashore you see a large bush that bears a lot of small (2 cm) fruits. They look like they might be tasty. Which of these choices could they be?
Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Would you like some tea to go with your food? Old New Englanders know that a lemony-tasting tea can be made from the berries of a tree which grows abundantly in the region. Here are some choices; which is it? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Many northeast American Indian tribes were more hunter-gatherer than farmer but there is one cereal grain they cultivated that was appreciated by early white settlers in New England. Can you name it from these choices? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Native Americans introduced the Pilgrims to a tree they had loosely cultivated into orchards which produced a useful additive to other foodstuffs. Can you come up with its name from this list?
Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Australians are justifiably proud of what they call "bush tucker": food available by foraging. New Englanders have plenty to choose from, too. Can you name the berry that grows in high- or low-bush varieties and is loaded with antioxidants and nutrients?
Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. A common perennial vine, a member of the pea family, produces edible beans but it produces another foodstuff that you don't notice at first glance. Which of these plants would it be?
Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. There is a certain red fruit, famously grown in bogs on Cape Cod, Massachusetts that many associate with Thanksgiving but goes well in muffins and pancakes. Which fruit is it?
Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. While this tree has been used for furniture making, stovewood and gawking at in the Autumn, it also has a sweet side-product, discovered by Indians, that people use as a condiment for breakfast meals. Would you care to guess which tree it is? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Springtime in New England brings out the Matteuccia struthiopteris. If you don't recognize it's taxonomic nomenclature, would it help to know that it is sometimes known by the name ostrich and tastes like asparagus and you should eat it before it uncurls? What vegetable are we thinking of eating?

Answer: fiddlehead ferns

Ostrich ferns, or fiddleheads, should be picked early in the Spring, usually in April, when the heads are tightly curled, looking much like the head of a bass fiddle. They can be eaten raw, steamed or boiled. They are found on the edges of swamps, rivers and in woodlands.
2. A member of the Helianthus genus native to New England produces yellow flowers and an edible tuber that grows below ground. What is its common name?

Answer: Jerusalem artichoke

The Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) produces a tuber which can be cooked like a potato. They can also be fermented and distilled into a type of brandy, but that is more common in Europe than in America. The plants can grow to 3 meters in height and will take over a garden area if not closely cultivated.
3. Walking along sand dunes on the New England seashore you see a large bush that bears a lot of small (2 cm) fruits. They look like they might be tasty. Which of these choices could they be?

Answer: Beach plum

The Beach plum is a deciduous shrub, 2 to 4 meters high, and a member of the Prunus genus. It grows along the Atlantic coast from Maine to Maryland. It's fruit is about half the size of cultivated plums. If you are fortunate enough to own beachfront property, you could plant Beach plum shrubs along your property lines and have an edible border.
4. Would you like some tea to go with your food? Old New Englanders know that a lemony-tasting tea can be made from the berries of a tree which grows abundantly in the region. Here are some choices; which is it?

Answer: Staghorn sumac

Many people automatically think of poison sumac when the name is mentioned but most species are benign. Several species of the Rhus genus will provide a tasty drink. The beverage made by soaking the berry clusters in cold water can be warmed to be served as a tea or chilled to produce a lemonade.

It is sometimes called Indian tea, so you have an idea that it was popular long before Europeans landed in North America.
5. Many northeast American Indian tribes were more hunter-gatherer than farmer but there is one cereal grain they cultivated that was appreciated by early white settlers in New England. Can you name it from these choices?

Answer: corn

Related to grasses, corn, specifically maize, is a useful and plentiful grain that grows worldwide. The corn the Pilgrims were introduced to was not sweet corn but one used to make meal and provide a starchy substance.
6. Native Americans introduced the Pilgrims to a tree they had loosely cultivated into orchards which produced a useful additive to other foodstuffs. Can you come up with its name from this list?

Answer: hickory nuts

American Indians grew hickory tree orchards for their nuts. Along with other nuts, the Indians and the white settlers used them for a foodstuff and dried and pounded them into a flour to thicken breads and stews. The Indians also added hickory-nut flour to dried bear or deer meat and boiled it; when cooled it made a liquid baby food.
7. Australians are justifiably proud of what they call "bush tucker": food available by foraging. New Englanders have plenty to choose from, too. Can you name the berry that grows in high- or low-bush varieties and is loaded with antioxidants and nutrients?

Answer: blueberry

The winner here is the blueberry. It tastes good and it really is good for you. It can be turned into juice, jam, used in pies or eaten fresh. Highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) grow near water; if you have some of those 2 meter bushes you can gather your berries without having to stoop over!
8. A common perennial vine, a member of the pea family, produces edible beans but it produces another foodstuff that you don't notice at first glance. Which of these plants would it be?

Answer: Groundnut

The Apios americana, known as the groundnut or Indian potato, produces a small tuber on its roots that is tasty, very nutritious and known for its starch and protein content. The Indian potato nickname is an indication that this is another food that was important to the Native American diet.
9. There is a certain red fruit, famously grown in bogs on Cape Cod, Massachusetts that many associate with Thanksgiving but goes well in muffins and pancakes. Which fruit is it?

Answer: cranberries

Cranberries originally grew in wetlands. Now they are grown in beds that are wet but not boggy. When the berries are ripe (September to November) a mechanical harvester loosens them from the plant. Then the beds are flooded and the berries float to the top where they can be netted or siphoned. They are quite tart, so a sweetener is usually added to the sauce, jam or juice.
10. While this tree has been used for furniture making, stovewood and gawking at in the Autumn, it also has a sweet side-product, discovered by Indians, that people use as a condiment for breakfast meals. Would you care to guess which tree it is?

Answer: sugar maple

The sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is the king of the northern American forest. A very hard wood, it is used to make furniture that lasts for generations. Under proper conditions, its leaf colors in Autumn make the mountains look as if they are on fire. Somehow, Native Americans found that the tree's sap could be boiled down to a very sweet syrup. Maple syrup became so important to the economy of the U.S. state of Vermont that the University of Vermont established a research center to learn as much as possible about the tree and its sap and syrup. New Englanders just know that pancakes and waffles wouldn't be the same without maple syrup.
Source: Author CmdrK

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor WesleyCrusher before going online.
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