The Best Greek Cuisine Match Quiz | International Cuisine

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Similar to Italian zeppole, this Greek dessert is a puff of fried dough drenched in honey and sprinkled in cinnamon.

Answer: Loukoumades

Loukoumades are called Lokma in Turkey and Bamiyeh in Iran. Loukoumades are named after the Turkish word "lokma" which means morsel.

Loukoumades are traditionally deep fried and then slathered in honey before they are sprinkled with cinnamon or powdered sugar. Sometimes, they are sprinkled with sesame seeds.

These tasty desserts have been around since ancient times and were called "gift cakes" by Aristotle. Aristotle also explained that these gift cakes were given to winners of various sporting events.

2. Sometimes called Greek meatballs, these little tasty bites are traditionally served in an egg and lemon sauce called avgolemono.

Answer: Yuvarlakia

Yuvarlakia are usually referred to as Greek meatballs by non-Greeks, however they may also be meatless, in which case they are made from rice. The avgolemono sauce is a traditional Greek thick sauce made from eggs and lemons. In some cultures along the Mediterranean, especially among the Jewish people, avgolemono is used on pasta instead of tomato sauce.

3. Often called the "National Food of the Greeks", this white bean soup is a vegetarian dish.

Answer: Fasolada

Fasolada is called the "National Food of the Greeks" because it is a recipe known to have existed for thousands of years. It is known to have been a key part of the ancient Greek festival called Pyanopsia, when meat was not consumed. Fasolada was also dedicated to the god Apollo during the festival. It is made primarily from white beans, various vegetables and olive oil.

A similar dish made in Brazil is called feijoada, however that soup contains meat.

4. This dish is known to English speakers as spinach pie. It is made by wrapping spinach, feta cheese and seasoning in phyllo dough.

Answer: Spanakopita

Spanakopita are traditionally cut into small, triangle shaped pieces that can be eaten in two or three bites. Spanakopita are called spinach pies but they do not resemble a traditional western pie. The stuffing of spanakopita is made from spinach, feta cheese, onions and eggs. Phyllo (or filo) dough is a very flaky dough. Spanakopita have been compared to the Italian calzone.

5. Meaning "finger" in Greek, this bread gets its name from the slashes cut into it before it is baked, not from the shape.

Answer: Daktyla

Daktyla is a basic bread popular in Greek countrysides. It is made from both wheat and corn flours mixed together. It is usually topped with nigella seeds but sometimes the seeds are baked right into the bread.

The word daktyla literally means finger bread. Before being baked, the bread is traditionally slashed before it is proved (risen). The shape of the slashes resemble fingers.

6. One of the most popular Greek desserts, this pastry is made from phyllo dough, chopped nuts and a lot of honey.

Answer: Baklava

The exact origins of baklava are unknown but the dessert is known to have existed as far back as the 16th century. It is believed to have been developed from a Roman dessert called placenta cake, which was also made from honey.

The word baklava comes from the Persian word "baqlaba" which means "to tie", referring to how the phyllo dough wraps all of the nuts and honey together. The type of nut used in baklava varies from region to region, however pistachios and hazelnuts are very common. Sometimes a thick honey-like syrup is used instead of pure honey.

7. This Greek dish is traditionally served on a skewer. The main ingredients are lamb or goat organs which are wrapped in intestines.

Answer: Kokoretsi

Kokoretsi is served all year round but it is most popular around the time of Greek Orthodox Easter. The skewer of organ meats is wrapped with intestines and then grilled. The flavor of the dish comes from the spices added to the intestines before it is wrapped on the skewer. It is said that the best animal to use to make kokretsi is a young lamb.

Another popular, though less traditional, way to serve kokoretsi is to chop up all the meats and serve it in one of the various organs, similar to Scottish haggis. It can also be served chopped up with feta cheese and made into a sandwich, similar to a cheese steak.

8. This Greek soup is similar to the French bouillabaisse. It is made from a variety of fish, olive oil and many different spices.

Answer: Kakavia

Kakavia was made, in ancient times, from the fish the smallest in the catch that did not have much meat on them. In modern times, the soup is made using large chunks of various fish. As a result, kakavia has many different variants even in the same region. Cod and snapper are two of the most popular variety of fish used.

In addition to the fish, kakavia also contains vegetables like scallions and potatoes, lemons and croutons and a lot of herbs and spices like saffron and thyme.

9. This Greek sauce is traditionally used as a dipping sauce for pita chips. It is made from cucumbers and garlic.

Answer: Tzatziki

Tzatziki has many regional variants. The most popular version is made from Greek yogurt, cucumbers and garlic. It is then seasoned with chopped dill and mint. Upon discovering tzatziki in his travels, the Ottoman explorer Evliya Celebi called the sauce an "herb salad".

Other popular varieties are the Turkish cacik, which is made with mostly the same ingredients except vinegar is added, and jajeek, an Iraqi version usually served alongside alcohol.

10. A popular appetizer, this dish is made by stuffing grape leaves with a rice, meat and vegetable mixture.

Answer: Dolmadakia

Dolmadakia are commonly called simply "dolma", which is actually a term used to describe any stuffed vegetable. Dolmadakia is a word used specifically to describe the stuffed grape leaves.

The filling of dolmadakia, like many dishes, varies from place to place. The dish can be adapted to make it vegetarian by simply excluding the meat. Sweeter fillings, made from things like apples and currants, are also popularly used.

Source: Author Joepetz

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor WesleyCrusher before going online.
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The Best Greek Cuisine Trivia Quiz

Match the Greek dish to its description. Try not to get hungry along the way. Opa!

Questions		Choices
1. Similar to Italian zeppole, this Greek dessert is a puff of fried dough drenched in honey and sprinkled in cinnamon.		Dolmadakia
2. Sometimes called Greek meatballs, these little tasty bites are traditionally served in an egg and lemon sauce called avgolemono.		Loukoumades
3. Often called the "National Food of the Greeks", this white bean soup is a vegetarian dish.		Kokoretsi
4. This dish is known to English speakers as spinach pie. It is made by wrapping spinach, feta cheese and seasoning in phyllo dough.		Tzatziki
5. Meaning "finger" in Greek, this bread gets its name from the slashes cut into it before it is baked, not from the shape.		Baklava
6. One of the most popular Greek desserts, this pastry is made from phyllo dough, chopped nuts and a lot of honey.		Fasolada
7. This Greek dish is traditionally served on a skewer. The main ingredients are lamb or goat organs which are wrapped in intestines.		Spanakopita
8. This Greek soup is similar to the French bouillabaisse. It is made from a variety of fish, olive oil and many different spices.		Yuvarlakia
9. This Greek sauce is traditionally used as a dipping sauce for pita chips. It is made from cucumbers and garlic.		Daktyla
10. A popular appetizer, this dish is made by stuffing grape leaves with a rice, meat and vegetable mixture.		Kakavia