Foods for the Gods Trivia Quiz

Answer:

Chocolate is made from the roasted and ground seeds (known as cocoa beans) of Theobroma cacao, a plant native to the tropical regions of the Americas. The name Theobroma, meaning "food of the gods" in Greek, was coined by Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus as a reference to the sacred status that cacao held in Mesoamerica. However, in modern times this name has come to be seen as hinting at the sheer deliciousness of chocolate and the luxurious, decadent nature of chocolate-based dishes.

Devil's food cake is an American cake created in the 19th century as a foil for angel food cake, an airy sponge cake made with egg whites. It consists of layers of moist chocolate cake sandwiched with vanilla or chocolate frosting. In the variant known as red velvet cake, red colouring is added to the cake layers, which are then sandwiched and covered with a white cream cheese frosting.

As its name implies, Mississippi mud pie is an American creation from the US South, named after its dense, gooey texture. There are many recipes for this decadent dessert, usually featuring a cookie crumb crust and a chocolate brownie layer topped with chocolate pudding or mousse and whipped cream.

Another all-American concoction, the ever-popular banana split consists of three scoops of ice cream - typically chocolate, vanilla and strawberry - placed between the two halves of a banana, each of them topped with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry and drizzled with chocolate and other dessert sauces.

Called "bûche de Noël" in French, Yule log is a traditional cake served in France and other French-speaking countries for Christmas. It is made with a sheet of génoise cake spread with chocolate buttercream, then rolled into a cylinder and iced on the outside with the same buttercream so that it looks like a miniature log. A fork is dragged through the icing to create a bark-like effect, and the cake may be dusted with icing sugar to resemble snow.

Lava cake - also known as molten chocolate cake - is a relatively recent creation, dating from the 1980s. In France, where it originated, it is called "mi-cuit au chocolat" (chocolate half-baked), which aptly describes its preparation. The cake, usually baked in individual portions, consists of a mixture of dark chocolate, butter, eggs, sugar and a little flour, baked until just firm on the outside. The centre will remain runny and ooze out when the cake is cut - hence the name.

Black Forest gâteau (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte in German) is one of the many delectable layer cakes on offer in German pastry shops, though it has also achieved international fame. It consists of layers of chocolate sponge cake sprinkled with Kirsch (cherry schnapps), black cherries and whipped cream, with dark chocolate shavings as a decoration. The cake is traditionally made with cocoa powder rather than chocolate.

Created in Vienna in the 1830s by confectioner Franz Sacher (whose son would later establish the hotel of the same name), Sachertorte is one of the most iconic chocolate desserts - not least because its recipe is a well-kept secret. It consists of two layers of chocolate sponge cake sandwiched with apricot jam and covered with a thick, dark chocolate glaze. In Vienna, Sachertorte is served with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream.

In the original recipe for tiramisu ("pick-me-up" in Italian), the luscious dessert created in the 1960s in northern Italy, the layers of coffee-soaked ladyfingers and silky mascarpone cream are topped by a thick dusting of unsweetened cocoa powder. The bitterness of the cocoa complements the aroma of the coffee and provides a welcome contrast to the rich sweetness of the cream.

Brigadeiro ("brigadier" in Portuguese) is a popular Brazilian dessert that was created in 1945 for a presidential campaign. Resembling rum balls, brigadeiros are made by mixing cocoa powder with butter and sweetened condensed milk. The mixture, cooked on the stovetop, is rolled into balls and coated in chocolate sprinkles, then placed in small cupcake liners. It can also be served as a dessert to be eaten with a spoon.

Named after a former Governor of Queensland, lamington is an Australian cake created at the turn of the 20th century. It consists of squares of vanilla sponge cake dipped into chocolate icing and then coated in desiccated coconut. The icing should be thin enough to soak into the outer layer of the cake. To gild the lily, two lamington halves can be sandwiched together with strawberry jam or whipped cream (or both).

Of the six wrong choices, crème caramel is a French-Portuguese baked custard; stollen is a rich, yeasted fruit cake traditionally eaten in Germany for Christmas; Madeira cake is a lemon-flavoured, English butter cake; peach Melba is a dessert of vanilla ice cream, peaches and raspberry sauce; New York cheesecake is a very rich, dense cheesecake flavoured with citrus or vanilla; baklava is a Middle Eastern dessert of filo pastry layered with nuts and honey or syrup.