It Butter Be Worth It Trivia Quiz

Answer: hollandaise

One of the "mother sauces" of classic French cuisine, hollandaise sauce was first created in the mid-17th century to be served with asparagus. Its name, meaning "Dutch sauce", was inspired by the war that pitted France against the Dutch Republic in 1672-1678. Like mayonnaise, hollandaise sauce is an emulsion, in which the lecithin contained in egg yolks acts as a stabilizer, preventing melted butter and lemon juice from curdling as they would normally do when mixed together. While preparing this sauce, it is essential to keep the temperature under control: some cooks use a double boiler for this purpose, while others use a blender.

In the classic recipe for eggs Benedict, a popular American brunch dish, poached eggs and slices of Canadian bacon are placed on English muffins and topped by hollandaise sauce. Often served with steamed asparagus or other vegetables, hollandaise is also used a base for other sauces, such as béarnaise (with shallots, tarragon and black pepper) and mousseline (with whipped cream folded in).

Béchamel is a white sauce of milk thickened with a white roux (a mixture of flour and butter), while tartare is mayonnaise with chopped pickled and herbs, and aioli is a sauce of garlic and olive oil.

Answer: Kyiv

The origins of chicken Kiev - named after the capital of Ukraine, whose name is now spelled Kyiv - are still unclear, though it is likely to be a variation of the popular Russian and Ukrainian chicken dish known by the French name of "côtelette de volaille" (chicken cutlet). The earliest recipes for this dish (dating from the turn of the 20th century) involved a complex stuffing of cream, minced meat and mushrooms. The use of butter to replace this stuffing may have been inspired by another popular Russian dish, called Pozharsky cutlet, in which minced chicken meat is mixed with butter, then breaded and deep-fried. However, in the Ukrainian capital the invention of this dish is attributed to the restaurant of the Continental Hotel in the early 20th century.

Modern-style chicken Kiev is made by cutting a chicken breast lengthwise, then pounding it and stuffing it with cold butter - either plain or mixed with garlic and herbs. The breast is then dipped in egg and breadcrumbs and deep-fried (or sometimes baked). It is particularly popular in the UK, where it is available in most supermarkets and also found on some restaurant menus.

The three European capitals listed as wrong answers also have foods named after them: Prague ham, Vienna sausages and Berliner doughnuts.

Answer: ghee

Clarified butter is produced by removing milk solids from melted butter, leaving only a clear, yellow liquid (pure butterfat) behind. This can be achieved by melting butter over low heat and letting the components separate by density, or using a mechanical process such as centrifugation. The advantages of using clarified butter for cooking lie in its higher smoke point and longer shelf life, due to its lack of water content.

In the Indian subcontinent, ghee is made from cow's milk or water buffalo milk. Besides cooking, it is used in religious rituals and ceremonies and in traditional medicine. However, its method of preparation differs from that of Western-style clarified butter, as the butter is simmered so that the milk solids caramelize prior to being removed - lending the final product a nutty, aromatic taste. The Indian dishes listed as wrong answers - as well as a myriad of other dishes - are often prepared or served with ghee: naan is a flatbread, dhal a stew of split, dried pulses, and halva a kind of confectionery often made by mixing cooked, sweetened semolina with ghee.

Answer: Denmark

In spite of their rather unassuming name, Danish smørrebrød can be very elaborate affairs, with a wide variety of toppings arranged artistically over slices of dense sourdough rye bread ("rugbrød") spread with the country's excellent butter (the Lurpak brand can be easily found in US supermarkets). The list of ingredients that can be put on top of those slices of buttered bread is endless, and includes distinctively Danish food products such as cheeses, cold cuts, pork liver paté and pickled herring, as well as hard-boiled eggs, sliced fresh vegetables, various sauces and more exotic fare. Smørrebrød can be enjoyed as a quick lunch or dinner, or as part of a festive meal.

Open-faced sandwiches are also popular in the other mainland Scandinavian countries. While the Norwegian variation has a very similar name (smørbrød), the Swedish one bears the rather funny name of smörgås, meaning "butter goose". The word "smörgåsbord" (sandwich table), denoting a buffet-style meal, is used in English to denote an assortment of disparate things. Open sandwiches are also found in the cuisines of the three countries listed as wrong answers, though they are not as elaborate as the Danish variety.

Answer: risotto

While olive oil is the cooking fat of choice in Central and Southern Italy, butter is a staple of the cuisines of most Northern Italian regions, whose climate is cooler and wetter than in the regions south of the Po River. There are marshy areas in these Northern regions that are highly suitable for the cultivation of rice, in particular prized medium-grain varieties such as Arborio and Carnaroli, which are perfect for risotto because of their high starch content.

Traditionally, the preparation of risotto (believed to have originated in Lombardy in relatively recent times) involves the use of large amounts of butter - both for sautéing the onion and the rice, and for adding to the finished dish. After the "toasting" stage (when dry rice is sautéed in the butter and onion mixture), hot broth is added gradually to the rice: while continuous stirring is not required, risotto cannot be left unattended. When the broth is absorbed and the grains are still slightly firm to the bite, the rice is taken off the stove, and butter and Parmesan are stirred in. The ideal consistency of risotto is called "all'onda" ("wavy") in Italian - meaning creamy but not dry. In some risotto recipes involving fish or seafood, butter is usually replaced by olive oil.

The preparation of polenta (cornmeal mush) and gnocchi (potato-flour dumplings) does not involve butter, which can be added afterwards as a condiment. Authentic lasagne, on the other hand, includes béchamel sauce, which is made with butter.

Answer: garlic

Called "beurres composés" in French, compound butters are used much in the same way a sauce would be, though they are much easier and quicker to prepare. In most cases, a piece of cold compound butter is placed on top of a hot dish such as grilled meat or seafood, though sometimes those tasty mixtures can be put in a pastry bag and piped to decorate cold dishes. The butter needs to be softened before seasonings are blended in, then the mixture is shaped and chilled again. In terms of additions to butter, the sky is the limit: however, some combinations are more popular than others.

Beurre à la bourguignonne is known in English-speaking countries as garlic butter. In the US, it is often served as a spread for bread or with seafood dishes such as lobster or shrimp. Besides minced or pressed garlic cloves, the recipe usually includes the addition of minced parsley. In French cuisine, beurre à la bourguignonne is used (among other things) as a filling for snails, or escargots. Butter with parsley and lemon juice (but no garlic) is known as beurre maître d'hotel. Other seasonings frequently added to butter are shallots, tarragon, anchovies, truffles and mustard; though definitely less traditional, ginger and chili would also go well with butter.

A dessert version of compound butter is hard sauce (butter whipped with sugar and brandy, rum or sherry), traditionally served in the UK with Christmas pudding.

Answer: Canada

Butter tarts are among Canada's most popular dessert items. These rich pastries, which are usually made in individual portions, consist of a filling of butter, eggs and brown sugar baked in a flaky pastry shell. To prevent the filling from crystallizing and achieve the desired gooey consistency, corn syrup or vinegar are often added. However, the addition of ingredients such as raisins or nuts is a hotly debated topic in Canada, where these tarts are available for purchase in bakeries, supermarkets and farmers' markets. Maple syrup, one of the quintessentially Canadian food products, is sometimes added as a flavouring, though it is not one of the tarts' basic ingredients.

There are a number of theories regarding the origins of butter tarts. According to some sources, they have their roots in the French "tarte au sucre" (sugar pie), brought to Canada in the 17th century by the King's Daughters, young French women sent from Europe to help populate the territory of New France. Others maintain they originated in Ontario in the early 20th century: indeed, the earliest published recipe dates from 1900. Canada's largest Butter Tart Festival is held in June in Midland, Ontario, drawing thousands of people every year.

Answer: Dobos torte

In the US, buttercream is usually made by creaming butter together with large amounts of powdered (icing) sugar. It is often a a sickly-sweet, rather underwhelming affair, quite different from the luscious European versions of this popular cake filling - which are, however, definitely more time-consuming to make. European-style buttercream can be meringue-based (Swiss and Italian buttercream) or custard-based (French and German buttercream). These delicious concoctions are key ingredients of some iconic European desserts.

Created by Hungarian chef Joszef C. Dobos - for whom it is named - Dobos torte is a rather spectacular production, with its many layers of alternating sponge cake and chocolate buttercream and its glossy caramel top. The cake was first introduced at the National General Exhibition of Budapest in 1885. After he tried buttercream during a trip to France, Dobos chose to use it in his creation, as it was more durable than whipped cream or pastry cream. One of the most famous Hungarian desserts, Dobos torte is widely available in pastry shops and restaurants throughout the country.

Black Forest cake (from Germany) is a chocolate layer cake with a filling of sour cherries and whipped cream. Linzer torte (from Austria) is a tart of butter-rich pastry topped with fruit preserves. Battenberg cake (from the UK) is a marzipan-covered sponge cake with a distinctive checkerboard pattern.

Answer: puff pastry

Puff pastry ("pâte feuilletée" in French) is a type of laminated dough - that is, made by enclosing a block of butter in a thin dough, which is then folded and rolled multiple times (a process known as "turns"). When the pastry is baked, the butter melts, releasing steam that creates multiple layers with a flaky, airy texture - the "puff" mentioned in this delectable pastry's name. The trick to making puff pastry is keeping everything cold to prevent the butter from melting during the rolling process. Viennoiserie, the dough used to make croissants and Danish pastries, is also a laminated dough, though it is leavened with yeast.

Being rather labour-intensive, puff pastry is rarely made at home, though it is readily available already rolled, in refrigerated or frozen form. Commercial puff pastry, however, usually contains vegetable shortening, and thus lacks the luxurious taste and mouthfeel that butter lends to baked goods. Puff pastry is widely used for appetizers such as bouchées or sausage rolls, main courses such as Beef Wellington or chicken pot pie, and a host of pastries such as Napoleons or tarte Tatin.

While choux pastry contains butter, shortcrust pastry can also be made with other fats (including lard). Phyllo pastry, though superficially similar to puff pastry, contains very little fat, which is generally oil.

Answer: Tibet

Butter tea ("bo jha" in Tibetan) is widely consumed in the mountainous regions of Central, South and East Asia, whose harsh climate and high average altitude require their inhabitants to ingest a daily amount of calories that would be unthinkable in more forgiving surroundings. This beverage - which is actually more of a kind of soup - is often associated with Tibet, a formerly independent country now part of China. Tea was introduced in Tibet in the 7th century AD, but became widespread only in the 13th century. It was at that time that the population of the plateau began adding butter, a staple of their cuisine, to the drink.

Butter tea is made with a fermented tea known as "pu-erh", whose leaves are boiled in water for half a day, then strained poured into a cylindrical container and churned with salt and fresh butter until thick. While yak butter is the traditional choice, today cow's milk butter is increasingly used (as are tea bags and electric blenders). Prepared in large quantities in homes and Buddhist monasteries, butter tea is a valuable source of energy and nutrition, and is also believed to prevent chapped lips. Roasted barley flour (tsampa) is often dipped or mixed into the tea. Tibetans consume many cups of butter tea every day: visitors who have tried it, however, tend to be much less impressed.