Chicken soup, flavoured with lemon and thickened with beaten egg yolks, is the basic description of this dish, which has many variants around the Mediterranean. If clear chicken broth is used, the result is a sauce that can be served on chicken or fish, or on vegetables such as artichokes.
When served as a soup, it often includes pieces of chicken meat, along with rice (or another grain such as barley, or rice-shaped pasta).
2. B is for Brown Windsor
Answer: England
Brown Windsor soup is a chunky soup, said to have been very popular during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Its origins are unclear, with some suggestion that the name comes from combining the earlier white Windsor soup (whose name came from the use of Windsor fava beans) and Brown Windsor soap. Whatever the source, the name became associated in popular comedies with poorly cooked food.
Despite this reputation, it can be a tasty and hearty soup, containing pieces of lamb or beef, a mixture of standard soup vegetables (such as carrots, parsnips and leeks or onions), and flavoured by the inclusion of a bouquet garni in the stock, with a dash of Madeira wine added as it is served.
3. C is for Cock-a-leekie
Answer: Scotland
The name of this soup pretty well tells you its ingredients - peppered chicken stock (served with or without the chicken pieces) and leeks are the featured ingredients. It is usually made more hearty by the addition of potatoes or rice (or some other grain, such as barley).
The soup probably originated in France as a chicken and onion soup, with leeks being substituted for the onion when it arrived in Scotland. The original recipe included prunes, and it is sometimes still served with a prune garnish.
4. G is for Gazpacho
Answer: Spain
This classic cold soup consists of a variety of raw vegetables, some or all of which are pureed to produce the soup texture. The traditional red color comes from the inclusion of tomatoes as a major ingredient, but modern versions sometimes omit them. Gazpacho originated in Andalusia, where it is still prepared by chopping and combining tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum (bell pepper), onions and garlic. (For real traditionalists, the garlic should first be mashed with stale bread in a mortar and pestle.) Some of the mixture is pureed, then the remainder of the chopped vegetables are added, along with olive oil, wine vinegar and salt to taste. Water may be added if a thinner soup is desired.
5. L is for Laksa
Answer: Malaysia
This spicy noodle soup is part of the Peranakan cuisine, which is a blend of traditional Chinese and Malay styles of cooking. Popular in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, it always has rice noodles (thick or thin), but then there are a lot of options.
The stock may be chicken, fish, or shellfish, with pieces of the appropriate protein included. The spicing can be a spicy curry style, blended with coconut milk to reduce the intensity; alternatively, it may be sour, flavoured with tamarind.
6. M is for Minestrone
Answer: Italy
There is no definitive recipe for this thick Italian soup, since the vegetables depend on what is in season. The stock can be vegetable, meat or fish; there may or may not be pieces of meat or fish included; it may be a thick hearty soup in winter or a lighter broth with small pieces of vegetable in summer; rice or pasta may be added to the basic mix.
A standard minestrone might include beans (borlotti are traditional, but others are common), onions, celery, carrots and tomatoes.
7. P is for Pho
Answer: Vietnam
Traditional pho starts with marrow bones and beef joints being boiled with a spice mixture that includes star anise, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, coriander, fennel, charred ginger, and charred onion. Once the broth has been prepared, noodles are placed in the serving bowl, topped with various bits of meat (sliced beef, small meatballs, and offal such as tripe are common) and the broth is poured over them. Pho is usually served with a variety of garnishes available, so each diner can add a combination to their personal taste. Typical garnishes include Thai basil, lemongrass, bean sprouts, sliced chilies, lime slices and coriander.
8. R is for Ramen
Answer: Japan
Ramen is a soup based on Chinese-style wheat noodles served in broth. After that, there is a lot of regional variation! The broth may be meat or fish; it may or may not be flavoured with miso or soy sauce; pieces of meat (often pork or chicken) or fish or shellfish may be added; and additional ingredients (usually served as toppings) may include nori (dried seaweed), menma (fermented bamboo shoots) and spring onion.
9. T is for Tom yum
Answer: Thailand
Also called tom yam, this Thai soup is popular all over southeast Asia (and around the world where Asian cuisines have spread). Its name describes it as a hot and spicy soup. The broth is usually made from shrimp or seafood, boiled with lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaf.
The full name of the soup indicates what other ingredients have been added - tom yum goong has prawns, tom yum gai has chicken, tom yum kati has coconut milk stirred through. Fish sauce and lime juice are added on serving, and garnishes may include straw mushrooms, sliced chilies and coriander.
10. V is for Vori vori
Answer: Paraguay
Corn flour and grated cheese are formed into grape-sized balls (vori) which are then boiled in the stock, usually chicken broth. The vori act as natural thickeners, producing a bright yellow soup with floating cheese balls. The name of the soup comes from the Guarani language, in which the Spanish "bolita" (little ball) became "borita", then "vorita", and finally "vori".
The duplication of the noun indicates that there are a lot of them.
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor WesleyCrusher before going online.
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