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Quiz about Fired Up on Fiery Spices
Quiz about Fired Up on Fiery Spices

Fired Up on Fiery Spices Trivia Quiz


In this Phoenix Rising team quiz, we take a bit of heat from examining the fiery spices that add punch to our recipes. Grab a glass of water and let's begin...

A multiple-choice quiz by Team Phoenix Rising. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
1nn1
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
394,207
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
359
Awards
Top 5% quiz!
Last 3 plays: suzywoozie53 (6/10), cardsfan_027 (9/10), Guest 67 (5/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Harissa paste is a spice blend made with red chili peppers, garlic, coriander, caraway, cumin and oil that originated in what region? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Which of the following civilisations is believed to be the first to experiment with turning mustard seed into a condiment? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Five Spice is a common blend used in Chinese cookery with heat from at least one pepper. Which of these is NOT a common ingredient in this condiment?
Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Its botanical name is Carum persicum Boiss and it is often confused with the totally unrelated nigella. You won't have to think too hard to determine what is the more common name of the spice kala jira? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. What compound gives pepper (Piper nigrum) its pungency? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Commonly used in gumbo, and far from rank, which spicy powder is produced from dried sassafras leaves?
Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. The spicy root vegetable horseradish is a member of which of the following families? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Chipotles are often added to Mexican dishes to add heat. What exactly are they? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Curry is a tamil word meaning "Sauce or relish for rice" which can be traced back almost 4000 years. True or False: The addition of chilies to curry blends is known only to have occurred in the most recent 500 years.


Question 10 of 10
10. The measurement of the pungency of spicy foods can be quantified. What is the name of the scale used? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Harissa paste is a spice blend made with red chili peppers, garlic, coriander, caraway, cumin and oil that originated in what region?

Answer: Northern Africa

The peppers that are fundamental to harissa came to North Africa with the Spanish, and quickly became part of the flavour tradition of the region. Most associated with Tunisia, harissa paste is a blend of spices that may also include tomatoes, mint, and even rose water. Recipes for Tunisia usually varied by household and region. Some infused smokiness into the paste by searing the skin of the peppers before grinding it in a paste. Harissa is used on fish, lamb and beef dishes and may be added to soups or used as a condiment.

This question was blended for your enjoyment by Phoenix Rising member VegemiteKid.
2. Which of the following civilisations is believed to be the first to experiment with turning mustard seed into a condiment?

Answer: Roman

Acknowledge that there is archaeological evidence of mustard being grown on the Indian subcontinent as early as 1800 BC, however, here, we're not seeking who originally grew it or ground it into powder, but who turned it into a condiment that could be applied to cold meats or hot dogs. The best guess at this point are the Romans who used create a paste by mixing a "must" (unfermented grape juice) with a powder from ground mustard seeds. This created a product named "must ardens", meaning burning must, from which the name mustard is derived. Records were found in a late fourth century Roman cookbook called "De Re Coquinaria" that combined ground mustard, pepper, caraway, lovage, grilled coriander seeds, dill, celery, thyme, oregano, onion, honey, vinegar, fish sauce, and oil to create a paste that was, most likely, used as a glaze for roast boar and would become a foundation for mustard.

This was a must have question created by Phoenix Rising team member pollucci19.
3. Five Spice is a common blend used in Chinese cookery with heat from at least one pepper. Which of these is NOT a common ingredient in this condiment?

Answer: Chili

As with many recipes, there are always variations, but including chili is not one of these. Cinnamon (aka cassia) and Sichuan pepper are the other two commonly used ingredients.
Five spice is generally used when cooking meat, as a marinade or rub. It may not be quite as hot as some other hot stuff mentioned in this quiz, but it can still add a bit of zing to a dish.

This was a question created by fired up Phoenix Rising team member Ozzz2002
4. Its botanical name is Carum persicum Boiss and it is often confused with the totally unrelated nigella. You won't have to think too hard to determine what is the more common name of the spice kala jira?

Answer: Black Cumin

Kala jira is its Indic name (may be seen as kala jeera in the US) and it has its origins in Egypt, Iran and the northern parts of India. Smaller and sweeter than regular cumin it is a popular addition to a range of Middle Eastern spice blends, notably Baharat and zhoug. In the Middle East and parts of Northern Africa it is favoured in tagines (stews) and seen as a perfect spice for roast lamb. In India it is used to flavour, amongst others, biryanis, curries and chutneys.

Nigella seed is an exotic spice used in Turkish cuisine and is often referred to as "black caraway seed".

This question was raised out of the black and into the blue by Phoenix Rising team member pollucci19.
5. What compound gives pepper (Piper nigrum) its pungency?

Answer: Piperine

Pepper is derived from the Piper nigrum plant, which originated in India. The word "pepper' comes from the Sanskrit word for berry, "pippali". Today, most of the world's pepper is grown in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and more recently, Brazil.

The alkaloid piperine is responsible for the pungent taste of pepper. Its isomer, chavicine, produces the heat. Black pepper is harvested while still unripe and then boiled briefly. The pepper skin darkens to black after being dried in the sun. White pepper is allowed to ripen fully before harvesting. The ripe pepper berries are soaked in water for several days after which the decomposing flesh is removed. The naked seed is then dried and becomes white pepper.

Pepper has been used in cooking since 2000 BC in India. Both black pepper and white pepper add heat and flavour to food. White pepper has a taste distinct from black pepper. This is because the skin, which contains much of the heat and aromatic oils, has been removed. As such, it is milder than black pepper. White pepper is often used in Asian cooking and is typically added after the dish is cooked to avoid the bitter flavour that comes from overheating.

This question was peppered by Phoenix Rising team member purelyqing
6. Commonly used in gumbo, and far from rank, which spicy powder is produced from dried sassafras leaves?

Answer: File

File powder is a staple in the pantry of most southern US kitchens and is commonly used in Creole cuisine. It can be used as a thickening agent in gumbo when the okra is out of season, however, it should be added toward the end of cooking and, once the pot has been taken off the heat. The danger in allowing the file to overheat is that it can form little threads (become stringy) and produce a sticky consistency. The initial use of dried sassafras leaves can be traced back to the Choctaw Indians from the regions of Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Phoenix Rising team member pollucci19 stewed over this question for you.
7. The spicy root vegetable horseradish is a member of which of the following families?

Answer: Mustard (Brassicaceae)

Brassicaceae, as a group, are called the mustard or cabbage family or, alternatively, crucifers. Common radish and horseradish form part of the cruciferous vegetables within the group.

Horseradish has a sharp bite to it due to it containing a number of pungent oils. The oils are volatile and will evaporate during cooking and, accordingly, lose their zing. To retain that sharpness, it is recommended to use it in uncooked sauces. To make the classic horseradish sauce, which is superb with roast beef, it is best to use the powdered form.

This question was brought to you by a Phoenix Rising nag called pollucci19.
8. Chipotles are often added to Mexican dishes to add heat. What exactly are they?

Answer: Smoked-dried Jalapeno peppers

Chipotle comes from the Aztec language "chilpoctli : meaning "smoked chili" and is a smoke-dried jalapeno with a higher "heat" (see Q10) rating than jalapenos because of its dehydrated state. They feature heavily in Mexican inspired cuisines such as Mexican-American, Tex-Mex, and Southwestern dishes. They are left on the bush longer than the green jalapenos. As such, they then turn bright red as they have lost moisture. Then they are finally picked and smoked until they resemble prunes. This takes several days.

This question was smoked out by Phoenix Rising team member 1nn1.
9. Curry is a tamil word meaning "Sauce or relish for rice" which can be traced back almost 4000 years. True or False: The addition of chilies to curry blends is known only to have occurred in the most recent 500 years.

Answer: True

Most curry powder recipes include cumin, coriander, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, and chilies in recipe blends but ginger, garlic, caraway, cinnamon, clove, mustard seed, cardamom, nutmeg, curry leaf, and peppers, have also been used. The Portuguese brought chili peppers from Brazil to their Indian colonies in the 1500s and their mixing of other Asian spices enabled the development of something close to what we call curry powder today.

This question was written by Phoenix Rising team member 1nn1.
10. The measurement of the pungency of spicy foods can be quantified. What is the name of the scale used?

Answer: Scoville

The Scoville Scale measures capsaicin concentration which is the main pungent compound found in chili peppers. These are collectively called capsaicinoids. The scale is expressed in Scofield Heat Units after its creator, American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville who developed the scale in 1912. Some of the common chilies' or peppers' Scoville Heat ratings show how pungent some of these spicy ingredients really are.
Bell Pepper / Capsicum 0
Jalapeno 1000 to 10 000
Cayenne Pepper 10 000 to 100 000
Habenero & Scotch Bonnet 100 000 to 350 000
Pepper X, Carolina Reaper, Dragon's Breath 800 000 to 3.2 million.

This question was cooked up by Phoenix Rising team member 1nn1.
Source: Author 1nn1

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