Jersey Shore Boardwalk Cuisine Quiz

Answer: Atlantic City

According to legend, saltwater taffy was invented in Atlantic City when a candy shop flooded. The taffy became soaked in saltwater but the purveyor continued selling it and it became more popular than ever before. Today, saltwater taffy is seen in candy shops up and down the Jersey Shore and it comes in hundreds of flavors from the common chocolate and cherry to the more obscure hot sauce and cheeseburger.

Answer: A pizza with the sauce on top of the toppings and cheese

Pizza was introduced in the United States in New York City and quickly became popular in New Jersey. Many variations of pizza exist but one native to the Garden State is the tomato pie or Jersey tomato pie. A tomato pie is a thin crust pizza with the cheese and toppings placed first on the crust and the sauce on top of them. This helps prevent the thin crust from getting soggy.

Answer: Cheez Whiz

The Philadelphia cheesesteak is one of the most popular food options at the Jersey Shore. Although it can be made a variety of ways, the traditional way is with onions, peppers, thinly sliced beef and Cheez Whiz (a brand of aerosol cheese). American cheese is also popular and provolone is considered a more sophisticated cheese to use.

Although any cheese can be used, any cheese besides the three previously mentioned is considered a faux pas. Infamously, U.S. Senator John Kerry ordered a cheesesteak with Swiss while running for president and this was widely considered to have hurt his campaign locally.

Answer: Deep fried

A funnel cake is made from a simple batter and poured through a funnel and deep fried. Traditionally, it is topped with powdered sugar but fruits, jams and chocolate are all increasingly popular toppings. Funnel cakes and its precursor the Drechderkuche were introduced to America by the Pennsylvania Dutch in the late 1800s and have been a fair and carnival staple ever since.

Answer: False

Fudge is a soft, chewy candy that is made from a wide variety of ingredients but primarily sugar and butter. Candy shops on the Jersey Shore boardwalks sell hundreds of varieties of fudge from watermelon to potato chip. Chocolate is the most popular variety but it is not required to be in fudge.

Answer: Crab

Soft shelled crab sandwiches are another Jersey Shore delicacy that are more famous elsewhere, in this case Maryland. The soft shelled crab sandwich is a seafood staple on the Jersey Shore and is typically served with horseradish, fries and a wedge of lemon.

The crab is usually fried and may or may not have the roe sac still inside of it. Colloquially, the inner organs are referred to as the mustard and customers often ask for it to be removed from the crab before being served.

Answer: Frozen custard has more egg yolk than ice cream

Frozen custard is similar to ice cream except that it contains a larger percentage of egg yolk. This makes frozen custard denser than ice cream. In addition, frozen custard tends to be served warmer (though still cold) than ice cream. Frozen custard is popular on the Jersey Shore because it does not melt as quickly in the hot sun and stays colder longer than ice cream. Frozen custard is widely believed to have been invented by the Kohrs Brothers, for whom the Kohr's Frozen Custard stands are named after.

Answer: Peppers

Sausage and peppers are a very common food along the Jersey Shore. Traditionally, they are served on a bun like a hot dog but usually without the bun at sit-down meals. Bell peppers are most commonly used and the sausage is usually smothered in them to the point that the links might not be visible in the bun. Sausage and peppers is a traditional Italian boardwalk food and adding other ingredients is sometimes considered faux pas.

Answer: Nik-L-Nip

Candy shops are plentiful up and down the Jersey Shore. Many shops sell retro candies like the wax bottles that were originally marketed by Tootsie Roll under the name Nik-L-Nip. The bottle part is wax with a fruity syrup drink inside. They are eaten by biting the top off, drinking the inside and then chewing the rest of the bottle like gum.

Answer: It will be carbonated.

Traditionally speaking, Jersey Shore lemonade is made from real lemons, sugar, water and usually ice. It is one of the most refreshing drinks found on the boardwalk. Bottled or canned lemonade may be purchased from a vending machine but any lemonade stand will make the drink fresh in the stand. American lemonade is not carbonated, like it sometimes is in the United Kingdom and other places.