Junk Food, A Short History Trivia Quiz

As Americans, we eat a LOT of it, but what do we really know about how it started and from where it came? If you score high on this one, then you eat about as well as I do.

A multiple-choice quiz by JaneGalt. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
JaneGalt

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
88,266

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
4590

Last 3 plays: demurechicky (9/10), Guest 165 (4/10), Guest 157 (6/10).

This quiz has 2 formats: you can play it as a or as shown below.
Scroll down to the bottom for the answer key.

1. Jell-o, that tasty wiggly treat was introduced in 1897, believe it or not. But what was the actual occupation of the man who gave it to us? Hint

butcher

farmer

cough medicine manufacturer

banker

NEXT>

2. Many of us are familiar with the history of Coca-Cola, including the fact that it was invented in Atlanta, GA. Here's a question for you Pepsi-Cola fans. Where and when was it invented? Hint

New York City in 1940

New Bern, NC in 1893

Chicago in 1926

Philadelphia in 1865

NEXT>

3. Many of us are also familiar with the history of McDonald's and know that it began in California, but what do we know about hamburgers? Where was the hamburger pioneered? Hint

Denver, CO

Chicago, IL

New Haven, CT

Kansas City, MO

NEXT>

4. Where did the hot dog get its name? Hint

from a movie

from a cartoon

from a bartender

from Nathan

NEXT>

5. An Oreo by any other name would taste just as sweet and leave your teeth just as nasty-looking. When were they introduced? Hint

1721

1843

1912

1960

NEXT>

6. French toast originally known in America as what? Hint

waffles

batter bread

German toast

French toast

NEXT>

7. Okay, we've all heard the saying, "That's the best thing since sliced bread." Who gave us sliced bread (on more than a local basis)? Hint

Wonder Bread

Roman Meal

Rainbo Bread

Butternut Bread

NEXT>

8. I think everyone will agree that airline food, while not called "junk," should be. Which airline was the first to serve hot (yeah, right) meals to passengers? Hint

Pan Am

TWA

Delta

United

NEXT>

9. Chips and dips. Now, that's some tasty junk. I find Lay's potato chips the best for French onion dip. When were Lay's chips introduced? Hint

1968

1937

1895

1854

NEXT>

10. M&Ms, another American favorite, had their beginnings in 1940 as a product for whom? Hint

the U.S. military

recovering alcoholics

kids

none of the above

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Jell-o, that tasty wiggly treat was introduced in 1897, believe it or not. But what was the actual occupation of the man who gave it to us?

Answer: cough medicine manufacturer

Pearl B. Wait, of Rochester, NY, was the man, and his wife Mary gave Jell-o its name. Why is Jell-o on a junk food quiz? Because then, as now, the powder is 88% sugar!

2. Many of us are familiar with the history of Coca-Cola, including the fact that it was invented in Atlanta, GA. Here's a question for you Pepsi-Cola fans. Where and when was it invented?

Answer: New Bern, NC in 1893

Pharmacist Caleb Bradham was the man. Ba ba ba, the joy of colaaaaa!

3. Many of us are also familiar with the history of McDonald's and know that it began in California, but what do we know about hamburgers? Where was the hamburger pioneered?

Answer: New Haven, CT

An East Coast concoction. In 1900, Louis Lassen started the whole thing off at his 5-year-old restaurant, the 3-seat Louis Lunch. He ground up 7-cent-per-pound lean beef and broiled it. The burger was served between two slices of toast, dry. No ketchup, mustard, relish, slaw, cheese, chili, lettuce, tomato, mayo, onion, special sauce. Just beef and bread.

4. Where did the hot dog get its name?

Answer: from a cartoon

Yep, from a cartoon, and in 1906. Chicago cartoonist Tad Dorgan drew a 'toon of a dachshund inside a frankfurter bun. Nathan's coneys didn't start up for another 10 years. Incidentally, Nathan Handwerker started Nathan's on Coney Island with his life's savings of $300.

He was 25, and his wife Ida, 19. She was responsible for the special spicing of the dogs, something that gives a Nathan's dog a taste like no other.

5. An Oreo by any other name would taste just as sweet and leave your teeth just as nasty-looking. When were they introduced?

Answer: 1912

The National Biscuit Company (Nabisco) introduced them to compete with the Hydrox "biscuit bon bon," which had been on the market for two years. The Oreo originally was called Oreo Biscuit, but got a name change in 1958 to Oreo Creme Sandwich.

6. French toast originally known in America as what?

Answer: German toast

The name changed in 1918, as a patriotic nod to the war effort, and as a way to remove all things German from the American lexicon. Sauerkraut was known during this time as "liberty cabbage."

7. Okay, we've all heard the saying, "That's the best thing since sliced bread." Who gave us sliced bread (on more than a local basis)?

Answer: Wonder Bread

I guess what we really mean is, "That's the best thing since 1930," since that's when they introduced it, after inventor Otto Frederick Rohwedder spent 15 years trying to perfect his commercial bread slicer. As much as we hail sliced bread today, folks were quite skeptical at first, since sliced bread gets stale faster.

8. I think everyone will agree that airline food, while not called "junk," should be. Which airline was the first to serve hot (yeah, right) meals to passengers?

Answer: Pan Am

Way back in 1935. Okay, so the food probably was a lot better then than now.

9. Chips and dips. Now, that's some tasty junk. I find Lay's potato chips the best for French onion dip. When were Lay's chips introduced?

Answer: 1937

Yeah, this was sort of a "gimme," but not totally. Herman Warden Lay was 30 years old when he came out with these. Odd how two of my favorite junk foods, Lay's chips and Coke, came from Atlanta men.

10. M&Ms, another American favorite, had their beginnings in 1940 as a product for whom?

Answer: the U.S. military

The military gets all the cool stuff first: jeeps, computers, internet, kevlar, armor-piercing bullets, humvees and more. The little candy-coated critters were made to see how they would hold up as a substitute for the standard chocolate bar (which had a tendency to melt) in the K-rations.

Source: Author JaneGalt

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Most Recent Scores

Mar 30 2023 : demurechicky: 9/10
Mar 16 2023 : Guest 165: 4/10
Mar 12 2023 : Guest 157: 6/10
Mar 10 2023 : Guest 175: 5/10
Mar 05 2023 : Guest 75: 4/10
Mar 03 2023 : donna399: 6/10
Mar 03 2023 : realmccoy72: 9/10
Feb 23 2023 : Guest 99: 2/10
Feb 22 2023 : Guest 174: 0/10

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