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Quiz about Kick it Up a Notch
Quiz about Kick it Up a Notch

Kick it Up a Notch! Trivia Quiz


Various foods can be made so much better with spice. I will prepare a dish, you add some spice.

A multiple-choice quiz by salami_swami. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Author
salami_swami
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
312,657
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
1154
Awards
Top 5% quiz!
Last 3 plays: suzywoozie53 (5/10), Guest 108 (8/10), PurpleComet (7/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. I have a very special meal in front of me, and for the side dish I have some boiled crab. I made my own "Old Bay Seasoning" to put on my crab, using this spice. I also used this spice in my Chicago style hotdog on a sourdough bun. To drink I have a Bloody Mary. Well, mine is virgin, but this spice is used in many a Bloody Mary. What spice am I talking about?

If you need another hint, I can tell you that the vegetable this spice comes from is part of the "Holy Trinity" of food.

What could this delicious spice be?
Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. I have just made myself a European potato dish. A certain dried seed has been used throughout the dish. I decide to get a special grater to grate some more of this fresh spice onto the top of the potato dish. Of course, I shouldn't grate too much, because too much of this spice can be very bitter! Two spices come from the same plant, but only one of them fits the description. Which is it? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. I use stevia as a substitute for something else. What could stevia be used for instead of the "real thing?" Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. I have just added a spice to my dish to make it a deep, rich yellow color. I didn't add much, though, because I cannot afford a large quantity of this ridiculously priced spice. This spice comes from a common flower. What spice is this, what flower does it come from, and what part of the flower does it come from? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. I just added a spice into a dish that smells like mustard, but tastes like bitter pepper. It is similar to saffron, (it's even known as Indian Saffron), but it is much more economical to use because it is so much cheaper! Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. There is a spice used in Indonesia to make curry powder. I don't live in Indonesia, so, alas, I cannot add this to any of my meals. This spice was once used a lot in the US, until ginger came in and stole its thunder! Now, most Americans probably haven't even heard of the spice! What is this exotic root? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. I have just added some alkanet to a curry dish to change the color to a deep red. Alkanet doesn't have much flavor, and its main use is as a dye. There is something very odd about the alkanet plant. What might that be? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Although the name might deceive you as to its origins, this herb is used to spice up dishes in Germany and Scandinavia. There are even liquors that are made with this herb, and others with a similar taste to it, like anise. I like to use it to make licorice candy. What herb is similar in taste to anise? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. We now come to another anise 'taste-alike.' I use this herb, however, to flavor black beans and other foods in Mexican dishes. Which of these anise-like spices is widely used in southern Mexico, and Central and South America? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. This spice is used widely in Mexico, the Caribbean, and all over Asia, but those in the US have probably never heard of it. The spice is often confused with the herb that comes from the coriander plant, but it is not the same thing. One look at the leaves and you can see they are different herbs. What is this herb I am referring to? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 21 2024 : suzywoozie53: 5/10
Feb 22 2024 : Guest 108: 8/10
Feb 03 2024 : PurpleComet: 7/10
Jan 30 2024 : Guest 67: 7/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. I have a very special meal in front of me, and for the side dish I have some boiled crab. I made my own "Old Bay Seasoning" to put on my crab, using this spice. I also used this spice in my Chicago style hotdog on a sourdough bun. To drink I have a Bloody Mary. Well, mine is virgin, but this spice is used in many a Bloody Mary. What spice am I talking about? If you need another hint, I can tell you that the vegetable this spice comes from is part of the "Holy Trinity" of food. What could this delicious spice be?

Answer: Celery Seed

Celery, carrot, and onion make up mirepoix. In Cajun cooking, the carrot is replaced by the bell pepper, making up the so-called Holy Trinity. The Holy Trinity is added in many dishes, such as stews and soups. Celery seed does indeed come from the celery. If you have a cut piece of celery, you can see little green dots inside.

These are the seeds. When these seeds are dried, you get the spice.
2. I have just made myself a European potato dish. A certain dried seed has been used throughout the dish. I decide to get a special grater to grate some more of this fresh spice onto the top of the potato dish. Of course, I shouldn't grate too much, because too much of this spice can be very bitter! Two spices come from the same plant, but only one of them fits the description. Which is it?

Answer: Nutmeg

Both mace and nutmeg come from the same plant, but only nutmeg is the seed. Mace is made from grinding the dried shell of the seed, while nutmeg is the seed itself. Nutmeg is very hard, and usually requires a special grater, unless you buy it already grated. Fresh nutmeg can last for years, while the pre-ground nutmeg has a shelflife of only a few months. Nutmeg can be used to make nutmeg butter, in many potato dishes, and many Caribbean drinks have nutmeg sprinkled on the top.
3. I use stevia as a substitute for something else. What could stevia be used for instead of the "real thing?"

Answer: Sugar

Although stevia may have a strong, bitter aftertaste of licorice, it is not used as a licorice substitute. Stevia is both a brand and the plant the sugar substitute is derived from. Stevia is a sugar substitute, but other brands like Splenda and Sweet and Low are artificial sweeteners. There is a difference!
4. I have just added a spice to my dish to make it a deep, rich yellow color. I didn't add much, though, because I cannot afford a large quantity of this ridiculously priced spice. This spice comes from a common flower. What spice is this, what flower does it come from, and what part of the flower does it come from?

Answer: Saffron, Crocus, Stigma

Saffron is very expensive because it is very hard to cultivate, and 10,000 crocuses will not make much saffron. Saffron is very bitter and smells like hay. Although saffron appears to be red, it makes a golden yellow dye.
5. I just added a spice into a dish that smells like mustard, but tastes like bitter pepper. It is similar to saffron, (it's even known as Indian Saffron), but it is much more economical to use because it is so much cheaper!

Answer: Turmeric

Although cumin fits the description, only turmeric is known as Indian Saffron. The taste is very much the same, but it will not give food a deep yellow color. Turmeric's active ingredient is curcumin.
6. There is a spice used in Indonesia to make curry powder. I don't live in Indonesia, so, alas, I cannot add this to any of my meals. This spice was once used a lot in the US, until ginger came in and stole its thunder! Now, most Americans probably haven't even heard of the spice! What is this exotic root?

Answer: Zedoary

Ok, gingetta and spricki were completely made up, and turnip is not a spice. Zedoary is made from the roots of the plant, and can be used as a dried powder, or as a fresh root, much like ginger can be used. Some people claim that this plant smells like mango!
7. I have just added some alkanet to a curry dish to change the color to a deep red. Alkanet doesn't have much flavor, and its main use is as a dye. There is something very odd about the alkanet plant. What might that be?

Answer: Color

There is nothing so interesting about the smell, growth, or leaves of the plant. From just looking at the plant, one would assume it is a normal plant. The odd thing about this plant - which gives off red dye - is that it is bright blue! The blue flowers, however, are not used for the red dye.

The red dye comes from the blue and red roots that you can't see! It can be used to color wine to make it look more appealing, or to color the corks so it looks more aged. Just know, if you are reading a food label, and see that it has been colored with E103 food coloring, it was probably made using the alkanet roots!
8. Although the name might deceive you as to its origins, this herb is used to spice up dishes in Germany and Scandinavia. There are even liquors that are made with this herb, and others with a similar taste to it, like anise. I like to use it to make licorice candy. What herb is similar in taste to anise?

Answer: Cicely

Cicely is a plant with a strong licorice flavor. It is related to anise, fennel, and caraway, which are all known for their strong licorice flavor. The four herbs and spices are used to flavor akvavit, which is a licorice flavored spirit from Scandinavia.

I said the name might deceive you as to its origins because Cicely sounds like Sicily. However, the spice has no Italian roots.
9. We now come to another anise 'taste-alike.' I use this herb, however, to flavor black beans and other foods in Mexican dishes. Which of these anise-like spices is widely used in southern Mexico, and Central and South America?

Answer: Epazote

Fennel comes from the Mediterranean, cicely from Germany and Scandinavia, and tarragon comes from Europe and North America, although it is used in Mexico as well, but more northern Mexico than southern. All of the spices listed taste like licorice (or liquorice), whether it be a strong flavor, or a small hint of flavor. Tarragon is a very weak licorice flavor, and epazote is even stronger than anise, the strongest of all the spices listed. Epazote is also known for having a very peculiar smell that is very tough to describe. Wikipedia claims it has been compared to citrus, petroleum, savory, mint, and putty! What a wide variety of aromas!
10. This spice is used widely in Mexico, the Caribbean, and all over Asia, but those in the US have probably never heard of it. The spice is often confused with the herb that comes from the coriander plant, but it is not the same thing. One look at the leaves and you can see they are different herbs. What is this herb I am referring to?

Answer: Culantro

In the US, we do not use culantro, but a close relative called 'cilantro'. Culantro leaves are long and slender, while cilantro leaves look a bit more like parsley. Both are thought by many to have a taste of soap.

I hope you enjoyed this spicy quiz I have prepared just for you. Comments would be great appreciated. :-)
Source: Author salami_swami

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