Snack in Black Trivia Quiz

Answer: Seaweed

A lot of people think of raw fish when they hear the word "sushi", but "sushi" actually refers to the rice which is used to make all those delightful little creations. It can be combined with vegetables and egg as well as raw or cooked fish. The black seaweed wrapping is made from a type of seaweed called Nori which is actually a very dark green colour.

Answer: Fish eggs

Caviar comes from the sturgeon, specifically from those living in the Caspian and Black Seas. Roe (eggs) from other types of fish or sturgeon from elsewhere are also sometimes called caviar. The most expensive type is "beluga caviar", which for a long time I thought came from a beluga whale, but of course a whale is a mammal, so I'm not sure how that would work!

Answer: Squid ink

Squid ink is used by the squid in order to confuse predators by producing a sort of watery smoke screen allowing it to escape. In the past it has been used by humans as writing ink, but these days its main use is culinary.

Answer: They are a drupe, a fruit with a stone/pit, like a plum or cherry

The black peppercorn is the unripe drupe/fruit and has a single small seed inside. The tiny fruits are dried before they are used as peppercorns. Until I asked the internet, I'd always assumed that (like a lot of other spices) it was a seed of some sort. Actually, white pepper is a seed (or at least a pit/stone), it comes from drupes of the same plant as black pepper, but the skin and outer part of the fruit are removed before drying.

Answer: Antioxidants

Many black foods are high in anthocyanins, a particular type of antioxidant. Antioxidants are considered beneficial for health, it is thought that they may help prevent cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Legend says that Black rice, also known as forbidden rice, used to be eaten by the emperors of China.

Answer: Blood

In my opinion, a full English breakfast is not complete without a chunk of delicious black pudding on the side. There are plenty of global variations, but additional ingredients of the traditional British black pudding include onion, pork fat, oatmeal and spices.

Answer: A liquorice sweet/candy

A Pontefract cake is a small round disk of liquorice, originally made in Pontefract, Yorkshire, England. It is thought that the manufacture of liquorice mixed with sugar to produce confectionery was first carried out in Pontefract.

Answer: Flatulence

The charcoal biscuit was first procuced in England in the early 19th Century and marketed as a cure for flatulence, though the use of charcoal as a digestive aid dates back to Egyptian times. Nowadays they are available as a "biscuit for cheese" or a biscuit for dogs.

Answer: A pastry covered fruit cake

Black bun is a Scottish cake originally served on Twelfth night, but nowadays associated with Hogmanay (New Year). It is something similar to a traditional rich fruit cake encased in a pastry shell, usually cooked in a loaf tin. Why it's called a bun when it's a cross between a cake, a pie and a loaf is anybody's guess!

Answer: No, it is named after the Black Forest area of Germany

Coming from Germany where it is called Scharzwalder Kirschtorte (Black forest cherry torte or layered cake), this dessert is made from layers of chocolate sponge cake interleaved with whipped cream and a cherry filling. It traditionally contains a cherry liquor called Kirschwasser or Kirsch, which originated in the Black Forest.

The cake itself probably did not originate in the Black Forest, but as the Schwarzwalder Kirschwasser was considered an essential ingredient, that is how the cake got its name.