The 2023 festive food quiz: ANSWERS
If you’re looking for the quiz, you’ve made it to the answers first! Click here to go to the Christmas quiz questions.
Round 1: 2023 Food trends
Q1: What type of tinned food became a surprising date night treat?
A: c) Fish
Q2: Picky tea was given a new name this summer on TikTok, what was it?
A: Girl dinner
Q3: What’s the name of the Korean punch that grew in popularity in the summer?
A: Hwachae
Q4: Which fruit was slathered with peanut butter and chocolate to create a viral bark recipe that tastes like a classic chocolate bar?
A: Dates
Q5: Which type of cheese became popular for frying eggs in, thanks to social media?
A: Feta
Round 2: Food in festive film
Q6: In the Christmas classic Elf, Buddy the elf covers his spaghetti in what?
A: b) Syrup
Q7: In Love Actually, what type of biscuit does Natalie give the new Prime Minister, while telling him that if the other candidate had won she would have “just always given him the boring biscuits with no chocolate.”
A: Chocolate digestives
Q8: In 2015 film Carol, Cate Blanchet’s character (Carol) orders creamed spinach and poached eggs in a restaurant. What drink does she order at the same time?
A: c) A dry martini with an olive
Q9: In The Family Stone, what special brunch dish does Meredith prepare for her future in-laws?
A: c) Morton Family Strata
Q10: In The Muppet Christmas Carol, what fruit sings a rendition of Deck the Halls with the Swedish Chef?
A: b) A bunch of grapes
Round 3: Pop culture references
Q11: In the Dean Martin song Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!, what has been brought for popping?
A: Corn
Q12: In the song Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree, what kind of pie will be eaten later?
A: Pumpkin pie
Q13: What sweet is referenced in the song It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year?
A: Marshmallows
Q14: In the Friends Christmas episode where Joey and Chandler resort to getting Christmas gifts from a petrol station, what do they give Ross?
A: a) Two cans of fizzy drink
Q15: Whose turkey recipe does Mick decide to follow in the first Gavin and Stacey Christmas special?
A: b) Nigella’s
Q16: In The Bear’s Christmas episode in season two, what is the theme of the Berzatto family meal?
A: The feast of the seven fishes
Q17: Which One Direction’er has a tattoo of an iced gem on his arm?
A: c) Harry Styles
Q18: Which country singer has her own Christmas sugar cookie kit that people can buy?
A: a) Dolly Parton
Q19: Which singer has her own Irish cream liquor brand?
A: b) Mariah Carey
Q20: Which group released the festive song which includes the line: ‘On the fourth day of Christmas my baby gave to me: a candle-lit dinner, just for me and my honey’?
A: Destiny’s Child
Round 4: Geography
Q21: Eating fried chicken at a fast food restaurant is a Christmas tradition in which country?
A: Japan (an average of 3.6 million Japanese families enjoy it as a Christmas meal every year)
Q22: From which country does the rice crispie treat White Christmas originate?
A: Australia
Q23: In Sweden, glögg is popular during the festive season – but what is it?
A: Mulled wine
Q24: In Brazil, a popular Christmas dish is a ‘chester’. What type of meat is this?
A: Chicken
Q25: Which European country frequently serves up fondue chinoise (meat fondue) and filet im teig (pastry-wrapped pork fillet with sausage meat) at Christmas?
A: Switzerland
Q26: Pierogi are a type of traditional Christmas food in Poland. What are they?
A: Dumplings (commonly eaten throughout central and Eastern Europe, they come with both savoury and sweet fillings)
Q27: Which country is responsible for Christmas (figgy) pudding?
A: UK
Q28: In Portugal, bolo-rei is a popular festive bake – but what is it?
A: A cake which usually includes candied fruit and nuts
Q29: In Provence, France, how many desserts do they traditionally have at Christmas?
A: 13
Q30: What spice makes the Swedish St Lucia bun yellow?
A: Saffron
Round 5: Technical challenge
Q31: What nut do you need to grind up to make marzipan?
A: Almond
Q32: What is sous vide cooking?
Where you cook food in a vacuum-sealed bag in water at a low temperature
Q33: What is a bouquet de garni?
A bundle of herbs tied together with string, which is frequently added to casseroles and stews
Q34: What ingredient can be ‘Dutch processed’?
A: Cocoa powder (now learn how to make the perfect chocolate cake)
Q35: What is 1fl oz in ml?
A: 28.41 (we’ll accept 28-30)
Q36: What are the three ingredients in Chantilly cream?
A: Cream, sugar and vanilla (extract or paste)
Q37: Which is not a variety of risotto rice?
A: c) Bomba (want to know more? Here’s how you can make the perfect risotto)
Q38: Other than chocolate, what’s the other ingredient required to make truffles?
A: Cream
Q39: What tool does Poppy O’Toole recommend using to make the perfect mashed potatoes?
A: b) A sieve (now learn to make Poppy O’Toole’s perfect mashed potatoes)
Q40: If you’re using the bain-marie technique, what are you doing?
A: Placing a container of food in a shallow pool of hot water to cook or melt it.
Round 6: The picture round
Mary Berry
Ching He-Huang
Nadiya Hussein
James Martin
Nigella Lawson
Nigel Slater
Ken Hom
Anjum Anand
Dave Myers (Hairy Bikers)
Andi Oliver
Simon King (Hairy Bikers)
Ainsley Harriott
Originally published December 2023
