[Sca-cooks] Food Trivia Quiz

[kingstaste at mindspring.com]

This week's Food Trivia Quiz from Food Reference E-zine is pretty good.
How well can you do on number 2 - top ten vegetables in the US?  I got 8 out
of 10, and didn't do too badly in my numbering.
Christianna


------------------------FOOD TRIVIA QUIZ------------------------

1) Fish oils are high in omega-3 fatty acids and help reduce the risk of
heart disease. However, taking too many fish oil capsules can be dangerous.
What is the danger of overdosing on fish oil capsules?

2) Can you name the top 10 vegetables in the U.S. in order of popularity?

3) A small Chinese tree widely cultivated throughout temperate regions,
having pink flowers and edible fruit. In spite of the tree's short life, its
fruit was a symbol of immortality to the ancient Chinese. They exchanged the
fruit as a token of affection and placed bowls of them in the tombs of loved
ones to prevent the bodies from decaying. They are believed to have
originated in China then to have spread westward through Asia to the
Mediterranean countries and later to other parts of Europe. On his travels
in China, Marco Polo encountered ones that weighed as much as several
pounds. Spanish explorers brought the them to the New World.  In colonial
America, they were used for feeding pigs and making brandy.
Worldwide, they are the third major deciduous-tree fruit. The United States
is the major producer, accounting for about one fifth of the world's supply.
Italy is second, with about one sixth of the world supply. France, Greece,
and Spain also produce substantial crops.

4) This long lived subtropical evergreen tree has been cultivated for at
least 5,000 years, and recently some seeds have been uncovered in Spain that
have been carbon-dated to be 8,000 years old. The tree is usually medium in
height, about 25 feet, but some trees may grow to 60 feet. The are very
long-lived, with some living more than 500 years. They are also very
tenacious, sprouting back even if chopped right to ground level.
     In order to produce flowers and fruit, the tree must undergo
temperatures of 45 degrees F. for 2 to 3 months. The trees grow beautifully
luxuriant in tropical climates, but produce no fruit. The small fruits can
be round or oblong, dark purple and very bitter at maturity. The fruit is
classified as a drupe, similar to the peach or plum.  Today the tree is
grown in South America, the Mediterranean area, the United States, Australia
and South Africa.
     The product obtained by the of processing the fruits was highly prized
for soaps and perfumes. Cato tells us it was used as a weed killer and
insecticide. Other uses have been as a lubricant for axles, a salve on
chapped skin and on wounds, and a remedy for upset stomach.
     One final clue from Lawrence Durrell: "A taste older than meat, older
than wine.  A taste as old as cold water."

5) The ancient Greeks and Romans thought this annual herb would only grow if
you screamed wild curses and shouted unintelligibly while sowing the seeds.
They also believed if you left a leaf under a pot, it would turn into a
scorpion. Many believed that even smelling the leaves would cause scorpions
to grow in the brain. Salome hid John the Baptist's head in a pot of this
herb to cover up the odor of it's decomposition.  In Italy it is a token of
love, in Romania if a girl gives a sprig to her boyfriend, they are engaged,
and a good Hindu goes to rest with a leaf on his breast as a passport to
Paradise. What is this common herb?
a) mint     b) basil     c) thyme     d) tarragon     e) sage

6) Growing on a relative of the mango, cashew and turpentine tree, they are
native to central Asia (probably originating around Persia). They have been
cultivated for over 7,000 years, (they are mentioned in the Old Testament of
the Bible) and before that were gathered from the wild. The Greeks were (and
are) very fond of them, and use them in many pastries. Today they are grown
mainly in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries and in California.