Around the World in 15 Dishes
Take this world food quiz and eat your way around the globe, from paella and goulash to kimchi and pho. Fifteen dishes, fifteen places: spot the country, the hidden ingredient and the story behind each plate.
15 questionsMedium~3 minNo timer
Updated:
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About this World Food quiz
This world food quiz takes you around the globe in 15 dishes, each from a different place: a saffron rice pan from Valencia, a herdsman's paprika stew, a fiery curry from Goa, a flatbread from Ethiopia and a noodle dish from Bangkok among them. Every question gives you the story behind a plate and asks you to name the dish, the country or the ingredient that makes it special.
It works as an icebreaker for lunch breaks, a round for family quiz nights or a warm-up before a food-themed event. You don't need to be a chef. Most answers can be worked out from clues about where a dish comes from, what goes into it and who first cooked it, and each answer has a short note so you learn something whether you get it right or not.
Many of the world's best-known dishes are younger than they look. Chillies, tomatoes, potatoes and maize all came from the Americas and spread through Europe, Africa and Asia only after the 1500s, which reshaped kitchens from Italy to India. Other dishes travelled with traders, sailors and migrants, picking up local ingredients and new names on the way. Following a single dish back to its roots is often a lesson in world history.
World Food questions with answers
Show answers
Valencia's farmers cooked this rice dish outdoors in a wide, shallow pan. Which country is paella from?
Photo: Wilfredor, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons - Mexico
- Italy
- Portugal
- Spain
Answer: Spain. Paella began in the rice fields around Valencia in eastern Spain. The name comes from the pan it is cooked in.
This paprika stew is named after the cattle herders who cooked it in kettles on the open plains. Which country calls goulash its national dish?
Photo: Lily15, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons - Poland
- Hungary
- Austria
- Romania
Answer: Hungary. In Hungarian a gulyás is a herdsman, and the herders' kettle stew became the country's best-known dish.
No flame touches it: raw fish is 'cooked' in lime juice. Which country calls ceviche part of its national heritage?
Photo: ProjectManhattan, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons - Philippines
- Brazil
- Peru
- Argentina
Answer: Peru. Peru declared ceviche part of its national heritage and even has a national ceviche day.
A special version of this dish flew to space in 2008 with the nation's first astronaut. Where is kimchi from?
Photo: Jeremy Keith, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons - Thailand
- Vietnam
- China
- Korea
Answer: Korea. Yi So-yeon took specially made space kimchi to the ISS. At home it sits on almost every Korean table.
Tomatoes like these came to the Old World from the Americas. In North Africa they became the base of this dish of eggs poached in spicy tomato and pepper sauce. Name it.
Photo: domdomegg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons - Hummus
- Shakshuka
- Falafel
- Couscous
Answer: Shakshuka. Shakshuka is a Maghrebi dish whose name means 'mixture'. It can't be older than the 1500s, when tomatoes and peppers arrived from the Americas.
Each crocus flower gives just three red threads of this costly spice, and they turn Marseille's famous fish stew golden. Name the stew.
Photo: Emilie40, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons - Ratatouille
- Bouillabaisse
- Cassoulet
- Coq au vin
Answer: Bouillabaisse. Bouillabaisse began as a fishermen's stew on the Marseille quays. Saffron, the hand-picked stigmas of the crocus, gives it colour and aroma.
Nigeria and Ghana still argue over who cooks this dish best. Jollof rice comes from which region?
Photo: Segun Famisa, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons - The Caribbean
- South America
- Southeast Asia
- West Africa
Answer: West Africa. The name traces to the Wolof people of Senegal, and the friendly 'jollof wars' run right across West Africa.
This Italian dessert's name means 'pick me up', thanks to the biscuits soaked in what?
Photo: Anna.Massini, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons - Hot chocolate
- Lemon juice
- Tea
- Coffee
Answer: Coffee. In tiramisu the ladyfinger biscuits are dipped in espresso, which gives the lift.
Portuguese traders brought chillies like these to India. In Goa, their meat marinated in wine and garlic became this fiery curry. Name it.
Photo: Rotadefterim, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons - Xacuti
- Vindaloo
- Sorpotel
- Cafreal
Answer: Vindaloo. Vindaloo comes from the Portuguese carne de vinha d'alhos, meat in wine and garlic. Goan cooks swapped the wine for palm vinegar and added chillies and spices.
This noodle soup may take its name from the French beef stew pot-au-feu. Which country made pho famous?
Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons - Vietnam
- Indonesia
- Thailand
- Japan
Answer: Vietnam. Pho grew up in northern Vietnam in the early 1900s, under French rule.
Fries topped with squeaky cheese curds and hot gravy: this late-1950s snack from rural Quebec is now served all over Canada. Name it.
- Poutine
- Tourtière
- Nanaimo bar
- Butter tart
Answer: Poutine. Poutine appeared in small towns in Quebec in the late 1950s. Several towns and families still claim to have invented it.
In the 1930s and 40s, a prime minister in Bangkok promoted this stir-fried rice-noodle dish as a national food, partly to save rice. Name it.
- Tom yum
- Green curry
- Pad Thai
- Som tam
Answer: Pad Thai. Plaek Phibunsongkhram's government pushed rice noodles during a rice shortage and as part of a Thai nationalism campaign.
Brazil's national dish is a slow-cooked stew of black beans with pork and beef, served with rice, farofa and orange slices. Name it.
- Churrasco
- Moqueca
- Feijoada
- Pão de queijo
Answer: Feijoada. Feijoada comes from feijão, the Portuguese word for beans. It is most closely linked with Rio de Janeiro.
In Ethiopia, this spongy, slightly sour flatbread made from teff is the plate and the spoon at the same time. Name it.
- Injera
- Pita
- Lavash
- Naan
Answer: Injera. Stews are spooned onto a sheet of injera, and diners tear off pieces of it to scoop them up.
Puebla's mole poblano is a thick, dark sauce of dried chillies, nuts and spices. Which ingredient, usually eaten as a sweet, makes it rich?
- Chocolate
- Peanut butter
- Honey
- Vanilla
Answer: Chocolate. Mole poblano uses bitter chocolate. Cacao comes from Mexico, and the sauce is usually served over turkey or chicken.
Frequently asked questions
What is a national dish?
A national dish is a food that a country treats as part of its identity. A few countries name one officially, but most simply agree on one by tradition, and many have more than one.
Why is saffron so expensive?
Saffron is the dried stigma of the saffron crocus. Each flower gives only three, and they are picked by hand, so well over 100,000 flowers go into a single kilogram.
Can I play this food quiz with friends or a team?
Yes. Play it on one screen and read the questions aloud, or let everyone play on their own phone and compare scores at the end. It takes about five minutes.