Food quiz questions have a specific superpower: they make everyone at the table feel like they should know the answer, even when they don't. Nobody wants to admit they couldn't identify a basic cooking technique or blank on where a classic dish originates — food is personal, it's daily, it's something everyone does. That makes getting a food question wrong uniquely embarrassing, and uniquely entertaining for everyone watching.
Food and drink trivia is also one of the most reliably surprising rounds in a pub quiz, because the gap between eating something and knowing anything about it is vast. Most people have drunk dozens of cocktails without ever learning what goes into them. Most people have eaten Italian food their whole lives without knowing which region a particular dish comes from. The more confident someone is about food, the more likely they are to be caught out by the specifics.
Fifty questions across five rounds: world cuisine, British food (with some proper regional knowledge required), drinks and cocktails, chefs and restaurants, and food facts and science. The science round at the end catches people who assumed it would be straightforward — it turns out the chemistry of cooking is actually fascinating and almost nobody knows it.
Whether you're putting these into a food-themed quiz night, a restaurant event, or just dropping a food round into a broader pub quiz, the difficulty is well mixed. Some of these everyone will get. Some of them will have the whole table genuinely stumped. The cocktail round tends to generate the strongest opinions about whether anyone's answers are actually correct.
Test your food and drink knowledge live
Play an interactive food quiz — 10 questions, live countdown timer, instant scoring.
Play Food Quiz →
Play an interactive food quiz — 10 questions, live countdown timer, instant scoring.
Play Food Quiz →
Round 1: World Cuisine (Questions 1–10)
1. What country does sushi originally come from?
✓ Japan
💡 Sushi originated in Southeast Asia as a method of preserving fish in fermented rice — the rice was discarded and only the fish was eaten. The modern style of sushi served today (using fresh raw fish with vinegared rice) was developed in Tokyo (then called Edo) in the early 19th century.
2. What is the main ingredient in guacamole?
✓ Avocado
💡 Guacamole dates back to the Aztecs, who made a version using avocado, tomato, and chilli as early as the 1500s. The word comes from the Nahuatl "ahuacamolli," combining "ahuacatl" (avocado) and "molli" (sauce).
3. Which country is the origin of paella?
✓ Spain (specifically Valencia)
💡 Traditional Valencian paella contains rabbit, chicken, green beans, and white beans — not seafood, which is a later variation. The word "paella" comes from the Old French "paelle," meaning pan, referring to the wide, flat pan it is cooked in over an open fire.
4. What is the base of a traditional French bouillabaisse?
✓ Fish and seafood broth
💡 Bouillabaisse originated in the port city of Marseille as a poor fisherman's stew, made from unsellable rockfish. Traditional recipes must include at least three different types of fish, and it is served with rouille (a garlicky saffron mayonnaise) spread on toasted bread.
5. Which spice gives a risotto Milanese its distinctive yellow colour?
✓ Saffron
💡 Saffron is the world's most expensive spice by weight, derived from the stigmas of the Crocus sativus flower. Each flower produces only three stigmas, and up to 75,000 flowers are needed to produce a single pound (450g) of saffron — making it worth more by weight than gold in some markets.
6. What is the national dish of Thailand?
✓ Pad Thai (though this is debated — massaman curry is also cited)
💡 Pad Thai was popularised in the 1930s and 1940s as part of a government campaign to promote Thai national identity and reduce rice consumption during wartime shortages. It was promoted as a cheap, nutritious street food that would become a symbol of Thai culture.
7. What is the Italian word for pasta that is literally translated as "little worms"?
✓ Vermicelli
💡 "Vermicelli" comes from the Italian "verme" (worm) and is a thin pasta similar to spaghetti but slightly thicker in Italian cuisine. In Asian cooking, the same word refers to very thin rice noodles, showing how the same name can describe quite different products across cultures.
8. Which country invented croissants?
✓ Austria (not France)
💡 The croissant is based on the Austrian "kipferl," a crescent-shaped pastry. The French version was introduced in Vienna by an Austrian military officer who opened a bakery in Paris in the 1830s. The flaky, laminated dough technique was then developed by French bakers into the croissant we know today.
9. What is the primary flavouring in a traditional Moroccan tagine?
✓ Ras el hanout (a spice blend including cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger)
💡 The name "ras el hanout" translates as "top of the shop" in Arabic, suggesting the best spices a seller has to offer. Recipes vary by seller and region and can contain over 30 different spices — it is one of the most complex spice blends in world cuisine.
10. Kimchi is a traditional fermented dish from which country?
✓ South Korea (Korea)
💡 Kimchi has been eaten in Korea for over 3,000 years, originally made before chillies arrived from the Americas and therefore much milder. South Korea produces and consumes approximately 1.85 million tonnes of kimchi per year, and it was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2013.
Round 2: British Food (Questions 11–20)
11. What are the four traditional components of a full English breakfast?
✓ Bacon, eggs, sausages, and toast (also commonly includes baked beans, mushrooms, grilled tomato, black pudding)
💡 The full English breakfast as we know it became popular during the Victorian era, when it was considered essential to set up working people for long physical labour. Hotels and bed-and-breakfasts popularised it as a tourist staple throughout the 20th century.
12. Which city is famous for its Balti curry?
✓ Birmingham
💡 The Balti was developed in Birmingham in the 1970s, reportedly by Bangladeshi and Pakistani restaurateurs in the Sparkhill area known as the "Balti Triangle." The dish is named after the thin steel wok it is cooked and served in, and it is widely regarded as a British invention rather than a dish from the Indian subcontinent.
13. What is a Scotch egg?
✓ A hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat, coated in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried (or baked)
💡 Scotch eggs were invented by London department store Fortnum and Mason in 1738, not in Scotland. The name's origin is unclear, though some theories suggest it derives from "scotched" (a cooking technique) or from an early recipe attributed to William J. Scott and Sons.
14. What is the traditional filling of a Cornish pasty?
✓ Beef, potato, turnip (swede), and onion
💡 Cornish pasties received Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status in 2011, meaning only pasties made in Cornwall to the traditional recipe can be called "Cornish" pasties. The pasty was originally carried to work by Cornish tin miners — the thick crimped edge served as a handle to be discarded after handling with dirty hands.
15. Which British condiment is made from malt vinegar, spirit vinegar, molasses, sugar, salt, anchovies, tamarind, onions, and garlic?
✓ Worcestershire sauce
💡 Worcestershire sauce was created by Lea and Perrins in Worcester in 1837, reportedly based on a recipe from a returning colonial governor. The fermented anchovy and tamarind mixture was initially considered unpalatable, but a barrel left to mature proved surprisingly tasty — the company has been producing it ever since.
16. What type of fish is traditionally used in British fish and chips?
✓ Cod or haddock
💡 Fish and chip shops (chippies) began appearing in Britain in the 1860s, and by the early 20th century there were over 35,000 across the country. During World War II, fish and chips were one of the few foods not rationed, as the government recognised the dish's importance to national morale.
17. What is the main ingredient in a traditional British Bakewell tart?
✓ Frangipane (almond filling) with jam and pastry
💡 The Bakewell tart is named after the market town of Bakewell in Derbyshire, where a version of the recipe dates back to the early 19th century. The "Bakewell pudding" (the original version) and the "Bakewell tart" are actually distinct products — locals in Bakewell are passionate about the difference.
18. What is the traditional Yorkshire pudding made from?
✓ Eggs, flour, and milk (or water)
💡 Yorkshire pudding was historically served as a starter with gravy before the main meat course — as a cheap filler to reduce the amount of expensive meat eaten. The first written recipe appeared in "The Whole Duty of a Woman" in 1737, calling it "a dripping pudding" cooked under roasting meat to catch the fat drippings.
19. In which decade did chicken tikka masala become the UK's most popular restaurant dish?
✓ The 1990s (officially proclaimed in 2001)
💡 Chicken tikka masala was proclaimed Britain's true national dish by Foreign Secretary Robin Cook in a famous 2001 speech. Its exact origin is disputed — some credit Glasgow restaurants, others Bangladeshi restaurateurs in London — but it is widely considered a British-Indian invention, not an authentic Indian dish.
20. What is a spotted dick?
✓ A British steamed suet pudding containing dried fruit (usually currants or raisins)
💡 The "spotted" in spotted dick refers to the dried fruit dotted through the pudding, while "dick" is thought to derive from "dough" or from a corruption of "dough." This Victorian suet pudding remains a staple of traditional British pub menus and school canteens.
Round 3: Drinks and Cocktails (Questions 21–30)
21. What are the three ingredients in a classic Negroni?
✓ Gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari (equal parts)
💡 The Negroni was allegedly invented in Florence in 1919 when Count Camillo Negroni asked bartender Fosco Scarselli to strengthen his Americano by replacing soda water with gin. The drink's perfect balance of bitter, sweet, and botanical flavours has made it one of the world's most beloved cocktails.
22. What type of wine is Champagne?
✓ Sparkling wine (specifically from the Champagne region of France)
💡 True Champagne can only come from the Champagne region of northeastern France, made using the "méthode champenoise" (traditional method) with a second fermentation in the bottle. The bubbles result from this secondary fermentation creating carbon dioxide that dissolves into the wine under pressure.
23. What spirit is the base of a Mojito?
✓ White rum
💡 The Mojito originated in Havana, Cuba, and is thought to date back to the 16th century in a simpler form. Ernest Hemingway was famously fond of the drink during his years living in Havana, and his local bar La Bodeguita del Medio became forever associated with it.
24. What is the difference between bourbon and Scotch whisky?
✓ Bourbon is American-made (primarily from corn) and aged in new charred oak barrels; Scotch is Scottish-made (from malted barley or grain) and aged in used oak casks
💡 By US law, bourbon must be produced in the United States, contain at least 51% corn mash, and be aged in new charred oak containers. Although Kentucky produces over 95% of the world's bourbon, it can legally be made anywhere in the USA.
25. What gives gin its distinctive flavour?
✓ Juniper berries
💡 By law, gin must have a "predominant juniper flavour" — without juniper, it cannot legally be called gin. The spirit evolved from a Dutch medicinal liquor called "genever" in the 17th century, and became enormously popular (and problematic) in 18th-century London during the "Gin Craze."
26. Which country produces the most coffee in the world?
✓ Brazil
💡 Brazil has been the world's largest coffee producer for over 150 years, accounting for roughly one-third of global production. The coffee plant (Coffea arabica) is native to Ethiopia, where legend says a goat herder named Kaldi first noticed his goats becoming unusually energetic after eating coffee berries.
27. What is a Shirley Temple (the drink)?
✓ A non-alcoholic cocktail made with ginger ale, orange juice, and grenadine garnished with a cherry
💡 The Shirley Temple was created in the 1930s, reportedly at Chasen's restaurant in Beverly Hills, for the child actress Shirley Temple so she could have a "grown-up" drink at adult gatherings. Temple herself apparently disliked the drink and didn't want it named after her.
28. What is the traditional base spirit in a Margarita?
✓ Tequila
💡 Tequila must be produced in the Mexican state of Jalisco (and limited other areas) from the blue agave plant, which takes 8–12 years to mature before harvesting. The margarita became the best-selling cocktail in the United States in the late 20th century and remains one of the most ordered cocktails worldwide.
29. What country is Guinness stout originally from?
✓ Ireland (brewed at St. James's Gate, Dublin, since 1759)
💡 Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease for the St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin in 1759 at an annual rent of £45. Guinness is now sold in over 150 countries and is one of the most recognisable beer brands in the world, with the distinctive creamy head resulting from nitrogen rather than carbon dioxide carbonation.
30. What is the alcoholic content classification for a wine to be considered "fortified"?
✓ Typically 15–22% ABV, achieved by adding a distilled spirit (usually brandy) during or after fermentation
💡 Fortified wines include port, sherry, Madeira, and Marsala. The practice of fortifying wine originated partly as a preservation technique — the higher alcohol content prevented wine from spoiling on long sea voyages, which is why many classic fortified wines came from Portugal and Spain.
Round 4: Chefs and Restaurants (Questions 31–40)
31. Who is the world's most Michelin-starred chef?
✓ Joël Robuchon (36 Michelin stars at the time of his death in 2018)
💡 Joël Robuchon held more Michelin stars simultaneously than any other chef in history. He famously took a 12-year sabbatical from professional cooking and returned to revolutionise fine dining with his accessible "Atelier" restaurant concept, where diners sit at a counter watching the kitchen.
32. Which restaurant is consistently ranked among the world's best in the "World's 50 Best Restaurants" list?
✓ Noma (Copenhagen) — accept any currently ranked restaurant
💡 Noma, run by chef René Redzepi in Copenhagen, was named the world's best restaurant four times and spearheaded the "New Nordic" cuisine movement, which celebrates hyper-local, foraged ingredients. Noma announced its closure as a full-time restaurant in 2024, transitioning to a food lab.
33. Which TV show launched Gordon Ramsay's international television career?
✓ Hell's Kitchen (US) or Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (UK)
💡 Gordon Ramsay opened his flagship Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea, London in 1998, earning three Michelin stars within three years — the only restaurant in London to hold three stars for over two decades. His television persona contrasts sharply with how he is described by protégés who have trained under him.
34. In which country did the "molecular gastronomy" movement originate?
✓ Spain (at elBulli restaurant in Catalonia, under Ferran Adrià)
💡 Ferran Adrià's elBulli in Catalonia pioneered techniques like spherification, foams, and edible cocktails, earning it the title of world's best restaurant five times. The restaurant only opened for six months a year, received two million reservation requests annually for 8,000 available seats, and closed in 2011 to become a culinary foundation.
35. What nationality is chef Heston Blumenthal?
✓ British (English)
💡 Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire earned three Michelin stars and was voted world's best restaurant in 2005. He is largely self-taught and became famous for dishes like "snail porridge" and "Sound of the Sea" — served with a conch shell concealing an iPod playing ocean sounds to enhance the dining experience.
36. What does the term "mise en place" mean in professional cooking?
✓ "Everything in its place" — the preparation and organisation of ingredients before cooking begins
💡 "Mise en place" is considered the foundational discipline of professional cookery. The concept was codified by Auguste Escoffier in the late 19th century as part of his reorganisation of professional kitchen brigade systems, which remain the basis of how most commercial kitchens are structured today.
37. Which Italian chef is credited with popularising Italian cuisine in Britain through the River Café in London?
✓ Ruth Rogers (and the late Rose Gray)
💡 Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray opened the River Café in Hammersmith, London in 1987, introducing Britain to simple, high-quality Italian regional cooking. The restaurant also launched the careers of Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, and April Bloomfield, making it arguably the most influential restaurant kitchen in British food history.
38. What is a "tasting menu" in restaurant terminology?
✓ A fixed sequence of multiple small courses designed to showcase a chef's range, eaten in a set order
💡 Tasting menus (also called "dégustation" menus in French) typically range from 7 to over 20 courses. They became a dominant fine dining format in the 1990s and 2000s, though a significant backlash against their length and cost has led some top restaurants to return to à la carte options.
39. Which chef wrote the influential book "Kitchen Confidential" in 2000?
✓ Anthony Bourdain
💡 "Kitchen Confidential" exposed the unglamorous reality of professional restaurant kitchens with brutal honesty and darkly comic writing, launching Bourdain from chef to celebrated food writer and television presenter. His subsequent travel and food shows, particularly "Parts Unknown," became revered for their empathetic portrayal of global cultures through food.
40. How many Michelin stars is the maximum a restaurant can receive?
✓ Three
💡 In the Michelin system, one star means "a very good restaurant," two stars means "excellent cooking worth a detour," and three stars means "exceptional cuisine worth a special journey." Fewer than 150 restaurants worldwide hold three Michelin stars, making it an extraordinarily rare honour.
Round 5: Food Facts and Science (Questions 41–50)
41. Why do onions make you cry?
✓ They release a gas (propanethial S-oxide) that reacts with the moisture in your eyes to form a mild sulphuric acid
💡 When an onion is cut, it releases enzymes that convert sulfenic acids into a volatile chemical called propanethial S-oxide. Your eyes detect this irritant and respond by producing tears to flush it out — chilling the onion before cutting slows the enzyme reaction and reduces tearing.
42. Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?
✓ Botanically a fruit; culinarily treated as a vegetable
💡 The debate was settled legally in the US by the Supreme Court in 1893 (Nix v. Hedden), which ruled the tomato was a vegetable for customs and tariff purposes. Botanically, any seed-bearing structure grown from a flowering plant is a fruit — which technically also makes cucumbers, peppers, and courgettes fruits.
43. What gas makes bread rise?
✓ Carbon dioxide (CO₂), produced by yeast fermentation
💡 Yeast consumes sugars in the dough and produces carbon dioxide gas and alcohol. The gas gets trapped in pockets created by gluten proteins, causing the dough to expand. During baking, the gas expands further, the alcohol evaporates, and the proteins set to give bread its airy structure.
44. What is the Maillard reaction?
✓ A chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars when heated, creating brown colour and complex flavours in cooked food
💡 Named after French chemist Louis-Camille Maillard who described it in 1912, the Maillard reaction is responsible for the browning and flavour development in bread crusts, seared meat, roasted coffee, and fried food. It is distinct from caramelisation, which involves only sugars.
45. What fruit contains an enzyme called bromelain that prevents gelatine from setting?
✓ Pineapple
💡 Bromelain breaks down proteins, which is why fresh pineapple is used as a meat tenderiser and why it prevents gelatine (made from collagen protein) from setting. Canned or cooked pineapple can be used in gelatine desserts because heat destroys the enzyme during processing.
46. What is umami?
✓ The fifth basic taste, often described as savoury or meaty, associated with glutamate
💡 Umami was identified as a distinct basic taste by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda in 1908, who isolated glutamate from kombu seaweed. Foods naturally high in umami include mushrooms, aged cheeses, soy sauce, anchovies, and ripe tomatoes — explaining why these ingredients make dishes taste richer and more complex.
47. Which nutrient gives carrots their orange colour?
✓ Beta-carotene
💡 Beta-carotene is converted by the body into vitamin A, essential for vision and immune function. The earliest cultivated carrots were purple or yellow — the familiar orange variety was developed in the Netherlands in the 17th century, reportedly in honour of the Dutch Royal House of Orange.
48. What is the hottest chilli pepper in the world as of 2026?
✓ Pepper X (developed by Ed Curlin, over 2.6 million Scoville Heat Units)
💡 Pepper X was developed by Ed Curlin (creator of the Carolina Reaper) and officially recognised as the world's hottest pepper by Guinness World Records in 2023 at 2,693,000 Scoville Heat Units. For context, police-grade pepper spray typically rates around 2–5 million SHU — Pepper X is approaching that level of heat.
49. Why does asparagus make urine smell?
✓ It contains asparagusic acid, which is broken down into sulphur-containing compounds during digestion
💡 Interestingly, not everyone can detect the distinctive smell — this is not because everyone metabolises asparagus differently, but because some people lack the specific genetic variant that allows them to smell the sulphur compounds. Studies suggest a majority of people produce the odour but a large minority cannot detect it.
50. Which country consumes the most chocolate per capita in the world?
✓ Switzerland
💡 Switzerland consumes approximately 10–12 kg of chocolate per person per year — more than any other nation. Switzerland is also home to some of the world's most famous chocolate brands including Lindt, Toblerone, and Nestlé, and is credited with inventing milk chocolate in 1875 (by Daniel Peter) and conching, the process that gives chocolate its smooth texture.
Ready to test your food and drink knowledge?
Play our interactive food quiz — 10 questions, live countdown, instant scoring. Free, no signup.
Play Food Quiz Now →
Play our interactive food quiz — 10 questions, live countdown, instant scoring. Free, no signup.
Play Food Quiz Now →
Food trivia has the rare quality of making people hungry and competitive simultaneously, which is an impressive thing for a round of questions to achieve. A food and drink quiz works in basically any setting, which is part of why it's one of the most versatile rounds going.
Spotted something that needs correcting, or have a cuisine or ingredient you think deserves its own dedicated round? Get in touch at hello@simplyquizzes.com. The blog has more quiz content covering food, culture, and everything in between.