Food trivia is a fun way to engage friends, family, coworkers, or any group of people. It can liven up gatherings and parties or provide entertainment during meals. Food trivia questions cover topics like food history, cooking techniques, famous chefs, unusual ingredients, food in pop culture, and more. Here are some great food trivia questions to ask at your next event.
General Food Trivia Questions
These food trivia questions cover a wide range of food topics.
- What are the 5 mother sauces in French cuisine?
- What spice gives Worcestershire sauce its distinctive flavor?
- What is the only edible food that never goes bad?
- What fruit has the most varieties – over 7,500 worldwide?
- What country consumes the most chocolate per capita?
Answers to General Food Trivia Questions
Here are the answers to the general food trivia questions:
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What are the 5 mother sauces in French cuisine? | Béchamel, velouté, espagnole, hollandaise, and tomato |
| What spice gives Worcestershire sauce its distinctive flavor? | Anchovies |
| What is the only edible food that never goes bad? | Honey |
| What fruit has the most varieties – over 7,500 worldwide? | Apples |
| What country consumes the most chocolate per capita? | Switzerland |
Food History Trivia Questions
Test your friends’ knowledge of food history with these trivia questions.
- What is the oldest known cookbook in history?
- What ancient civilization first cultivated olives?
- What explorer introduced pasta to Italy from China?
- What U.S. president made peanut butter popular?
- What was the first soft drink in space?
Answers to Food History Trivia Questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the oldest known cookbook in history? | The Yale Babylonian Tablets from Mesopotamia, written around 1700 B.C. |
| What ancient civilization first cultivated olives? | The ancient Phoenicians, around 5000 B.C. |
| What explorer introduced pasta to Italy from China? | Marco Polo |
| What U.S. president made peanut butter popular? | George Washington Carver |
| What was the first soft drink in space? | Coca-Cola in 1985 |
Food Science Trivia Questions
These food science trivia questions will reveal who the real kitchen chemistry experts are.
- What makes a soufflé puff up as it bakes?
- What is the process that gives aged cheeses their sharp flavors?
- What component of chili peppers causes a burning sensation?
- What artificial sweetener was accidentally discovered by chemists at Searle?
- What gives bread dough elasticity to stretch and rise?
Answers to Food Science Trivia Questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What makes a soufflé puff up as it bakes? | Expanding air bubbles from whipped egg whites |
| What is the process that gives aged cheeses their sharp flavors? | Fermentation |
| What component of chili peppers causes a burning sensation? | Capsaicin |
| What artificial sweetener was accidentally discovered by chemists at Searle? | Aspartame |
| What gives bread dough elasticity to stretch and rise? | Gluten |
Cooking Methods Trivia Questions
Test your knowledge on cooking techniques with these kitchen trivia questions.
- What cooking method uses hot oil to quickly fry food with a crispy crust?
- What is the ideal internal temperature for medium rare steak?
- What French cooking technique uses butter to baste food while cooking?
- What tool is used to thin slices of food into ribbons?
- What cooking method steams food over boiling or simmering liquid?
Answers to Cooking Methods Trivia Questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What cooking method uses hot oil to quickly fry food with a crispy crust? | Deep frying |
| What is the ideal internal temperature for medium rare steak? | 130-135°F |
| What French cooking technique uses butter to baste food while cooking? | Sautéeing |
| What tool is used to thin slices of food into ribbons? | Mandoline |
| What cooking method steams food over boiling or simmering liquid? | Poaching |
Famous Chefs Trivia Questions
Find out who knows their celebrity chefs with these famous chef trivia questions.
- What chef hosted the television shows Hell’s Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, and MasterChef?
- What French chef is considered a leading figure in nouvelle cuisine?
- What TV chef grew a media empire with 30 books and shows like 30 Minute Meals?
- What chef is known for exotic twists on Southeast Asian dishes at restaurants like Momofuku?
- What chef popularized complicated restaurant dishes like salmon foam on Iron Chef?
Answers to Famous Chefs Trivia Questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What chef hosted the television shows Hell’s Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, and MasterChef? | Gordon Ramsay |
| What French chef is considered a leading figure in nouvelle cuisine? | Paul Bocuse |
| What TV chef grew a media empire with 30 books and shows like 30 Minute Meals? | Rachael Ray |
| What chef is known for exotic twists on Southeast Asian dishes at restaurants like Momofuku? | David Chang |
| What chef popularized complicated restaurant dishes like salmon foam on Iron Chef? | Hiroyuki Sakai |
Unusual Foods Trivia Questions
These unusual food trivia questions cover some of the more exotic edibles from around the world.
- What national dish features rotten shark meat?
- What delicacy is made from fish fermented in salt and rice bran?
- What South American rodent is a traditional meat source?
- What Chinese beverage includes bird’s nest as an ingredient?
- What African fruit has an aroma of smelly gym socks?
Answers to Unusual Foods Trivia Questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What national dish features rotten shark meat? | Hákarl – Iceland |
| What delicacy is made from fish fermented in salt and rice bran? | Garum – Ancient Rome |
| What South American rodent is a traditional meat source? | Guinea pig – Peru |
| What Chinese beverage includes bird’s nest as an ingredient? | Bird’s nest soup |
| What African fruit has an aroma of smelly gym socks? | Durian |
Food in Movies & TV Trivia Questions
For pop culture buffs, here are trivia questions about iconic food moments in movies and television.
- In Forrest Gump, what famous dish does Forrest inspire?
- What food does the character Popeye always eat to get strong?
- What does Hannibal Lecter pair with fava beans in The Silence of the Lambs?
- What TV family owns a restaurant called The Beef?
- What snack does E.T. lure Elliot with?
Answers to Food in Movies & TV Trivia Questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| In Forrest Gump, what famous dish does Forrest inspire? | Shrimp – Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. |
| What food does the character Popeye always eat to get strong? | Spinach |
| What does Hannibal Lecter pair with fava beans in The Silence of the Lambs? | A nice Chianti |
| What TV family owns a restaurant called The Beef? | The Belchers – Bob’s Burgers |
| What snack does E.T. lure Elliot with? | Reese’s Pieces |
Conclusion
Food trivia is a fun and interactive way to engage any audience. The trivia questions in this article cover a wide range of food topics, from food history and science to pop culture moments and celebrity chefs. Sprinkle these food trivia questions throughout your next party, event, or friendly gathering to add an extra dash of fun!
