235 Food Trivia Questions and Answers for Foodies

Are you ready to spice up your next dinner party or family game night? Dive into our collection of food trivia questions and answers that promise to challenge and entertain guests of all ages.

Whether you’re a culinary novice or a seasoned chef, these questions will test your knowledge on everything from global cuisines to classic dishes. Get ready to stir up some fun and learn fascinating food facts along the way!

Food Trivia Questions and Answers

Classic Food Trivia Questions

What type of fish is traditionally used in fish and chips?
Answer: Cod or haddock.
Which fruit is known as the “king of fruits” and is famous for its strong odor?
Answer: Durian.
What is the main ingredient in traditional Japanese miso soup?
Answer: Soybean paste.
In which country did the sandwich originate?
Answer: England.
What is tofu made from?
Answer: Soy milk.
Which country is the largest producer of coffee in the world?
Answer: Brazil.
Paella is a popular dish from which country?
Answer: Spain.
Which nut is used to make marzipan?
Answer: Almonds.
What is the name of the Greek dip made from yogurt and cucumber?
Answer: Tzatziki.
Which type of pasta’s name means “little worms”?
Answer: Vermicelli.
From which country does Goulash originate?
Answer: Hungary.
What is traditionally added to molasses to make brown sugar?
Answer: Nothing, brown sugar is molasses added to white sugar.
Which spice is derived from the crocus flower?
Answer: Saffron.
What type of bread is known for its hole in the middle?
Answer: Bagel.
What is the main ingredient in hummus?
Answer: Chickpeas.
In which country did chow mein originate?
Answer: China.
Which cheese is traditionally used for making a pizza?
Answer: Mozzarella.
What is the primary ingredient in guacamole?
Answer: Avocado.
Ratatouille is a classic dish from which cuisine?
Answer: French.
What is the name of the Italian dessert made with coffee and mascarpone cheese?
Answer: Tiramisu.
Which fruit is known for having its seeds on the outside?
Answer: Strawberry.
What is the most consumed manufactured drink in the world?
Answer: Tea.
In what type of restaurant would you typically find edamame?
Answer: Japanese.
What is the culinary term for garnishing with almond slices?
Answer: Slivered.
What is the main ingredient in a traditional omelette?
Answer: Eggs.
What type of meat is traditionally used in a Reuben sandwich?
Answer: Corned beef.
Which fruit is considered the primary ingredient in traditional marmalade?
Answer: Orange.
What is the traditional way to serve a Martini?
Answer: Shaken or stirred with a twist of lemon or an olive.
Which vegetable was originally purple before selective breeding changed its most common color to orange?
Answer: Carrot.
What is the name of the dish consisting of raw fish or meat thinly sliced or pounded thin?
Answer: Carpaccio.

International Cuisine Trivia Questions

Which country is credited with the creation of sushi?
Answer: Japan.
What is the traditional Indian drink made from yogurt called?
Answer: Lassi.
In which country did the Caesar salad originate?
Answer: Mexico.
What is the staple ingredient in most traditional African dishes?
Answer: Cassava or yam.
What type of food is a pierogi?
Answer: A stuffed dumpling, from Poland.
Which country is famous for its chocolate?
Answer: Switzerland.
Kimchi is a fermented vegetable dish from which country?
Answer: South Korea.
What Italian soup is made primarily from leftover bread, tomatoes, and olive oil?
Answer: Pappa al Pomodoro.
Which country is known for inventing poutine, a dish involving fries and cheese curds topped with gravy?
Answer: Canada.
In which country did pho, a noodle soup, originate?
Answer: Vietnam.
Which Middle Eastern dish is made of chickpeas or fava beans and is commonly served in a pita?
Answer: Falafel.
Which European country is credited with the creation of the smorgasbord?
Answer: Sweden.
What is the main ingredient in the Filipino dish called adobo?
Answer: Chicken or pork.
In which country is it traditional to eat a dish called feijoada, a stew of beans with beef and pork?
Answer: Brazil.
What is the spicy Indian condiment made from grinding mustard seeds with a combination of other spices and vinegar?
Answer: Mustard sauce.
Haggis is a traditional dish from which country?
Answer: Scotland.
What is the name of the thick, cold soup made from beets that is popular in Eastern Europe?
Answer: Borscht.
Which country’s national dish is paella, a rice dish that may include seafood, meats, and vegetables?
Answer: Spain.
Which Asian country is famous for a dish called laksa, a spicy noodle soup?
Answer: Malaysia.
What is the traditional Russian drink made from fermented bread?
Answer: Kvass.
Which South American country is known for its beef and has a high consumption of barbecue, or ‘asado’?
Answer: Argentina.
What is the name of the dish consisting of sushi rice and ingredients pressed into a box-shaped mold, commonly found in Japan?
Answer: Oshizushi.
Baklava, a sweet pastry made of layers of filo, nuts, and honey, is traditionally associated with which region?
Answer: The Middle East.
What is a traditional dessert in Portugal, commonly found in pastry shops?
Answer: Pastéis de Nata.
From which country does the spicy stew known as ‘gumbo’ originate?
Answer: United States (Louisiana).
Which French dish is made from duck cooked in its own fat?
Answer: Confit de canard.
Tagine, a slow-cooked stew, is named after the earthenware pot it is cooked in. Which country is it from?
Answer: Morocco.
Which country is known for creating Goulash, a hearty stew of meat and vegetables, seasoned with paprika and other spices?
Answer: Hungary.
Which Italian food item, often mistaken as originating from Australia or America, is actually a fried rice ball coated with breadcrumbs?
Answer: Arancini.
What traditional South African cured meat is similar to jerky?
Answer: Biltong.

Fast Food Trivia Questions

What fast food restaurant is known for its golden arches?
Answer: McDonald’s.
Which fast food chain introduced the Whopper?
Answer: Burger King.
What is the signature item at KFC?
Answer: Fried chicken.
Which fast food restaurant is famous for its Frosty dessert?
Answer: Wendy’s.
In what year did Taco Bell begin operating?
Answer: 1962.
Which pizza chain is known for its stuffed crust pizza?
Answer: Pizza Hut.
What is the main ingredient in Subway’s Italian B.M.T sandwich?
Answer: Genoa salami, spicy pepperoni, and Black Forest Ham.
Which fast food chain first introduced drive-thru service?
Answer: In-N-Out Burger.
Which fast food chain uses the slogan, “Eat Fresh”?
Answer: Subway.
What fast food restaurant is credited with inventing curly fries?
Answer: Arby’s.
Which fast food chain has a mascot named Ronald McDonald?
Answer: McDonald’s.
What type of restaurants are Five Guys known for?
Answer: Burgers and fries.
Which fast food chain was the first to introduce a value menu?
Answer: Wendy’s.
What year did the first Chick-fil-A restaurant open?
Answer: 1967.
Which fast food restaurant is known for serving square hamburgers?
Answer: Wendy’s.
What breakfast item did McDonald’s first introduce in 1972?
Answer: Egg McMuffin.
Which chain is known for its animal style fries?
Answer: In-N-Out Burger.
Which fast food chain was founded in Lexington, Kentucky?
Answer: A&W.
Which fast food chain originally started as a hot dog stand?
Answer: Nathan’s Famous.
Which fast food restaurant is known for its Blizzard treat?
Answer: Dairy Queen.
What item did Taco Bell create that is a taco with a Doritos shell?
Answer: Doritos Locos Tacos.
What is the slogan of KFC?
Answer: “It’s Finger Lickin’ Good.”
Which fast food chain offers the Big Mac?
Answer: McDonald’s.
In which city was the first Starbucks opened?
Answer: Seattle, Washington.
What fast food chain is known for its Charbroiled burgers?
Answer: Carl’s Jr.
What special cooking method does Five Guys use for their fries?
Answer: Cooked in peanut oil.
Which fast food chain introduced the “Happy Meal”?
Answer: McDonald’s.
What fast food chain has a secret menu item called “The Meat Mountain”?
Answer: Arby’s.
Which fast food chain is known for its Cinnabon Delights?
Answer: Taco Bell.
Which chain introduced a sandwich called the “McRib”?
Answer: McDonald’s.

Thanksgiving Food Trivia Questions

What is the traditional Thanksgiving bird?
Answer: Turkey.
Which sauce is commonly served with Thanksgiving turkey?
Answer: Cranberry sauce.
What is the name of the bread-based dish that’s a common Thanksgiving side?
Answer: Stuffing or dressing.
What vegetable is often turned into a casserole on Thanksgiving?
Answer: Green beans.
Which pie is most associated with Thanksgiving?
Answer: Pumpkin pie.
What meat is sometimes served at Thanksgiving as an alternative to turkey?
Answer: Ham.
What is a common spice used in pumpkin pie?
Answer: Nutmeg.
What type of corn is used as a decoration and symbolizes the harvest?
Answer: Indian corn.
What popular Thanksgiving vegetable is also known for being a fall decoration?
Answer: Pumpkin.
What is the sweet potato dish topped with marshmallows called?
Answer: Sweet potato casserole.
Which vegetable often appears mashed as a Thanksgiving side dish?
Answer: Potatoes.
What appetizer, made of a fruit and a marshmallow on a toothpick, is named after a bird?
Answer: Turkey trot.
Which traditional sauce is made using the juices of the turkey?
Answer: Gravy.
Which President is believed to have started the tradition of pardoning a turkey?
Answer: Harry S. Truman.
What popular vegetable is used in a classic Thanksgiving casserole and often topped with fried onions?
Answer: Green bean casserole.
What beverage is often served during Thanksgiving and is made from apples?
Answer: Apple cider.
What is the flaky pastry that is a common accompaniment to Thanksgiving dinner?
Answer: Dinner rolls.
What fruit is commonly used in Thanksgiving cranberry sauce?
Answer: Cranberries.
What nut is often used in Thanksgiving desserts, particularly pies?
Answer: Pecan.
Which herb is commonly used in Thanksgiving turkey stuffing?
Answer: Sage.
What kind of pie is a traditional alternative to pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving?
Answer: Apple pie.
What is the popular way of cooking turkey outside the oven?
Answer: Deep frying.
What type of pie is a popular dessert at Thanksgiving but involves neither pumpkin nor apple?
Answer: Pecan pie.
Approximately how many turkeys are eaten each year in the United States at Thanksgiving?
Answer: About 46 million.

Christmas Food Trivia Questions

What type of bird is traditionally served at Christmas in many Western countries?
Answer: Turkey.
Which Christmas beverage is also known as “milk punch”?
Answer: Eggnog.
What spice is essential for making gingerbread?
Answer: Ginger.
Which country created the tradition of eating KFC for Christmas?
Answer: Japan.
What is the main ingredient in a traditional Christmas pudding?
Answer: Dried fruits.
Which nut is traditionally hidden in a Christmas pudding or cake?
Answer: A whole almond.
What popular Christmas food is known for its decoration with glacé cherries and nuts?
Answer: Fruitcake.
From which country does the Christmas tradition of eating panettone originate?
Answer: Italy.
What popular Christmas candy is shaped like a shepherd’s crook?
Answer: Candy cane.
In which country is it traditional to hide a coin in the Christmas pudding?
Answer: United Kingdom.
Which vegetable is a common sight on Christmas dinner tables in the UK, often joked about for being disliked?
Answer: Brussels sprouts.
What traditional French Christmas cake is shaped like a log?
Answer: Bûche de Noël.
Which Scandinavian country serves lutefisk as a traditional Christmas dish?
Answer: Norway.
What is the name of the spicy mulled wine often served during Christmas in Germany and Austria?
Answer: Glühwein.
What type of pie is traditionally left out for Santa Claus in the United States?
Answer: Mince pie.
Which Christmas dessert is made from rolled sponge cake, frosted and decorated to look like a log?
Answer: Yule log.
In what European country is carp a traditional Christmas Eve dinner?
Answer: Poland.
Which Italian dessert is similar to fruitcake and served during Christmas?
Answer: Panforte.
Which traditional Christmas drink is made from a base of red wine combined with various mulling spices and raisins?
Answer: Mulled wine.
What is the traditional Christmas meat in Australia?
Answer: Ham.
Which country has a tradition of making a Christmas bread called stollen?
Answer: Germany.
What is the name of the Icelandic fermented fish that is traditionally eaten around Christmas?
Answer: Hákarl.
What is the Spanish name for the Christmas Eve feast?
Answer: Nochebuena.
What are the small sausages wrapped in bacon, served as a traditional Christmas side dish in the UK, called?
Answer: Pigs in blankets.
What traditional dish is served at Christmas in New Mexico, made with pork, red chili, and hominy?
Answer: Posole.
Which English leader banned the eating of mince pies on Christmas day in the 17th century?
Answer: Oliver Cromwell.
In which country is it traditional to eat a sponge cake decorated with strawberries and whipped cream at Christmas?
Answer: Japan.
What is the traditional Christmas drink in Puerto Rico similar to eggnog but made with coconut milk?
Answer: Coquito.
Which Christmas food item was originally made from meat and is now a sweet fruit filling encased in pastry?
Answer: Mince pies.
What festive food is created by threading popcorn and cranberries onto a string to be used as a decoration?
Answer: Popcorn garland.

American Food Trivia Questions

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What is the official state dessert of Massachusetts?
Answer: Boston cream pie.
Which state is known as the “Peach State”?
Answer: Georgia.
What sandwich is Philadelphia famous for?
Answer: Cheesesteak.
Which American city is known as the birthplace of jazz and also famous for its beignets?
Answer: New Orleans.
What is the main ingredient in a traditional Chicago-style hot dog?
Answer: Beef sausage.
What type of pie is considered a traditional Thanksgiving dessert in the United States?
Answer: Pumpkin pie.
Which state is known for its key lime pie?
Answer: Florida.
What is the name of the chili pepper associated with the cuisine of New Mexico?
Answer: Hatch chili.
Which American state is the largest producer of blueberries in the nation?
Answer: Maine.
What fast food restaurant chain originated in California and is noted for its secret menu?
Answer: In-N-Out Burger.
What is the traditional sauce that accompanies Maryland crab cakes?
Answer: Tartar sauce or rémoulade.
Which U.S. state is famous for its bourbon production?
Answer: Kentucky.
What type of barbecue is Kansas City known for?
Answer: Slow-cooked, heavily sauced meats, especially ribs.
Which snack was officially designated as the state snack of Illinois in 2003?
Answer: Popcorn.
Which Southern dish is made from greens and often seasoned with pork?
Answer: Collard greens.
What is the name of the clam chowder associated with New England?
Answer: New England clam chowder.
Which city is credited with creating the garbage plate, a dish featuring a mix of hamburger, home fries, and macaroni salad?
Answer: Rochester, New York.
What type of bread is San Francisco famous for?
Answer: Sourdough.
Which dessert is named after the city of Boston, other than Boston cream pie?
Answer: Boston cream doughnut.
What state is known for inventing the cheeseburger?
Answer: Colorado.
What dish, composed of cornmeal and shaped into a patty, is a staple in Southern U.S. cuisine?
Answer: Cornbread.
Which American city claims to be the birthplace of the pizza in the United States?
Answer: New York City.
What state is famous for its annual Gilroy Garlic Festival?
Answer: California.
Which state is recognized for its significant production of potatoes?
Answer: Idaho.
What is the name of the stew, popular in New England, made from milk or cream and chowder clams?
Answer: New England clam chowder.
What fruit is the state fruit of Washington State, known for its large industry?
Answer: Apple.
Which American state is famous for its wild rice?
Answer: Minnesota.
What iconic American dessert involves a toasted marshmallow, a piece of chocolate, and two graham crackers?
Answer: S’mores.
Which American city is known for inventing the espresso chocolate chip cookie?
Answer: Seattle.
What spicy chicken dish is associated with Nashville?
Answer: Nashville hot chicken.

Bizarre and Unusual Food Trivia Questions

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What is the Icelandic dish hákarl made from?
Answer: Fermented shark.
Which country considers fried tarantulas a delicacy?
Answer: Cambodia.
What is casu marzu, and where is it found?
Answer: A cheese containing live maggots, found in Sardinia, Italy.
What type of animal is a balut, popular in the Philippines?
Answer: A fertilized duck embryo.
In which country might you find snake wine?
Answer: Vietnam.
What is considered the world’s smelliest fruit and where is it popular?
Answer: Durian, popular in Southeast Asia.
What unusual sea creature is eaten in Iceland that is often buried to ferment before consumption?
Answer: Greenland shark (used to make hákarl).
Which country is known for eating live octopus?
Answer: South Korea.
What is the main ingredient in the dish called “witchetty grub” in Australia?
Answer: A large white larva of the cossid moth.
What is bird’s nest soup made from?
Answer: The saliva of swiftlets.
In which country is it a tradition to eat reindeer meat?
Answer: Finland.
What bizarre dessert involves eating live ants in a chocolate-covered candy?
Answer: Ant-covered chocolates, popular in parts of South America.
What is the name of the South African dish made from air-dried meat?
Answer: Biltong.
Which country has a tradition of eating fried guinea pigs?
Answer: Peru.
What type of food is ‘jellied moose nose’ and where is it eaten?
Answer: A dish made from the nose of a moose, eaten in Canada.
What is rocky mountain oysters, and what are they actually made of?
Answer: A dish made from bull testicles, popular in parts of the United States.
Which country eats puffin heart as a traditional dish?
Answer: Iceland.
What Italian dish uses the ink of a cephalopod as its main flavoring and coloring agent?
Answer: Squid ink pasta.
In which part of the world would you find people eating kangaroo meat?
Answer: Australia.
What is fugu, and why is it dangerous?
Answer: A Japanese dish made from pufferfish, dangerous because of its potentially lethal toxin.
What is the French delicacy ortolan, and what makes it controversial?
Answer: A small bird eaten whole, controversial due to the method of preparation and consumption.
Which country considers fried brain sandwiches a traditional food?
Answer: United States (particularly in the Midwest).
What type of eggs are century eggs, and where are they from?
Answer: Preserved duck, chicken, or quail eggs, from China.
In what country is it traditional to eat a pie made of lampreys, a type of jawless fish?
Answer: England.
What is a common use for camels in the cuisine of some Middle Eastern countries?
Answer: Camel meat is eaten and often used in stews.
Which country’s traditional diet includes minke whale?
Answer: Iceland.
What is ‘muktuk’, and who traditionally eats it?
Answer: Whale skin and blubber, eaten by indigenous peoples of the Arctic.
What Scottish dish is made from the stomach of a sheep and filled with oatmeal, suet, and seasoning?
Answer: Haggis.
Which Southeast Asian country is known for its edible spider town, where spiders are fried and eaten as snacks?
Answer: Cambodia (town of Skuon).
What Australian Aboriginal traditional food is made from ground seeds and baked?
Answer: Damper.
What exotic dish is made from the fermented heads of salmon, buried underground for several weeks?
Answer: Stinkheads, traditionally eaten in Alaska.

Trivia Questions About Food in Popular Culture

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What type of candy is associated with E.T. in the film “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”?
Answer: Reese’s Pieces.
In the TV show “Friends,” what is Ross’s favorite sandwich?
Answer: The Moist Maker.
What fictional candy bar is often mentioned in “The Simpsons”?
Answer: Butterfinger.
Which movie features a memorable scene involving a box of chocolates as a metaphor for life?
Answer: “Forrest Gump.”
What is the name of the fictional fast food restaurant in “Pulp Fiction”?
Answer: Big Kahuna Burger.
In “Seinfeld,” what food item does Kramer famously drop in an open surgery?
Answer: A Junior Mint.
What type of food is famously ruined in a scene from “Office Space”?
Answer: A cake.
Which animated film features a rat who dreams of becoming a chef?
Answer: “Ratatouille.”
In the series “Game of Thrones,” what is the name of the pie that contains more than just pigeon?
Answer: Frey pie.
What dish does the character Joey from “Friends” refuse to share?
Answer: His meatball sub.
What type of fruit does Kevin famously slip on in “Home Alone”?
Answer: Oranges.
In which movie does the protagonist obsess over Twinkies?
Answer: “Zombieland.”
What type of pizza is ordered in the movie “Home Alone”?
Answer: Cheese pizza.
What dish is famously destroyed in the climax of the food fight in the film “Hook”?
Answer: Imaginary food.
Which TV series features a blue meth-themed candy?
Answer: “Breaking Bad.”
What snack does the character Eleven from “Stranger Things” have a particular fondness for?
Answer: Eggo waffles.
In “Gilmore Girls,” what is the favorite type of coffee drink of the main characters, Lorelai and Rory?
Answer: Coffee.
What type of food does Mia Wallace order at Jack Rabbit Slim’s in “Pulp Fiction”?
Answer: A $5 milkshake.
Which TV show features a fictional restaurant called Los Pollos Hermanos?
Answer: “Breaking Bad.”
In “The Big Lebowski,” what drink is the Dude known to frequently consume?
Answer: White Russians.
What is the primary food business of Bob’s family in “Bob’s Burgers”?
Answer: A burger restaurant.
Which character in “Twin Peaks” famously loves cherry pie and “a damn fine cup of coffee”?
Answer: Agent Dale Cooper.
In “The Matrix,” what food does Cypher enjoy as he betrays his friends, claiming ignorance is bliss?
Answer: Steak.
In “Harry Potter,” what is the name of the magical candy that makes one sound like an animal when eaten?
Answer: Fizzing Whizzbees.
Which Pixar movie features a short about a small bird on the beach trying to get food?
Answer: “Finding Nemo” (the short is “For the Birds”).
In “The Godfather,” what food item does Clemenza teach Michael to make?
Answer: Spaghetti sauce.
Which movie involves a key scene with a slice of pie, leaving without eating it being a significant moment?
Answer: “A Ghost Story.”
In the film “Goodfellas,” which dish is being prepared in prison by the mobsters?
Answer: Tomato sauce for pasta.
Which fictional TV chef always says “Bam!” when adding spices to food?
Answer: Emeril Lagasse (though not fictional, his persona is often parodied in shows).
In “The Princess Bride,” which character is obsessed with finding the six-fingered man who killed his father, using the phrase, “Prepare to die,” during a food-filled scene?
Answer: Inigo Montoya.