Mexican Food Trivia Quiz Questions With Answers

Free long fun Mexican food trivia quiz questions with answers.

Mexican Food Trivia Quiz Questions With Answers

Mexican cuisine began about how long ago?
A: 9,000 years.

Mexican cuisine is as complex as other ancient cuisines, such as those of whom?
A: Indian Cuisine, China and Japan, with techniques and skills developed over thousands of years of history.

It is created mostly with ingredients native to where?
A: Mexico, as well as those brought over by the Spanish conquistadors, with some new influences since then.

In addition to staples, such as corn and chile peppers, native ingredients include what?
A: Tomatoes, squashes, avocados, cocoa, vanilla, and edible flowers.

Common vegetables in Mexican food include what?
A: Zucchini, cauliflower, corn, potatoes, spinach, swiss chard, mushrooms, red tomato, green tomato, chiles, huitlacoche (corn fungus), huauzontle, and nopal (cactus leaves).

European contributions include what?
A: Pork, chicken, beef, cheese, herbs and spices, as well as some fruits.

Tropical fruits are used in Mexican food, many of which are indigenous to Mexico and the Americas, such as what?
A: Guava, prickly pear, sapote, mangoes, avocado, bananas, pineapple and cherimoya (custard apple) are popular.

Despite the introduction of wheat and rice to Mexico, the basic starch remains what in almost all areas of the country?

A: corn.

Corn is the base of many what?
A: Recipes (e.g. corn tortillas, atole, pozol, menudo, tamal).

While it is eaten fresh, most corn is what?
A: Dried, nixtamalized and ground into dough called masa.

This dough is used both fresh and fermented to make what?
A: A wide variety of dishes from drinks to tamales.

What is the most common way to eat corn in Mexico?
A: In the form of a tortilla which accompanies almost every dish.

Tortillas are made of corn in most of the country, but other versions exist, such as what?
A: Wheat in the north or plantain, yuca and wild greens in Oaxaca.

The other basic ingredient in all parts of Mexico is the what?
A: Chile pepper.

Mexican food has a reputation for being very what?
A: Spicy, but not all are spicy.

Many dishes also have what?
A: Subtle flavors.

Chiles are indigenous to where?
A: Mexico and their use dates back thousands of years.

They are used for their flavors and not just their what?
A: Heat.

If a savory dish or snack does not contain chile pepper, what is usually added?
A: Hot sauce.

Chile pepper is often added to fresh what?
A: Fruit and sweets.

The importance of the chile goes back to what important historical period?
A: The Mesoamerican period.

The Chile was considered to be as much of a staple as what?
A: Corn and beans.

In the 16th century, Bartolomé de las Casas wrote what?
A: That without chiles, the indigenous people did not think they were eating.

Most Mexicans believe that their national identity would be at a loss without what?
A: Chiles and the many varieties of sauces and salsas created using them as their base.

Many dishes in Mexico are defined by their what?
A: Sauces which are usually very spicy.

Tamales are differentiated by the filling which is again defined by the what?
A: Sauce (red or green chile pepper strips or mole).

Dishes without a sauce are rarely eaten without a what?
A: Salsa or without fresh or pickled chiles.

For most dishes, it is the “what” that gives it its main flavor?
A: Type of chile used.

Some of the main contributions of the Spanish were what?
A: Several kinds of meat, dairy products and wheat to name few.

The Mesoamerican diet contained very little what?
A: Meat besides domesticated turkey.

The Spanish also introduced what frying technique?
A: Frying in pork fat.

Today, the main meats found in Mexico are what?
A: Pork, chicken, beef, goat, and sheep.

Native seafood and fish remains popular, especially where?
A: Along the coasts.

Cheese making in Mexico is an important what?
A: Economic activity, especially in the north.

Cheese making in Mexico is frequently done where?
A: At home.

What are the main cheese making areas?
A: Chihuahua, Oaxaca, Querétaro, and Chiapas.

In most of Mexico cooking for the family is considered to be what?
A: Women’s work, and this includes cooking for celebrations as well.

Traditionally girls have been considered ready to marry when they can what?
A: Cook, and cooking is considered a main talent for housewives.

The main meal of the day in Mexico is the what?
A: "comida", meaning 'meal' in Spanish.

Dinner often begins with what?
A: Soup.

The main course is meat served in a what?
A: A cooked sauce with salsa on the side, accompanied with beans and tortillas.

In the evening, it is common to eat leftovers from the what?
A: Comida or sweet bread accompanied by coffee or chocolate.

Breakfast can consist of what?
A: Leftovers, meat in broth (such as pancita), tacos, enchiladas or meat with eggs.

What is it usually served with?
A: Beans, tortillas, and coffee or juice.