Eat-Q Test: Thanksgiving
Every year on Thanksgiving, Americans throughout the country sit down to a feast of traditional dishes, continuing a harvest ritual begun almost four hundred years ago. But how much do you really know about the history of those tried-and-true Thanksgiving foods? Test your knowledge with these questions from the October/November 2010 issue of JBF Notes. Once you think you've got them solved, click through for the answers and your Eat-Q score.
1. Which of these four fruits is not native to North America
A. Cranberry
B. Apple
C. Blueberry
D. Concord grape
2. Which of these sea creatures was served at early Thanksgiving celebrations?
A. Shrimp
B. Lobster
C. Abalone
D. Shark
3. Today a staple at Thanksgiving tables, this food was a rare treat for wealthy Englishmen in the 17th century, who believed it to be a potent aphrodisiac:
A. Green beans
B. Cranberries
C. Pumpkins
D. Sweet potatoes
4. Which traditional Thanksgiving food got its name because it resembled a bird’s head and neck?
A. Stuffing
B. Yams
C. Brussels sprouts
D. Cranberries
5. Which of these towns doesn’t actually exist?
A. Turkey, Texas
B. Turkey Creek, Louisiana
C. Turkey, North Carolina
D. Turkey Gardens, Georgia
6. Which of these birds was NOT on the menu during early Thanksgiving celebrations?
A. Turkey
B. Swan
C. Chicken
D. Goose
7. Which state produces the most turkey every year?
A. Minnesota
B. Indiana
C. Michigan
D. Idaho
8. Which historical figure started referring to male turkeys as “toms?”
A. Benjamin Franklin
B. Thomas Jefferson
C. George Washington
D. Andrew Jackson
9. Which ballroom dance move was named for the short, jerky steps a turkey takes?
A. The Ballroom Blitz
B. The Turkey Trot
C. The Turkey Lindy
D. The Turkey Waltz
10. True or False: English families traditionally ate pumpkins to mark special occasions and they invented pumpkin pie to celebrate their arrival in America.
A. True
B. False