Q 01/05

The word 'breakfast' literally refers to what?

A) Breaking bread quickly

B) A fast (quick) meal

C) Breaking the night's fast

D) Breaking eggs

Answer · why

C) Breaking the night's fast

It came into written English around the 15th century; before that a morning meal was 'morgenmete' and 'dinner' itself meant to break one's fast.

Q 02/05

In Britain, pancakes are traditionally eaten on which day, historically to use up ingredients before Lent?

A) Shrove Tuesday

B) Ash Wednesday

C) Good Friday

D) Maundy Thursday

Answer · why

A) Shrove Tuesday

The pancake race at Olney supposedly began in 1445 when a housewife heard the church bells and ran to the service still holding her frying pan.

Q 03/05

A crêpe is a thin pancake originating in which region of France?

A) Normandy

B) Provence

C) Alsace

D) Brittany

Answer · why

D) Brittany

Buckwheat versions like blini and kaletez form a whole family of pancakes; buttermilk gives American and Scottish pancakes their tang.

Q 04/05

The word 'waffle' entered English in 1725 from which language?

A) German

B) Dutch

C) French

D) Flemish Latin

Answer · why

B) Dutch

Belgium alone has more than a dozen regional waffle varieties.

Q 05/05

'Bel-Gem' waffles took hold in America at which event?

A) The 1964 New York World's Fair

B) The 1893 Chicago World's Fair

C) The 1984 Los Angeles Olympics

D) The 1976 Bicentennial

Answer · why

A) The 1964 New York World's Fair

A Belgian had tried at the 1962 Seattle fair first; the Flushing Meadows version came topped with strawberries and cream.