Q 01/05

Traditional Japanese cuisine, built on rice and seasonal ingredients, is known by what name?

A) Yōshoku

B) Kaiseki

C) Washoku

D) Omakase

Answer · why

C) Washoku

Washoku joined UNESCO's intangible heritage list in 2013, honoured not as a set of recipes but as a social custom tied to the seasons and festivals.

Q 02/05

The phrase ichijū-sansai, describing a typical Japanese meal, means what?

A) One rice, three fish

B) One soup, three sides

C) One bowl, three sauces

D) One meal, three courses

Answer · why

B) One soup, three sides

One soup, three sides echoes the trays of formal honzen banquets, yet the phrase now describes everyday home meals, whatever the dishes.

Q 03/05

Raw fish is optional, so what is the one defining ingredient of sushi?

A) Toasted seaweed

B) Vinegared rice

C) Grated wasabi

D) Pickled ginger

Answer · why

B) Vinegared rice

Vinegared rice arose when Edo-period cooks mixed vinegar in to give the rice a sour taste, so sushi no longer had to wait to ferment.

Q 04/05

Nigiri sushi, seafood on hand-pressed rice, is credited to Hanaya Yohei around which year?

A) 1824

B) 1848

C) 1868

D) 1905

Answer · why

A) 1824

It was the fast food of Edo's townspeople; the city is now Tokyo.

Q 05/05

Yoshiaki Shiraishi got the idea for kaiten-zushi, sushi that circulates past diners, from watching what?

A) Luggage on an airport baggage carousel

B) Beer bottles on a brewery conveyor

C) A car assembly line

D) A sushi chef's tray

Answer · why

B) Beer bottles on a brewery conveyor

Beer bottles on a brewery conveyor gave Yoshiaki Shiraishi the idea while he was struggling to staff his small Osaka sushi bar and serve customers che...