Christmas Food and Drink Quiz – answers

Ho, ho, ho! Here are the answers:

1. In the 17th century, who made the eating of mince pies illegal in Britain?
   1. King Charles I
   2. King Charles II
   3. Oliver Cromwell
   4. Henry Ireton
2. What are oplatki?
   1. Potato pancakes spiced with cinnamon traditionally served on Christmas Eve
   2. Wafers used in an Eastern European Roman Catholic Christmas Eve tradition
   3. Latvian cakes flavoured with almonds and honey, traditionally served with coffee on Christmas morning
   4. Communal platters of foods prepared for special occasions and celebrations in some Eastern European regions
3. Who devised the Tom and Jerry, a traditional Christmastime cocktail in the United States?
   1. Egon Ronay
   2. Pierce Egan
   3. Pierce Brosnan
   4. “Professor” Jerry Thomas
      (Many Americans believe that “Professor” Jerry Thomas – author of The Bar-Tender’s Guide and considered the father of modern professional cocktail-making – was responsible for the Tom and Jerry; he himself claimed to have done. In fact, though he popularised it, it was created by British sports writer Pierce Egan in the 1820s to promote his book and play Life in London, whose principal characters were Regency dandies called Tom and Jerry.)
4. Which of the following products are vegetarian?
   1. Guinness
   2. Smarties
   3. After Eight
   4. Liquorice Allsorts
      (Guinness use isinglass as finings; some Smarties are coloured with cochineal; and liquorice allsorts contain gelatine.)
5. What Christmas culinary treat is known at Cambridge University as Senior Wrangler sauce?
   1. Brandy butter
   2. Cranberry sauce
   3. Bread sauce
   4. Mulled wine
      (Rumours that “Brussels” is forcing the renaming of brandy butter as “brandy spreadable fat” are no more than rumours. Butter itself has to contain a minimum of 75 per cent milk fat, but traditional foods such as brandy butter may contain much less – only 20%. There’s a lot of nonsense spouted about EU regulations; this is just one example.)

How did you get on?